On our April CCTV show, we decided to test the local waters with an infomercial about a new ocean rescue device that was developed by Hawaii Kai inventor, Dr. Rob Yonover. It's an inflatable paddle board type life raft, which folds into a carry-on bag that weighs just 15 pounds, and takes up very little space on boats.

For you boaters and fishermen, I have a question: What do you think of the $350 price, which includes Dr. Yonover's patented RescueStreamer® as well? The streamer is a signaling device that unrolls to a length of 40-feet, and has plastic struts to keep it from twisting up when deployed in the water or on land. Here's the link for the Life/Float order page, which includes videos for that and the streamer (at bottom of page).

According to Dr. Yonover, most boats in Hawaii don't carry standard life rafts because they cost upwards of $3,000 and take up room. The rigid life rafts must also be serviced regularly... so $350 for the Life/Float and streamer combo seemed like a good offer to us. But is that too pricey to sell on TV or through the internet? Would you be more inclined to buy it at a retail store or boating show, where you could see it up close?

Your opinion is important to us because we're considering doing a 1 or 2 minute version that can air on the Mainland in other markets where there are lots of boaters. You can tell us what you think in the comments below or by emailing me at richfigel@gmail.com. Mahalo!

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Do you click on the Honolulu Pulse pictures links on the Star-Advertiser front page? If so, you may have seen the photos from the Venetian Masked Ball at the ArtZone. A few months ago, we did a feature on Kurt Kaminaka -- the owner of the ArtZone house -- and it's really a pretty interesting story. You can view the video on the CCTV YouTube Channel by clicking here. I hear KK has plans to create a new ArtZone house project, but am not sure if he sold the first one yet, which was his plan.

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Speaking of remodeling projects, one of our sponsors has moved into new office space that used to be occupied by the bookstore at the corner of Bishop Street and Hotel Street. Over the past two years, Argosy University has seen enrollment grow to the point where they needed to expand their facilities. Their admissions and administrative staff are now at the new location, and the old offices were converted to additional classrooms on the fourth floor of the American Savings Tower at Bishop Square. You can see that segment on the current show or click here for the video. They also have regular open houses, which usually are tied to academic programs they offer. To find out more, you can call them at 536-5555. Tell them Career Changers sent you!

For daily viewing times on OC16 and other useful links, please visit our website. You can also watch videos from past and current shows on our CCTV YouTube Channel.

I wanted to write something positive to promote the new Career Changers TV episode that premiers Thurs., 8:30 PM on OC16, but I feel like I have to get this off my chest: Are local companies purposely trying to lose business? Over the past few weeks, my wife and I have been getting price quotes for new windows, carpeting, air conditioning and bathroom remodeling projects. Here's some of the things we've encountered...

• Companies that take days to get back to us with price estimates or other information we requested. Some didn't respond until we followed up a week later. And this was for things that would cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. Those were lost sales that went to competitors who were eager to provide answers.

• Inaccurate information. In one case, we were told windows we ordered would arrive in 4-6 weeks. We made it clear that timing was important because of other work that was scheduled to be done. After 6 weeks had passed, I had to call and ask what the status was. The sales guy was defensive and made excuses before he even checked. "It normally takes 6 to 8 weeks," he said, contradicting what he told us earlier. Then he looked it up and said the windows wouldn't be arriving for another 3 weeks. I'll never do business with them again.

• Confusing price quotes. Instead of breaking out costs by items and labor, some contractors just lump everything together. When we asked for specifics, it became apparent they were including high end products or marking up certain items. We told them we were on a budget, and yet they didn't offer different options that were more affordable.

• Stores that closed at 5 pm on weekdays or weren't open on weekends. Um, if you're selling tile, carpet, or home furnishings, why would you limit your hours to times when most people are working? We even took a weekday off to go to some of those places... guess what? They were pretty empty because potential customers were at work. Sheesh.

• Speaking of empty, have you been to the Gentry Pacific Design Center lately? Lots of vacant space. That was supposed to be a place where you could get remodeling help from concept to completion. But it seemed like they were all competing for the upscale, luxury projects... and there's only so many of those to go around. Did any of them consider going after the middle class market, and offering more affordable designs for budget-minded home owners?

