Meet Tiare Watts | Horse Trainer/Instructor & Shade Connoisseur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tiare Watts and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tiare, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
My niece and I were learning how to make coconut hats a few years ago. I work on a horse ranch and am always needing solid sun protection and a hat that actually fits my head. We also were thinking that everyone who lives on the island should have one of them in their homes! You couldn’t find them anywhere at that time. Then we started dreaming of using the money we made to buy and RV and go on adventures together and see our beautiful country. So, we started up our Instagram and came up with our name and made and sold as many hats as we could make that year. I did buy an RV (not with the money) and all that we made that first year funded our first RV adventure to the Olympic National Park with my three nieces.

What should our readers know about your business?
I graduated with a Bachelors in Animal Science from the University of Hawaii. I was contemplating vet school at the time. Someone gave me the best advice while i was searching for a job… Ask the person what kind of life does that profession give you. And when i asked our local large animal vet he said he didnt have time for anything. That started me on a quest for finding a carreer that could fund my adventures and give me freedom to live. I started up Aloha Horsemanship, training horses and giving Horseback Riding Lessons at the age of 23.

(not sure if this above paragraph should be included?)

I was born and raised on the Island of Oahu. Years of growing up on an island, spending my childhood at the beach and also working in the hot sun on a horse ranch has taken its tole on my skin. I have always been on the hunt for hats to wear as i teach lessons. Visors were my go to but they always had velcro that would snag your hair. I also have a larger head that does not fit o/s. Once I learned how to make the coconut hats, it was kind of a natural progression to try to start selling them. It started as a little dream to fund adventures with my nieces. Today our dream is to bring a little Shade and Aloha into homes across the world.

My advice to others is to start dreaming! Just start. No matter how silly it may seem to others. Start and see where is goes. The other piece of advice is to not let the highs and lows affect you. Keep your eyes on the goal and keep putting one foot in front of the other no matter what. Consistency and stick-to-it-ness is key. Just START.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would pick you up from the airport with a fresh plumeria lei and we would head back to the North Shore. First stop is a jump in the ocean to wash away your aches and pains and exhaustion from the trip. We would then lay in the sand making a list of all our to do’s while you’re here: 1. Float in crystal clear water at Waimea bay while its still calm and flat
2. Sunset on the beach
3. Hike and then go grab a burger and fries at Seven Brothers
4. Circle Island stopping at local fruit stands and finishing at the Tide pools at Makapu’u
5. Make sure we hit our favorite grinds in Haleiwa (Surf n Salsa, no. 7 Japanese, Haleiwa Bowls, Coffee Gallery)
6. Sunrise at Crouching Lion
7. Learn how to make a Coconut Hat
8. Paddle out to Chinaman Hat
9. Spend a day in Waikiki shopping and then ending with watching the firework show on Friday night
10. Be present, put down the phone and relax… you’re on island time now

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Growing up, my mom was the ultimate home maker entrepreneur. She started her own sewing business making custom bathing suits. I remember falling asleep to the sound of the sewing machine every night. I didn’t realize it back then, but now i realize that she taught me that anything is poissble if i work hard at it and have a dream. Recently she started up a mermaid tail business before you could find them anywhere. She was killing it. It was at this time that i was like why not start making coconut hats? Why not start and see what happens. Anything is possible.

Website: theshadecollection.com

Instagram: @theshadecollection