I get asked about this more than you might expect. How does it work? Do clients care? Is the time difference a problem?
The short answer is no. I built my business remotely from the start, and Hawaii has shaped my perspective far more than it has ever limited the work.
How I Got Here
Before going independent, I spent years in retail and marketing at Nike and Apple. By the time I started freelancing, I was already living in Hawaii, so there was no big shift from office life to remote work. This business was built to run remotely from day one.
I did not have a built-in local network of tech clients to rely on. I built my client base through referrals, portfolio work, and showing up consistently online. Geography was never the barrier people assumed it would be.
How the Work Actually Happens
The work itself happens the same way most modern digital work happens: video calls, email, shared docs, project tools, and clear communication. Some of my clients are in Hawaii, many are not, and most have never met me in person. That has never affected the quality of the work.
Good projects do not depend on physical proximity. They depend on clear thinking, strong communication, and follow-through.
The Time Zone Question
The time difference is usually less of an issue than people expect. Hawaii runs hours behind the mainland, so by the time I start my day, much of the country is already online. That works in my favor for calls: I take them in my late morning and early afternoon, which overlaps cleanly with the West Coast and still reaches many East Coast clients before they sign off. The quiet stretch comes at the other end of my day. By my afternoon and into the evening the mainland has logged off, which leaves long, uninterrupted blocks for deep work: design, development, writing, and problem-solving.
What Hawaii Actually Changes
What living in Hawaii changes is not my output, but my perspective.
Being here keeps me close to small businesses, nonprofits, and community-driven organizations doing meaningful work with limited resources. That shapes the kinds of projects I care about and the way I approach solving problems. I understand lean operations, thoughtful decisions, and building things that are useful, not just polished.
On Working Remotely
If you need someone local for in-person meetings, I am probably not the right fit. If you need someone thoughtful, responsive, and capable of doing strong work remotely, location is not the thing that matters most.
Some of my best client relationships have been fully remote from day one.
If that sounds like the kind of working relationship you want, get in touch.