Some journeys don’t change what you are building.
They confirm the path you’ve been walking all along.
Singapore simply reminded us we were being guided, held, and moved with alofa.
Before the expo halls, the long days, swollen feet, and endless cacao samples, we were welcomed into the beautiful space of Fang Studio by Kenny and Min — two people who didn’t simply host us, but embraced us like family.
From the moment we arrived, there was a knowing that this experience would move beyond product and into something far more human…connection, presence, and alofa.
We were also deeply grateful to have my mother, Lucia Henrietta Phoebe (Stanley) Preuss, (Etta) travelling alongside us — the matriarch of our family and one of the quiet pillars behind Living Koko. In the most exhausting moments, when the days became long and our bodies felt heavy, she kept our spirits lifted. Calm, steady, nurturing. The kind of woman who brings gentle power into every room without needing to announce it.
Through her, we were also introduced to her beautiful friend Aunty Pele Dawson, whose alofa wrapped around us throughout the entire trip. There is something sacred about being held by women who carry wisdom, softness, humour, resilience, and cultural understanding all at once.
We felt deeply grateful for the presence, guidance, and experience of such incredible women beside us.
Our time together began with cultural exchange through tea ceremony at Fang Studio. Slow movements. Quiet conversation. The kind of presence that reminds you traditions still matter in a world obsessed with rushing. We shared stories, values, practices, and philosophies from different parts of the Moana and Asia, discovering how deeply connected our cultures already are through ritual, hospitality, and community care.
The following day, we offered a cacao connection gathering for the Fang community and what unfolded was something deeply special.
Through the silent reflection in tending to our cacao – Conversations then opened. Laughter echoed through the room. Emotions surfaced gently, held by cacao, breath, and community. These are the moments that remind us cacao has always been medicine for tender togetherness long before it became a product on a shelf.
Kenny and Min continued supporting us throughout the entire week, alongside an incredible circle of people who gathered around our cacao with so much generosity and belief. They checked in on us, guided us, shared our story, introduced us to people, and quietly advocated for us in rooms we had just stepped into.
Support built through trust, reciprocity, and shared values.
Because of these connections, retailers began arriving at our expo space already knowing about Living Koko. They had heard whispers about “the Samoan cacao women,” about ceremony, about ethical sourcing, about the feeling people experienced drinking our cacao. Instead of cold introductions, we were meeting people already curious, already connected, already wanting to explore what the next step could look like together.
It reminded us that real business still happens through people, community.
Through sitting together before selling to one another.
We are deeply honoured that Fang Studio will continue sharing Living Koko cacao within their space, and we already hope to return later this year to create ceremony together again.
Some collaborations feel transactional.
This never did.
This felt like family finding family across the ocean.
Fa’afetai tele lava Singapore.
We left tired, full-hearted, and deeply grateful.