• Companies with name or image problems. This may sound trivial, but when you're trying to Google a company or find their website, it helps to have a name that's easy to remember. Not so good: having a name with "Sewer" in it, when they're advertising upscale bathroom remodeling services. That may be fine for plumbing work, but no one wants to tell friends or family that Joe's Sewer Cleaners did their bathroom redesign.

The one bright spot: found a good handyman in Kailua who offers very reasonable hourly rates, and always does his best to try and save us money. If you want his name and phone number, drop me an email.

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Program Alert - The April CCTV episode that starts running 4/7 will feature a first for us: we're taking the leap into selling products through our show. The first items are unique life-saving devices developed by local inventor Dr. Rob Yonover, which we believe every boater and fisherman in Hawaii should have on board when they go out to sea. To find out more, please visit our website for daily viewing times or check out our CCTV YouTube Channel to watch video segments.

Shortly after I hit "publish" on my last post about the lack of creativity in this year's political ads, new campaign commercials rolled out... and all I can say is the only thing worse than boring advertising is negative advertising. In the short term, nasty ads might score points. But in the end, it only drags everyone down. It's a lose-lose situation.

That's why I think it's important to question the lack of imagination in our candidates these days. In fact, a recent Newsweek article says there is tangible evidence of a "creativity crisis" in this country based on declining scores in tests designed to measure that quality. Those tests showed a strong correlation between creativity in children and their future achievements. Kids who came up with more good ideas went on to become inventors, entrepreneurs, artists and successful leaders. These "dreamers" become game-changers who make a real difference. They have a vision of the world that is positive, not cynical and mean-spirited. It's the difference between having a can-do and no-can attitude towards life.

The Torrance tests have been tracking results for over 50 years. Up until 1990, creativity scores were going up... and have been inching downward ever since. The decline has been most significant in kindergarten to sixth grade children. So what happened? The authors of the article point to TV, video games and the education system itself: creativity isn't being nurtured in classrooms as part of the curriculum. Could that be a result of the increased emphasis being placed on standardized testing? Even countries like China are now shifting to "problem-based" learning approaches, the article says.

On our current Career Changers TV show we have a segment about inventor Dr. Rob Yonover. At the end, he talks briefly about his plans to create a TV series for kids that would encourage them to use nothing but their brains, a pencil and piece of paper to solve problems. No computers, no cell phones or electronic games around to distract them. Make them use their imagination. I think it's a great idea -- but will advertisers sponsor a TV program that encourages parents and children to ween themselves off our insatiable media appetite?

And that's the paradox: there's great educational stuff on the internet and TV -- information and ideas that can spur creativity and imaginative solutions to problems we're faced with. But at the same time, it's so easy to get distracted by trivia and time-wasters, or negative online arguments that just take us in circles... like the current rash of negative campaign ads that fail to inspire voters to choose a candidate based on their ideas and plans. Where's the beef or soy-based alternative?

I was going to write about effective advertising such as the clever use of factoids on AMC's Mad Men series, but that will have to wait until another post. (They're also running commercials that are made to look like brainstorming sessions at a 60s ad agency -- the Mad Men milieu -- that fooled me into hitting the rewind button on my DVR remote.) Creative ads and TV commercials make you stop, look and listen. But when I saw Djou's "scary" Hanabusa Halloween-theme negative commercial, I just wanted to laugh and ask if he had hired Mufi's ad team. And we know how well going negative worked out for him, right?

Here's the link to the Newsweek piece on "The Creativity Crisis" and the sidebar on "Forget Brainstorming" which suggests ways to boost the creative process. Every parent, business manager and entrepreneur should read those articles... politicians too.

To find daily show times for our show or view segments on our YouTube Channel, please visit www.CareerChangers.tv!

In the world of marketing and advertising, everything is changing. Look at the Old Spice commercial phenomenon. What started out as a funny 30-second TV spot featuring a studly macho guy addressing the ladies, has evolved into one of the most viewed online ad campaigns ever created. It's become buzz-worthy. The former football player who stars in the commercial has even been on the Ellen Degeneris show.

Similarly, "The Most Interesting Man in the World" beer commercials have struck a chord with viewers, and there's a movie script that's getting buzz, which seems to be inspired by the the TV ad creation. For the life of me though, I can't see why any television executive thought the GEICO Caveman commercials would make a good sitcom series. (That show was DOA, as I predicted.)

