Everyone knows gym workouts and healthy eating are good for you, but here are eight less conventional steps toward physical and psychological wellness that you can fit into your busy schedule. 1 WAKE UP GRATEFUL Joel Levey, co-founder of WisdomAtWork.com…
ROBOTICS To prepare for Kalani High School’s Robotics 3008, members of Team Magma spend as many as 30 hours a week on everything from building robots as tall as five feet to fundraising for future competitions. The team has received…
Can't take all summer off from work to play with your kids? Here are seven ways on how to engage them while you keep your job. Art Explorium Before they become self-conscious of their artistic skills, says executive director Heather…
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino When locals want to immortalize game animals from a hunt, they go to Gordon Lau Jr., owner of Oahu Taxidermy Service. “If they catch something really nice, they want to mount it,” says the former carpenter.…
Gisella Schultz, owner of Arthur Murray Dance Centers of Hawaii, says she’s never met someone she couldn’t help – whether it’s crafting a first dance for a wedding; tweaking a routine for professional competitions; or just starting a fun hobby,…
Steve Jordan says sharks are often misunderstood. “Sharks are not the big, mean monsters they’re made out to be,” says Jordan, the owner and CEO of Hawaii Shark Encounters. His company’s two-hour tours teach customers about shark species and ecosystems,…
It’s an economical and eco-friendly way to eliminate overgrowth on land, and the workers are cute and quiet. Chris Wilcox, then a boat captain for a fish-farming operation on Hawaii Island, switched gears in 2013 and started Big Island Goat…
It’s not just tourists who flock to Hawaii in the winter: Humpback whales also come in droves and are especially visible from December through March. The Pailolo Channel between Maui and Molokai is the most popular place to view them, but you…
Jane Murao says she was frustrated with the process of delivering Ikea products to Hawaii, so she launched Haul2hi. The company specializes in bringing Ikea’s furniture and other products to the Islands. Her customers shop for products in Ikea’s physical…
Disappointed with a neighborhood Santa Claus as a kid, Mike Ching has made it his mission for three decades to offer a better Santa experience for his clients. It’s all in the details. Some of his custom-made Santa suits weigh…
Those who view gift wrapping as a superficial formality are missing a key message that creative packaging can project. “The attention spent on putting together a beautifully wrapped present means someone really cares about you,” says Shiho Masuda of Shiho…
Justin Fagala of Pearl City holds the turkey while his son Christian holds the shotgun that bagged it. Hawaii Island’s Parker Ranch offers guided hunts of wild animals for one to four people. You can hunt goats and wild pigs…
If you have been admiring kiteboarding from afar, David Dorn says it’s time to try it yourself. Dorn is the owner of Action Sports Maui and has been teaching kiteboarding since 1997. Back then, he says, “It was more of…
REAL BUSINESS NIGHTMARES are truly scary, but a Halloween nightmare can be a fun way for a business to reward customers and employees. That’s one reason companies hire Kevin Okada to stage private parties, events and attractions. “Everybody likes to…
BEFORE BECOMING A global franchise operation, L&L began in the 1950s as a modest business called L&L Dairy, owned by father and son Robert Lee and Robert Lee Jr. That restaurant, now called L&L Drive-Inn, still stands at 1711 Liliha St.…
IF YOU'RE LOOKING to record a moment in time, a photograph will do. But there’s nothing like a painting to capture a person uncharacterized by age or current fashion, says Kauai artist Isa Maria. “It’s a romantic, timeless version of yourself,”…
WHEN OAHU’S LAST dairy closed in 2008, Monique Van der Stroom started her own. “I went to college at the University of Arizona in dairy science. It’s what I really wanted to do with my life, so I just figured, if…
FOR 30 YEARS, Darren Ho has created art he describes as “simply done,” with less detail than a wood or bronze sculpture, and with a lifespan of about four hours. Using a chainsaw and a few other tools, he turns…
TUCKED IN A CORNER of the Halekulani is Lewer’s Lounge, where everyone from jazz aficionados to the musically curious can listen to gifted musician such as Na Hoku-award winning singer and pianist Maggie Herron. Add a handcrafted cocktail and the Hawaiian…
N onprofits always need specialized help at an affordable price. Meanwhile, skilled professionals want meaningful volunteer opportunities that go beyond stuffing envelopes. Rachael Chong says Catchafire solves both issues with a database that connects businesspeople’s skills with nonprofits’ needs. Catchafire’s…
