Turo Hawaii Adventures: Family Travel Tips from Jena Carvalho for Mother's Day

Jena Carvalho, a dynamic Turo host on Oahu, joins the show! We talk story about her experience managing a thriving Turo business while balancing her roles as a medical staff director and mother of seven. The conversation illuminates the complexities of peer-to-peer car sharing, the impact on local Hawaiian communities, and how Turo supports responsible tourism and local entrepreneurship.

What we discuss with Jena Carvalho and Leonani Puailihau:

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Turo's Website
• Jena's Turo Page

👉 Full show notes and resources can be found here: https://hawaiisbesttravel.com/turo-mothers-day/

Transcript

Turo 2 of 4-final_01

[00:00:00] Today's episode is brought to you by Turo, the world's largest car sharing marketplace, where you can book the perfect car from a vibrant community of trusted local hosts coming up on Hawaii's best. You know, I work full time. My husband works full time. So Toro has definitely helped us as an extra income, you know, to provide for us.

[00:00:21] And it also just teaches our kids, you know, discipline and responsibility. You know, that you have to work hard for everything that you want in life. Nothing's too much. given. So it's definitely been a blessing to us and it's helped us financially and also the connections that we've made through other holes and through other guests as well too.

[00:00:42] That is Jenna Caraglio, a tour host on Oahu and medical staff director at Shriners Children's Hospital. In today's episode, Jenna joins us to share how she weaves the spirit of aloha into her businesses in everyday life. If you're curious about how Turo can enhance your travel experience in Hawaii, [00:01:00] or curious about becoming a Turo host in your area, this episode is for you.

[00:01:03] So stick around, let's go! Aloha! Welcome to Hawaii's Best. Here you'll learn what to know before traveling as we discover Hawaiian culture, local businesses, and the experiences that make Hawaii one of the most incredible places in the world. And now, let's get started. Your host, Brian Murphy. Aloha and welcome to Hawaii's Best.

[00:01:26] Thank you so much for tuning in. And today I'm thrilled to have Jenna Caraglio, a Toro host on Oahu and a full time medical staff director at a children's hospital. She's joined along with Leolani Pua'i Lihao, Toro's senior community relations manager. In this episode, we're diving into the world of Turo, exploring how it not only offers a unique way for visitors to explore and experience Hawaii, but also how it supports local businesses.

[00:01:50] And on this special Mother's Day episode, Jenna shares how she manages her busy life as a mom, medical professional, and entrepreneur, providing valuable tips for [00:02:00] travelers. Looking to connect authentically to Hawaii's culture. Leilani gives a behind the scenes look at how Turo fosters community involvement and responsible tourism in the islands.

[00:02:09] And we discuss more about that. And also we get some tips from both of these amazing women later on in the episode. So be sure you stick around for that. Some best sunrise spots and also some best beaches. So be sure to stick around for the entire episode. And whether you're planning a trip to Hawaii or looking to enhance your travel experience, this episode is packed with insight on how to engage responsibly with the local culture while enjoying the convenience and personal touch of Toro if you decide to book through them.

[00:02:41] And for Jenna's tour listing, be sure to go to the description of this episode or you can go to hawaiisbesttravel. com slash episode one and two. All right, so let's go ahead and let's talk story with Leolani and Jenna.[00:03:00]

[00:03:03] Jenna, Leo, thank you so much for coming on the podcast today. So great to see you. How are you doing? Jenna, we'll start with you. How are you doing today? I'm doing great. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here. I'm glad. How are you? Doing good. So we're talking about Turo and we're talking about hosting and I can't wait to hear more about your story, Jenna, because it's.

[00:03:26] Really unique and I'm so, I think the, really curious in how you manage it all. Can you share a little bit about you, your Ohana, your family, and maybe for people who don't know you. Yes, I am born and raised here in Hawaii. I'm 28 years old. I am a wife and a mother to seven. One of my own and six step children, and I'm also in the medical field, uh, working as a medical staff coordinator at a children's hospital here and also running a tour business and multiple [00:04:00] other investments as well, too.

