Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama have come a long way since their humble beginnings, building a successful business, a family, and a legacy. The HGTV “Renovation Aloha” stars embraced the “kinda chic” social media trend as they reflected on how far they’ve come since starting out in debt.
Tristyn & Kamohai Kalama Share Humble Beginnings in ‘Kinda Chic’ Social Media Trend
On August 11, the Kalamas took to Instagram to play along with the recent “kinda chic” social media trend.
“Are we too late to the chic party? Or no? Also kind of or kinda?” they wrote in the caption.
Tristyn and Kamohai included a look at their “kinda chic” moments that celebrated working together to build a legacy, including starting out in debt.
They wrote:
- “Kind of chic to have your spouse be your business partner.”
- “Kind of chic to teach people how to invest in real estate and themselves.”
- “Kind of chic to build what you design.”
- “Kind of chic to start in debt and somehow end up with multiple businesses and a TV show.”
- “Kind of chic to be in a position to help a family move back home.”
- “It’s kind of chic to turn forgotten and run down houses into dream homes.”
- “It’s kind of chic to honor old Hawaiian homes while creating what’s next for today’s families.”
- “It’s kind of chic to have fatih, family, and goals.”
- “Kind of chic to name flooring line after your last name.”
- “It’s kind of chic to raise a family while building a legacy.”
‘Renovation Aloha’ Stars Open Up About Being ‘In Bad Debt’
On July 28, the couple took to Instagram to share how they overcame financial struggles to find success in real estate and home renovation.
“Hard work doesn’t always look the way people think it does,” they explained in the caption. “We didn’t come from money. We didn’t have trust funds. We didn’t have family writing checks to make our dreams happen.”
They continued, “We came from debt. From wondering how we were going to pay the bills some months. From taking risks that could’ve gone either way. From failing, learning, and getting back up again.”
“As we’ve grown, the criticism hasn’t gotten quieter — it has gotten louder,” the HGTV stars wrote. “People create stories to explain your success because it’s easier than believing it came from years of sacrifice, consistency, and relentless work. The ones above you try to keep you down, and the ones below you think you got it handed to you.”
They added, “The truth is far less glamorous. We just kept showing up. If you’re in a season where it feels impossible, keep going. Don’t let someone else’s assumptions make you question your own journey. Your story isn’t finished yet.”
In the video, Kamohai noted, “We were $80,000 in bad debt. I think we hear all the time or a lot of the critics are always like that we both came from a ton of money and were given our real estate business.”
“We were actually in [a] dire situation when we found real estate, like $80,000 in bad debt, which is like a lot of people here in Hawaii, just because it’s so expensive,” he explained. “And we were asking for help for rent some months.”
