CJ HUGHES Zip Line Tour Operations Manager, Kualoa Ranch, Hawaii
WHAT’S YOUR LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY? I’ve seen firsthand how people learn from true experience. They cannot learn from words alone, and so I always look to lead them via their own experiences. WHAT’S BEEN YOUR GREATEST CHALLENGE? It was a mental challenge for me on how to be in a leadership role and keep management sense. I like to make it feel non-corporate, with a bal- ance of being a friend and a supervisor. WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOUR FUTURE? I go to Oklahoma State for mechanical engineering. My career in this field was not planned; it just happened. I’m still in school, but there are plenty of engi- neering opportunities in the challenge course industry.
C J Hughes isn’t new to the adventure park world; he scored his first job back in 1999 as a high-ropes course instruc - tor at a Boy Scout camp. But his contin- ued success shows that Rising Stars can continue to grow years into their career. Ironically, he was initially spooked by high ropes. “I could talk others through it, but I hadn’t done it myself,” he says of that first year at the camp. When he finally did, he fully realized the power the industry has. “It showed me this was more than just a job. It’s a way of life, and a meaningful one.” Says a nominator, “CJ is an impeccable manager, kind, thoughtful, and smart. His decisions are bang on, his manage- ment skills are excellent, his staff love him, the ownership is thrilled with him. He is always working to get better, do the right thing, and be kind. And he nails it!” WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TO BEING A GOOD LEADER? I know not everyone is going to love me, so I don’t spend all my time forcing that. Also, when training or helping staff, never make it about them being wrong. Instead, it’s about learning how to do it right. WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU—AND THE INDUSTRY— CURRENTLY FACE? I think it is finding young staff who want to be involved, outdoors, and active. I can find one of those traits, but not often all three. WHAT EXCITES YOU ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE INDUSTRY? Technology helping us evolve how people experi- ence this out here. For instance, imagine a helmet and visor that shows how fast you are going, your distance traveled, and more. I think we will see more and more of that.
MASON CRAINE Fixer of All Problems, Challenge Quest, Okla.
KANOE LEWIS Assistant Operations Manager/Lead Trainer, Kohala Zipline, Hawaii
M ason Craine grew up a summer camper and went on to work for that camp as a ropes course guide. It was a time, he says, that gave him “the incredible opportunity to see what adventure parks and education ropes can do for people.” When Challenge Quest—which special- izes in building, training, and facilitation for experiential learning—saw him in action at New Life Ranch, where Craine later worked, they scooped him up. “His title is actually ‘Fixer of All Prob- lems,’ because that was the most accu- rate,” a nominator writes. “No matter the task, he tackles it with enthusiasm, professionalism, and just the right amount of perfectionism.”
W hen Hawaii native Kanoe Lewis decided she wanted to move away from her career as a barista/trainer, some - one suggested she try Kohala Zipline. “I said, ‘I get bored really quickly,’ and they said, ‘Then this industry is right for you,’” she recalls. Besides working as the assistant ops manager and lead trainer at the park, Lewis also completed trainer training and has worked with fellow staff and management to develop an in-house training curriculum. She says in “train- ing” and “helping to build good people” she’s found her niche. >> continued
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