In this FocusCore Podcast episode, host David Sweet interviews Naomi Mano, Founder of Luxurique and Chairperson of the Japan MICE Association, a US-born Japanese national with over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and hospitality. Naomi explains why she left corporate roles at IBM and Fidelity to build her own company, and what it took to launch a luxury business in Japan as a woman entrepreneur in 2007. She shares her view that entrepreneurs need grit, mental strength, and physical stamina, and describes how she leads a team of nearly 50 by managing her own reactions and adapting how she communicates with each person. They discuss building trust with traditional artisans and turning personal relationships into corporate ones, serving ultra high net worth clients, and pivoting during COVID by building a keyword-based travel platform with government grants. Naomi closes with her advice on defining success by your own values and never giving up on your vision.

The 2026 FocusCore Salary Guide is here: 2026 Salary Guide

In this episode you will hear:

• Why Naomi left corporate life to build her own company in Japan
• What entrepreneurs really need: grit, mental strength, and physical stamina
• How to lead a growing team by managing your own reactions
• How to turn personal trust into lasting corporate relationships in Japan
• How Luxurique pivoted during COVID with government grants
• Why success should be defined on your own terms

About Naomi:

Naomi is a US-born Japanese national with over 30 years of experience in marketing, branding, and hospitality. She began her career at IBM and contributed to the Nagano Olympic Marketing Committee, before taking on regional marketing roles across Asia Pacific. Her background gives her strong insight into Japanese culture and how to make it accessible to international visitors.

In 2007, she launched and led the Japan operations for Quintessentially, a global luxury lifestyle service provider. She later founded Luxurique in 2014 to create high-end cultural experiences, events and to support the growth of luxury inbound tourism in Japan, while also advising organizations and governments on strategies targeting high-net-worth travelers.

Naomi is the author of Omotenashi no Genso (Illusion of Hospitality), chairperson of the Japan MICE Association, and a doctoral candidate at Keio University researching sustainable tourism. She is widely recognized as an industry thought leader, regularly speaking at major travel events and featured in leading international publications.

Connect with Naomi Mano:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-mano-6444a65/?isSelfProfile=false

Luxurique: https://www.luxurique.com/

Connect with David Sweet:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdavidsweet/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/focuscorejp

Facebook: :https://www.facebook.com/focuscoreasia

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/focuscorejp/

Website: https://www.japan.focuscoregroup.com/

This podcast was proudly produced by Lisa Yasuda.

“Doin’ the Uptown Lowdown,” used by permission of Christopher Davis-Shannon. To find out more, check out www.thetinman.co. Support independent musicians and artists.