Neal Norman has been the #1 Real Estate Broker in Kauai every year since 2009, the current #1 Real Estate Broker in the State of Hawaii and the #29 Overall Real Estate Broker in the United States according to the Wall Street Journal in 2022. He was previously the Co-Founder of Kauai Organic Farms and Hawaii Naturals, an organic ginger and turmeric farm, and a line of retail organic food products which was distributed and sold to health food stores across the United States and Canada. Neal’s success comes from his understanding and passion for architecture, landscape and the complex nature of planning, building and functional living. His clients appreciate the depth and connectivity he provides them. In any deal he’s involved in, the core dynamic is one of trust and good will. Outside of work, he has been married for 24 years to his wife, Melissa, his guiding light. He has 3 kids: Max, Wyatt and Koa, a dog named Dakota and a cat named Mana. He was born in Miami and left at age 15 in search of perfect surf. He traveled to South America, riding in chicken buses and sleeping in his surfboard bag. He moved to Hawaii in his mid 20’s in a continued search for great waves and a beautiful lifestyle. He is involved in many philanthropic causes ranging from PAL (Permanent Affordable Living) and the Hanalei Initiative to the Natural Resource Defense Council, Greenpeace, SurfAid International, Limahuli Gardens, and the Hawaii Island Land Trust.
1. Walk us through your morning routine.
- I begin my day at 6am. We live near the ocean so the first thing I like to do is look at the conditions of the ocean. For the first hour of the day I spend time with my wife, drinking coffee and tea together, checking the ocean conditions and after that I get right into work! Back in the day, I used to dawn patrol surf every morning but now most of my surfing happens between 11am and 2pm.
2. Do you have an exercise routine?
- I’m very physically active. I have always done lots of different sports everyday. I workout with a soulful and inspiring trainer 5 days a week at 8am. We combine weight training with stretching and cardio. We focus on the specific sport I’m doing. During the day I either play tennis, golf, bike, ocean swim or surf, and in the winter I add skiing to the mix.
3. Do you follow a specific diet? Share a little about how you approach nutrition and any supplements you take
- I don’t follow a specific diet. We love to eat all foods and we focus mostly on organic non processed ingredients. I take an array of vitamins and supplements daily. Everyone in my family loves to cook. It is an essential part of how we gather. We get a lot of fresh produce from farmers markets and buy our fish from fishermen we know.
4. How many hours do you sleep each night?
- This is so important to me and my wife. I pray to get 7-8 hours per night. I pay close to attention to my circadian rhythm and hydration to optimize for great sleep.
5. What are some hobbies you enjoy?
- I’m an avid surfer and snow skier. I also play lots of tennis and golf. I enjoy ocean swimming, one man outrigger canoe paddling, road biking, hiking and staying very active. I am obsessed with architecture and design – I love to build and design homes and furniture.
6. Do you have any life mottos or principles you follow?
- Do what you love
- Do it now
- To each his own
- I’m always ready
- Say yes
- Delegate well
- Don’t judge
- I love my work as much as my play , it’s hard for most to see the difference, to me it’s all the same
7. How do you approach setting goals?
- Never been much of a goal setter. I wake up wanting to do things. I’ve always been motivated to get things done. I’m a good finisher!
8. What is your favorite way to learn new things?
- I am not afraid to ask questions and get help when I need it. I have created a network of deeply skilled artists, architects, builders and craftspeople that I reach out to often. I consider many of them to be my closest friends and my inner circle.
9. If you could leave one piece of advice for someone younger, what would you share?
- Keep holy company.
10. Where is your favorite place to travel in the world (besides Kauai)?
- I have been traveling consistently since I was 15. Some of my favorite places are the Mentawai Islands in Indonesia Fiji, Tahiti and Peru. Peru is special to me because I learned to speak Spanish there as well as ride some of the longest waves in the world.
11. Is there anything that you haven’t done that you still want to do?
- After building multiple homes with my family, I’m always seeing a design aspect I could have made even better for the way we love to live. This drives me to build more. I want to paint and make art. I also want to watch the evolution of my children and see the family grow and thrive. There are also many places I still want to go to and experience.
12. What is one thing you are looking forward to in 2023?
- More powder skiing and the celebration of my daughter’s college graduation. Generally more time doing amazing adventures, and creating more opportunities for other families to live their dream lives!