Above: Henk Rogers, founder of The Tetris Company, Blue Planet Foundation, and the new Blue Startups accelerator project.

I wear a lot of hats between my roles as Career Changers TV producer, writer, and member of the 808HALT coalition to put a stop to human trafficking in Hawaii. But one common theme keeps coming up during my interviews and meetings: the need for immigration reform. Earlier this week we filmed a segment with Henk Rogers, the man who turned Tetris into a multifaceted business/social change empire based in Downtown Honolulu. He didn't invent the addictive puzzle game, but after he got the licensing rights and established a relationship with the Russian creator of Tetris, Henk was able to grow it exponentially as handheld game players and mobile wireless platforms came into being. One article I read describes him as a self-made billionaire.

He's also an alien of sorts: Dutch-Indonesian, born in Holland, moved to New York with his family when he was 11, studied computer science at the University of Hawaii in the 1970s (funny stories about his jobs back then, including driving for Charley's Taxi) and moved to Japan because that's where the action was in the early days of video games. Suffice it to say, he could live and work anywhere he wants. So why Hawaii? In part, it's because of our diversity and location as a crossroads of the Pacific. He's a global kind of guy. Actually, he thinks much bigger than that. One of his major missions in life is to promote space exploration -- and settlement of Mars as a starting point for transforming other worlds into places where humans can live. In effect, we'd become the aliens.

You may not be aware of HI-SEAS, which stands for Hawaii Space Exploration Analog & Simulation, but he told me that on April 15 they will be launching a 4-month long project on the Big Island to test foods that could be consumed in space. Awhile back they advertised for qualified volunteers, who were willing to simulate living on Mars during that period. I'm not fully up to speed on the details, but from what Henk explained, they will be living in close quarters (a faux space capsule) and have to wear space suits if they venture out. Mauna Loa was chosen because the terrain is similar to Mars. Beginning Monday, you can follow the project on Twitter.

There's so much more I could tell you about how that project fits into Henk's other missions -- like Tetris blocks, in a way -- and how a heart attack in 2005 was the impetus for him to start the Blue Planet Foundation here in Hawaii. Coincidentally, I recently blogged that many successful entrepreneurs I know of have had near-death experiences that caused them to reassess their "purpose" in life. As it happens, his goal of reducing our dependence on oil and eliminating carbon emissions, also aligns with segments we just produced about Pacific Biodiesel (currently airing on the April episode of Career Changers TV -- click here for viewing times).

One of the tangents we went off on involved immigration policies. Since he's in the high tech field, it's no surprise he -- along with scores of business leaders/job creators -- sees a need to allow more high-skilled foreign workers to come and stay in the U.S. because there is a shortage of Americans with those kind of math and science skills. Seems hard to believe, huh? Yet I've heard that same complaint from other CEOs on "60 Minutes" and read it in a few business mags.

However, Henk was also referring to the need for low-skilled immigrant workers because he's a proponent of sustainable agriculture. And he recognizes the fact that for all the talk about supporting local farms, the reality is we need to import laborers from other countries since there aren't a lot of Americans who are willing to do back-breaking work for the kind of wages that are currently being paid. He mentioned that as a result of his heart attack, he bought a ranch on the Big Island where he could get away and relax. He's also trying to do sustainable farming on the property, so he's witnessed first hand the difficulty of finding local labor for ag work.

In future posts, I'll tell you more about the interview with Henk and the new Blue Startups accelerator program he's backing for a mix of homegrown and imported entrepreneurs, who are now working out of his Harbor Court offices. Very cool stuff going on up there!

It's not your typical business environment. There's art work by Roger Dean, the guy who did the Yes album covers and original Virgin Records Twins logo -- which ties into Henk's story about a gift he recently gave to Richard Branson (just noticed in the lower left corner of the photo at top, you can see Branson posing with him). Of course there's a Tetris motif running throughout the entire place, including stuff like these stackable seat cushions. We'll begin airing the Henk Rogers and Blue Startups segments in May, so stay tuned for details.

