Growing Into the Island Lifestyle
Posted in community relations hints of inspiration messages from maui by on Aug 22 2010
The future is so bright, just like the night sky over Mt. Haleakala! Two young and super talented Maui residents, photographer Quincy Dein and communications consultant Karen Hargrove, reflect on the joys of starting their blossoming careers on Maui and how island life is now meaning a lot more to them. Maui No Ka Oi.
Makena Wave, Maui, Hawaii - Quincy Dein
“Every time that I return to Maui, the accomplishments of my friends have increased by leaps and bounds. College life on the mainland has enhanced our love for the striking natural beauty of Maui. On island adventures, I am enlightened on the natural vegetation, how government policies are affecting the land and composition tips to make the perfect photograph. This mix of work, passion and play indicates that Maui’s future leaders have the ability to continue building a strong and responsible community.” Karen
Kai Lenny Surfing JAWS, Maui, Hawaii- Quincy Dein
“For me, living and working on Maui is all about the lifestyle. I love waking up early and getting in the ocean before the day begins. Without the worries of traffic, parking, pollution, crowds and wetsuits, I can spend more time doing what I enjoy. I find that I am more productive and creative when I live and work in an environment that allows me to be active.“ Quincy
Nahiku Waterfall, North Shore, Maui, Hawaii- Quincy Dein
“I have been blessed with the good fortune to view the community of Maui through both the eyes of a child and of a young adult. Every time I return from Santa Clara University in northern California, I experience a greater appreciation for the natural beauty our garden isle has to offer as well as the community’s efforts to preserve it. Interning at Grace Delivers has helped me develop a greater understanding and appreciation of this community. Whether I am organizing contact databases or attending committee meetings, I recognize neighbors, family friends and the parents of friends as active community leaders. Instead of thanking my friend’s parents for carpools, I am now able to acknowledge them for their leadership in sustainable development and charitable organizations. I have learned that through friendships and contacts on our small Pacific island, motivation can be stirred, money can be raised and mountains can be moved.” Karen
Swimming With the Dolphins, Lanai, Hawaii- Quincy Dein
“Maui is an ideal place to be a photographer. Shooting both stock and freelance is a balance between hectic days traveling and shooting in the field, and editing behind the computer for many hours at a time. The abundance and diversity of world class locations that Maui offers creates limitless creative possibilities.” Quincy
We wish Quincy and Karen good luck as they start their final year in college, and thank Karen for all of her hard work this summer. We are very appreciative of having Quincy’s beautiful work grace our blog…follow his inspiring images at http://www.makenalight.com/.
Recently, an aggressive Maui producer posted an event he was promoting on my page and the pages of many of my friends. Not just once, but several times over the course of a few days. It wasn’t long before his aggressive posting style became a frequent topic of many Mana Foods produce isle conversations. In nearly every incident, the disgruntled friend always vowed to either not attend his event or delete him or both.
Most certainly, this was not his desired outcome but he didn’t walk away completely empty handed. A valuable lesson was learned: When you are communicating on Facebook, authenticity is essential. Facebook is like a virtual cocktail party. Shameless self-promotion gets you nowhere fast.
Facebook is a powerful tool that allows you to build your community and expand your network. It can also be a powerful tool for breaking your community apart. If you’re a business incorporating Facebook into your marketing mix be aware of modern etiquette. Here are five essentials:
1. Set up your page as a business page, not as a personal profile page. I can’t tell you how many businesses set up their pages as personal pages. Sure, they get to friend request people. What they are really communicating is, “Hi, I’m a business that has no problem spamming you to gather friends.” Also, businesses need more than 5,000 friends, which is the maximum amount you can have with a profile page. At some point you’ll reach the 5,000 max and have to start from scratch. If that is not enough, setting up a business on a profile page gives Facebook the right to delete your account at any time.
2. Shouting-style, one-dimensional communication that reads like an ad does not work. Facebook is all about real relationships and authentic personality. The same manners and grace that score you points at a cocktail party apply on Facebook as well. Be casual and authentic. Have a sense of humor. Don’t sound like an accounting textbook. Don’t shout at your fans with news about how great you are.
3. Fans: It’s quality over quantity. So many businesses ask me if I can “get them friends.” Sure, I can make the number of friends rise but does that even matter? I am a fan of hundreds of businesses and I never go to their pages. I do go to the pages of the businesses I frequent because I like their service or product, I like the people and the atmosphere, and I go to their Facebook page to see if there is something interesting or a special deal. In marketing Facebook is just part of the mix. Build your fans through authentic connection and you will get more value out of your page.
4. Entice! Seduce! Give your fans a reason to come to your page. People are not going to come to you unless you offer them something that meets their needs. You have to engage. Give them a forum to dialogue with other like-minded souls and with you. Reward them for being a fan. Inspire them and let them see the heart and soul of your business.
5. Engage with your Facebook community daily. Be patient. I see lots of businesses not get the results they want right away so they give up. Or they don’t see the value of social media so they don’t devote any energy towards it and the momentum fizzles. Social media will never work for you if you only want to be a spectator.
