This month, we are excited to put our Hosts of Hawai‘i Spotlight on Inside Sales Representative II, Joanna Vasquez. Joanna is based in LA and supports our international sales orders to ensure that we can share our products with different countries around the world. Read more about Joanna’s growth and story with Hawaiian Host Group in the interview below.
HHG: How long have you been with HHG, and what exactly do you do here?
Joanna: I first joined Hawaiian Host Group as a temporary Administrative Assistant to the Sales team nearly 7 years ago. I came on as a full-time team member 6 months after that. About 2 years ago, I transitioned to my current role as an Inside Sales Representative.
In this role, I primarily support the Sales Managers with the back end of customer orders, and I specialize in International Sales support. This includes anything from processing and invoicing orders, to managing direct communications with customers, and handling export documents with international customs requirements. On the international sales side, I complete and submit all documents that are required to ship our products into Mexico and South Korea so we can continue to share our delicious products with our customers around the world.
One of the things I like most about the work I do is that I get to be part of seeing the sale through to the end. I’m part of the initial item review with the customer, complete the new item forms when they accept the new products, receive, process and invoice their orders, and finally get our products into their stores. The icing on the cake that makes all the hard work worth it is seeing our items on our customers’ shelves.
HHG: What has been your favorite experience working at HHG?
Joanna: One of the best things about working at HHG has been the supportive culture I’ve experienced. Being based in LA, I’m not always face-to-face with the whole team, but I really appreciate how the company has been there for me personally and has provided a sense of stress relief in times that I’ve needed it.
HHG: What is your proudest accomplishment so far at HHG?
Joanna: I’m most proud of how I have grown during my time at HHG and of my tenure with the company. Over the years, we’ve gone through many changes as an organization – from acquiring Mauna Loa to becoming Hawaiian Host Group – and being part of the change has been very rewarding. I’ve proved to myself that I have tenacity, grit, and resilience within me. As my team has evolved with the company’s growth, it has been a great experience to be able to share my knowledge and expertise along the way.
HHG: What is your favorite Hawaiian Host, Mauna Loa, or KOHO product?
Joanna: Since I started with HHG, one of my absolute favorite products has been Hawaiian Host’s MacNut Crunch. It’s so good and I just can’t have enough of it!
HHG: What is your favorite place in Hawai‘i?
Joanna: I actually recently traveled to O‘ahu for the first time ever and it was an amazing experience. We had the best time spending time at the beach and renting boogie boards and surfing. My favorite part of the trip had to be snorkeling and swimming near turtles off the beach in Waikīkī. It was way too short of a trip! I hope to return again soon.
Thank you, Joanna for all you do for our team at HHG! We appreciate your dedication over the years and are proud to have you on our team.