[00:04:02] Wow. Okay. Busy. So my life is fun. It's exciting. Always busy. That's awesome. Yeah. I can't wait to hear more about that. We'll lay out just for maybe listeners who aren't aware of what Turo is. If you give us a snapshot of what, what Turo is. Yeah, certainly. Turo is the world's largest peer to peer car sharing marketplace.

[00:04:24] On Turo, you'll find an extraordinary selection of cars. We have actually. More than 1500 different makes and models. Each one is unique to our specific host. And what I love about that from a guest perspective or somebody who books with Turo is that the car that I book is the car that I'm going to get.

[00:04:44] And I just, I love that because whether I'm on the mainland or whether I'm just Island hopping and needing a certain type of car, or if I like Want to test drive a certain type [00:05:00] of car, I know that I can go on tour and I will get that car. We have hosted more than 14, 000 cities across the country, really, in the U.

[00:05:09] S., U. K., Canada, France, Australia. And many Turo hosts even offer delivery, further expanding our network. Our mission here at Turo is to put the world's 1. 5 billion cars to better use. So Turo is a great platform where you can actually take those underutilized cars and use them either to make some extra money for yourself, or to get a cool ride to take you where you need to go.

[00:05:36] As of last year, we have approximately 170, 000 active hosts, 360, 000 active vehicles, and 3. 5 million active guests from around the world participating on our platform. Yeah, when Turo, um, You know, even five years ago, I was like, I hadn't [00:06:00] even heard of Turo. And then all of a sudden, it feels like there's been this growth the last couple of years.

[00:06:07] And it's like, well, yeah, I mean, haven't you heard of Turo? Like, what do you think Leo has, has, um, contributed to that growth? Yeah, you know, we've definitely tried to be innovative over time. Turo started more than 10 years ago in a tiny little startup on the East Coast, and now Turo hosts are all over the world, including right here in Hawaii, in our home.

[00:06:33] What's really cool is seeing how many amazing women have contributed to both Turo's growth and actually their own personal growth by turning to Turo and being a host. We recently did a survey where we asked our Turo community about themselves and nearly 40 percent identified as women. That's huge when you realize that not that long ago, it was a platform that was dominated by men who were encouraged to [00:07:00] become business owners and car enthusiasts.

[00:07:02] I have personally met some amazing women in the marketplace. They always inspire me being a mom of three myself. It's always inspiring. Jenna here is one of many of them. And I often think about how moms do it all. Running around, chauffeuring kids to different activities, sharing their vehicles, and most of them also having full time jobs.

[00:07:24] The time of this recording is going to be released. It's Mother's Day is this weekend. And Jenna, I'd love to hear as we dive more into your story, one, how Turo has supported you and your Ohana and, but maybe before you answer that, or maybe together, how long have you been a Turo host? Yeah, I've been doing this.

[00:07:47] I'm going to be going on three years this year. When we first started, we started with just one vehicle. And you know, we were doing so well. We were blessed that Turo was being so good to [00:08:00] us that we were able to purchase a second vehicle. And with that, we're also able to purchase a third, which I use as a personal now.

[00:08:08] So Toro has definitely been a blessing in our life for me and my family since the very beginning. Yeah, maybe you could dive into a little bit as, as far as you feel comfortable sharing how maybe some specifics, how have you seen it directly impact you guys? Definitely financially, honestly, because, you know, here in Hawaii, it can get hard.

[00:08:29] You know, I work full time. My husband works full time. So Toro has definitely helped us as an extra income, you know, to provide for us. And it also just teaches our kids, you know, discipline and responsibility, you know, that you have to work hard for everything that you want in life. Nothing's given. So it's definitely been a blessing to us and it's helped us financially and also the connections that we've made through other holes and through other guests as well too.

[00:08:57] Yeah, you said something there that kind of resonated and [00:09:00] I don't want to go off too of a tangent but having you know My wife and I we have three girls as well and having them see myself and various side businesses and and even main businesses via online and Talking about your tour of business is cool to see have them see that there's Other ways of earning an income and bringing value and, you know, maybe That one of those kids isn't, you know, maybe they don't want to go that traditional route, but to have like, oh, there's other options, like, cause we're all wired differently.

[00:09:38] So I think that's cool that your kids see you building this business. Maybe you could talk a little bit about how you've built the business. Maybe share a little bit, uh, if there's strategies there, or maybe, you know, you've been in it for three years, but I'd love to hear how you've built your Toro business.

