What Great Service, Strong Teams, and Smart Solar Planning Really Look Like with Sarah “Eli” David, Michael Melso, and Matt Householder
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Release Date: 04/22/2026
From Growing Up in a Garage to Becoming a Homeowner at 24 with Izaiah Dillion
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
In this inspiring episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, host Larry Gonzales sits down with Izaiah Dillion, a 24-year-old active duty Air Force member, to discuss his journey from a challenging upbringing in Stockton, California, to becoming a homeowner in Hawaii. Izaiah shares how he leveraged his VA home loan benefit to purchase a condo with minimal out-of-pocket costs, gaining instant equity and aligning his mortgage with his BAH. Izaiah recounts growing up without his father, getting into legal trouble as a teenager, and how the Air Force offered him structure, discipline, and...
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Kanani Ching on AI Integration, Small Business Growth, and Running Toward Change
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In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry sits down with Kanani Ching, a longtime real estate professional and business transformation consultant, to talk about stepping outside your comfort zone, embracing change, and using artificial intelligence to help businesses work smarter without losing the human connection. Kanani shares how her journey from hospitality to real estate leadership eventually led her into the AI industry. She talks about discovering ChatGPT in 2022, recognizing its potential beyond simple writing tasks, and building a business focused on helping...
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Dearonne Bethea on Extreme Ownership, Wealth Building, and the Power of Brotherhood
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In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry sits down with Dearonne Bethea, CEO of Band of Brothers Investment Group, to talk about the journey from humble beginnings in Enfield, North Carolina, to building businesses, investing in real estate, and creating a family office structure with more than $200M in personally managed assets. Dearonne shares how a second chance through the U.S. Army changed the direction of his life. After joining the Army at 19, he found mentorship, discipline, and a new way of thinking about money. A pivotal lesson from his command sergeant major...
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Chris Wirsing on the Power of Relationships, Reputation, and Real Producers
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Chris Wirsing on the Power of Relationships, Reputation, and Real Producers In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, host Larry Gonzales sits down with Chris Wirsing, Publisher of Honolulu Real Producers, for a conversation about what truly separates top performers in Hawaii real estate. Chris shares his journey from Chicago to Hawaii, his local family roots, and the path that eventually led him to build Honolulu Real Producers on the island. From there, Larry and Chris dive into the habits and standards that define excellence: adaptability, discipline, relationship-building,...
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The Truth About Growth, Standards, and Success with Tony Robbins’ Trainer Mandi Rose
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The Truth About Growth, Standards, and Success, With Tony Robbins’ Trainer Mandi Rose In this episode of In Search of Excellence Island Style, the host sits down with Mandi Rose, a Tony Robbins Professional Trainer & Keynote Speaker, after she leads an in-person training in Hawaii for The Broker Mortgage Experts and Century 21 Island Homes. The conversation opens with the power of live training, why in-person energy creates stronger breakthroughs, and how Mandi helps people shift from simply learning information to actually taking action. Mandi shares her journey from radio and...
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Erica Lehmkuhl and Sarah “Eli” David: From Military Leadership to Real Estate Success
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
Erica Lehmkuhl and Sarah “Eli” David: From Military Leadership to Real Estate Success In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry sits down with Erica Lehmkuhl, Owner of Seaside Realty, and Sarah “Eli” David, Mortgage Loan Officer at The Broker, for a powerful conversation about leadership, resilience, and transitioning from military service into real estate and lending. Erica and Eli share their journeys from the military into the civilian world, offering a real look at what it means to lead in high-pressure environments, earn respect in male-dominated...
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How Kalama Kim Built One of Hawaii’s Most Respected Real Estate Companies
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
How Kalama Kim Built One of Hawaii’s Most Respected Real Estate Companies In this episode of In Search of Excellence: Island Style, Larry sits down with Kalama Kim, President of Hawaii Modern Realty, to talk about leadership, local values, and the evolving future of Hawaii real estate. Kalama shares his journey from growing up on the Windward side and attending Kamehameha Schools, to playing collegiate tennis at USF, working in banking, and eventually becoming one of Hawaii’s most respected real estate leaders. The conversation dives deep into the lessons sports, discipline, and...