INTERIOR DESIGNER NATE BERKUS says, “Your home should rise up to greet you,” but he’s not talking about piles of clutter that keep growing. Those facing this problem can turn to professional organizers like Nancy Nino, who helps people deal…
There are now several places to rent or buy bikes in Kailua, but if you fear you might run out of energy before you reach your destination, consider an electric bicycle from Pedego. The different styles range from Comfort Cruisers…
For those who long for the California wine-country experience, there’s a place in Kailua where you can sample wines and participate in the wine-making process. Oeno Winemaking allows wine lovers to choose, bottle and label their own wine in a…
LEFT TO THE ELEMENTS AND CHILDREN, outdoor sand sculptures won’t survive more than a day or so, but professional sand sculptor Riki Inzano says part of their beauty is their fleeting existence. “It’s meant to be a temporary art form…
When you’re surrounded by some of the world’s most gorgeous landscapes and seascapes, painting outdoors instead of in a studio makes sense. But painting outside requires a different technique than painting indoors, says artist Lynne Boyer. Boyer teaches painting in…
Feral chickens are a growing pest problem in Hawaii, partly because they have no natural predators. “The most common problem is roosters crowing,” says Michael Botha, president of Sandwich Isle Pest Solutions. “And the other part of it is they’re…
A luxurious meal at home prepared by a professional chef is not just a privilege of the rich and famous, but available to anyone willing to spend a few hundred dollars on…
“Belly dancing makes you love every muscle in the body. … It made me appreciate the curves I was born with.” You may have seen belly dancing and been in awe, but actually doing it offers something no other workout…
Honolulu drivers spend an average of 60 hours a year sitting in traffic, according to the annual INRIX Traffic Scorecard. That’s a challenge for your patience but a great opportunity for vehicle ads, says Kia Kamauu, VP for ROI Printing.…
If you want to put bounce in your workouts, check out iTrampoline in Kapolei. With over 14,000 square feet in its trampoline space, iTrampoline gives kids of all ages the chance to jump, flip, do corkscrews and literally bounce off…
A walk around Honolulu nowadays can seem like a visit to an open-air art gallery. Murals are reinvigorating communities with vibrant colors while celebrating Hawaii’s natural beauty, culture and people. Mark Brown, an artist and art teacher at the UH,…
Ricard Muszynski loves to create chocolate treats by hand and wants to show you how to do it, too. At his Waikiki shop, Kokoa Bar by Ricard Chocolat, you have many choices: You can ogle and taste artisanal confections such…
If it’s been a long time since you colored outside the lines, visit Clay Cafe Hawaii, where children and adults paint on premade pottery and flex their creative muscles. “To think outside the norm, we encourage that here,” says manager…
Fireworks create such a magical experience that you might not realize all the work that goes beyond just igniting the rockets. Wayne Hikiji is the entertainment and production expert for Envisions Entertainment & Productions,…
Mainlanders who miss cold winters and locals who dream of a white Christmas are lucky to have a place on Oahu where mittens, scarves and snow jackets are appropriate. The Ice Palace, the only ice rink in Hawaii since 1982,…
When conjuring up interesting pau hana activities, cooking may not come to mind first. But CookSpace proves you can burn off steam (literally and figuratively) and have fun, whether you’re a novice cook, a top chef wannabe or just enjoy…
During Crazy Shirts’ 50 years of business, many T-shirt styles and designs have come and gone. What has persisted in the company’s culture, say longtime employees, is creativity, a sense of humor and a “go big or go home” attitude.…
Credit cards are no longer an “if” question for most businesses, but “what” and “who” questions. “What technology should I use to process credit card payments and who will be my partner?” Answer those questions well, and you will take…
For Maui native Brittany Yap, the opportunity to be president of FemCity Honolulu came at a good time. Yap had been working in communications and living in Northern California for almost two years before she decided to return to Hawaii.…
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID CROXFORD & COURTESY OF PUPU COOLER Problem: How long did you leave poke out at your last party? According to the FDA, seafood and other perishable food should always be kept cool in a refrigerator, on…
This senior VP specializes in resort retail and urban markets, with a talent for matching landlords and tenants for the long term.
Find out who led the way in 14 categories, and how two organizations attract and keep employees despite serious challenges.
