In this episode of Women in Motion, host Lee Kantor interviews Traci Bush, owner of Waikīkī Beach Services. Traci shares the history of the company, founded in 1955 by Caroline Granelli, and later taken over by her father in the 1970s. Traci discusses her unexpected journey from the corporate world to leading the family business, the challenges of earning respect in a male-dominated field, and the complexities of succession planning. She emphasizes the importance of building a support network and fostering an inclusive company culture.
Traci Bush, owner and President of Waikīkī Beach Services (WBS), began her career at WBS in 2008. However, her ties to Waikiki Beach go back to her childhood.
Born in Honolulu and raised in the vibrant surroundings of Waikīkī, Traci’s childhood was deeply intertwined with the beach and its culture, largely thanks to her father, Ted Bush. Ted, a revered figure among the Waikīkī Beachboys, introduced Traci to the beach’s traditions and the exhilarating world of outrigger canoe paddling and surfing at an early age.
These formative experiences ignited Traci’s lifelong passion for Waikīkī and its storied history, particularly the legacy of the Waikīkī Beachboys—a group of local watermen known for their surfing prowess and for imparting the spirit of aloha to visitors.
This passion led Traci to play a significant role in co-founding the annual May Day Waikīkī event. The event is a heartfelt homage to the Waikīkī Beachboys, celebrating both the historical and contemporary contributions of these iconic figures to Waikīkī’s culture.
Beyond her contributions to cultural preservation, Traci has been a proactive member of the local business and tourism community. She serves on the boards of the Waikīkī Beach Special Improvement District, the Waikīkī Improvement Association, and the Waikīkī Advisory Committee. 
In these roles, she ensures that Waikīkī continues to thrive as a global destination while retaining its unique cultural heritage. Traci’s journey from a young girl absorbing the traditions of Waikīkī to becoming a co-owner of Waikīkī Beach Services and a respected community leader is a testament to her dedication and love for her home.
Through her work, she not only preserves the legacy of the Waikīkī Beachboys but also ensures that the spirit of Waikīkī is shared with the world.
Connect with Traci on LinkedIn and follow Waikīkī Beach Services on Facebook.
Music Provided by M PATH MUSIC
This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix
TRANSCRIPT
Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX Studios, it’s time for Women In Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.
Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here, another episode of Women In Motion and this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. This month we are spotlighting WBEs from Hawaii, and we’re so excited to have Traci Bush with Waikiki Beach Services. Welcome.
Traci Bush: Aloha. Thanks for having me.
Lee Kantor: I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Tell us about your company.
Traci Bush: Okay. So, we’ve been around since 1955. It was actually started by a woman named Caroline Granelli. So, that was already ahead of her time in the ’50s, but she started a beach service in Waikiki Beach, and they taught surfing lessons, they did canoe rides, they rented boards to tourists. My dad ended up joining at a young age, wanting to be a Beachboy and loved surfing in the canoe, so he ended up taking over the business from her in the 1970s. And it’s been, you know, part of his legacy for so long. And I joined him in about 2008, loved it, couldn’t get away from it. It’s part of my blood and my heritage. And now, I’m the leader and CEO and owner of the company. So, that’s kind of been my journey with Waikiki Beach Services.
Lee Kantor: What was it like as a young person seeing your father in that role? Did you kind of aspire to follow in his footsteps or was that something at some point you had a choice to make and you chose this path?
Traci Bush: It wasn’t something that I thought I was going to be doing. I definitely, actually didn’t even see myself back in Hawaii. I went away for school. I went to University of Washington in Seattle. I traveled a bit. And something kept calling me back to Hawaii, especially Waikiki Beach. And I’ve had just a lot of memories of growing up on the beach with my dad, of being out on the canoe with him, or being on a surfboard with him, and something kept just leading me back there.
Traci Bush: I fought it for a long time. I worked in corporate with Starbucks and was part of that whole arena for a while. And around 2008, I asked my dad, “Hey, can I help you do some marketing?” And I just noticed he wasn’t really doing anything online, and that’s about when all the online reservation systems were coming up, websites, Facebook. And I thought I could maybe bring Waikiki Beach Services into the 21st century a little bit more. So, I just kind of did some independent contractor work for him.
