インタビュー・対談シリーズ『私の哲学』
Presented by "My Philosophy®︎"
Vol.29　Clara Komazaki

Clara Komazaki, with a captivating smile, possesses a passionate heart and a strong will. She is deeply committed to supporting the second careers of cabin attendants. In this interview, she shares stories from her childhood, episodes from her time as a cabin attendant, and her future plans.

Japanese

Profile

Vol.29 Clara Komazaki

KoLabo Co., Ltd. Representative Director and President
Born in 1982 in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Clara graduated from Kanda University of International Studies, where she majored in Spanish in the Faculty of Foreign Languages (currently the Department of Ibero-American Languages Studies, specializing in Spanish). From the ages of 5 to 10, she spent her time sailing around the world with her parents. After graduating from university, she worked as a cabin attendant (CA) at Asiana Airlines for seven and a half years. During this time, she recognized the need for information exchange among CAs beyond the boundaries of their airlines and launched the social networking service 'CREW WORLD' for CAs. In 2012, she founded KoLabo Corporation. In addition to operating 'CREW WORLD', she is involved in personnel placement and coaching to support the second careers of CAs.


*Note: Titles and positions are as of the interview date (June 2014).

Days Spent Sailing

Just before I turned five, my father decided to embark on a sailing voyage. Without hesitation, I exclaimed, “I want to go too!” My mother, joining in, said, “Then I will come as well.” And so, the three of us set off on our family voyage. Despite their worries, my parents believed that this experience would be invaluable and decided to take me along. However, my father, anticipating that I might want to return home once I experienced the hardships of sailing, brought plane tickets for two months later. To his surprise, when we returned to Japan two months later, I passionately insisted on returning to the sea. We resumed our family voyage, living on the yacht for a total of about five years.

We were constantly reminded that sailing was always accompanied by danger. My father always chose safe routes, so I don’t recall any frightening experiences at sea. The most challenging aspect of the voyage for me was the lack of ice cream. Although our yacht had a refrigerator, it didn’t have a freezer. In many countries, while meals were affordable, ice cream was often expensive. As a child, this was the hardest thing for me to endure.

Unexpected Discovery During a Health Check

The most important aspect of flying is “safety operations.” I aspired to be a cabin attendant (CA) because I believed I could utilize the sense of danger and safety I developed during my childhood. I applied to about 30 companies and reached the final health check stage with a Japanese airline. However, it was discovered that my nasal passage was blocked! It turns out that one in seven Japanese people have this condition, where a congenital curvature of the nasal bone obstructs the nasal passage. I promptly underwent surgery to widen my nasal passage and was fortunate to join Asiana Airlines. Until then, I would hold my breath while brushing my teeth because I couldn’t breathe through my nose and had to breathe through my mouth, and if I made a mistake, the toothpaste would end up in my throat. At sea, I never had water enter my nose, so I couldn’t understand why others struggled and swam with ease. After the surgery, the first time I experienced water entering my nose during underwater training after joining the company was unforgettable (laughs).

Although I initially planned to quit the CA job after about three years, I ended up staying for seven and a half years because it was incredibly enjoyable. Each flight provided a sense of accomplishment. Since we formed a new team each time, we had to build team relations from scratch, with each member giving 200% of their effort. The sense of fulfillment upon safely landing was similar to the joy of completing a relay race. I had no resistance to working with people who had different viewpoints from mine. My experiences of traveling to various countries and meeting diverse people contributed to this adaptability. I was having fulfilling days, but at one point, I got injured and could no longer fly. The company offered to wait until I recovered, but I had long wanted to try something new, and I saw this as a potential turning point, so I decided to resign. However, deciding to leave the plane was very difficult for me.

Building a Network with “Act Immediately” Mentality

Even when I was a CA, I felt the need for a platform for information exchange and sharing among CAs in the aviation industry. The first thing I did after leaving Asiana Airlines was to establish a social networking service (SNS) for CAs called ‘CREW WORLD’. I am the type of person who acts immediately when I come up with an idea. When I realized I couldn’t become a CA with my nasal passage blocked, I had no hesitation or anxiety about undergoing surgery. Besides operating ‘CREW WORLD’, I also support the second careers of CAs. Most CAs aspired to the profession because they admired it, so they haven’t explored other jobs or companies much. Due to the unique work environment “in the sky”, it’s not uncommon for them to experience health issues. Even if they want to switch to a more stable job in a general company, they often don’t know what other jobs are available or what suits them. Many CAs face these concerns. On the other hand, there are many companies that want to hire former CAs, so my company started a personnel placement business this year. I aim to alleviate the anxiety CAs have about career changes and support them in taking the first step to a new stage. I’ve seen many people struggle to move on to the next step after achieving their goals, not just CAs. I want to help such people. The core of my activities revolves around how to maintain motivation in life.

At the time of the company’s establishment, I used a shared office as my workplace because I believed it would allow me to quickly ask questions and seek advice from people in various industries. In reality, everyone was very supportive and taught me a lot. I also attended numerous summits to listen to motivational talks from many individuals. As a result of these proactive actions, I met many people, formed new connections, expanded my work scope and network, and experienced personal growth. Moving forward, I want to cherish these connections, never forget my gratitude, and continue to take action. While I can’t share detailed information yet as it’s still in the preparation stage, I am working towards realizing a new dream. I will continue to act proactively and support all women, including CAs!

I admire people who work hard towards their goals. Stories of those who put in the effort and take action to make their goals a reality are very inspiring. In this interview with Clara Komazaki, I was deeply impressed by her experiences of spending her elementary school years sailing on a yacht and her decisive action to undergo surgery to become a cabin attendant despite not being able to breathe through her nose. You never know the outcome unless you try. With Clara’s courage to take action, I am sure her next steps will also lead to unimaginable developments.

Editor-in-Chief of “My Philosophy”. DK Sugiyama

June 2014,Notre Merci Co.,Translated by ILI Inc.