WEEKEND FESTIVAL ALERT

Regarding the 808HALT human trafficking project (here's that link), one of the coalition partners is inviting the public to attend the Burmese Water Festival this Sun., April 14 from 9 AM until 2 PM at Wilson Elementary School, 4945 Kilauea Avenue. It's sponsored by the Myanmar Association of Hawaii and Pacific Gateway Center. There will be authentic Burmese food, "Water Throwing," and other treats for you to experience and enjoy.

It's just another reminder of how our wonderful mix of cultures and people makes Hawaii such a special place... even if many of us might be considered "aliens" by others. When you look at it from Henk's universal perspective, we're all just citizens of one Blue Planet. BTW, there's an interesting story behind the Burning Man Festival hat he's wearing in the picture that I'll share some other time!

In response to my blog on Dream Jobs vs. Fantasies, a reader posted a comment about how he made the move to Southern California to achieve his goal of combining his design background with his love of movies. He went back to school to learn new skills, put in many hours honing his craft, and wound up working on major Hollywood movies, doing 3D stuff. He wrote that there has been frustration and sacrifices to get where he is now, but that is also what has made his journey so rewarding. The only drawback is he's living his dream in SoCal, and he'd prefer to be working in Hawaii. I have a feeling he will find a way to get back home so he can share what he's learned. (Have you noticed many successful entrepreneurs also like to teach and share their knowledge?)

Which brings me to the ultimate goal of a rewarding career: it's not "happiness," per se... it's about finding purpose in the work you do. Time and again, the people I meet who seem most satisfied with their career choices, are those who make a difference in the lives of others through what they do. In many cases, they have survived difficult circumstances and even personal tragedies. Or they have dealt with life and death situations, such as addictions, domestic violence and war. The kind of things that make you question whether there is a God, because it doesn't make sense that a beneficent Higher Power would allow such awful things to occur to good, decent people.

I'm certainly not the first to ponder these existential questions. Coincidentally, I recently came across a piece in This Week magazine about Viktor Frankl, a Jewish psychiatrist who was a survivor of the World War II Nazi concentration camps. His experiences and observations led him to write the book, Man's Search for Meaning, published in 1946. In it, he examined the differences between those who survived and those who died, and he reached the conclusion that it came down to one's attitude. Those who found meaning in their suffering were more resilient. They latched on to some higher purpose that gave them the will to live. They made a conscious effort to endure their struggles by linking it to a specific goal. But the ones who gave up hope did not make it out alive.

Of course, many who clung to hope still died in the gas chambers, so there's a limit to what positive thinking can do in any circumstance. Yet, for anyone who does live through a terrible ordeal -- be it war, 9/11 type events, abusive spouses or dysfunctional families -- the question remains why some adjust, while others never seem to recover. Frankl's book suggests those who chose to help others found meaning in their suffering, which allowed them to find satisfaction and purpose in their existence. Happiness comes as a byproduct of how we live.

By contrast, people (think kids, young adults) who seek "happiness" as their goal in life are likely to be disappointed because what they're really pursuing is short term pleasure. Sure, it feels good to be happy when you're partying or doing fun things. But unless it somehow results in affecting others in a lasting way, you're left feeling empty and unfulfilled. It doesn't surprise me in the least that many recovering alcoholics and addicts wind up going into counseling work themselves. It's a way for them to convert their personal pain and tragedies into something meaningful -- helping others.

I guess that's why I write, and also what I look to do through my Career Changers TV show. By sharing the stories of people who have overcome challenges and adversity, I hope others will be inspired to find meaning in their lives through the work they do.

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You can see examples of survivors and people who make a difference on the current Career Changers TV episode, which runs until April 5. For daily viewing times, please visit our website. You can also watch videos from past and current shows on the CCTV YouTube Channel.

Lately, I've been thinking about the meaning of work in our lives -- or more precisely, what it means to be "happy" in our job or careers. Would you say you're happy or "satisfied" with your current position? Miserable? Want to quit, but can't afford to?

Through my Career Changers TV show, I've met a lot of people who are happy with their careers and love what they do. But in everyday life, I encounter many employees who do their jobs as if they were brain-dead zombies, just clocking in to get a paycheck. The fact is, most of us at some point in our lives, have had to do work we weren't crazy about. Some rise to the challenge and make the most of bad situations. Others, like the hostess at a Kailua restaurant my wife and I had lunch at recently, act so indifferently that you wish you could fire them on the spot. Since we didn't see anyone who appeared to be in charge that I could complain to, I thought about posting a negative review on Yelp, then decided it wasn't worth my time. We just won't go back. I'm pretty sure we weren't alone in that sentiment, judging from the looks on the faces of other customers around us.

