Kaneohe Facility
The beautiful Pohai Nani facility in Kaneohe was the site for my talk this morning to the Kaneohe Businesses Association.

Laurie Rodriguez
Long time friend and owner of Today’s Little People, Laurie Rodriquez engaged me to be the luncheon speaker at the monthly Kaneohe Businesses Association luncheon.

Networking
There was a lot of networking going on between association members and their guests. The energy was good as today’s agenda included thanking the local Naval and Marine Servicepeople for all that they do.

Success Message
My message was all about success and I pleaded with everyone to take responsibility for his and her own economy and not buy into the negative spin spewed by the mainstream media.

My Pleasure
I was happy to sell a lot of books today, but most pleased with the opportunity to sign them for the US Marine and Navy personell.

So Proud
I was then honored with the opportunity to pose with these fine young men and women who are making major sacrifices on our behalf. This was a great priveledge.

Mahalo to Cindi Williams
I had a great time at the WHFA Conference on Maui the past three days. This is a First Class organization. Cindi Williams and the entire WHFA staff made something very complicated look very easy.

Congratulations to Naturwood Home Furnishings
The awards dinner on the final night was quite an event and everyone was happy to congratulate Naturwood Home Furnishings on being named Retailer of the Year. This is quite an honor.

Speaking of Honored…
I had the priveledge of addressing this fine group of furniture store owners from all over the country in two sessions; one on managing people and the other on dealing with the media and their negative spin on the economy; a favorite topic of mine these days.

Brad Huisken and Me
I especially enjoyed the time I was able to spend with fellow speaker Brad Huiskin of IAS Training. We were able to swap some great tales from our mutual experiences helping people be all that they can be.
This was my second opportunity to participate in a WHFA Conference and I am already looking forward to the next one.

Mahalo to all. 

It’s Here!
Like it or not, the cyber revolution is upon us.

Embrace It!
You cannot outrun technology; it’s too big, it’s moving too fast.

Big, expensive and Cool
I had computers like this in the 60’s and 70’s, but the technology was so complicated that I didn’t even try to touch them.

Early Geeks
We hired people much different than us to move those big discs around. They were very smart; what they did was a mystery, and they intimidated the rest of us with their knowledge. As I look back on it, those computers didn’t do near as much as your cell phone does today.

Mo Betta!
In the 80’s I hung it up for a simpler life, surfing in Hawaii. All I had to think about every day was if to surf at Queens or Canoes; both in Waikiki. I was determined to never touch a computer. After all, I didn’t even know how to type.

My Phobia
The truth was that I was afraid of the fast moving technolgy. As I ventured into the business world in Hawaii I continued to shy away from what was “the future.”

Mobile To Da Max
The first time an emplyee brought a PC to work I accused him of playing games in his office. Soon we won’t even have brick and mortar offices. Today you can work from anywhere, all because of technology.

“Tweeting”
I was moved to compose this post today as a result of my latest “brain strain” called Twitter. Two weeks ago I said, “No way” when asked if I am “Tweeting” yet. Now I find myself drilling down into all of the benefits and possibilities of this latest “easy” technology. See what I mean right HERE!

Pipe Dream
If nothing else I may be seeing a glimpse of my life long after I want to “work’ any more. Don’t worry Honey, that’s not tomorrow.

Are You Twittering Yet?
When I got e-mail (Friday) suggesting that I get a Twitter account, my reply was rather sarcastic. I said something like, “First there was MySpace, then Facebook, then LinkedIn. I did them all; why I don’t know. In addition I have my website, my calendar, my Blog and my Daily Motivator to stay on top of. And then there’s the business to run.” Well, being the curious person that I am, I checked it out, and now I have a Twitter account with a rapidly growing list of people finding and “following” me.
This one is different, and as I spend more and more time understanding how to use it I am seeing some real benefits. First is that you do not have to post anything at all, you can just “follow people” that you have interest in. My favorite one already is the Honolulu Advertiser. Any time that anything happens they “Twitter it” long before it appears anywhere else. Restaurants can post menu specials, artists post art shows, retailers release new products, movie theatres movie times, all in real time. The list is endless. My current Twitter update says simply, “Working on new Blog post.” Maybe someone will tune in to read this before getting my Daily Motivator in the morning. In a few moments it will say, “Blog finished, working on Monday Motivator.” That one you will have to wait to see. C’mon; follow me!

