HGTV‘s Tristyn and Kamohai Kalama are branching out beyond home renovation and real estate with a new Substack, giving fans a look at their life off camera. See what the “Renovation Aloha” stars shared in their first post.
Tristyn & Kamohai Kalama Open Up in First Substack
On August 12, the Kalamas shared their first Substack entry, titled “Just Two Kids From Kailua.”
“If you know us from ‘Renovation Aloha,’ I think it’s safe to assume you know that we’re real estate investors, that we’re a married couple, that we have a big family, and that we spend a lot of our time turning complicated houses (to say the least) into one of a kind homes here in Hawai’i,” the entry began.
While fans see everything unfold on TV, there’s more to the work they do and their family life.
“The late nights. The family stuff. The mistakes. The lessons. The conversations that never make it on screen,” they shared. “And that’s why we wanted to start writing.”
Tristyn and Kamohai noted, “There’s so much of our story that we haven’t been able to give light to, and so much of what has shaped who we are and contributed to what we have today happens away from the public eye.”
They decided to share more of their story on Substack. “Long before cameras showed up at our job sites, we were just two people trying to figure out how to build a life here,” they wrote.
“And honestly? We didn’t have it all figured out. We still don’t,” the HGTV stars admitted. “It’s all a growing and learning process. Every single day.”
They touched on finding their way to real estate and cleared up the misconception that they “were handed an easy path.”
“The truth is very different,” they explained. “When we found real estate, we were in a difficult financial place and carrying roughly $80,000 in bad debt. There were months when we were genuinely worried about how we were going to pay the bills or what we were going to do next.”
It was a process of learning, failing, and trying again. “And then we kept showing up. Together. As a team,” they wrote. “Over time, we learned how to lean into each other’s strengths instead of trying to do everything ourselves.”
“Neither of us is perfect,” they shared. “We definitely have our moments. But we’ve learned how to play to each other’s strengths, and that has made all the difference.”
As for why they started a Substack, the couple noted, “Because we wanted a place where we could express ourselves and connect with you in a way that feels a little more intimate. A little more human.”
They continued, “Television only shows so much. There are things that happen before the cameras start rolling and things that happen long after they stop. The stories behind the houses. The decisions behind the work. And the parts of our lives that make us who we are.”
“So here, we want to share a little more of the real story,” they added. “The messy parts, the funny parts, the lessons, and everything in between. The story that’s still being written. So, Aloha. We’re really glad you’re here.”
‘Renovation Aloha’ Stars Share the Hardest Part of Their Fame
On August 9, the couple took to Instagram to explain one of the downsides of being on TV.
“We thought our neighbor was watching and recording us because they didn’t like us. 😂,” they wrote in the caption. “Turns out … they were big fans of the show and ended up filming with us a couple times. 🥹🫶🏽”
They called the situation a “good reminder” about what people see on TV versus what they don’t see off screen. “You’re opening up your life, your business, your marriage, your decisions — and putting it all out there for millions of people to have an opinion on,” they explained.
“Becoming visible to many means being misunderstood by many, too. People will judge. Assume. Criticize. Create an entire story about who you are without ever actually knowing you,” they shared. “That part can be hard.”
The “Renovation Aloha” stars said they “keep showing up” because there is so much positivity that comes from their work. “For every loud critic, there are so many more of you quietly rooting for us,” the noted. “And we never want to forget that. 🤎”
They added, “So shoutout to the neighbor we thought was spying on us … who was really just part of the Renovation Aloha fam. 😂🤙🏽”
