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Ready to Reclaim Your Life?

Why Ral West?

I’ve been in your shoes.

Entrepreneur for 45+ years. Bestselling author. Coach to entrepreneurs who want a life.

I opened my first business in 1981, a tourism marketing consulting firm in Anchorage. I’ve been an entrepreneur ever since, for more than 45 years now.

The biggest chapter was Hawaiian Vacations, which lasted 25 years. John and I built it into a scheduled charter airline flying 30,000–35,000 passengers a year between Anchorage and Honolulu. We grew it to mid eight figures in annual revenue, and in 2008 we sold it to Alaska Airlines.

It wasn’t a straight line. For years, everything landed on us, and we were exhausted. What got us out wasn’t working harder. It was learning to run the business as owners instead of doing every job ourselves.

You don’t have to choose between a successful business and a life of your own. You can have both.

A few things I learned the hard way

Take calculated risks, not blind ones. We once chartered a DC-8 based on a spreadsheet analysis, and we sold every seat.

Pay attention before you need to. When we noticed Alaska Airlines was earning its ETOPS certifications, the approval to fly long routes over water like ours, we saw an opening. We pitched them first.

Step back on purpose. About five years after we started building real systems, we hired a COO and a CFO. The business kept running. We got our lives back.

How I Help

    • I help you stop being the employee your business can’t function without.
    • I help you move from operator to owner, so your business can run without you and support the life you want.
    • Together, we build a strategic roadmap for what to eliminate, delegate, simplify, and systematize to make that freedom possible.

The Six-Legged Stool

Think of your business as a six-legged stool. If one leg is short, the whole thing wobbles, and you end up holding it steady yourself. The six legs are Systems, Measuring Performance, Leverage, Culture, Team, and Customer Service. All six work together. When they’re solid, the stool stands on its own, and so does your business.

I’m a contributing author in three bestselling anthologies, with a fourth on the way: From Inspiration to Success! The Entrepreneurial Journey (coming soon). I’m also a speaker and a frequent podcast guest. You can hear some of those conversations on my Podcasts page.

Giving back has always mattered to me. I’ve served as a board member and officer of the Alaska Visitors Association, Chair of the Alaska Tourism Marketing Council, and a Trustee of Pacific Northern Academy and Alaska Pacific University, and I’ve served on a few other boards. I’ve also mentored a lot of entrepreneurs along the way.

I earned my Bachelor’s in Organizational Management, and I’ve taught as an adjunct university professor and led seminars for business owners. Real-world experience is still my best teacher.

The Short Version

    • 1981: Opened my Anchorage tourism marketing consulting business.
    • 1982–2008: Built Hawaiian Vacations, with John, from a Hawaii condo-rental business into a scheduled charter airline flying 30,000–35,000 passengers a year between Anchorage and Honolulu.
    • Grew it to mid eight figures in annual revenue and sold it to Alaska Airlines in 2008.
    • Built a diversified business portfolio, including small cruise ships, commercial and residential real estate, and multifamily syndications.
    • Serial entrepreneur for 45+ years.

What Livin’ the Dream Means to Me Now

For years, we split our time between our homes in Alaska and Hawaii, cruising on our yacht, and enjoying luxury global travels. These days, I live in Texas and I still love worldwide travel and cruises.

But for me, it was never really about where I live. It’s about time. The freedom to say no and to do what I please, when I please.

That’s what I want for you, too. If you’re done carrying everything alone, let’s start with an honest look at where you are right now.

You Built a Successful Business.
So, Why Does It Still Need You for Everything?

Take 3 minutes to find out where your business still depends on you, and what it would take to get your time and your life back.