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What Great Service, Strong Teams, and Smart Solar Planning Really Look Like with Sarah “Eli” David, Michael Melso, and Matt Householder
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
What Great Service, Strong Teams, and Smart Solar Planning Really Look Like with Sarah “Eli” David, Michael Melso, and Matt Householder In this episode of In Search of Excellence Island Style, Larry Gonzales and the team unpack what excellence really looks like behind the scenes. The conversation centers on the daily disciplines that drive long-term success, from family routines and personal habits to controlling your mornings, managing your pipeline, and staying consistent even when plans change. They explore how family serves as the foundational team, and how habits like workouts,...
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How Jessel Riccardini Built a Referral Based Real Estate Business Through Discipline and Authenticity
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
How Jessel Riccardini Built a Referral Based Real Estate Business Through Discipline and Authenticity In this episode of In Search of Excellence – Island Style, Larry sits down with Jessel Riccardini, a Hawaii REALTOR®, to talk about the mindset, discipline, and consistency that have shaped both her real estate career and her personal growth. From her roots in the Philippines to building a life in Hawaii, Jessel shares how her journey has been defined by resilience, hard work, and a deep commitment to serving others. The conversation explores how Jessel transitioned from...
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What Great Service Really Looks Like with Erin Evans
In Search of Excellence, Island Style
What Great Service Really Looks Like with Erin Evans In this second episode of In Search of Excellence Island Style, Larry Gonzales sits down with Erin Evans, Broker/Owner of Century 21 Island Homes, for a conversation about real estate, leadership, service, and what it takes to build a business rooted in people. The episode begins with Erin sharing how she got into real estate and how she and her husband Ron built their business together. From there, the conversation moves into military life, moving to Hawaiʻi, building a strong team, and why training and mentorship matter so much in this...
info_outlineWhat Great Service, Strong Teams, and Smart Solar Planning Really Look Like with Sarah “Eli” David, Michael Melso, and Matt Householder
In this episode of In Search of Excellence Island Style, Larry Gonzales and the team unpack what excellence really looks like behind the scenes. The conversation centers on the daily disciplines that drive long-term success, from family routines and personal habits to controlling your mornings, managing your pipeline, and staying consistent even when plans change. They explore how family serves as the foundational team, and how habits like workouts, journaling, prayer, time-blocking, and continuous learning help create stability in both life and business.
The episode also dives into the realities of growing a business through relationships, not just transactions. Larry shares insights on follow-up, sphere of influence, system-building, and why professionals should never be a “secret loan officer.” The discussion covers scaling through delegation, strategic hiring, and the importance of building a team with clear responsibilities, integrity, and alignment.
Later in the episode, the focus shifts to serving clients through education rather than sales pressure. The team talks about helping military homeowners think long-term through a PCS exit strategy workshop and using VA benefits wisely. In the final segment, guest Matt Householder breaks down the risks and realities of solar in Hawaii, including expensive loan structures, tax credit changes, prepaid leases, transferability, maintenance, and when solar actually makes financial sense.
Guest List
Larry Gonzales – Host
Sarah “Eli” David – Guest
Michael Melso – Guest
Matt Householder – Guest, EcoSolar
Timestamp Highlights
00:00 Excellence Is Daily Discipline
01:28 Family First Team Mindset
04:00 Morning Routines And Atomic Habits
06:18 When To Have Kids
10:03 Top Producer Systems And Control
13:36 Time Blocking And Skill Building
17:59 Sphere Of Influence Outreach
20:53 Habit Discipline After The Break
21:58 Client Win VA Budget Breakthrough
23:59 Scaling With Delegation And Hiring
28:58 Building The Right Team
32:11 Shift From Transactional To Relational
32:39 Stop Selling Low Rates
33:49 Sales as Service
35:26 Educate Not Pitch
36:12 PCS Exit Strategy Workshop
38:50 Solar Segment Setup
40:13 Solar Loan Horror Story
44:23 Tax Credits Changed
46:10 Prepaid Lease Explained
50:28 When Solar Makes Sense
52:54 Maintenance and Inspections
01:02:00 Final Takeaways and Challenge
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