Wow. When I first saw this on the news, I thought it had to be a typo. Do Hawaiian Tel workers really get 26 WEEKS fully paid sick leave each year? But even 26 days seemed like a lot to me. I can't recall ever working for a company that provided more than a week or two at most for illness or personal days.

Yet here is what the official statement from Hawaiian Tel says: Employees currently may take up to 26 weeks fully paid sick leave each year. The company's offer provides up to 8 weeks fully-paid sick leave annually, with an additional up to 18 weeks of temporary disability paid at 58% or base wages, plus adds company-paid long-term disability and long-term care insurance.

Am I nuts or does even eight weeks sound extremely generous? My wife used to run her own small company, which offered good benefits. But if she had to pay for up to 26 weeks paid sick leave, her business would have been devastated if one or two employees took advantage of that policy.

Am I missing something here? Can any Hawaiian Tel employee explain why they need 26 paid weeks of sick time? In other words, they could miss half a year of work, still collect a regular paycheck, and the company can't replace them. That seems insane to me... and one reason unions have been getting a bad rap of late.

I have been a long-time supporter of unions, but the existing Hawaiian Tel policy makes if far too tempting for workers to abuse it at company expense... which ultimately gets passed on to consumers, who then stop doing biz with that company, resulting in layoffs when losses mount due to having to pay workers who aren't showing up for long periods of time.

Anyone out there have similar sick leave policies where you work? Sheesh, I remember one company that used to give us one whole extra personal day off, paid, if we went the entire year without calling in sick or showing up late. But it was more of a pride thing to accomplish that goal. I guess we were naive or chumps to think you only called in if you were really, really ill.

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Our new November show premieres on Thurs., Nov. 3. But you can still watch or record our special Halloween episode on  OC16, Weds. 2 pm or watch videos from it on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Please visit www.CareerChangers.TV for daily viewing times and other useful links. Mahalo!

Over the weekend, 60 Minutes had an insightful piece on Steve Jobs, which was followed by a segment about how the iPad is helping people with autism communicate in ways they never could before. I wonder if even Jobs could have imagined the myriad of applications and uses his inventions have inspired. To me, that's the real genius of what Jobs did: he gave people the tools to create things that could help solve problems, be it small or big in scope. He gave ordinary people the ability to express themselves artistically, and share stuff that could be sublime or silly.

That's what is missing in our current leadership at every level of government, and in most businesses. Great leaders don't simply dictate agendas. They inspire others to contribute their own ideas to provide solutions for both big and small problems. I read somewhere that Jobs preferred working with well-rounded individuals who had a wide range of intellectual interests and personal experiences, because true creativity comes from being able to make connections between disparate subjects. Finding simple, elegant answers to complex questions takes a flexible mind that isn't bound by conventions and self-imposed boundaries.

When Gov. Abercrombie took office, I wrote in this blog that I hoped he would pick a team of free thinkers from different backgrounds -- inventors, artists, academics and entrepreneurs. Instead, he stuck with the status quo. Even the new blood he brought in from his campaign were pretty much cut out of the same cloth as the older suits in power. So why should anyone be surprised there hasn't been much in the way of new ideas that inspire or give us hope in these difficult economic times?

I'll give you a perfect example: the controversy over the rail project. From the start, the supporters did a lousy job of creating a Big Picture that people could get excited about. It's not really about just building rail. It should be about master planning communities for the future. This was a chance for government and civic leaders to work together on a vision for the entire state that would make rail just one part of a much bigger goal. We could have been talking about building more affordable rental housing around transit terminals, and opening up commercial zones near those new housing areas while preserving ag lands. What we got instead were pencil-pushers and accountants coming up with rigid, fixed plans and politicians squabbling over who gets what first. No wonder even supporters of mass transit don't like what's come out of the process. They don't feel invested in it, because they don't see a Big Picture that makes sense in the long run. They only see taxes and how much it's projected to cost.

The funny thing about Steve Jobs is he said when he was poor and working out of his garage, he didn't worry about money because he didn't have any. When he became rich, he didn't worry about money either because he didn't have to. So he focused his energy on creating things that could improve our lives. His Big Ideas begat literally millions of small ideas that collectively changed the world we live in. And that led to wealth creation for Apple, plus thousands of other entrepreneurs who focused on making things that fulfilled a need -- not just worrying about money.