    What Others Are Saying

    Ral West - Featured Podcast Guest
    Tom Behan
    Former Bank President and Lifelong Entrepreneur
    ” Ral West is a powerhouse of entrepreneurial experience with a knack for teaching others to achieve their dream goals. I have witnessed Ral building her own successful businesses for over 30 years and know she has a passion for helping others achieve success. “
    Dan Brisse
    Managing Partner, Granite Towers Equity Group
    Portrait of Dan Brisse
    ” Ral West has the proven results to coach anyone as a growing entrepreneur. The first and most critical piece I look for when looking to execute a big goal successfully is whether I can find someone who has already done what I’m trying to do. Ral’s massive success as an entrepreneur inspires me to keep working with her on our most critical business decisions month after month. “
    Dr. Miranda Phillips
    Emergency Medicine Physician and a multifamily real estate investor
    ” Ral is an incredible master of business. Her track record of success alone sets her apart from the crowd. She was so generous with her time and went above and beyond in coaching me and my husband on a very high level business negotiation that resulted in a big win for us! I will definitely continue to consult her when it comes to big business decisions that I find myself feeling uncertain about. “
    Randa Szymański
    Owner of Reservations by Randa
    ” I have known and worked with Ral for many years. She has always provided a quality product. She is a hard-working, dedicated business woman. “
    Margy Johnson
    Former Mayor of Cordova Alaska, Past President Alaska State Chamber of Commerce
    ” After the dreadful Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, those of us in business in the Prince William Sound were in a scramble to let the world and visitors know that the Prince William Sound was still beautiful and a visitor destination. How to get the word out? We had a very small organization called Prince William Sound Tourism Coalition. We knew nothing of marketing! Enter Ral West. Having been in the tourism business her entire life, she made it her mission to coach us. She gathered the stakeholders, talked about what we could accomplish together and gave us viable steps to take. She gave us a mission. She assigned tasks and checked in often for progress. We had world class tourism writers like Peter Greenburg visit. We did FAM “familiarization trips” for travel agents, and generally pulled ourselves out of the depressive hole we had fallen into. It worked! Within a few years, the visitor industry was back. Ral West, was born to be a coach! She learned from the best! Her dad, the legendary Chuck West. Without hesitation, I recommend Ral West. “
    Janine Welch
    Assistant Dean of Administration, Florida State University College of Engineering
    ” The first coaching seminar of yours I attended when I worked for The Ral West Company 20+ years ago, GoalMaster, has been a part of me since I took that course. I learned so much from you, such as if you want to reach your goals you need to let the world know what your goals are. I find that when I want something and I tell people where I want to go it makes it more real for me. I remember your sailboat illustration, explaining that sailboats don’t move in a direct line but instead move side to side. It’s important to remember that sometimes the goals we set our sights on can’t be reached directly, but instead we need to tack from side to side. And as long as you’re moving toward your horizon, you’re still moving forward. You taught me how to define and plan the steps to reach my goals– thank you! In business, holy cow you were not afraid of anything! We got to show travel agents from the Lower 48 that Prince William Sound wasn’t ruined by the oil spill, planning that trip way before cell phones. You and John leased your own planes with Hawaiian Vacations. Of course this all goes back to the planning you did. I think the best thing you could teach people is to set the goal, plan, re-plan, then hold your nose and jump in. You also give people chances, for instance preparing me to be in sales and marketing for Hawaiian Vacations. I think you saw something in me that I didn’t know I had. Thank you again! “
    Phil Okeson
    Former Chief Financial Officer of Hawaiian Vacations and Northern Air Cargo
    ” I have worked with Ral West for 35+ years in many different kinds of ventures. This has afforded me the opportunity to watch her thought processes and actions up close, in both day-to-day operations and strategic Board of Director level discussions. Ral understands the requirements of running an entrepreneurial business and making them grow. I have also watched her grow individuals to become successful business people with her guidance. I myself have benefited from her insights. I would highly recommend to anyone thinking of starting a business or taking an existing business to the next level, to consider using Ral’s experience to help them achieve their goals. “
    Roger L. Hames
    President of Hames Corporation
    ” I’ve known Ral West since she moved to Sitka Alaska in 2006. Over that time, I have had the opportunity to work with her on a local non-profit board for several years as well as watch her work on her many businesses and projects. I am impressed by her skills she has developed over the years and consider her knowledge and experience valuable assets that she puts to good use. I would consider Ral’s great strengths to be quite thorough, detailed and meticulous. All while displaying a positive and can-do attitude. I am amazed by her strength and vision of always wanting to grow and learn. Age is not a barrier to most anything she undertakes. She is driven, self-motivated and curious as she seeks to share those traits with others who want to better themselves. “
    Chris von Imhof
    Former General Manager Alyeska Resort, Alaska, and Author
    ” I first met Ral West when I attended an Alaskan Tourism meeting and her famous father Chuck West was the foremost Alaskan tour operator. At that time I was the Alaska Director of Tourism and I was very impressed that this young lady wanted to follow in her father’s tourism enterprise. However Ral was very independent and started her own marketing and PR company. Later she met her husband John Hardwick, who had his own business selling tours to Hawaii. Together, they decided to lease a big Hawaiian Airlines jet, and successfully sold the charter flights from Anchorage to Honolulu, Hawaii. They also sold tour packages in the Hawaiian Islands and purchased vacation rental condominiums in Maui.