[00:09:54] Yeah, I mean, I started off, I did a lot of research first, you know, just like anything else that you get into in life, you want [00:10:00] to know about it first, know what you're getting into. So I did a lot of research and then I joined a Facebook group as well to just specifically around Turo where everybody kind of just talks about how they started as well to different situations that would come up.

[00:10:14] It was just a place to go to get answers. So I started with that. There was a couple of friends from high school that were doing Toro Prior. And I reached out to them and I asked them, you know, how did you start? Like, where do I even begin? And they're like, you know, first of all, make sure you have a dependable vehicle.

[00:10:35] Make sure that your schedule will be able to be flexible with this because you have to be able to do the pickups, do the drop offs, you know, you can't do it on your own. So you got to make sure you have another person to kind of help you or like a little team. I also went a little further and I created, uh, I went into like the legal way and I got an LLC.

[00:10:54] I got my GE tax license. You know, I just, I really wanted to make [00:11:00] this. of business and to really thrive on it. And it, it's been good. We're not where we need to be, but we've grown so much since we started. And every day we're learning too. And with the different connections that we meet with people and the other peers that we have, I'm able to continue learning and growing all to our own.

[00:11:20] You know, I just want to say that I, I love hearing all that Jenna did. On her own and also here at Turo, we have a whole host success team where there's an onboarding process. We also have just different resources for our hosts. And that's one way for Turo to really be able to support and meet our hosts where they're at.

[00:11:42] And then also help them to get to whatever level they want to get to in their business. Yeah, that whole team actually really helped me with my settings because I actually made a mistake at the beginning because Toro, for the location, it was just under Hawaii. [00:12:00] So I had a first renter that chose Lanai, but I was on Oahu and I didn't realize that he's like, Oh, I'm here at the airport.

[00:12:08] Are you folks coming? And Oh, yeah, we're here, you know, and then come to find out he was in La Na'i and this was my first rental as well, too. And I was like, Oh, my gosh, I called Turo for support. And I was like, I didn't know that there was a setting. And they're like, yes, let me walk you through it. Let me help you so that this doesn't occur again.

[00:12:27] And I was like, and that was actually that incident. It really helped me. So all the other people that came after me that would come to me and ask me for help of how to start with Toro, that was the number one thing I told them, make sure you make your setting for Oahu. Right. Yeah. You can't really take the bridge over to Lennai, right?

[00:12:44] Yeah. And a lot of people that come here to You know, don't know about the many islands that there's different islands that we're not all connected. You can't drive to the other island. So that, that really helped and the renter didn't know either. So I was able to educate the renter a little bit [00:13:00] as well too.

[00:13:00] That's yeah. Yeah. What's wild is, and I'll maybe I'll just link this down in the description as well. One of our best performing blog posts is how many islands are there in Hawaii? And yeah, it's, it's incredible that. The education, you know, just because you think there's so much out there, I think it's important.

[00:13:19] And I, um, we'll talk a little bit about how you, you know, are coming alongside of visitors. I'd love to hear about that, but you mentioned some, I'm, I'm just curious, you know, cause I'm sure as a business person, you have goals, but you said, you're not where you want to be. Like, where do you see that for you guys?

[00:13:37] You know, I've, I've always loved being in the medical field. I have a passion for it. Yeah. But eventually, I want to be able to be more present as a mother, and I'm hoping that, you know, eventually, I don't have to work a full time career in the medical industry and then I can spend more time with Toro and expand even more that it's going to be able to [00:14:00] give me the opportunity to be more present.

[00:14:02] you know, in my kids lives and just be able to enjoy all those moments and not miss anything. Because, you know, having a full time career still, I miss a lot of milestones. So that is my, that's my goal. And I'm hoping, you know, within the next couple of years, I can reach that goal. You mentioned about there's support out there.

[00:14:20] through Turo, the support there, and there's also, you know, the Facebook groups and stuff and, you know, making sure you have the right settings and the right island. But are there any specific skills? I'm thinking, you know, people in Hawaii and also maybe on the continent, you know, are there specific skills that someone needs to be thinking of before maybe they sign up as a host or anything like that?