That's what we need right now. More visionaries. Less skepticism and cynicism. In my upcoming blogs and Career Changers TV show, I'll be telling you about people who are moving in that direction, despite all the negativity and pessimism you hear in the daily news media. To tell you the truth, I've stopped watching most national news because it has become a negative feedback loop that has poisoned this country's mindset.

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And now for something completely different, to borrow a Monty Python phrase, here's the link for www.CareerChangers.TV to find OC16 viewing times, along with other useful job-related information. You can also watch videos from past and current shows on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Got a thought or response to my rant? Go ahead and post it in the comments section below.

Although I've lived in Hawaii since 1985, I will always consider myself a New Yorker at heart. After graduating from Montclair State College in New Jersey, just across the George Washington Bridge, I eventually wound up living in Manhattan for about four years. It changed my life and the way I viewed the world. But I had no desire to read the pages and pages of reflections on 9/11, or watch the TV specials or the red, white and blue festooned tributes before football games over the weekend. It's not a day I want to relive or dwell upon. I think many New Yorkers feel the same way.

I didn't want to write about it either. What changed my mind was checking my calendar and seeing that the Asian Pacific Clean Energy Summit is taking place Tues., Sept. 13 through Thurs., Sept. 15 at the Hawaii Convention Center. Ironically, it seems that despite the media overkill devoted to the events and aftermath of 9/11, not much has been said about what really caused it: American dependence on foreign oil. If not for that simple fact, the U.S. would have no reason for being in the Middle East or making deals with Saudi Arabia and other countries that don't want us there, other than for our petro-dollars.

Yet here we are ten years later, and what have we done to wean ourselves off the oil habit? Sure, there's been some progress as far as increased use of solar energy. But there are more cars than ever on the road, guzzling more gas, and even rational people are opposing the rail project on the grounds that it's "too expensive" despite the heavy cost we've already paid in blood and cash to continue our insane culture of consumption. Instead, we focus scorn on the terrorists and attackers who perpetrate violence, when the real enemy is the way most Americans have chosen to live: I want what I want now, and screw the future or those whiny granola-eating liberals!

In that regard, nothing much has changed in our national mindset. Which is a shame because going green could lead to more jobs while cleaning up the environment. Even if you're a flat-earther who doesn't believe in global warming or science, the truth is there are economic benefits to pursuing alternative energy sources and means of supply. As seen on the current Career Changers TV, something as small as a solar bollard (lighting fixtures) can save local businesses thousands of dollars since you don't have to dig trenches to install electrical lines. Stuff like that pays for itself in a relatively short time span. (Click here for that video.)

Anyhow, here's the link to the Asian Pacific Clean Energy site and information about scheduled speakers. I don't know if the timing with the tenth anniversary of 9/11 was intentional or coincidental, but it seems appropriate nonetheless.

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The one thing I do want to remember about the World Trade Center buildings was the restaurant Windows on the World. It was in the early 1980s, I was on my way up in the business world, living on the Upper West Side near Central Park, and one magical night a young woman I knew from college met me for cocktails and dinner at Windows. She looked beautiful, and I was wearing my best suit. We felt like we were sitting on top of the world, gazing out at the surrounding skyline below and New Jersey on the other side. We had both come a long way since school. Our entire future was ahead of us, and we were filled with grand expectations...

It's funny though. In reality, the city back then was much different. Times Square was seedy and nothing like the Disney-fied version you will find today. The subways were dirty and dangerous after dark. Everyone, it seemed, was drinking to excess or doing coke. Many gay men, including friends of ours, were dying from AIDS. Yet we were oblivious to reality in that setting, hundreds of feet high above it all. It never occurred to us that it could all come crashing down, or that I would be thousands of miles away from Manhattan when it happened. Despite the terrible tragedy and years of heartache that have followed, even now I can still see her smiling face.

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For daily viewing times on OC16, please visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch video segments from past and current episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel.

In today's tough economy, I understand why some colleges promote the idea of getting out fast as one of their key selling points. People want to earn their degrees quickly so they can start working in their chosen fields ASAP. But that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice an important part of the college experience: extracurricular activities.

Personally, I learned more from non-credit stuff I did at Montclair State in New Jersey than I did in the classroom. I wrote for the college paper and became a part of the campus community, covering the student government and higher education issues, as well as social activities (such as dorm parties and underage drinking). But like the University of Hawaii, MSC was mostly a commuter college. The majority of students just took courses and went home, or had to go to work when classes were done. They didn't have time -- or make time, I should say -- to get involved with clubs or activities that would connect them with others in a broader context (such as sports and partying).

