Aloha Alive: The Dawn O'Brien Podcast

A streetball legend walks into Kalihi and doesn’t ask for a red carpet. We sit down with Philip “Hot Sauce” Champion, the face so many fans still associate with the AND1 era, and we get past the mixtape mythology to hear the true arc: daily work in the mirror, a season of trouble, and the wild moment his signature moves got him noticed even while he was locked up. He explains how quickly life can...

She came out of prison with no title, no money & no  plan yet still built one of the most practical, faith-forward outreach efforts in Honolulu. Triciaa Maʻae-Liupaono of My Sister’s Keeper is now under the nonprofit under the umbrella Reckless Love. It's all about addiction recovery, houseless outreach, housing life lessons & serving people who've been written off by everyone el...

The most dangerous place for a child can be the place everyone assumes is safest: home, family, and trusted circles. We sit down as two sister friends to talk plainly about childhood sexual abuse, incest & the generational silence that lets horrific harm repeat. Charlotte shares the reality of being abused at multiple ages, the freeze response that can make a child feel voiceless & the gut...

Charmaine Hauanio-Kuewa is a Miss Aloha Hawaii & Salvation Army Hawaii leader, talking on local disaster relief, ohana trials, & what real help looks like Hawaiian-style. • Why Salvation Army responds to both disasters and “daily disasters”  • What happened after Lahaina & North Shore storms  • How meals, shelter support & financial assistance work  • Why emotional & spiritual...

What's Hawai'i got to do with it? Where does Aloha fit into the Last Days? It's getting real with Pastor Jonathan Steeper--a pastor who refused to shutdown the church during global lockdown, who stood for religious freedom in a national war & looks spiritual war in the eye. After 15 years at Kalihi Union Church, Pastor John reflects on the “gentle” miracles of persistent faith....

A pastor walking into prison at 14 should not be normal, and yet Pastor Jay Puahi’s story makes one thing clear: God uses the willing, not the polished. We sit down with Pastor Jay and his wife, Sister Shar Puahi of Straight Up Ministry, to talk about what it looks like to live the aloha spirit as action, especially while serving at Wai'anae Boat Harbor among a large community of houseless ne...

He’s a beloved Hawaii musician with a reputation for warmth, humor, and that unmistakable “aloha” energy. But what happens when the person everyone loves in public becomes someone his family fears at home? We sit down with Kelly Boy and Leolani Delima for a candid, faith-forward conversation about anger, trauma, marriage, and the long work of healing what you almost lose.  We talk about the hidden...

Lightning strikes a plane outside your window and suddenly every “later” turns into “right now.” That’s where we start with Keikoa Carvalho of Pure Aloha and Rasco Idayan of Building Bonds Through Burpees, two men who know fear, addiction, and pressure firsthand and still choose to show up with love. We get honest about what aloha really means when it costs you something, why sacrifice is the clea...

Your phone says you’re connected, but your relationships might say otherwise. We sit down with Pastor Andrew Yasuhara and get into the kind of faith conversation that actually touches real life: how to reach youth who live online, how to rebuild trust after church hurt, and why the most effective ministry tool is still simple presence. Andrew shares why relationship beats trying to look cool, and...

Rock bottom doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes it’s a quiet dinner table, an empty house, & realizing the thing holding the marriage together is gone. I sit down with Leolani De Lima, wife of Kapena’s Kelly Boy De Lima, and we talk about what it takes to survive 38 years of marriage when fame, temptation, trauma, & family pressure all take their hits. If you’ve been searching for marriage...

HAPPY 1ST BDAY! It's our "BABY LU'AU" Party   featuring da  BEST OF BEST highlights for U! Enjoy our 1st baby steps from Dawn's only solo episode & first set (with awkward background & lighting LOL) & then a upgraded set & even our own Podcast mugs. FANCY PANTSY!  Time to rock ALOHA ALL OVER & share talk story time with Hawai'I heroes & sheroes...

"Your child isn't looking for porn, porn is looking for your child." Michele Okimura, Explicit Movement, talks plainly about s*x, p*rn, & more shocking stuff related to s*x. Why does sex matter to God? What is sacred (vs. secular) sex? And other questions even parents may not know the answers to.  Subscribe for more , share with a parent or friend or youth leader, & leave a...

Persecution isn’t a dramatic headline to us, it’s a promise Jesus already warned us about. Pastor Chris Nair, a pastor and church planter originally from Pakistan, joins us for a clear-eyed talk on what it means to follow Christ when opposition is real and growing. If the word “persecution” makes you tense up, this conversation reframes it with Scripture and lived experience so you can become prep...

