Maggie and her husband have owned and operated Ohana Home & Design for 13 years.  Ohana was born out of their industrious spirit.  They bought their first home, slowly repaired and remodeled it themselves.  After seeing their beautiful work, friends and family began asking them to help with their projects -- and the rest is history!  Ohana Home & Design has won multiple local and industry awards for their design and service over the years.  Read on below to discover what makes their company such a lasting success.  

Name:  Marguerite Hoogs
Company:  Ohana Home & Design
City:  Mendota Heights
Area(s) of Service: Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs
Years in Business: 13
Specialities: Residential remodeling, kitchens, bathrooms, whole house remodels, master suites, additions

Awards:

• CotY
• ROMA
• Chrysalis
• Best of Apple Valley
• Angie's List Super Service
• Best of Houzz

What was your first job growing up?  What did you learn from it?
My first "jobs" were at the Minnesota Zoo as a teen volunteer and at Fairview Southdale Hospital as a candy striper the summer after I turned 14.  I was an incredibly shy child and struggled to socialize with others.  By volunteering, I learned I could conquer my fears even when it would have been easier to give into them. 

Tell us the story of how you started your business:
Our business began without us realizing we were starting a business.  My husband Ryan and I began by purchasing a home that needed to be completely remodeled.  We tackled every project on our own, designing and completing the work together.  As friends and family saw our home, we began working on projects for others.  Referrals continued until it reached a point where we were busy enough to quit our day jobs.  I went back to school for architectural drafting and estimating, and our business was born.  

What three things have contributed the most to your success?
The first three things that come to mind are:
1.)  AWESOME clients.  We have the best clients and I love working with them and forming lasting relationships; they are all part of the Ohana family.
2.)  Exceptional support from our incredible employees and our trade partners.  We can dream up anything, but it is our talented team that brings that vision to life.
3.)  Our continual quest for knowledge and improvement.  We're aware that there's something that we can learn from every project, every client, and every experience. 

What aspect of being a business owner do you like the best?
I love the relationships we build.  We can impact the lives of our team, our clients, and our community in a positive way. 

What is a personal strength of yours that's helped get your company where it is today?
Attention to detail and a natural curiosity for anything I don't understand.  

Tell us about a hardship you've faced in your professional life.  How did you overcome it - what did you learn?
We discovered an error made by an employee in our estimating software that impacted our bottom line in a very negative way.  After the initial shock, anxiety, and disappointment I felt like I had two choices:

•  Feel sorry for myself and give up.
• Take a good hard look at my system, overhaul, and make darn sure that never happened again.

After many long hours of work and conversations with our understanding and supportive trade partners, I can say with confidence that I will never face that challenge again.  I learned many things and made a lot of changes after that experience, one that stands out the most is that I am not alone.  As a business owner, there are times I feel a tremendous amount of pressure to perform since many rely on me and look to me for answers.  Sometimes, I question what I do and why I do it; life would be so much simpler if I worked for a company and just did my job and went home.  Our team was there to support our company through challenging times, and for that, I am most grateful that I am definitely not alone.  

Do you see any big changes coming for the remodeling industry in the next ten years?
I feel as though technology will continue to play a larger role in our industry.  Not only in the projects we build, but also in the design phase, project management, and more. 

Why are you a NARI member?
We are NARI members because it's important to be a part of a larger community of people who share our values and relate to our vision.  The opportunities that NARI offers are endless, and there is immense value in the membership.  It is incredible how many talented designers, builders, remodelers, and tradespeople are here in the Twin Cities.  

How have you been involved in NARI over the years?
We have taken part in the certification courses and the CotY Awards.  My goal is to become more involved in events and committees when time allows.  Whenever I attend an event, I'm always impressed with the quality of the speakers and how kind and wonderful my fellow remodelers and industry partners are.  

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the industry?
I would tell them always to seek out the advice of those around you.  I have learned so much from discussions with other people within the industry.  

QUICK FACTS:

Favorite vacation spot?
I don't think I could pick a favorite... As long as I'm with Ry and our three kids I could be in our backyard or on a beach.  If I'm on vacation, I'm a happy camper!

Where can you be found on the weekend?
In the summertime, at home working in the yard or drinking a mojito on the deck, depends on the time of day.  

What age would you like to retire at?
I don't really see myself ever retiring, so I guess I would like to retire when I am no longer useful.  

Favorite holiday and why?
Definitely New Year's.  I'm half Japanese and grew up in Hawaii celebrating New Year's in the true traditional Japanese form.  I love carrying on those traditions with my children and bringing in the New Year with friends and family.