Meanwhile, in local advertising I haven't seen any ground-breaking stuff as far as new concepts or characters. There is decidedly more emphasis on directing consumers to websites, but locally-produced TV and print ads remain fairly traditional. Nationally, there are a new breed of agencies that specialize in creating viral ad campaigns specifically for the internet generation. The ads often don't look like ads, and are "disguised" as quirky videos or have an interactive element.

Which makes me wonder if old school ads are losing effectiveness. Are you still driven by the "offer" part of commercials, or the entertainment value of the ad?

We're always trying to come up with new angles for the Career Changers TV show I co-produce on OC16 with Ron Darby (producer of The Pet Hui and Island Driver as well), so I'm trying an experiment here and need your help...

Recently, we did a feature story on Diversified Exterminators about their pest control services. At the end we mentioned they were hiring more people for their tenting and fumigation division. They got a good response and decided to run their regular commercial on this month's episode. It's well done, but I felt that to get viewers to pick up the phone, we should add a special offer.

Here's what they came up with: Say you saw the ad on OC16 or read about it here in the Star-Advertiser, and you'll get 5% off tenting, ground treatment and/or pest control.

Is that a strong enough offer to make you consider calling Diversified for pest or fumigation services? Also, if you have a minute, can you take a look at their existing commercial and post your comments on it -- any suggestions that might make their ads better?

In future Career Changers TV shows, we hope to do more creative forms of advertising for clients and get direct feedback from viewers. Who knows, maybe we'll find a local-style version of the Old Spice guy or Most Interesting Man in the World!

Click here for the Diversified Exterminators commercial, which is posted on the CCTV YouTube Channel. For show info and viewing times, please visit our website. Mahalo!

Job seekers and entrepreneurs are given a lot of advice about the importance of making good first impressions. Whether it's an interview, sales presentation, or networking at a social event, the goal is to engage people and find a way to connect with them. But I think the next step is just as crucial, and often overlooked: follow-ups.

In my role as co-producer of the Career Changers TV show on OC16, I've been going to job fairs, social media workshops, and business functions where people have pitched their businesses to me as possible stories for future CCTV segments. After exchanging cards, I'll ask them to drop me an email as a reminder of our conversation. Most never follow through. But the ones that do usually turn out to be the most professional, and I'm more likely to work with someone who makes it easier for me to say yes to them.

I've also heard employers say that if they don't hear back from an applicant after a job interview -- just a simple "thank you" email or follow-up call -- they presume the applicant isn't really that interested in the position. Cross that candidate off the list.

One blog reader who had contacted me for advice, mentioned she had dropped off handwritten thank you notes to companies she interviewed with. I wasn't surprised to hear later that she landed a job with a top company, because it's little things that make a candidate stand out from the crowd.

What did surprise me though was her age. She's in her early 20s. Maybe it's just me, but it seems many of the younger people I've encountered of late aren't very courteous. For instance, through my personal connections I recently helped a guy in his mid-20s get a position with a fast-growing company in his chosen field of study. I could tell Young Dude wasn't jazzed about where he was working, and after learning more about his background, I put out some feelers. By chance, a contact of mine said this person sounded like a good fit for her friend's company.

I relayed that info to Young Dude and said he should contact them ASAP. A couple of days went by, and my contact asks if the guy is interested or not. So I email him, and he replies that he hadn't gotten around to sending his resume. I told him to do it quickly because they were expecting to hear from him. A week later, my contact informs me that the company hired him. So I sent an email to Young Dude asking how the interview went. His terse reply said he got the job and he added, "Thanks." I wasn't expecting him to buy me lunch, or send me a handwritten note... but a phone call would have been nice. Sheesh.

However, when it comes to follow-up protocol there's a fine line between persistence and being a pest. One business owner sent me emails every week for about three months asking if we wanted to do a story on him. We finally did, and also ran some commercials for him at a very low price... which he still hasn't paid for, and the invoice is now two months overdue. But now he won't reply to any of MY follow-up emails!

And that's probably the lousiest part of follow-ups for any small biz owner: the collection calls. Anyone out there with good (or bad) stories about follow-up calls or email experiences?

Today's links:

9 Ways to Prep Now for a Career Change Later - Yes, this is a repeat link from US News & World Report, but worth repeating for those who missed it.

Our July show includes a segment about entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to real investors, which originally aired earlier this year. For new CCTV viewers, you can find daily viewing times on our website (check out our YouTube Channel too!).