While I was brushing encrusted food off the dirty menu in this mediocre Mexican restaurant, I told my wife about a young lady who works in the parking garage booth at Alii Place. I park there whenever I have meetings or TV shoots at Remington College, which is one of my show sponsors. This particular booth attendant always greets every exiting customer with a smile and small pleasantry. She just makes me feel... happy. Let's be honest though: being confined to a small booth all day, handing out change and pressing a button to lift a gate is not the most exciting occupation in the world. Yet this worker actually seems to enjoy her job.

Even if you have to fake liking your work, by making others you deal with feel positive, the task becomes more bearable. Giving off good vibes is contagious. Conversely, employees like the Mexican zombie hostess with the glum face -- mind you, she was the one who "greets" customers -- put us in a sour mood from the moment we sat down. And yes, it affected the tip we left, which is presumably shared with the staff.

Sorry for the digression. Anyhow, there's a key difference between people who go after their dream jobs and slackers who live in a fantasy world where they are paid to do minimal work in a "fun" environment. Those who are living their dream have a clear idea of what they wanted to do from the start... even if they weren't quite sure how they would get to that point. They are the ones who say "yes" to opportunities they believe will get them closer to their goals, regardless of whether there is an immediate payoff or not. Many times those opportunities don't go according to plan. Most successful entrepreneurs have had a few busts along the way. But they adapt and keep going forward instead of dwelling on their mistakes. They are not in the habit of blaming others when things don't pan out.

When I hear younger people or students talk about their future goals, the themes that come up most are generally about making big money, having a glamorous lifestyle, or you know, doing fun stuff for pay -- music, fashion, night clubs/party business, the TV or movie industry. The truth is it takes a great deal of hard work and focus to succeed in those "fantasy job" worlds, and it takes the same qualities you find in people who give their best effort in whatever they do -- whether it's part-time restaurant work or full-time student. Creative types will find inspiration in mundane job situations... they will write stories, songs or movie scripts about soul-sucking jobs and terrible bosses. They punch in every day and do the tedious work that goes into writing or making art. Put an inventor in a "boring" job and they will get excited about possible solutions to a vexing problem they might come across that others just ignore. It will take them hours, days, months, tweaking and perfecting their "simple" product before it ever hits the market place. In short, the difference between attaining your dream job and fantasizing about it is attitude.

However, there is a higher ideal we should strive for in our career choices, which I'll get to in my next blog post. It's about finding meaning in whatever work we do, and the value of enduring difficult times.  Too often we talk about wanting to be "happy" when we really should look at happiness as a byproduct of living a good life.

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For daily viewing times of my show, please visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch video segments from past and current episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel.

Program Alert: The new January episode of Career Changers TV premieres Sat., Jan. 5 at 8:30 PM on OC16. Visit www.CareerChangers.TV for more info on who's featured in this month's show!

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It was the week before Christmas, and I was walking around Ward Warehouse prior to filming a new segment about the Hawaii Fashion Incubator, which is located on the second floor there, when I heard Mark Bell call me over to his kiosk. We've had Mark on the show a couple of times to talk about some of his inventions and product discoveries he found on the Mainland (like the motorized scooter cooler).

At first, I wasn't sure what his latest invention was... they were small silicone widgets that came in a variety of colors and sizes, next to more recognizable button-sized things that I was told kids like to plug into those Crocs. They're called Jibbitz, and the woman who came up with that idea made millions when Crocs bought her out.

Mark's product is similar. His silicone connectors fit on the tips of shoelaces and drawstrings, so that the wearer can customize their footwear or hoodies, sweatpants, whatever. Then the wearer can attach one of those Jibbitz or other accessories like fake gems to make a personal fashion statement. It's such a simple idea, you wonder why no one has done it before. In fact, a major shoe manufacturer whose name I can't reveal just yet, jumped on it when Mark introduced himself at a trade show. After they reviewed it and asked for a couple of modifications, they placed an order for a MILLION of these little connectors...  a month, that is -- for 12 months! They cost pennies apiece, but 12 million units adds up to a pretty big amount.