Sunrise Breakfast 1-29-09
I was honored to speak at the Small Business Hawaii January 09 breakfast meeting.

Protection
Knowing that my message would be a positive one, the Clone Troopers from Star Wars showed up to protect me from any possible “economy naysayers” that might be present. They were in actuality James Kerr as Han Solo, Elena as Princess Leia, Phillipe as Commander Rex, and Todd as Luke Skywalker, all from SuperGeeks. Fortunately there were no attacks, and they were able to dress down and enjoy breakfast with everyone.

Full House
I was pleased to see the Pineapple Room meeting facility filled to capacity. They actually were rolling tables in from the back. Senator Sam Slom took conrol of the room, as he always does, and had everyone introduce themselves and their guests. Small Business Hawaii is a great association for small business owners to meet one another and share ideas.

What an Introduction!
After one last phone call, Sam introduced me in such great detail that I started out by saying that should he ever leave the political world that I would like for him to work for me. As expected, my message was all about staying positive in light of the sensational headlines printed by the mainstream media. Bad news has always been the news of choice by the media, but there is always some good news as well, and we all need to look for it and spread it around.

“Step Right Up”
Sam asked me not to promote my own business during my talk as he would do that for me, which he did perhaps even better than I could have. I was able however to have a book table and made sure it was easy to spot. I was pleased by the comments (and book sales) that I received at the end of the meeting. Mahalo to Sam, Darlyn and everyone else for this opprtunity to tell “my side of the story.”

Busy, but…
I stopped in at the new Ala Moana Brighton Collectibles today and found them to be busy as usual. I normally won’t interupt that, but today I was a real customer, not just an observer.

She Just Had To Have It, but…
You see, while in the store a few days ago one of “Jerry’s Angels” showed Masae this new bag and she loved it. She didn’t want to use up what she had left of her “Brighton credits,” so she passed. But, she hasn’t stopped talking about it. So today I chose to buy her one of those “No Special Occassion Gifts.”

Ring It Up
Store manager DeAnne Imamura agreed to help me with the “surprise” by taking my ctedit card, ringing it up, and then holding it in the store until Masae sees this Blog post and then goes to get it.
You see, I am trying to condition her to pay close attention to this Blog. We’ll see how long it takes.

Mahalo for the Mahalo
I was suprised today to open the November issue of Hawaii Business Magazine to find this substantial public “Mahalo” for my recent lunchtime talk at Morton’s. This is an example of going the extra mile and doing the unexpected and uneccessary. The article says;

“Mahalo Ron Martin
Hawaii Business Magazine and the sposors of the SmallBiz 2008 Luncheon, Bank of Hawaii and Avis, would like to thank Ron Martin of Success Dynamics, Inc. for being the guest speaker and reminding all of us to look for the positive and keep things easy.”

My “Mahalo” goes to Hawaii Business Magazine publisher David Tumilowicz and his staff at the magazine. This was both touching and appreciated.

Best Restaurant on Maui
When dining on Maui, my Restaurant of choice is the Lahaina Grill in the historic Lahaina Inn,  just off of Front St. in Lahaina.

Celebrity Treatment
I can always count on the “Celebrity Treatment”, especially when Owner Jurg Munch is around. When Bill and Mary Ellen Jelen were on Maui last year we dined there, and Jurg gladly posed with the Jelen’s.