[00:14:42] Yeah, you know, definitely being able to Prioritize and communication. Number one, communication is everything. These, you know, our renters are coming from different islands, coming from different countries, you know, and they want to, they're pretty much planning their trip like with an [00:15:00] itinerary. So they want to know what, where, when.

[00:15:02] So as a host, you have to able to really communicate well with them, you know, and in a timely manner as well, too, because things come up, life happens. So I can honestly say communication is the number one thing and just being able to prioritize, you know, and know what's coming. Like for me, I always try to look at my schedule ahead of time, like a week prior and like, okay, This is what I have to do.

[00:15:26] This is when I have to do it. I reach out to my renters, confirm everything, and then just make sure that we're on the right page for a smooth experience for them. Right. Yeah. You know, that traditional car rental experience and Having that option of, you know, maybe something your family's used to or what you're, especially if you're going into a new environment, if you're visiting for the first time anywhere, maybe having a car that you feel more comfortable in.

[00:15:54] I could see that. I know, you know, for myself, that. Is something that I like if I'm [00:16:00] going into a new spot, I'd rather like have, you know, a car that I am familiar with and comfortable with. So I'm sure a lot of people that's also a plus, you know, last time we were talking about just some of the things that hosts do for their guests, snacks or, you know, stuff like that.

[00:16:20] I'm just curious. If you and your family, is there anything that you do as far as like an experiential package for your guests or anything like that? Yeah, honestly, it's kind of a local thing here, but it's definitely the local snacks. Yeah, cool. And then if I know, you know, I am going to be meeting my renter.

[00:16:38] In person and sometimes I'll throw in a lay in there as well to just to give them that touch of aloha, you know, when they're coming here to Hawaii. Yeah. Can I also say, Brian, you know, it's, it's hosts like Jenna that go above and beyond and really share that aloha spirit that the really like embodies.

[00:16:58] What, what our [00:17:00] expectation here is at TURL also, and to ensure that we stay at a level of expectation, TURL actually has a two way rating system to ensure that hosts and guests are having a good experience and that, you know, Jenna had mentioned the importance of communication and to it. And so that two way rating system really allows for that communication and, and for hosts like Jenna, who are outstanding with communication, that's actually part of the rating system too, uh, rating your hosts.

[00:17:32] And then from there, you know, the host can meet with their, their host success manager and, and go over maybe different strategies, ways to improve things. And so it's not just a way for. for Turo to, to get down on our hose, but it's really for, for us to set that level of expectation and also to help you and to support you if you need that.

[00:17:58] Cool. I love that. [00:18:00] Okay. Well, right now we're going to take a quick break. And when we return, we're going to hear more about how Jenna manages it all, her career, her tour of business, while being a mom first and foremost. So stay tuned. We'll be right back.

[00:18:16] If you've ever dreamed of exploring Hawaii at your own pace in a car that felt like a or maybe you have a vehicle that you would like to host and share. Well, Turo is your go to. So imagine cruising down Hana in a convertible or navigating the landscapes of the big Island with a four by four all while experiencing Hawaii authentically and responsibly with Turo, you can rent the perfect car for your Hawaii vacation from local hosts.

[00:18:43] Or become a host yourself, turning your idle car into an earning opportunity while connecting with travelers from around the world. So whether you're looking to explore the islands in style or earn extra cash as a local, Turo makes it all possible. Dive into the Turo experience and see Hawaii through a [00:19:00] new lens.

[00:19:01] Visit Turo today at turo. com.

[00:19:06] All right, Jenna, what are some of your strategies then for managing it all, your career? At the Children's Hospital, your tour of business, family time, how do you do it? So, finding the balance, I still have not mastered. And I don't know if I ever will, but it's just every day I wake up and sometimes I don't know how I'm going to do it, but by the end of the day, I did it.

[00:19:32] And I think it's just, It's a skill and it's a talent that us moms just have. We just find a way and we do it. But I definitely, I prioritize because I know my plate is full and I have a lot going on. I look at my day, my week, and I try to prioritize like what needs to be done, what's urgent, you know, what's really important.

[00:19:54] I look at my tour schedule that's coming up for me. And then I can, you know, that is a priority [00:20:00] because I don't want to be canceling any trips, you know, or being late for anything. So that's number one priority. And I plug in everything else around it. But yes, definitely having to just prioritize what needs to get done.