What's interesting to me is Mark didn't set out to make something for shoestrings. A friend of his son, who is in college, asked Mark to come up with a better earplug that could be easily used when things got noisy around the dorm or in public areas. (Sure, you could carry around a pair of earplugs, but I guess college kids can't think that far ahead.) So Mark thought incorporating earplugs into the ends of drawstrings might work since lots of kids wear hoodies. But someone had already come up with earphones that are built into hoodies. That's when Mark looked down at his feet and realized there was an even better use for his silicone tip connectors... sneaker laces. In entrepreneur speak, it's called The Pivot -- when you realize the original idea needs to be adjusted or there should be a change in focus and direction.

I had no idea the Crocs Jibbitz thing was so big until Mark told me about it. But every person I mentioned his invention to seemed to know about those Jibbitz. Yet none of them ever thought about applying the same concept to other types of footwear with laces, which far outnumber Crocs in sales. Heck, imagine the possibility of connecting sneaker laces to sports team logos and personalized buttons of every shape, color and style. Don't be surprised if the shoe manufacturer who placed the million per month order decides to buy out Mark for tens of millions of dollars, like the Croc Jibbitz lady.

Mark still is toying around with the name. One of the reasons he set up the kiosk at Ward Warehouse during the Christmas shopping season was to test market that product and other things he's selling in Hawaii (more on that to follow). This is what separates real inventors and entrepreneurs from the wannabes. They put in long hours testing products, talking to actual consumers, tweaking the product and refining the marketing approach. Names are important in the marketplace to create branding and word of mouth. When I last spoke to him, Mark was leaning towards "Tipz" for his patent-pending connectors. I think that works.

Every inventor dreams of that home run idea. I asked Mark if this is The Big One. He smiled and nodded. So what's your million dollar idea?

Watching the UH men's basketball team shoot fouls has been painful. Missed free throws has already cost them games and the Bows nearly lost another one this weekend when they only made 16 of 31 from the so-called "charity line." The Wahine hoopsters might have beaten Alabama this weekend, had they sunk a couple more foul shots too. Since it's a given they probably take hundreds of shots in practice, what's the problem?

I think it's mostly mental. Studies have shown that positive visualization in sports can lead to improved performance. "See" the proper tennis stroke or golf putt in your mind, and brainwaves show the same activity as if the person was doing it for real. Perhaps, seeing other players miss shots in pressure situations becomes contagious because the next guy to shoot is subconsciously altering his own mechanics to avoid putting up a brick. Throughout the young season thus far, the Bows have gone through patches where no one seems to be able to get the ball to fall through the rim... it's like a magic shield goes up around the basket. Fans begin to expect them to miss, and you can hear the groans in the arena when the contagion causes them to blow wide open shots and easy lay-ups.

A few years back, Riley Wallace used to have two sports psychologists work with his teams. I don't know if they ever employed hypnotherapy or visualization techniques, but Coach Arnold should consider giving it a shot (pun intended). Hypnotherapy isn't hocus pocus -- it's even used in medicine to treat pain these days, according to Mindy Ash, who we featured on Career Changers TV in July. Here's the link to that segment. Give her a call, Gib! Heck, when a Division I team barely makes 50 percent of their free throws, trying something new can't hurt.

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On a related sports note, former UH football great Ashley Lelie is getting married today. I got that news firsthand while I was filming a new segment for CCTV sponsor, Argosy University at their Downtown campus on Bishop Street. He was there with fiancee Noza Yusufbekova, an Argosy grad student in their clinical psychology program, who we first interviewed in this segment. Noza is smart, charming, and very attractive, to state the obvious. And I have to say Ashley is a genuinely humble guy. Congrats to both of them! One thing is for sure: it will be much easier for me to spell Noza's last name in the lower third graphics that go on screen.

Our January episode features new pieces on architects, the fashion biz, art and more. The 2013 kick-off show premieres Saturday at 8:30 pm on OC16. For daily viewing times throughout the week, please visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch segments from past and current episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Happy New Years!