The Celebrity Table
Last night Terri Kohl, co-owner of Brighton Collectibles treated me and her friend Carolyn Clarke to dinner at Lahaina Grill. Jurg was off at a birthday bash (his own), but we were ushered to the “Celebrity Table”. I had coffee with Jurg this morning and he explained to me that this is the table where Oprah Winfrey sits when there; thus the title Celebrity Table.

Mirror Man
At the end of our meal we were treated to a complimentary desert dish. I snapped this delicious desert photo of Terri and Carolyn with my iPhone and e-mailed it off to Jerry Kohl saying, “Wish you were here.” I’m getting pretty good at catching myself in the mirror while photograhing others; acidentally of course.

Turtle Bay Resort
The beautiful Turtle Bay Resort was the setting for the first annual North Shore Chamber of Commerce Business Exposition.

Old Home Revisited
It was a treat to get out to my old North Shore stomping grounds. I was reminded of the peaceful environment and fabulous scenery where I called “home” for 15 years. I confess to having felt the urge to stay.

Great Turnout
Business owners from all over the North Shore turned out for the first North Shore Chamber of Commerce Business Exposition. We enjoyed lunch, information sessions and lots of Aloha.

Many Subjects and Speakers
I was honored to be among a distinquished group of speakers covering helpful subjects such as Grant Writing, SBA Loans, Sustainability Practices, Crime and Loss Prevention, Trademark, Patent and Copyright Law, Marketing/Branding, Business Plan Preperation, and my topic; Customer Service.

Small Groups
The large population was split off into several small and intimate breakout sessions where questions could be asked and we could all get to know each other. I was fortunate enough to speak to two such groups. I spoke on the important, yet often under estimated role that the salesperson plays in the business model.

Selling Books
Masae did her usual great job of selling books, keeping me busy signing them in between my speaking sessions.

No Waiting
My book customers were spotted around the hotel already reading the books they bought.
The day ended with a networking cocktail party where I mingled with my existing North Shore customers, met several new business prospects, sold more books and lined up future speaking engagements. I look forward to the next North Shore Chamber of Commerce Business Exposition. 

Partners in Success
In February of this year I was honored as a small business person by Hawaii Business Magazine and Bank of Hawaii. When David Tumilowicz, Publisher of Hawaii Business Magazine called me last month asking me to speak at the annual small business luncheon on October 9, I was honored again, and of course agreed.

Always Selling
Of course I asked if I could bring along a few books to sign for those interested. Masae was on hand early to set up the book table.

Morton’s Ala Moana
Morton’s Restaurant at Ala Moana was the scene of the event, and set quite a nice table.

All Smiles
I am always smiling when given the opportunity to present my favorite subject; success!

“Excuse Me!”
The Caesar’s Salad was well prepared, and looked delicious, but I was sure I smelled something “fishy”, and as a 40+ year vegetarian I had to question it. As you might imagine, there was “just a little” anchovy paste in the dressing, and the waiter was quick to replace it with a different dressing.

The Perfect Host
My host David Tumilowicz and I chuckled about the misunderstanding and compared a few notes before he introduced me.

The Economy
My message to the 95 or so people in the audience was to stay positive and search for evidence to the contrary of the dismal news being touted by the press. I cited some examples of sensational headlines and how they compared to the facts. Just type the word economy into the search box in this Blog to see the many posts I have written on this subject. This is a time when people need something positive and I can always find it.

The Proof
With the permission of owner Joe Green, I cited the record breaking month that Surf-n-Sea in Haleiwa had in September. While I agreed not to reveal the exact numbers, it was obvious, even from the back of the room that he did better than last year, or any other of the 43 years the store has been in business. Haleiwa is home to dozens of surf shops, mostly selling the same thing, but none of them can cite the level of success seen at Surf-n-Sea. The reason is the attitude and behavior of the salespeople in that store.
I challenged the crowd to be optimistic, and tout the successes around them. I ask everyone to do that. When the media spreads doom and gloom, (and they will) just refuse to participate.