Prior to being introduced to PPLSI, I was pursuing a career in professional sports. When that didn’t work out, I settled into what society programs the masses to be, “9-to-5” workers. After graduating from the University of Hawaii, my first job ever was as a school counselor, and after working an entire month, my first paycheck was an astounding $780 and some change after Uncle Sam had taken his share. I knew people who could barely speak English but were making five times the amount I was making simply by trimming trees and building rock walls. This is when the light bulb went on for me. I figured out the only difference was that they were working in a system of providing a service. Although it was hard labor, it was a service. In school counseling, before I filled out my applications, someone whom I had never met had already decided how much I was worth and had a plan for my life and how it was going to look for the next 40 years. I got it right away — the difference of SYSTEM.

As a second-generation Tongan American, I am honored and humbled to be a part of this incredible MISSION and MOVEMENT of PPLSI. Like many foreigners who migrate to seek a better life, I wasn’t afraid of working. I just wanted to build something I could call my own and leave a legacy for my children, like my father’s vision for my siblings and me.

I watched my father, Vili Funaki Katoa, (my hero) a first-generation Tongan American, work multiple jobs, side businesses and basically whatever it took to feed, clothe and put a roof over his family. I love my father, but I didn’t want to head down that same pathway financially. My siblings and I have taken on the responsibility to continue my father’s quest and vision for a better platform for the future of our family. I am honored to say all my siblings are in the business, and my sister Emeline and I both make PPLSI our primary focus.

My first two years in the business were challenging. We hardly made any money because I didn’t understand BUSINESS and LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLES. But I didn’t give up or quit. I had incredible mentors and leaders who coached and corrected me. During our third year, my wife and I earned our PPLSI Ring. The joy is not just making it but helping others achieve the same. I once read, “Success is when you can create value for yourself, but significance is when you can add value to other people’s lives.” We want to be an example not just to my Polynesian people but all across North America and the island of Hawaii. We don’t have to settle for being “9-to-5” workers. I refused to spend my entire life trying to get out of a BOX that I didn’t belong in to begin with.

I love PPLSI. I want to give a huge thank you to Team Unity and to Team NuVision’s leadership. I must also thank Mr. and Mrs. Self, Michael Humes, and Mr. and Mrs. Mack for your unwavering leadership. Thank you for being a ROCK — faith, family, finances. To my lovely wife, Katherine, and my two angels, Sosaia and Kimo, thank you for giving me a REASON to live on PURPOSE. To the TEAM, I will continue to lead as we fight the war on poverty together and as we win because we lead from the heart. SERVE + SIGNIFICANT = SUCCESS.