[00:20:13] And you know, my husband, he helps tremendously because if I can't make a game or if I can't drop off to practice or if I can't do an appointment, then he comes in, he does that. And then my older sons, you know, they're such a huge help as well too. You know, they pick up the baby from daycare, they drop her off.

[00:20:32] We really work as a team. And without them, I wouldn't be able to do it. So they're definitely, they play such a huge role in, you know, my motherhood and being a business owner as well, too. A lot of people who are visiting, I think now, even especially post pandemic, want to know ways and how they can support.

[00:20:54] Especially the local economy, local businesses, and even some of the [00:21:00] local businesses, you have to be careful because they're not really local businesses, right? So I'm, I'm curious, and what are some of your favorite ways you, your family, and how you support local? Yeah, I mean, honestly, um, you know, we're talking about Turo, so I have a lot of other people that I've connected with other Turo hosts that I share that business with because I only have the two vehicles.

[00:21:24] I have so many return renters that, you know, want to book my vehicle, but I don't have it available. It's already rented. So I, I share that with those other Turo hosts. And I give them that, you know, I'm supporting them, you know, Toro, we, my family and I were all of, we love the big names, but we definitely love supporting local, you know, we have an apparel, um, business as well, too, called Noak of Apparel.

[00:21:50] So. We like to support other local businesses. You know, I have my favorites that are like Sweet Honey Hawaii, you know, Lex Breezy Hawaii, [00:22:00] RWFash, Sonani by Lila. There's just so many ways that you can support local. There's so many of these different events that come together of all local businesses, and those are our favorite to attend because it's just strictly local businesses.

[00:22:16] Yeah, we had Alexis on the podcast. We were talking about Made in Hawaii. Can people find your clothing, you know, pop ups anywhere? We just kind of pop out like during seasons, you know, like Black Friday will come out and we'll do a couple during football season, you know, we'll do for football. It's not something that we've given our everything into just because of the busy life that we have and that we live.

[00:22:40] But it's something that we really enjoy, you know, doing and we love seeing the other people support us and seeing them wearing our stuff, you know, when we go out, you know, from different states, you know, we go to Vegas and we see people in Vegas with it and we're like, Oh, wow, you know, it really warms my heart.

[00:22:56] And then I'm pretty sure that's just how other local businesses feel too, you [00:23:00] know, when they're out and they just see other people, you know, rocking their apparel or their bags or, you know, whatever it may be. I love this question. I, I, I love that Jenna shared about, you know, even, um, Supporting other local tour host like I think that's that's so great.

[00:23:21] And, and honestly, it's a, it's a sentiment that is, it's kind of felt throughout all of the the tour community. We did a community survey where we surveyed our guests and our hosts and more than 70 percent of a surveyed tour guests, so our renters, so that they find value in supporting and spending money in their local communities and more than half of our surveyed hosts.

[00:23:48] So people like Jenna who are sharing their cars on, on our platform, spend their tour earnings at businesses, right in their local communities. And so really that. [00:24:00] Supporting local sentiment is felt throughout our community and Jenna is a perfect example. Yeah, you know, here in Hawaii, we have so much like family gatherings and whatnot.

[00:24:10] So like when we have our family gatherings, all of our food, all of our desserts, they all come from just small local businesses. There's this one, she's called Mochi Hustler, and she has been a staple in our family that. Everyone is always asking at family parties. Are you bringing her mochi? Are you bringing her mochi?

[00:24:29] Yes, I am. You know, it's just, it's such a good feeling to just support all these other local businesses. Leo, I mean, we're talking about kind of looking at Mother's Day. I'm curious, what does the future look like for Turo? Or maybe there's stuff in the works, but like, especially for You know, busy moms who are maybe looking to start this side hustle.

[00:24:53] What does that look like for Turo? You know, I personally believe sky's the limit. Our [00:25:00] community survey that we did, um, was really a temperature check for us. To ensure that we're fostering a place of inclusion for all, for, for people of all walks of life. Uh, seeing so many women and moms participate in this marketplace tells me that we're doing something right here at Touro.

