Name: Donna Rodriguez Age: 46 Job: Errands runner and owner, 808-Errands Start: The El Paso, Texas, native once took a vacation to Maui and says, “The aloha drew me in.” She knew she eventually wanted to live here, so in 2003 she closed…
Q: I’m coming up on my first annual review in my new job and I’m really nervous. I’ve got a good relationship with my boss and our clients, and delivered on the projects I worked on. But there’s one guy…
Art will rarely make you rich, but if the stars align, you might be able to turn your creative passion into a full-time job https://vimeo.com/250328380 Retired District Judge Leslie Hayashi writes children’s books. UH Manoa associate professor Chae Ho Lee,…
In 2018, almost 100 companies and nonprofits in Hawaiʻi nominated themselves; only 70 made the cut as a Best Place to Work.
Nearly half of our state legislators hold second jobs, from pilot, doctor and lawyer to business owner, real estate agent and more. Most people would be surprised to see a state senator mowing the lawn or cleaning the restrooms at…
Q: I swear I hear the word “networking” a hundred times a week. My co-workers insist it’s the only way to climb the business ladder. My parents tell me it’s how to meet friends. My boss tells me it’s a…
In the new year, many women and men want to freshen their looks but still appear professional for work. Kim Smith, a wardrobe stylist in Honolulu since 2004, offers these tips on how to get started. 1. Purge! Before you hit…
Name: Cheryl Ohta Age: 58 Job: Fortune cookie writer and treasurer/HR manager, Hawaii Candy Inc. Start: The Mililani resident received her business degree in marketing from the University of San Francisco in 1981. “My husband, Keith, is the third-generation owner. His grandfather started…
Q: My girlfriend and I spent our vacation in Colorado, skiing, hanging out with family and smoking some of their legal and beautifully packaged weed. Back home now, I heard my company is doing random drug testing this week. I’m…
Name: Alika Parish Age: 28 Job: Air Traffic Control Specialist for Federal Aviation Administration at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport Start: Alika Parish was born and raised in Ewa Beach. He joined the Hawaii Air National Guard after graduating from Campbell High School…
NAME: Christina Doty AGE: 57 JOB: Lead casework volunteer, American Red Cross of Hawaii Start: “My first experience with the Red Cross was in Alexandria, Virginia, in 1974 as a candy striper volunteering with elderly clients in a nursing home,” Doty says. “I…
Q: I’m one of the lucky ones. While so many of my friends came home after college with lots of debt and no job, I got through school with minimal debt and landed a sweet job with the company I’d…
The Wahine Forum is Hawaii’s largest leadership and career development conference for women. The conference is attended by Hawaii’s top female executives, entrepreneurs, up-and-coming leaders and others intent on advancing their careers. This year’s theme is WORK TOGETHER, RISE TOGETHER,…
Q: I run weekly team meetings with our field staff so we can stay abreast of everyone’s projects, deadlines and possible crossovers. It’s one hour, and I try to run a tight agenda that covers all the ground without bogging…
NAME: Randall Pang AGE: 51 JOB: Certified prosthetist, C.R. Newton Co. Ltd. START: Randall Pang was born in San Jose, California, but moved to Kaneohe with his family when he was 8. While at Mid-Pacific Institute’s high school, he…
They may be young, but the women graduating from business schools these days already know what they want and they're shooting for the stars. They're passionate, assertive, organized, ambitious, altruistic and well-trained – often with many sets of business skills.…
Firefighters train for two of their most important roles in an airplane fire: clearing a fire-free path for evacuating passengers and rescuing incapacitated victims. These Federal Fire Department recruits train using a mock large-body aircraft, whose fire is fed by…
NAME: Cari Ann Leong AGE: 32 JOB: Owner, Ice Cream Dreamz, an ice cream/gelato truck, and full-time hairstylist START: “It’s a family-run truck,” the Sacred Hearts graduate and Kaimuki resident explains. “We started it about three years ago. It was…
NAME: Charles Clark AGE: 57 JOB: Mortician, Oahu Mortuary START: When he was about 17, Clark attended a friend’s funeral service at Borthwick Mortuary. “The funeral director and I became friendly and chatted, and when I returned to the funeral…
Why are there so few women at the top? Just 5.8 percent of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies are women. Globally, women hold around 15 percent of corporate board seats; in the U.S., it’s just 11 to 12 percent. There…
Q: What’s with obligatory office gifts? I love my job, but it seems like I get a couple of emails every month “asking” me to donate money for the office gift for someone’s shower – bridal, baby or whatever. Often,…
Real estate agent’s other job is background actor for movies and TV shows. He's great at blending in. NAME: Jerald Pang AGE: 56 JOB: Nonunion background actor (extra) and full-time real estate agent START: In the summer of 2013, Pang…
NAME: Robin Fujiyama AGE: 53 JOB: Biohazard Technician, Bio-One Hawaii START: Fujiyama served in the Air Force Reserve for eight years, and has been a firefighter for 26. His cousin owns Bio-One Hawaii and, in 2014, contacted Fujiyama about doing…
