Heartbeat Narratives

To celebrate National Postal Worker Day, we’re stamping this episode with extra love and bringing back our favorite mail carrier, Reyna! In this delightfully unfiltered conversation, Reyna returns to the mic to deliver more behind-the-scenes gems from life on the route. From coconuts and tuna to postal lingo and stamp hacks, we hear about the weird and relatable moments of the job. With humor and...

Live from Tokyo, Jamie Christy shares his path from growing up Japanese-American in Minnesota to reconnecting with his roots while living in Kawasaki, Japan. He opens up about the complexities of relearning Japanese as a native speaker and how language continues to shape his identity. From The X-Files and John Grisham novels to the intricacies of Japanese legalese, Jamie reflects on the quirky and...

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! In this episode, Scott Nishimoto - dad, husband, community leader, and emerging poet - joins us to share poems from his chapbook, Beautifully Ordinary. He talks story about the highs, lows, and everyday joys (and hiccups) of parenting. A proud Honolulu townie, Scott reflects on how fatherhood has deepened his sense of presence and purpose, with poems l...

In the spirit of National Movie Night, we’re diving into a conversation with Rino Nakajima - a Disney superfan whose life has been shaped by the stories she grew up watching. Originally from Hiroshima, Japan and now living in Hawaiʻi, Rino talks about how movies like The Little Mermaid and Mulan have helped guide her through everything from studying Swahili in college to landing her dream job at D...

In honor of the United Nations' World Environment Day, we're excited to welcome Frank Oscar Weaver to todayʻs episode. Frank is a talented educator, filmmaker, and host of the Indigenous Earth Community Podcast which recently celebrated 5 years on air! Frank is also a fellow AIR Media New Voices AMPLIFY podcaster, and when he and Molly first connected, they quickly discovered a shared passion for...

Aloha and welcome back to a mini episode of Heartbeat Narratives! In this bite-sized reflection, I’m looking back on the first five months of the podcast - what I’ve learned and what’s coming up next. Since January, we’ve reached listeners in 29 states and 19 countries which energizes me to stay curious and continue to amplify stories of joy from Hawaiʻi and beyond. And as always, I’m also going t...

Meet Jen Roberts, a retired firefighter with a passion for adventure and a deep love for serving Hawaiʻi. She’s lived a dynamic life - bartending, fighting fires, and leading a women's motorcycling club - all while embracing each moment with gusto. Jen shares career-defining stories, from delivering a baby on the H-1 freeway to the meaningful work of The Pantry in Kalihi, where her team coordinate...

We appreciate you tuning in to Heartbeat Narratives! On this podcast, we celebrate stories of joy through organic conversations about the passions, places and people that our guests love. Letʻs continue to build our connections with others in our circles by leading with curiosity and aloha. Episodes are released every other Wednesday!  Listen & Subscribe Apple Podcasts Spotify Substack Youtube...

It's game on in today's episode as we sit down with Aunty Helen Nakano, the enthusiastic founder of Hanafuda Hawaiʻi. From her childhood in the 1940s on South King Street to teaching across Kauaʻi and Japan, Aunty Helen shares her journey of reviving the traditional Japanese card game, Hanafuda, for players across the islands. Learn how she’s using these “flower cards” to bridge generations and in...

If you love food, you will fall in love with Rachel Fukumoto, a business owner and agricultural enthusiast based in Keaʻau, Hawaiʻi. In this insightful episode, we learn about Rachel's foodpreneur endeavors through her business, The Pastry Farmer. From living in a convent on a sustainable farm to training to become a farmer, she shares her winding path into agriculture and her deep-rooted desire t...

To celebrate the 62nd Merrie Monarch Festival in Hilo, Hawaiʻi this week, we honor the legacy of Karl Veto Baker, a kumu hula of Hālau I Ka Wēkiu, alongside Michael Lanakila Casupang. With five decades of experience as a hula dancer and teacher, Kumu Veto reflects on his journey that began in 1975 under the mentorship of renowned Kumu Hula, Robert Cazimero, whose 50th year of dancing is being hono...

Snap happy is a real thing. In this episode, Tâm Koppelaar, our new Dutch bestie shares about why he loves photography. From an unexpected airplane friendship to scenic hikes and a cozy Friendsmas party, Tâm brings a sharp eye and sarcasm to our conversation. We follow his journey from the Netherlands to Hawaiʻi, tracing the spark that turned a “real” camera into a gamechanging tool for storytelli...