[00:25:18] But of course there's always room for improvement. We just launched the Touro. We, well, a few weeks ago, we launched a passive income hosting program that Jenna and any other hosts in the U. S. can opt into, and the program allows busy vehicle owners who just don't have the time to become hosts themselves So, To join a Turo community and quickly establish a passive income stream, this program opens up the Turo economy to anyone with an extra car, and at the same time, helping more seasoned hosts scale their businesses.

[00:25:54] Gotcha. Okay. This little segment is called Best of Hawaii and find that, you know, [00:26:00] those that listen to the podcast, um, and follow our Instagram account at hawaiis. best. They want to know, you know, favorite spots and stuff to do and all that good stuff. But I'm just curious from, um, Both of you being local, I'm going to ask a few questions, kind of like a quick response type of thing.

[00:26:17] And you guys just go ahead and answer, talk over each other, figure it out who's going to answer first, but just curious about, okay, so number one, what's your favorite beach on Oahu and why? I am from the west side of Oahu and I just believe our beaches are the best. You know, I, the lagoons at Ko'olina are beautiful and that's always a great tourist spot just because the, the hotels are there.

[00:26:50] There's some great eateries there. There's a beautiful Like a beautiful walking path [00:27:00] where you can watch the sunsets. It's just a beautiful spot. It's a good family spot. It is. It is. It's lagoon, so it's enclosed and yeah, it's a great spot to go to. I was actually going to say Colina too, because it's like the place to go for families, especially when you have young kiddos, you know, because it's a lagoon, so it's safe, you know, and there's just so many other families there too.

[00:27:25] So you know, you just kind of get that sense of it's such a family oriented place to go to outdoors. Yeah. It's funny. Um, Leo, like anyone I'm talking, I talked to, it was like, it was from the West side. It's like, Yeah. It's all about the west side. Like, is there like, is there like scraps between west side east side or windward leeward?

[00:27:43] Like, is there? Oh, for sure. For sure. It was a loaded question. I know. I mean, there's, there's just so much pride here about like where you're from and you know, there's, yeah, west side, west side, but [00:28:00] east side. All right. Uh, second question is best spot for sunrise. Or sunset. You know, when I was younger and I was in high school, I loved hiking.

[00:28:13] Hiking was my thing back then, I would've able to do Cocoa Head. So cocoa Head was a good sunrise, and then my pillbox on the west side was a good sunset. I would say, yeah, for hikers, that would be really, really good. And then if it's just, you know, if you want to stay on the lower grounds, then the beaches on the east side, and then the, for sunrise, and then the beaches on the west side for sunsets.

[00:28:38] I mean, that's pretty much the answer there. Like, there's no disputing any of that. I will say that in my older age, I now love, I, I, love is not the word. I'm up for this for both, but the sunset just kind of give me like a The day [00:29:00] is over and then the sun rises are always like, okay, let's do this. Right, mom, full time job.

[00:29:07] We got all the things to do. So it's funny 'cause I feel it's, it's an indication the sun rises and the sunsets are an indication of, of just the day. I also would share that I. I grew up in a small town called Makakilo and it's like on a hill and that's where I'm from too. Of course you are. Oh, that is too funny.

[00:29:31] My, my grandma's house. There's like a, there's like a patio and a balcony where you can see literally like from All from like downtown Waikiki, Diamond Head and, and watching the sun rises, just the, the colors of the sky from my grandma's patio was just like a favorite of mine growing up. Love that. I would add if, if you're a family and you're traveling and you want to do a sunrise [00:30:00] hike, Makapu'u Lighthouse is also a great option because it's paved.

[00:30:05] My family and I, we've done that one a few times. It's not too crazy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Cool. All right. Musubi or shave ice, which is your go to snack? That's because both are, uh, local favorite together. We grew up on it. Yeah, honestly, it actually done it together many times. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. It's hard to choose.

[00:30:29] Definitely on a hot day shave ice for sure. But shave ice at Musubi goes hand in hand for a snack. Yep. I will say mobi is a little bit more easily accessible. Like there's the 70 elevens that have all the mo bees. Yeah. But yeah, definitely hand in hand. Yeah. On a hot day that you are at the beach, like that is the perfect combo right there.