Traci Bush: And then, as I worked more and more down there, I met more people, I just knew this is where I belonged. It just felt right. So, he made me start from the bottom. I had to carry surfboards. I had to do all the grunt work. It wasn’t just, “Hey, you get to lead the company.” I definitely had to work my way up, which was a good thing because now I know all the aspects of the business.
Lee Kantor: Was it a difficult transition to go from that, you know, corporate world that you were in to this more family-run business and probably kind of less structured, less corporate environment?
Traci Bush: Yes. It’s definitely challenging, but it has its rewards too. So, going from having millions of dollars in a budget and definitely a lot of structure, definitely a lot of different departments who know what they’re doing to you wear all the hats and you have to be accountable for every single cent, not just dollar but cent that’s being spent was definitely different. And then, just working with your family, there’s unique challenges there with that father-daughter dynamic and working through that. There was plenty of tears through the years and being frustrated.
Traci Bush: But at the end of the day, it’s been an incredible experience to work with him. I’ve had the flexibility of raising my daughter and bringing her to work, and having her around, and being able to be part of her life because I’m part of the family business. So, there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing.
Lee Kantor: Now, you said you started at the bottom and you worked your way up, did that help kind of as you grew into your leadership position for the other members of the team to see that you weren’t just kind of anointed, you had to kind of earn your stripes each step of the way?
Traci Bush: Oh. You know, no. I think in the back of everyone’s mind, it was still we know that she’s probably being positioned to take over. So, you still have to work through a lot of those feelings of it being maybe unfair or nepotism. And I could work three times as hard as everybody, but there’s still that block. And I knew it. It was hard sometimes.
Traci Bush: And it’s a very male dominated field. I won’t lie. I would say 80 to 90 percent of my staff is typically male. It’s a lot of manual labor too. Especially for the guys who’ve been around for 15, 20, 30 years, seeing this 25, 30 year old girl in their eyes, who some have watched me grow up, it was hard for them to kind of wrap their heads around maybe one day she’s going to be our boss. And that’s been the ongoing challenge, I think, for the last, maybe ten years of working there.
Lee Kantor: And having the male-female dynamic, that’s a challenge by itself. But also in a family-owned business that it’s kind of an understanding that, you know, it’s going to be handed down to another member of the family. In Hawaii, is that something that occurs a lot? Are there are a lot of family-owned businesses where this dynamic comes into play? Or is this a unique thing, especially handing it down to the daughter?
Traci Bush: I do see quite a few more family-owned businesses, and I don’t know if that’s because of the groups I’m in with YWCA. I do see a lot more small businesses are definitely family-owned in Hawaii, and they’re definitely kept in the family, passed down. So, I do think that there’s more of a network of us here for us to reach out and ask for help or talk to each other about the challenges. So, that’s a great thing to have.
Traci Bush: But, yeah, I think no matter what industry you’re in, it’s always going to be challenging if you’re the daughter or the son of the CEO. And it’s just always going to be hard to show people that you deserve to be here.
Lee Kantor: Yeah, I’ve hosted a show of family-owned businesses, so I got an insight into it. I wasn’t aware of all of the dynamics that people, I don’t think, that aren’t part of a family-owned business understand. I mean, there’s unique challenges to being part of a family-owned business that just from within your own family, with siblings and things like that or succession and things like that, that people that are not in family-owned business really don’t understand kind of the nuances to that.
Traci Bush: Right. And I am fortunate in a way that I don’t have siblings, so we’re not fighting amongst ourselves of who’s going to take over. My dad didn’t have to make a hard decision. But at the same time, I’m also alone in this. And part of the reason why I took over at this point in my career, I didn’t think I would be leading the company right now. I knew that our succession plan was eventually I would. But during COVID it became apparent that my dad was developing dementia. So, we transitioned the business quickly before, you know, he couldn’t write his name or he couldn’t understand what was happening. So, I was really thrust into this role during a terrible time in our history just to be in business, so it’s really been a sink or swim endeavor for me. And it would have been wonderful to have a sibling or two to kind of bounce ideas off of or talk to about all of this.
