SZN 1 EP 7: Gabriel Mataitusi

SZN 1 EP 10: Velonika Pome'e

She's beauty, she's grace, she's a Tongan baddie in these United States! Ya'll have no idea how excited I am to close out the very first szn of The Xtra Sznd Podcast with the one and only, Velonika Pome'e! I initially met Velonika Pome'e at New York Fashion Week during Covid and have been fortunate enough to collaborate with her on multiple photoshoots. The fact that she was able come to Utah and participate in this podcast is a huge deal and I'm grateful she took the time to stop by. In this episode, we talk about her journey as a model and what that looked like for her. Velonika was catapulted into the spotlight when she became the first pasifika model to grace the pages of Sports Illustrated. Since then, she's been able to move to NYC and grow her platform in order to showcase the intersectionality between her modeling career and her passion for community. We get to hear all about her experiences from navigating through cultural expectations within her Tongan heritage to her opinion on body positivity and the plus size movement within fashion. So tune in and get inspired because this girl is someone you need to keep an eye out for!

SZN 1 EP 9: George Ngatuvai

George Ngatuvai is an incredible photographer and one of my oldest friends. We've known each other since we were kids and it's been amazing growing up together while both of us have pursued creative endeavors. As someone who has ventured down so many creative paths, George has been a constant source of help and inspiration. His skills as a photographer are not limited to any creative niche and that's what makes him extremely unique. He can do fashion editorials, sports editorials, concerts and more! I get to sit down with George as he talks about what inspires him as a photographer and some of his upcoming projects. He also shares a lot about what it was like working behind the scenes for Pacific Roots: Our Football Legacy -- a documentary highlighting the careers of Pasifika legends in the NFL. George is definitely someone to keep an eye on because he has so much to offer the world as a creative and he's just getting started!

SZN 1 EP 8: Venz Uata

It's a szn of gratitude and I couldn't be more grateful to have my wife join me on the podcast! Meet Venalen aka Venz! I decided to serve an LDS mission back in 2013 and got assigned to the Philippines Cebu Mission. Not long after reaching the Philippines, I ended up meeting Venz as she was beginning to learn about the church and ended up baptizing her in Oct 2013. Oftentimes, when people hear this, there tends to be a lot of assumptions about our relationship (because dating is not allowed while serving). Sometimes people even question or joke about whether or not I served a mission worthily. Venz and I get to sit down and set the record straight and she gets to share her personal conversion story about becoming a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From meeting in 2013, to going on our first date in 2016 and later getting married in 2018 -- we have now been married for 6 years and have two kids together and wanted to dedicate this episode to them and document this story so that they can listen to in the future. Hopefully this will give them a glimpse of how incredible and resilient their mother is.

SZN 1 EP 7: Gabriel Mataitusi

As someone who has an entrepreneurial spirit, it's incredible to meet people with that same passion for breaking glass ceilings. Meet Gabe Mataitusi! He and his wife are proud owners of The Royal Lounge in Salt Lake City, Utah which is a his/hers salon that offers an incredible amount of services from hair cuts, facials, massages, tattoos, teeth whitening and even custom grillz! I first met Gabe during a workshop that he and his wife were hosting at Creative Pacific Week in Sep 2024. Hearing them talk about the amount of hustle they've had to do in order to launch their dream business was truly inspiring. I knew from that moment I had to bring one of them onto the podcast to share their story. Hopefully you as a listener will be inspired as you hear Gabe talk about the ups and downs of starting a business.

SZN 1 EP 6: Oni Finau

Q: Who run the world?! A: Beyonce Giselle Knowles-Carter! In a world filled with pop icons and rising stars, there is only one Beyonce. As a self-proclaimed certified Beyhive, it's time to unpack the very loaded question, "why do you love her so much?" It's a difficult question to answer because where do I even begin? How can can I try to put into words the impact this woman's career has had on me?! The amount of money I have spent to support this woman is second to none EXCEPT Oni Finau! If you think I am a die hard fan, then you need to hear what lengths Oni has gone to see this woman in concert. On this episode we share some of our early beginnings as Beyhive members and what gravitated us toward stanning the greatest of entertainer of all time besides the obvious. This one is for the Beyhive!