“In the 22 years that we’ve been around, this smartphone right here has more processing power and memory than most computers back then,” says Yasuo Ogawa, Owner of Cowabunga Computers.
Ogawa started Cowabunga Computers back in 2001 but he wanted to start it under a different name.
“Originally it was supposed to be Banzai Computers. Sadly, because Ben Affleck made a movie called Pearl Harbor that came out that year, everyone thought it had too much of a racist tone for Banzai. During the course of the business plan, I just needed a filler, so I said Cowabunga! Then I thought of Checkers and Pogo, with their very unique cars. Maybe if we put cow patches on our cars, people would wave at us like Checkers and Pogo. That’s how we started,” says Ogawa.
His business has evolved into one of the State’s biggest managed service providers.
“I’m very blessed, our office is very committed to understanding my priority is to be a caregiver, and 99 percent of the time they never bother me,” says Ogawa.
Ogawa cares for his mother, who speaks Japanese, and also receives help from his brother and sister.
“I don’t have children, so this is a crash course in learning how to be patient with someone while encouraging them to make their day better. Being that we’re both kids, it’s incredibly hard. There’s no manual for this but I’ve been blessed with an incredible support staff,” says Ogawa.
They both have traveled the world together making memories. Here at home, he keeps her busy by taking her to doctor appointments and to her favorite restaurants.
“Mom’s favorite food dish no question is sushi and it’s an expensive habit. We do two to three nights in a row of sushi sometimes it’s just a good excuse to get her outside and change their environments,” says Ogawa.
Ogawa says it’s important to have a good support system and to remember why you’re doing this.
“During a recent trip to Las Vegas I was tired and walking. At the end of the day, I was pushing mom up on a carpeted incline in the casino and clearly frustrated. A strange lady came up to me and put her hand on my shoulder and she said, enjoy the moment because it doesn’t last forever. After a pause, there was a tear in her eye, and she said I would give anything for five more minutes with my mom. That made me tear and really brought me back down to earth. Ever since then, I do get frustrated at her, but I look at her and we joke and laugh. It’s a really important moment to remember why you’re doing this,” says Ogawa.
For more information on Cowabunga Computers, visit https://www.smartcows.com/