Lee Kantor: So, where do you go for kind of advice and support?
Traci Bush: That’s been people like the YWCA. I mean, it’s led me to so many different people, networks, women in business. I’ve taken advantage of almost every single free opportunity that they’ve had to pick the brains of people who are in finance or marketing and social media. And that’s where I’ve been turning to.
Traci Bush: It’s not always been easy for me to ask for help, but as I’ve gone along on this journey, I realized that’s the only way I’m going to be successful. And there’s this wealth of information out there and women that I just admire, and they’re happy to share their experiences and happy to help another woman in business.
Lee Kantor: And that’s a great lesson for other entrepreneurs out there, especially first time entrepreneurs, that there are networks out there and there are people that want to help. It’s just a matter of being proactive in reaching out to some folks.
Traci Bush: Right. And I don’t know if it was more just my role and feeling that if I was asking for help too much, people would think she’s not meant to lead and she doesn’t know what she’s doing, because I always felt like my dad knew what he was doing. He was the man in charge. And now I’ve taken over and I have to ask for help.
Traci Bush: But I’ve totally changed that way of thinking, and it’s this group of women, this network of intelligent, well-rounded, successful women that I’ve built around me, I can’t say enough good things about just reaching out and asking for help and it does not make you weak. It doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve to be a leader. It means that you’re doing the right thing for yourself and your business and you’re growing.
Lee Kantor: Now, how do you think that this way of going about your business has impacted the company and the culture of the company? Is there slowly a change?
Traci Bush: Definitely. When I look back to 2020, when I had the first make the announcement to everyone that my dad wasn’t coming back and that I would be taking over, it was rough the first year-and-a-half. And not just with COVID, but them getting used to a different leadership style. I know through – we call it – the coconut wireless, the gossip people were thinking about leaving. They weren’t sure about me as a leader.
Traci Bush: And it did take me a while to find my footing. I didn’t know what kind of leader I wanted to be, because I’d always just kind of followed my dad’s example. But now it was time to be myself. And the difference, I think, is that I tend to lead with more empathy. I tend to lead with more openness. I’m a little bit more vulnerable.
Traci Bush: And what I’ve noticed in especially the managers who I have that have been there for many years, who are both male, I feel like they are so onboard. They’re just willing to just work and do the work with me and be a partner with me. And part of that is, you know, leading first as a person, making sure that I treat them as people, that they’re more than this job, that I ask them their opinions, I bring them into the conversation. And that’s just the difference. And it feels really good at work now. It’s taken a few years, but it feels really good all around.
Lee Kantor: Right. I think that’s a great learning experience for a lot of young people thrust in this role is to not confuse vulnerability with weakness. I mean, vulnerability is a strength, and it shows your humanness. And that your ability to listen and empathize, I mean, those aren’t weaknesses, those are strengths.
Traci Bush: Right. But it’s absent, I think, in a lot of work environments. And so, people aren’t used to that. And it’s actually something you have to practice with your staff, if that’s how you’re going to lead, because it’s not something people are used to seeing. And it should be. It really should be.
Lee Kantor: Right. But I think some of that comes from fear that they’re afraid, that I’m in a position that I’m supposed to be the boss so I’m supposed to have all the answers. When one of the ways to get the answers is to ask your people, because they probably know the answer.
Traci Bush: Oh, 100 percent. They’re actually the experts more than I am. There’s no doubt that they know a lot more about certain things in this business than I do. So, I’m not going to sit there in my office and dictate to them something I’m 50 percent sure about when I know they absolutely know the answer to this. So, yeah, it’s not a weakness to ask for help, opinions, be vulnerable, say you don’t know. And I’ve gotten really comfortable with that phrase, “Hmm. I don’t know. Let me get back to you.” Whereas before, I never wanted to be seen as not knowing the answer.
