Billy V
Apr 14, 2017
Guy Hess – Poi Planet
“That Man” is my business partner, Guy Hess, who works with Tracy Larrua at Poi Planet. They are a boutique public relations firm that does so much more.
I actually had been wanting to work with Tracy for some time and we had lunch in November of 2014 to find ways where we could work together. I had run into her at numerous venues and liked the way she was and the energy she brought to her work; basically I wanted to start surrounding myself with people I wanted to be around; whose positive energy was a match.
Two weeks later when the General Manager of Hawaiian 105 at the time (he’s no longer there LOL) let Mele Apana go, I could see the writing on the wall and called Tracy right away and told her I needed her now; she helped me craft the message and navigate the PR waves at that crucial moment.
Forward six months later and I’m working more with her business partner, Guy, who has worked in San Francisco and Hollywood and a background in the US Military (Navy) and martial arts (Korean art called Tang Soo Do). He also has that same energy, but the area of focus is little different. Since I’ve started working with him, he’s become sort of guiding star and has helped to lift my business acumen to a different, new “stepped-up” level.
But now, he’s gone from being a guide to more of a business partner, helping to navigate those pieces of the puzzle that I’m not the strongest in. It’s a great partnership in which you have to really “let go”; you have to have ultimate trust in the people you are riding alongside. It can be so difficult to “let go” but when you find the right people, anything is possible.
As far as the “silencing” part; Guy has been doing EVERYTHING he can to make sure I don’t spill the beans prematurely on the Billy V Radio Show. Announcement Day is Launch Day, and letting the details out to the public could compromise the business details that we had set in motion so long ago. It was so important a detail with Guy who was always ready with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA’s) in hand, but everytime I said “Oh by the way I told…” he would glare at me and ask if they signed an agreement. I looked like a pre-schooler that had accidently wet his pants when I said, “ummm…..well…..nooooooo” and he would shake his head. However in the business world, NDA’s are the norm when doing projects like the one I’ve always dreamed of.
It’s a great partnership with Poi Planet (Larrua and Hess); we’re talking almost every day and it’s been really gratifying and humbling to have these two with me on this part of the journey. And to think it’s only beginning.
Hey Guy…YAY! I can talk now without having anyone sign anything!! I feel so free and happy LOL! Thanks for helping keep the lid on things until the time was right! Here we go…see you on the radio tonight!