[00:30:55] Yeah. Mo Bees are our family favorite, so like when we have, when we know the weekends, we've got [00:31:00] games back to back, I'm packing Musubi the next day I'm making Musubi and that's lunch work the next day. So you got the day off and you got your shave ice in hand. You got your musubi in hand. Are you going to Waikiki or are you heading up to North Shore?

[00:31:14] I would say North Shore for me. It's just a little, especially if it's a day off, it's just a little bit of that more relaxing feeling. And, you know, hitting the shrimp spots and Matsumoto's and those are just, and you know, Lanikai, that's just, that's my ideal day off. It's funny when my family and I, when we have a day, which we never do, but when we have a day off and a day to just relax, we say, we're going to go around the island and what going around the island means to us is literally going to North Shore.

[00:31:52] Yeah. Around the whole island, but it's. It's the North Shore and it's, you know, Waimea Bay is just so [00:32:00] beautiful. Recently, we actually did the hike at Waimea Falls and I haven't done that in years. And it was absolutely beautiful. Like it was a beautiful day. You're walking up the path and it's an easy path.

[00:32:13] You can bring, you can bring strollers, you can bring wheelchairs and they have like these gardens along the way. And then at the end, the waterfall was, was flowing. I mean, it was just. It was such a beautiful day. And then we went from that, and this is the beautiful thing about Hawaii, right? You can go from that.

[00:32:32] And then we went to the beach after, which is right down the road. And it just, it was a great way to just wrap up the whole day. Yeah. Okay. So last question on this kind of best of, what are some, maybe a a secret spot or maybe something that people don't know too much about visitors, maybe they often miss or just it's not on the itinerary.

[00:32:53] It's not on the travel guide or you know, what are, what would you say to that? Our family favorite spot is [00:33:00] honestly Moani Island Bistro and Bar located in Kapolei. It's like a second home to us. It's also where my husband and I met. And when you go there, the food is great. There's live entertainment. And when you, the atmosphere is just so family oriented.

[00:33:16] And it's a, it's owned by a local family as well too. So you really get that sense of aloha and love and family. So I always recommend my renters, you know, when they ask me like, you know, what's a good eatery, um, but they also have Sunday brunch. So I'm always just like, you know, you got to go there. You got to try it.

[00:33:34] The drinks are great. The entertainment, it's a great environment for the kids. And then it's located right there in the mall, Kamakana Ali'i. So like there's so many other things to do as well too. But that is definitely one of our family favorite spots. And I see Leo there a few times too. Oh yeah? Okay. I think for me, I, I'm going to go all the way to the [00:34:00] east side and I'm going to say Waiahole Poi Factory.

[00:34:03] It's a little shop on the side of the road, a little restaurant on the side of the road. Although I think that they recently opened up. a restaurant at Windward Mall, but their sweet lady of Waiahole dessert is to die for. Like it is, it's haupia ice cream with warm kulolo, which is like a, kulolo is a mixture of kalo and coconut, but it's warm kulolo.

[00:34:32] You're frozen ice cream, frozen jalapeño ice cream. Um, and it's just, just making my mouth water right now. Forget about it. You see it. Do you see it as I'm speaking? Yeah. Well, I got the song sick in my head right now. Yes. Yes. There's that. Yeah. And there's just so many, um, especially on the West side, there's so many little events that are all, you know, local businesses, Waikai, they have [00:35:00] a farmer's market.

[00:35:01] Every Thursday after, um, in the evening time, and it's just little local businesses, you know, and it's a great way to support local as well, too. But they have some very good dessert treats there. I love going there. Uh, Dip by D is one of my favorites. I always need that. Those strawberries. Yes. Chocolate dipped strawberries and cookie butter is my absolute favorite.

[00:35:25] I want to also give a shout out to my friends at the Residence Inn because they have a epic full moon market that, um, yeah, same thing. A lot of local vendors. It's really cool to see how much it's grown the last You know, years they've been doing it. So yeah, be sure you check that out. They just had one recently and um, a good friend of, a good friend of ours, Poppy's, Poppy's smoked meats.

[00:35:51] You got to try that. That's a, it's a delicacy here in Hawaii. Smoked meat. Yeah, you always catch me at the full moon market because I live like five minutes [00:36:00] away. So it's dangerous But okay, whenever they have the full market, you can already expect I'm telling my kids. I'm not cooking. We're gonna go to the market I know this last one.