Lee Kantor: Right. Yeah. I think that was one of the biggest lessons I had is, “I don’t know. What do you think? What do you think?” and then get their input. It’s one of those things where when you’re new or it’s new to you and you don’t have kind of that support system built in, it just you feel a lot of pressure and you put it on yourself. And that’s probably one of the big changes also going from corporate to this role is just not having that kind of infrastructure that you’re kind of making it up as you go, which, I mean, that’s what you’re forced to do.
Traci Bush: Oh, yeah. It’s definitely tough because you are making it as you go, like you said. And sometimes it’s kind of lonely. If you’re wearing all the hats, there’s no other director of marketing or director of HR that you’re going to go talk to and run some ideas off of, and you feel lonely at the top sometimes.
Lee Kantor: So, how did you find that support group that you’re working with now? Just kind of word of mouth, just from friends of friends?
Traci Bush: Goodness. I want to just say it was just some email. I think it might have been from the SBA kind of during the COVID recovery period and they had a list of classes and workshops locally. And one of them was for the YWCA, it was social media and marketing. And I thought, yes, I’m doing this. So, that’s how I kind of got started. I met a lot of people there and did some things with the YWCA here. And then, I got told about women and small business and getting certified, and one thing led to another.
Lee Kantor: And that’s where you heard about WBEC-West and got involved there.
Traci Bush: Yeah.
Lee Kantor: And what have you gotten out of the WBEC-West relationship thus far and the WBEC-West community?
Traci Bush: Oh, goodness. Where do I start? I mean, there’s so much. There’s just a wealth of information. I think I could spend, you know, days just even on the website reading through things, going through all the different connections, reaching out to people. But I mean, anything you want to know as a small business owner, as a woman business owner, it’s at your fingertips there. And I think the support you feel and not being alone, and knowing there’s a huge community, not just locally but nationwide that you can tap into, is so valuable and it adds to my confidence.
Lee Kantor: Now, when it comes to Waikiki Beach Services, what kind of is your secret sauce there? What is the qualities that make your offering different than maybe some of the others?
Traci Bush: I think it’s our our heart. We’ve really made an effort, one, to put our people first. So, they love being there. They enjoy being there. They’re proud to wear their shirt to work. And I see them all over social media and talking about work, posting photos of work. And so, there’s a sense of pride and ownership. So, they want to do well. They want to create a good experience for the people, our guests and our customers. And I think that’s really a unique thing for our place in particular.
Traci Bush: I try very hard to also honor our history and our past because that’s a huge story to tell. We’re coming up on our – what? – 70 something anniversary. And the Waikiki Beachboys, in general, are a hugely romanticized and talked about part of the culture in Hawaii. And we’re part of that history, and I want to make sure that the people working for me understand the legacy that they get to continue about spreading aloha, about teaching the arts of Hawaiian surfing and canoe surfing to visitors and people from around the world. So, yeah, I just think our heart and our pride is different and what sets us apart.
Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you? Do you need more employees? Do you need more clients? Do you need more people using your services?
Traci Bush: Well, I do think labor, employees, all of that’s been a real challenge lately. So, yeah, if you have ideas or thoughts about employment and getting more people, I would love that.
Lee Kantor: And how does someone connect with you and learn more about your company? What’s a website?
Traci Bush: waikikibeachservices.com or @wbshawaii on Instagram.
Lee Kantor: And I’m sure all the socials have a lot of videos and photos of people enjoying their time there.
Traci Bush: Yes. Definitely. I mean, we sell fun. Like, how could you not be happy working in the water and the ocean and surfing all day?
Lee Kantor: Yeah. That’s it. And it sounds like you’re really enjoying your time there. And you’re really leaning into this leadership opportunity and really trying to help your community.
Traci Bush: Right. That’s number one priority, definitely.
Lee Kantor: Well, Traci, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.
Traci Bush: Thank you so much for having me. This has been a pleasure.
Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women In Motion.