    Ral and John were very successful. They asked me to join their Hawaiian Vacations Board of Directors. The Board meetings were very well organized and Ral presented the financial results; the company was very profitable. That is also why Alaska Airlines purchased their Hawaiian Vacations company. Ral could have joined her father’s company but instead became a very successful entrepreneur on her own with her very sharp husband John. Ral can be a great consultant in any business including Real Estate Development. “
    Lindsey Ellenwood
    Owner of a UPS Franchise Store
    ” When I met Ral, I was at a point in my business where I felt incredibly frustrated and defeated (literal “cry on her shoulder” moment). I had just moved 4+ hours away from my UPS Store and was managing remotely, with no systems in place and low employee tenure. Shortly after relocating, my newly promoted manager started stealing from me, and after letting him go, I was left scrambling. I had no choice but to promote someone else—without knowing if they were even capable of doing the job (cue more panic and defeat). Stuck spinning my wheels with the knowledge I already had, I was getting nowhere fast. Then I remembered that Ral had suggested I watch her initial webinar. So, on one of my four-hour drives home from the store, I finally did.
    Immediately, Ral’s suggestions were just the right lubricant to get my gears turning smoothly again. I pulled together some KPIs, put basic systems in place, and clearly set expectations for my team. It wasn’t just about holding them accountable—it also forced me to be accountable, even from four hours away. I felt an immediate sense of relief melt off my shoulders and chest.
    Fast forward two months: my new manager has stepped confidently into his leadership role, now with a stronger sense of direction and accountability (he was actually happy about everything I implemented!). We went from losing revenue every single month of 2025 to finally breaking the curse in May—just one month after implementing Ral’s strategies—and we’re trending strong into June. I’ve also gained the courage to add new services I’ve been afraid to tackle for over a year.
    Ral’s willingness to share her success in both business and life has truly been a Godsend. I’m forever grateful to have met her and to be blessed by her wisdom and belief in me. Not only has it helped me turn my situation around, but I now move forward with confidence that I can be a successful business owner—even from afar.
    Thank you Ral!! “
    Dee Buchanon
    President of Dee Buchanon LLC.
    ” Ral West has been a leader, mentor, and friend in my life for over 25 years. Ral’s expertise in developing business operations systems and her keen intuition in building leadership teams meant we had “the right people in our crew on the ship” in the business, and the intellectual property of the business remained and was documented in every department. In addition to growing the business, she is a lifelong learner focused on helping others to continue to grow. Her mentorship sessions and one-on-one coaching benefited many over the years, including myself. Ral West managed her team with DEI in mind and valued people, her employees, and their “work-life balance” long before diversity, equity, and inclusion was a mainstream trend. I highly recommend her services to any entrepreneur seeking to quickly grow their business in a way that is sustainable, marketable, and will operate successfully, in perpetuity, without the owner at the helm. “
    Kendra Beeman
    Chief Executive Officer at Signature Championship Rings
    ” Working with Ral was incredibly helpful because she reminded me of the value of setting a clear vision for the company. This has directly benefited my business by creating better alignment and clearer expectations across my entire team. “
    Denise Rankwiler
    Owner, This Side Up
    Portrait of Denise Rankwiler
    ” Ral has been an invaluable resource for shining a light on my outdated business processes! For example, by rethinking the shipping and invoicing workflow in our online shop, I managed to cut the time needed to fulfill an order by two thirds – from a full hour down to just 20 minutes. “
    Viktoria Ujj
    Owner of Sunny Maui Vacations
    Portrait of Viktoria Ujj
    ” I am thrilled to provide this testimonial for Ral West, who has been instrumental in the success of my vacation rental business over the past 10 years. With her guidance and expertise, I have built a solid and flourishing business. Ral has not only provided invaluable insights into the travel/ vacation rental industry but has also helped me set up efficient systems to delegate tasks, choose qualified team members, and oversee their efforts effectively. From day one, Ral took the time to understand my business aspirations and tailored her coaching approach to my specific needs. She provided practical strategies to enhance my marketing, pricing, and guest experience, which have had a tremendous impact on my business growth. Moreover, her expertise in streamlining operations and implementing effective delegation systems has enabled me to focus on crucial aspects of my business while empowering my team to thrive. What sets Ral apart is her remarkable ability to motivate and inspire. She instilled in me the confidence to delegate responsibilities, choose the right team members, and oversee their efforts with efficiency. Her mentorship has not only helped me establish a solid foundation for my vacation rental business but has also transformed me into a more confident and capable entrepreneur. I am immensely grateful for Ral’s unwavering support, guidance, and friendship throughout my journey. Her dedication to my success, deep industry knowledge, and exceptional coaching skills have made a significant difference. I wholeheartedly recommend Ral to anyone seeking a dedicated and knowledgeable coach who can provide insights, strategies, and support to build a thriving business. Thank you, Ral, for your invaluable contributions to my vacation rental business and for empowering me to achieve new heights of success. “