[00:36:11] They had about 250 different vendors and that's amazing Yeah, we and it's amazing. Yeah when we're there last I think you're like Barely took up like the, you know, the, the, the street right in front of the property and then a little bit of the parking lot, but now it's just like the whole parking lot and like parking, just figure it out.

[00:36:35] Cool. Jenna, Leo, thank you so much for your time. Any last words, maybe for someone who, um, is curious about becoming a host or anything. I'll just kind of like lob it over to you. Anything else that you would kind of want to leave people with? Yeah. I mean, you know, this. This episode is about, you know, moms into our role, you know, and I just want to say that just go for it and you can do it.

[00:36:59] It's so [00:37:00] important to me that, you know, um, mothers have their own identity aside from just being a mother. Because sometimes we just get so lost in that with our daily to do's as a mom, you know, that. It's so important, like, you know, to have your own identity aside from just that. And, you know, a lot of them feel like, you know, I can't do it.

[00:37:19] I just have so much to do. But if I can do it, anybody else can do it. I don't know, Jenna, you're, you're pretty amazing. You're pretty magical. Thank you. You know, having children, they're looking up to you, you know. So you're setting the, you're setting those standards. And I want, I want my daughters to know that.

[00:37:37] you know, sky's the limit and they can do anything that they want to do. You know, I really love that women are using Turo and, and using Turo in a way to give them an option for financial flexibility. So they don't always have to do it all. I love that one of your goals is to be more present in your keikis.

[00:37:58] I feel the same as, [00:38:00] as a mom, it's so important, especially as they're growing up. I love that you get to, as part of a tour host, you get to prioritize your family time, but at the same time, not having to sacrifice, uh, financial and entrepreneurial freedoms. I think that Turo mommies are always on the move and, and you're a perfect example of that.

[00:38:23] I'm proud of really all the women on Turo who are, who are working so hard and trying to do all the things in order to drive Hawaii forward and also their families forward. Yeah, I've met a lot of other Toro moms and they become family, you know, because we just we have more in common now we're not just moms, we have these Toro businesses and we can lean, lean on each other for that as well too.

[00:38:47] So it's been great, you know, Toros, it's opened so many different doors. And it's been a blessing to my life and also my family's life. Yeah, Jenna keep crushing it and uh, we will go ahead and we're [00:39:00] gonna link your Turo link to this episode below and You guys want to probably book her 22 sienna hybrid before I do so just be sure you check that out And thank you both so much for your time and coming on today Yeah.

[00:39:16] And happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Happy Mother's Day. Mahalo for tuning in to today's episode. It was great having Jenna and Leo sharing their insights on how Turo can enhance your travel experience in Hawaii. And here are a few key takeaways from our conversation. And the first one was Jenna's journey as a Turo host demonstrates the potential of side hustles to not only supplement income, but also Integrate deeply with family life through careful planning and prioritization.

[00:39:46] And wherever you are, if you want to be a tour host, you can do that. And if you're traveling to Hawaii, maybe consider trying out Turo to maybe try something else other than the traditional rental car path. And the second thing that I took away from [00:40:00] today's conversation was how Leolani highlighted how Turo supports local economies and promotes responsible tourism.

[00:40:06] So it makes a great choice for visitors looking to experience Hawaii in a new way. And you can go and listen back to our first episode together specifically about how Turtle's response was and is in the Lahaina relief efforts. And I'll link that episode below as well. So it was great also hearing just practical tips and advice and how to support local businesses and engage with the community while visiting Hawaii.

[00:40:34] Whatever island you are going to be visiting, always take that into consideration. And, you know, for all the details, resources mentioned in this episode, visit our show notes at hawaiisbesttravel. com slash episode 122. And you'll find helpful links and additional information to help you plan a more informed and fulfilling Hawaiian vacation.

[00:40:55] So if you found value in today's episode, please leave a quick review wherever you're [00:41:00] listening and share it with someone who's planning a trip to Hawaii. Your support helps spread the word about responsible and enjoyable travel to these incredible islands. And until next time, my friends be well. Aloha.