How Running Out of Gas Changed My Life
Posted in business development hints of inspiration messages from maui by on Aug 5 2010
The day that I met Dennis Ka’aihue my life changed. And I mean, really changed. I met Dennis three years ago; a tourist on the island of Maui, I ran out of gas on the infamous road to Hana and landed at his mailbox in Kaenae, on the pristine and untouched North Shore area of the island. A very fortuitous meeting, Dennis was a mechanic and handyman in addition to being an ambassador of aloha. He would accept no payment, secured just enough gas to get us back to town and sent my brother and I on our way.
A few days later, when I boarded a plane to return to the complexities of my rooted life in Charleston, SC, I had no idea what a profound effect this chance occurrence would have on the course of my life.
I sent Dennis a thank you gift, and thus began a letter writing correspondence that lasted six months. Dennis wrote of his dreams of cultivating a farm and assisting local farmers in marketing their products and building businesses. He described building a cultural center, speaking to the spirit of the aina and the healing power of the land, where people could come and experience the “real Hawai’i.” He learned of my gifts, asked me for my help and invited me to come to Maui.
I was being called back, and something continued to tell me that I needed to accept his invitation. So, I returned to Maui, this time on an open ticket with an empty day planner, a blank black book and two suitcases. I arrived on his land one year to the day that I had run out of gas, welcomed by a rainbow.
Over the course of the past two years, I have assisted Dennis in envisioning the growth and marketing of his farming operation. I have encouraged his dreams and served as a business resource, creating branding for his business operations, teaching him communication technology skills and bringing people to the land to learn about his efforts. Dennis is blending traditional farming methods with modern irrigation and fertilization techniques, and continues to study business development. He knows the importance of connecting to modern resources, but values the time-tested and true techniques that he has learned from his ancestors.
Dennis Ka’aihue Talks About Farming Taro
Knowledge is power, empowerment leads to hope and hope leads to positive change and growth within communities and the world. Dennis has shown me the truth in this statement. He is a knowledge seeker – respecting the balance of the old and the new, traditions and innovation. He has an inherent respect for the past, while living in the present and envisioning smart and positive ways to work with technology and new sources of information to move into the future.
Positive change and growth within communities will continue to be of utmost importance within the dramatically shifting global economic, social and political landscape that is characterizing our times. We must look to each other, coming together to share mana’o (energy and ideas) crucial to the sustainability of our collective cultures. Making the connections between people, projects and progress, we must move forward with intelligent optimism and open minds.
Visionary Margaret Wheatley has a lot to say about this idea of coming together, “Communities in many different cultures have taught us that, in spite of the worst external circumstances – war, famine, abuse, societal collapse, ecological devastation—human beings can get through anything as long as we’re together…uncovering the resources we really need – each other’s companionship, knowledge and wisdom.”
One of my dreams is to work with bridging the gap between developing and developed cultures, using my gifts to connect “people, projects and progress,” assisting with sharing resources and collecting knowledge to support collaborative community growth efforts. Dennis and I were delivered to each other, to help each other reach our dreams. As he shares on his “thought of wisdom” board, “to get what you never had, you must do what you never done.” What will you do today? One person, one action, can change your life. What can you dream? Grace Delivers.
Getting Up Close and Personal With a Micrometeorite
Posted in client stories hints of inspiration messages from maui by on Jul 28 2010
A little peice of outer space taken with Dr. Gary Greenberg's Edge 3D microscope
3D Microscope on Maui will Revolutionize Our View of the World
I will never forget when I first went to visit Dr. Gary Greenberg in his lab at the UH Institute for Astronomy in Pukalani, Maui (which just so happens to be one of the largest astronomy institutes in the world). Dr. Greenberg has been using his unique 3D microscope to study tiny grains of sand from the Apollo 11 Mission that NASA returned from the moon. He placed what appeared to be just an ordinary piece of sand under his microscope. As I focused the lens, I could tell right away this was no ordinary piece of sand. I watched in awe as this tiny speck transformed into one of the most stunning, glowing, diamond-esque images I had ever seen.
Dr. Greenberg explained that it was a micrometeorite that was found at the bottom of a drinking well at the South Pole. His microscope, named the Edge 3D, is no ordinary microscope. Not only is it extremely high powered, it allows images to be captured in high definition 3D. Instead of just looking at a highly magnified image, I was seemingly able to go on a journey inside a piece of outer space and explore its depths inside and out. It felt like science class Avatar-style. In less than a few seconds I had travelled millions of miles as my mind was navigating the far reaches of our solar system.
The Edge 3D is Dr. Greenberg’s invention. A Ph.D. biomedical researcher, Dr. Greenberg originally developed it for use in medical research. It was easy to see, however, that the possibilities were even greater. The 3D photographs and video the Edge 3D produced rivaled some of the works created by the world’s most prolific artists. Dr. Greenberg had long been a pioneer in bridging the gap between science and art. He began his career in the film industry working on the first Superman movie where he filmed human pancreatic cancer cells which went on to become the visual representation of the planet Krypton. Using the Edge 3D, he began photographing sand, flowers, and a variety of everyday objects, creating dramatic landscapes of hidden worlds. Dr. Greenberg states, “Art will lead the way in conveying science to the consciousness of twenty-first century culture.”
