By: Makayla Dilliner
With a doctorate in Business Administration, Kalāheo alumna Jana Paz has a long resume in business management. In the past, Paz has managed national chains of well-known businesses such as Five Guys, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wingstop, and TR Fire Grill. While also being part of the Hawaii DOE, State of Hawaii, and U.S. Federal bids. Now the Vice President of Business Development at the popular moving company, M.Dyer, the 1988 Kalaheo graduate, shared both her life and business experiences and how they helped her build the life she has today.
While attending Kalāheo, Paz aspired to live out a successful life and career. In doing so, Paz aimed to obtain as many scholarships as possible in order to achieve that goal. “I knew I wanted to go to college and I came from a humble upbringing. I did not own a car when I went to high school. I caught the bus. So I knew I had to be a better student to get scholarships. And so I knew I had to be on point with what I was doing.”
Like many students, Paz went through many struggles and worries about paying for a college education and thought, “I don't know where my money is. I don't have enough money and my education is expensive.” She added, “It was a concern, but I tried not to listen to the doubts. It can be a hard journey when you feel like you're doing it on your own.”
Despite it all, Paz was able to obtain a full-ride scholarship to Chaminade University. “I eventually got a full ride. It was the Nā Hoʻokama Scholarship from Chaminade. I was ambitious and I was motivated. I didn't get my scholarship award until maybe a little bit later after my first term, but I ended up getting enough scholarships to pay for my first semester at Chaminade, which wasn't cheap at the time.”
Paz explained that her work in various companies led to her liking business. In turn, it can be important for students to realize what kind of jobs they are building for in their resume. You don’t want employers to see you as knowing only one type of business. “If you're in a certain type of industry and you've been working there for, say, five, six, seven years, and you're doing one type of job, sometimes it's harder for people to see you in what you can do if you're being pigeon-holed into only one type of industry.”
“The only time that you can maybe step out of that is by earning a different degree and showing that you're willing to invest in yourself to go back to school. I went back to Chaminade and I am getting my doctorate in education with a focus on leadership and organizational development.”
Currently, Paz manages the development of business at M. Dyer. Known for their specialty in helping military families relocate, M.Dyer has been in business for over 50 years. “One of the biggest things we have focused on is doing military household good moves for our military. But because of business practices and things changing, we are looking at diversifying what our business model is.”
She stated that, unlike many places on the Mainland, Hawaii has a different culture, especially when it comes to business. “In a business sense, when you are dealing with companies who are not from Hawaii, one of the first things that you have to do is establish or at least educate them on our culture. It is very important because we have always been the exception to the rule for a lot of business practices. MDyer is a Hawaii company.”
In her experience, Paz spoke about the benefits of being a local company. “It is easier for us to transition into different areas because we are already established in Hawaii because of a good branding, a good name, and a good reputation. In Hawaii, it is definitely who you know, but it is also your reputation that precedes you. Meaning, if you made a good reputation for yourself, doors will open a lot easier here.”
All in all, Paz made it clear to students who want to pursue their goals that despite their financial situation or background, there are always different ways to learn and become who you want to be. “Taking the initiative to learn things on your own, not just in an academic setting, just being a lifetime learner is very relevant to success. Even though you cannot financially afford it, there are classes that you can take online. Even how to do, say, a proper handshake. How do you follow up after a conversation? How do you get along with difficult coworkers? Soft skills, and then also, technical skills. Being that lifelong learner, despite your financial situation, is going to be the key to get you out of this hole that you may be in, or at least perceive to be in.”