Have U ever skipped voting as it felt pointless? Then this one's for U! Eva Andrade, Pres. HI Family Forum, & I get straight to the racy truth about political races:  From razor-thin local races to why small margins can steer an entire state. Also why “one voice” still matters. If this helped you, subscribe, share it with one friend in Hawaii, & leave a review so more local 'ohan...

Does the average Kimo or Kalei make any difference? In surprising answer, Rep. Lauren Matsumoto says yes, POWERFULLY! She also digs into meaty topics like answering to Hawai'i voters about cost of living, public safety, and the need for truth & transparency in gov't.  We also get to meet the lady behind the title of Representative: a wife, mom & Hawai'i girl; sharing how her...

Stop asking, “What’s wrong with me?” & start asking, “What happened & how do I heal forward?” Healing Hearts Creator Rob Gross talks about how trauma leads to so many “bad choices” a.k.a. survival strategies gone wrong. You’ll hear personal stories of ours that make it real: patterns passed down family lines, the pressure to perform for love, & what it looks like to break generational...

Some lights don’t go out—they move. When Dillon lost dad, Kaulana Pakele of Mana‘o Company, & later hanai uncle, the legendary Fiji, the room dimmed. What came next is a story of regeneration with respect: a bedroom-turned-studio in a Hawaiian homestead, a couch as a reminder of sacrifice, & unwavering  faith & aloha. The Legacy Project is beloved old songs & new with intention &am...

O, CORRUPTION, what corruption? Hawaii has won "Most Corrupt State in U.S." for years running. We're paying sky-high prices for gas & groceries, housing & everything else. Is there any HOPE?!  Local businessman & advocate for the people, Gary Cordery shares how hope is possible by flipping the political system so that government actually serves people & saves Hawai&a...

A single punch on a Kalihi street lead to two life sentences, headline news & a family shattered by gang retaliation. BUT GOD! A long broken road across generations lead to hard-won forgiveness. Not just for one man, but two families. And their next generations! CHEEHOO! Matt Taufate'e of 1st L.A.P. Ministries explains how choices shaped a gang member into a godly mentor. It includes quie...

You'll LOL or "buss laugh" as Hawai'i locals say, then you may cry. He did! Kaleo Pilanca takes us to the heights of joy as he's known the depths too. Join us for history of comedy, current culture & lots & lots of ALOOOHA! Book Kaleo "DJ Aloha" today for your party MC or comic show, school or church event by calling (808) 352-7787. CHEE-PONO! IG @DawnOBr...

An ex-con-turned-pastor shares how a free camp helps children of prisoners. It's a simple formula of trust, forgiveness, & love that helps kids to rebuild.  From baptisms behind bars, to Angel Tree gifts & weekly mentoring--children, prisoners & entire families are transformed. AGAPE IS REAL! • Why Camp Agape? And who we serve? • Pastor Roy’s story: From a double life sentence to...

A raw-&-real story of pride, trauma & prison turned to power & purpose!  How a Hawai'i hammah & criminal turned community leader & lasting freedom. World & hurricane surer "Bird" Mahalona leads Wesside men alongside a scrapper wahine-wife to transform the Wild, Wild WESSIDE! • Pride:  The "Shot Caller" behind violence & generational fails • Inne...

WTBFF?! Two BFFs trace 15 years of faith, family, & service, going from a small Bible study to public miracles & everyday acts of aloha. We share practical tools for prayer, evangelism, parenting, & leading with "crowns down." • Why relationships matter • Prophetic ministry with students & witnessed healings • Serving the houseless with practical compassion • What's...

Wanna have best s*x of yr life? Start here! 1st: make sure it's not just full body but full being... What? Dave Willweber, Onipa'a gives answers including...  Hot topics:  • Sexual intimacy power releases • P*rn*graphy influences  • Who's making $$$ of yr sex life?  • Parents as primary sex educators, & Onipa'a  as "special ops" support • How sexual health brings...

"In the 21st century the whole world will be seeking peace, & they shall turn to Hawai'I, for the key to peace is ALOHA! " said Aunty Pilahi Paki. This prophecy is being fulfilled thanks to Tiffa Garza & Zeo Worship , for worship is seedbed of REVIVAL! When God calls you to worship in yr mother tongue, He is unloosing generations & nations! For Tiffa Garza, award-winning...