For our first LOVE STORY of Heartbeat Narratives, we welcome middle school sweethearts, Gigi and Jesse, to reflect on nearly 20 years of being together. With their baby daughter, Samara, in tow, they reminisce about Jesse's memorable *first sight* of Gigi at age 13, their slow-burn high school romance, and the perks of growing up together in Minneapolis. They talk about their cultural backgrounds...

Valentina is a heart-forward social worker with a decade of experience serving houseless communities in both Hawaiʻi and California. Born in Honolulu and raised in San Diego, she moved back to the islands to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Through her undergraduate capstone project, she discovered a deep passion for helping others during an internship at a large shelter in the city. Sin...

What did we learn, honey? Let them bee!  In this buzzworthy episode, Darin Olson, a master beekeeper based in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi, shares his deep knowledge of bees and their critical role in our food system. Originally from Illinois, Darin's beekeeping lineage dates back to the 1400s in Norway, giving him true perspective on the craft (and, of course, an inherited sweet tooth). He describes how bee...

Monroe, known in the musical world as Sulubika, is an Oʻahu-based street musician. He is a gifted flautist who has spent years traveling with various artists and groups across Turkey, Italy and beyond, eventually making his way to Oʻahu. Urban Honolulu residents may recognize him by the trills of his flute at community parks and well-trod street corners. Monroe recognizes that music, and all forms...

This is a mini episode to say Happy Heart Day ♡ Even if you don't celebrate Valentine's Day, it's always worthwhile to connect in a heart x heart conversation to unpack and reflect. Molly highlights the unexpected surprises of producing this podcast, shares a recent "heart" moment and introduces Roses & Thorns. She also has a few dream interviewees for future episodes so be on the lookout for stor...

Meet Francine Clores, a recent medical school graduate with a heart that beats for two things: medical voluntourism and letter writing. Balancing her time between the Philippines, Maui and now Oʻahu, Francine is all about making real, tangible impacts. Whether she’s helping underserved communities get the medical care they deserve or sending handwritten letters to her grandma, she thrives in space...

When life gives you perspective, share it. Born in Honolulu in 1937, Aunty June Naughton reflects on her lifelong spiritual journey to uncover what really matters. We get into some BIG questions about awe and purpose in this philosophical and honest episode. In her words, it all comes down to love: "Nothing is as important to who we are and what we are; it is the relationships we form with ourselv...

Postal workers got your back. That is the theme of this lively conversation with Reyna, a charming (and sassy!) mail carrier who loves their job. Reyna shares about what it is like delivering mail to the masses. Have you ever wondered where your carrier eats lunch, how many miles a day they walk, how they manage zillions of Amazon packages and what its like driving the little box trucks? Reyna get...

Your favorite babyface giant slayer is behind the mic today! Nate Dube is dynamic, forward-thinking conservationist and pro wrestler based in Hawaiʻi. He has blended his two passions into one scrappy, value-driven character in the ring: "The Naturalist" Natron Richards aka THE Natural I.S.T." Nate is a self proclaimed 'āina advocate and feral beast wrestling to spread environmental awareness and i...

This was a fun one. Bábàc Saiedi is our guest on today’s episode and his appreciation for Hawaiʻi’s culture, people and natural beauty resonates in his stories. When he moved from Oklahoma to Honolulu nearly ten years ago, he found a community of like-minded individuals where he could be his authentic self. He enjoys working in technology and spends most of his free time outdoors trying to eke out...

In this episode, we are thrilled that Elaine (Molly's mom), joins us to share about the ins and outs of her career as a librarian. Her story is an example of a passion becoming a vocation. She followed her love of books (and bookmobiles!) from Minnesota to Honolulu to attend the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to earn an M.S. in Library Information Science. We get into all the details about her lif...

In today’s episode, we are traversing through Copenhagen with a new friend, Tim Jansen! Tim is a birdwatching enthusiast and has an incredible knack for sharing travel tips for the city of Copenhagen in Denmark. Originally from the Netherlands, Tim is a student and biking tour guide that Molly met in September 2024. He was so knowledgeable, kind and well-versed in the history and urban landscape o...

Welcome to our first interview of Heartbeat Narratives! We welcome Taylor who shares her love with others through baking. Sourdough bread is her speciality and she even launched her own company called Sweet T's Test Kitchen. Taylor reflects on her time in Hawaiʻi as a student, details her "sourdough journey," and how she puts a vegan twist on all of her favorite Mexican dishes from her youth. As t...