Alan Akina recounts the founding story of One on One Financial. He explains that he and his wife started the company in late 2002 with $20,000 in personal savings, operating from an 800 sq ft apartment in Hawaii using a laptop and small printer. He describes slow early growth (a big month meant ~five students), later recognition (featured in Inc. magazine seven years after founding) and multiple awards, and emphasizes the company’s mission of financial education and the generational impact on students' lives.
Questions this video answers
$20,000 (personal savings).
Late 2002.
Hawaii, in an ~800 square foot apartment (working from a laptop and small printer).
About five students in a month.
Seven years after the company started.
Chapters
Hey everyone. Alan back again. And I want to take some time to share with you our founding story. Some of you have been there from day one and some of you are just joining us today. Day one. Well, no matter where you came in, into our life at 101, I want you to be able to understand the founding story because this is kind of cool. So in late 2002, I mustered up enough money to get the company started. I took $20,000 of my savings. Now mind you, I didn't own a home, we didn't have assets. I just had $20,000, no debt, but $20,000. So we took that money, my wife and I took that money and we formulated One on One financial. And which by the way, if you don't know this, I started the company in Hawaii in my small little 800 square foot apartment on a little laptop and a small mini printer. And I'll tell you, it's so much better than I imagined it. It would be. I knew we'd be able to help people. I knew it was a passion. And I really believe you feel that same passion that I have that I had then and I have today to bring financial education to people. We built this company one family at a time back in the day. One family and another. And a big month for us would be maybe five students. That was our story though. But we kept on with that mission and we held true to bringing financial education to everyone. And fast forward seven years after we started, we were featured in Inc. Magazine. It's called Inc. 500 Magazine Edition, where they recognized the top 500 fastest growing companies in all of America at that time. We're the second company from Hawaii to ever make that list. From making the Inc. 500 list to having other awards, Innovative Business Awards, Fastest 50, Better Business Bureau awards, a ratings, all of those things have been part of the journey. But the biggest part is the journey with you as instructors. You see, our instructor team is an ohana. It's a family. And that's what I value the most. The most important part about this journey are the lives that have changed. The lives that we all have come together to help save and change forever. And it's now creating a generational shift. And when I talk about changing lives, I'm talking about helping people to get out of debt, pay off all their credit cards, mortgages are paid off, car loans are paid off first. Homes are bought, investment properties, not property, but properties are purchased, new businesses are started, investment accounts, 401ks are growing because of this journey that we've been on and that's been the key to our success is understanding that we are here to help people. And I hope to continue this journey with you. I hope you develop that passion or you share that passion for financial education with everyone that you know. Because what we do, folks, is important. We are essential.
