All About Attitude

Photo by Lawrence Tabudlo

Author and FAMES Hawai‘i CEO and founder Joni Redick-Yundt is proof that life is what you make it. 

Joni Redick-Yundt wears many hats as a wife, mother, grandmother, author, and CEO and founder of FAMES Hawai‘i. So just how does she juggle all of these demands? With a positive mindset, of course. 

While hard work and passion play an important role in the success of any individual, Redick-Yundt believes that attitude can make all the difference — so much so, that she produced multiple books about the topic.  

Redick-Yundt has been writing since 2007, authoring Million Dollar Attitude and following that up with a second edition that features updated content, including Redick-Yundt’s bout with colon cancer. Her third book, It’s All About Attitude! Still Sexy at Sixty, aims to motivate readers through wellness tips along with attitude and gratitude prompts. For this book, Redick-Yundt also interviewed various individuals in their 60s and 70s to collect words of wisdom. 

Her latest book — Who Stole My Attitude? — will be released on July 4, which also happens to be Redick-Yundt’s birthday. It discusses life’s ups and downs, and how to maintain a positive attitude through it all. Redick-Yundt compares life to a battery, noting that if both sides of the power cell were either positive or negative, it wouldn’t work. Life, she insists, requires balance, and that often means accepting both the good and the bad.

“Yes, we encounter negative experiences in our life, but guess what that is — we are being tested,” she explains. “How resilient we are, that is a stepping stone for us to be better and learn from it. But you have to have the right attitude … turn the negative into positive.” 

Who Stole My Attitude? provides the tools needed to improve one’s mindset, including Redick-Yundt’s own “Alphabet Rules” that she believes will help readers be happy, healthy and successful. Her rules are simple and meant to keep people’s minds focused. For example, “A” means to always have a positive attitude; “B” stands for belief in oneself, as well as to be bold and to be the best one can be; and “C” indicates courage, confidence and consistency. 

Redick-Yundt says her books are meant for everyone, adding that she knows her readers to be as young as 7 and as old as 102. She also notes that various companies have used the tools and rules in her books to help inspire their employees.

Her favorite saying is “positive attitude + positive action = positive result,” and her latest book also contains stories from her own life as well as personal quotes.

“Positive people wake up every morning with gratitude and high expectations for the day versus negative people wake up every morning ungrateful with low expectations,” she says. “I firmly believe that with an undeniable strong faith coupled with a positive mindset, miracles can indeed happen. God created me, and I created a million dollar attitude.”

Where exactly does this “million dollar attitude” come from? Redick-Yundt attributes it to all the obstacles she’s experienced in life.

Born and raised in a rural part of the Philippines, she was in for a culture shock when as a teenager she moved to Hawai‘i with her family. From being bullied in school to overcoming cancer, Redick-Yundt has had her fair share of struggles. 

But every day, she chooses to push forward with a positive mindset and proudly bears an attitude that overflows with confidence, optimism and motivation. One’s success, she says, is dependent on attitude. 

Still, attitude is only part of the equation. Redick-Yundt believes in the importance of education and offers leadership development through her organization, FAMES Hawai‘i, which stands for Filipino American Multi Ethnic Society. The organization serves as a vehicle for networking and also offers members invaluable resources and workshops. A recent event provided participants with the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals while learning about crafting “a winning business plan” from industry experts. 

FAMES Hawai‘i not only supports entrepreneurs and business owners, it also strengthens and supports today’s youth, offering them scholarship opportunities. Last year, the organization celebrated its 20th annual Scholarship and Fundraising Gala during which $20,000 was awarded to 20 students. 

In addition to scholarships, FAMES Hawai‘i also offers students mentorship through networking events, dining etiquette classes and leadership workshops to help them elevate their communication skills, build confidence and meet prominent leaders in the community.

Redick-Yundt says that she especially enjoys working with youth and hopes to continue making a positive impact through her work.

“I like to differentiate myself to do what I am compelled to do for the betterment of our community and leave a lasting legacy one person at a time,” Redick-Yundt shares.    

Being that community is very important to Redick-Yundt, she believes in supporting people through donations, acts of service or inspirational talks. One of the ways FAMES Hawai‘i uplifts communities is by donating laptops and lunches to the folks at Domestic Violence Action Center as well as to Ho‘ōla Nā Pua’s Pearl Haven program. 

During a talk with the girls at Pearl Haven, Redick-Yundt offered words of encouragement and hope, saying, “We all have different stories. We went through a lot, but don’t stop dreaming, just keep going. You have the resources, we’re here to support you.” 

Those who know Redick-Yundt will agree that she has a knack for always looking on the bright side and finding that silver lining. She reveals that this kind of attitude was evident in her childhood, growing up in the Philippines. She always believed the sky was the limit and still remembers the days when she was surrounded by rice fields and would talk story with a scarecrow, sharing with it her dream of one day being in a beauty pageant. 

That dream came true in 2002 when Redick-Yundt was crowned Mrs. Hawai‘i. And because of her love for pageants, about eight years ago, she purchased a franchise from Miss Hawai‘i America. Redick-Yundt is currently an owner and executive director of the Miss Paradise Hawai‘i, Miss O‘ahu and Miss Waikīkī scholarship program, mentoring prospective contestants hoping to win a title.  

“It’s been very rewarding and fulfilling to coach and mentor young women and to build their true character, their confidence and to share their platform,” she says. “It’s a way of sharing my knowledge, expertise and experience with these young women — to guide them and to find their purpose in life.” 

As if being an author, CEO and founder of a nonprofit, and pageant mentor weren’t enough, Redick-Yundt even hosted her own show for more than 10 years. The show consisted of her interviewing community leaders, entertainers, beauty queens and more. 

Redick-Yundt’s accomplishments haven’t gone unnoticed. She was featured in Forbes magazine in 2022, named a Top Influential Business & Community Leader in 2021 by International Association of Top Professionals, made it onto a billboard in Times Square in New York City and recognized as an Empowered Woman of the Year in 2022 by IAOTP.

Looking back at all that FAMES Hawai‘i has done, Redick-Yundt notes that she’s proud to help others, particularly the youth, sharing that she didn’t really have mentors growing up. Over the years, FAMES Hawai‘i has doled out approximately $600,000 in scholarships.  

On top of everything that Redick-Yundt already does, she’s managed to find time for another passion project: The Joni Collection. Redick-Yundt’s array of products she designed includes luxury bags fashioned in Italy along with fine jewelry handcrafted by local jewelry designer Rose Wong. A portion of the proceeds from The Joni Collection goes toward FAMES Hawai‘i’s scholarship program.

For more information, visit fameshawaii.org.