Aloha TPC Ohana, my name is Brooke and I’m one of the founders of The Pineapple Collective. I attend Punahou School, and while most people my age are focused on school, sports, and friends, I also spend a lot of my time helping build and grow our brand. Being a business owner at this age is definitely not something most kids experience, and it has been a really unique and exciting part of my life.
Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my friends, going out to eat with my family, shopping, and going shelling at the beach. I also love golfing and spending time outdoors. One of my favorite things is our TPC family game nights. They’re always really fun and it’s a time when we can all relax and just enjoy being together.
Growing up in Hawaiʻi is really special to me. One of my favorite things about living here is the strong sense of community. Even friends often feel like family, and people really look out for each other. Hawaiʻi is also unique because the weather is nice pretty much all year long. Because of that I get to golf, go to the beach, and be outside most of the time. Another thing I love about growing up here is how many different cultures there are. Being surrounded by different languages, foods, and traditions is something that makes Hawaiʻi really unique.
Growing up I was a dancer and started dancing when I was four years old. Dance was a big part of my childhood. When I was ten, I started golfing and eventually decided to focus on golf full time. Now I play competitively in junior golf tournaments and I’m also on the Punahou varsity golf team. Golf has become a huge part of my life and something that I’m really passionate about.
If you asked my friends to describe me, they would probably say that I seem a little shy at first. Once people get to know me though, I open up a lot more. I think they would also say that I’m a good listener, fun to be around, and a loyal friend.
Looking ahead, one of my biggest goals is to play golf in college. I would also love to learn more about business so I can help grow The Pineapple Collective into a very successful company in the future.
The Pineapple Collective actually started as a small project. Willow and I wanted to learn about business and also make our own money to help fund a dance trip. At the time we never imagined that it would turn into a real business. Looking back now, it’s pretty amazing to see how far it has come and how much we’ve learned along the way.
Building a brand while being in high school definitely comes with challenges. Willow and I both balance homework, tests, extracurricular activities, and time with our friends and family while also working on new ideas for the brand. That can mean brainstorming new concepts, doing photo shoots, and working at pop up events. It’s not always easy to balance everything, but it has been completely worth it.
Within the brand, Willow and I help guide our designs based on what we see trending. We also spend time “studying” social media trends to help with marketing and understanding what people are excited about. It’s actually something we enjoy doing and it helps us stay connected to what our generation likes.
My favorite part about being a founder of The Pineapple Collective is learning about business at such a young age. Even though our moms help us a lot, we’ve already learned so much about what it takes to run a business. We’ve learned about creativity, problem solving, and how to work through challenges when things don’t always go as planned.
Right now my favorite items from the brand are the Hibiscus Hoodie and the Hibiscus Tube Top. I wear the hoodie almost every day. I love that it looks different from most hoodies you see. The hibiscus tube top is also one of my favorites for the same reason. It has a cut out fabric flower that is sewn on locally, which makes it really unique.
It’s been really exciting to be part of building The Pineapple Collective and I’m excited to see where it continues to go.