I was meeting with Dr. Greenberg to discuss marketing the Edge 3D for use in the creative arts and film industries. The Edge 3D microscope is the only microscope in the world that produces real-time motion 3D movies and can eliminate the need for CGI, potentially saving thousands of dollars in production costs. Examples of its stunning visual landscapes, which give Salvador Dali a run for his money, can be found at www.sandgrains.com.
Already, Pacific Business News is covering the launch of the 3D Edge into the commercial world. Hawaii has long been a hub for the TV and movie industry in addition to being home to the most advanced telescopes in existence. Having this technology available on Maui will further solidify Hawaii’s place in the realms of technological innovation and natural beauty, taking what is possible to a whole new level. Our goal is to reach documentary filmmakers and creative industry professionals eager to create visual images that define the phrase “eye-catching.” Through innovation we can all find inspiration!
Click on the following link to see the Edge 3D in action.
In a world where technology and statistics seem to rule the business world, interpersonal trust still plays a significant role in a company’s success. Studies have shown that a high level of trust between an employer and their subordinate leads to higher levels of employee task performance, citizenship behavior (beyond what is required for an individual’s job), emotional and organizational commitment, job and leader satisfaction, and altruism.
Trust in leadership also has the power to increase team cohesion and fosters creativity. The added faith in leaders allows other team members to shed self-doubt and put their best effort forward in order to help the group as a whole. Trust and leadership causes employees to adopt the manager’s dreams, hopes and ethics as their own, and ultimately supports shifting a job into a passion.
Although the positive results of trust are clear, the very meaning of trust and how to create it often remain hazy in the business world. Like love, trust is an emotion that plays a vital role in our society but it can mean different things to different people. The meaning is still debated amongst the scientific community, but it is generally believed that trust is an individual’s decision to accept vulnerability and risk based on his or her positive expectations of the intentions or behavior of the trusted party. It can be developed through a variety of ways. Simply increasing interaction – both in and out of the workplace – can help to increase trust amongst peers and leaders. Feedback, both in the form of positive and negative creative criticism, also works to enhance trust. Compliments, especially when given publicly such as in a meeting, can expedite the development of trust, even if the compliments are small and barely noted by others.
The ultimate compliment and show of faith in an employee is for their leader to place trust in them. It truly transforms the relationship and, if the subordinate has already adopted the leader’s vision, it gives them an even greater opportunity to fulfill it.
Karen Hargrove, our amazing summer intern, contributed this post from an excerpt of a business psychology paper that she wrote at Santa Clara University entitled, “Risky Business: The Role of Trust in Organizational Relationships.” Karen is studying psychology and business and is particularly interested in management, marketing and industrial organizational psychology.
We caught up with yoga instructor, philosopher, friend and Grace Delivers client Jennifer Bonadio to get some practical counsel on an everyday practice of intention. This is what she had to say.
“The phrase ‘be the change you want to see in the world’ has become quite a common slogan…almost a cliché’. So often, mainstream slogans can lack substance, but here is one that offers some real wisdom for our life and times. How can we apply the wisdom embedded in these words to ourselves and a life full of challenges?
To me, ‘be the change’ means to take back the power that is rightfully ours – the power to choose our own mindset…to choose the focus of our energy and attention. This is a very practical way to define our ‘freedom’ and responsibility. What we want to experience in our lives, we must become through choice first – in other words, make it an intention.
This is both simple and quite challenging! It takes PRACTICE. So here is a simple practice that you can do that can help you to learn to ‘be the change’.
Take a few minutes for yourself and have in mind a change that you want to make in your life or that you want to see in the world, something that is meaningful to you. Sit or lie down comfortably.
1. Take several deep breaths and relax, quieting your mind as much as you can. Keep your breath relaxed and steady as possible (if you get distracted, just keep coming back to this first step – your breath).
2. Bring your attention to your heart, as if you are breathing in and out through your heart area.
3. Now think of the change you want to see. What is the FEELING quality of that change? For example, if it is peace you want, actually feel that in your heart…how would that FEEL? Do not concern yourself too much with what that looks like – focus on the FEELING.
4. Now stay with that feeling and breathe for a few moments. Take another moment to make an intention to create this feeling more in your life.
The best motivation for change is ….LOVE! The way we feel in our hearts and our beings affects not only our own personal wellness, but everyone around us – this is how we influence others. So our motivation and sense of responsibility for change becomes not just an intention for a better quality of life for ourselves, but for others as well.”
Try it- and let us know how it works for you!
Jennifer Bonadio is a yoga teacher and human potential enthusiast with decades of experience in body/mind/spirit care counseling. Stay tuned for the launch of her upcoming blog, www.oneyogalove.com.