So I was pleased to see that two of our college sponsors encourage their students to give back to the local community in different ways.  At Argosy University in Downtown Honolulu, their small student body is continuously striving to raise awareness -- and money -- for important causes. They've helped out with the Hawaii Foodbank, Toys for Tots, AIDS education campaigns, and blood drives.

Remington College also has an ongoing program that combines hands-on business experience with assisting community groups in learning things like money management, and how to raise funds for charities. It's called SIFE, which stands for Students In Free Enterprise. I talked to Remington graduates who said participating in the SIFE regional and international competitions greatly enhanced their learning experience. But what it really comes down to in both cases is the sense of personal reward students get back from giving their time and helping others.

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When Dr. Warren Evans came to Hawaii a little over two years ago to become president of the Argosy Hawaii campus, I don't think he expected to be judging local beauty contests as part of his duties. Yet there he was, interviewing five contestants for the Miss Oahu Filipino title a couple of weeks ago. As it happens, he was asked by a Heald College recruiter -- Dee Dee Melchor-Paguyo -- if Argosy would be interested in offering a scholarship to the winners because Heald wasn't able to do it this year. Since a number of Heald graduates have gone on to get their 4-year degrees at Argosy, Dr. Evans was happy to step in with $24,000 in scholarships.

He also recognizes the Filipino community in Hawaii is a vital part of our ethnic mix and growing in numbers, as recent population studies have confirmed. Participating in the pageant was just another example of how the Arizona transplant is spreading roots here, and expanding Argosy's outreach programs  -- not just on Oahu, but also at their campuses on Maui, the Big Island, Guam and Saipan.

Dr. Evans said he was greatly impressed with all of the Miss Oahu Filipino candidates he interviewed. And he was especially pleased to share the news that the winner, Leonevi Mabiog (pictured with Dr. Evans at left) had accepted the scholarship offer to attend Argosy.

UPDATE: I was informed Argosy actually offered scholarships to all five finalists, totaling $24,000. The winner received $10K; first runner up, $6K; second runner up, $4K; plus $2K "Cultural Award" scholarships to the other two contestants.

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Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Father's Day cook-off/car show put on by Fresh Catch restaurant and FC Sauces! We had a great time, and the motor cooler scooter was a big hit with the crowd. We'll have more on that in a future Career Changers TV show. To find daily viewing times for the current episode, please visit www.CareerChangers.TV or check out video segments on the CCTV YouTube Channel.

Who's that lady?

Earlier this week I met with a mystery woman in Kahala, who will be publicly launching an international fashion/health biz towards the end of July. She's already scored major deals with a top manufacturer and distributors, mostly through her ability to seek out the right people and work her connections. We plan on featuring her story in a future Career Changers TV segment, but I've been asked to keep details under my hat for the time being since her product isn't available locally yet.

While I was meeting with her, she asked if I knew of other women entrepreneurs she had been networking with. They included an inventor, a designer, a photographer, plus health and fitness practitioners. Then she showed me a stylish little paperback book, titled Crave Hawaii that had just come out. She and some of the ladies she mentioned were in the book, which is described as: "The ultimate guide to women-owned businesses in Hawaii, featuring entgrepreneurs YOU need to know."

Each paid about $500 to have their mini-profiles and business description included in a two-page full color spread. She was honest about it and said although the Seattle-based publishing company told them they could sell the books, it's not likely many people would buy them. It's a giveaway, basically -- a marketing and PR tool. Some might call it a vanity book, similar to the "Who's Who" publications (side note at end of post). However, after looking through it, I think it's actually much more than that.

Google "Crave Hawaii" and you'll see that in addition to their home page, you'll get links to their Facebook, Twitter and Flickr pages. They really are tapping into social media and I can see how business women could use this to expand their personal networks. One of the women in the book is local feng shui/astrology expert, Alice Inoue, a life guidance coach who was featured on two past CCTV shows. What they all have in common is they're smart, attractive, stylish, and very professional. The book is a good fit for what they offer, and I wouldn't be surprised if many of them become friends or already are in the same social circles.

The takeaway idea is simple. For an entrepreneur to succeed, you must promote yourself and your business in a variety of ways. They won't all pay off immediately, but you should be open-minded about trying new venues. Whether it's print, TV, radio, or social media, you have to get your name out there... and just as importantly, YOU have to put yourself in the public eye by going to networking events and expanding your social contacts. Waiting for customers and clients to come to you rarely works for start-ups. You have to pay to play the advertising game... although sometimes a little mystery can help get you free press.

For more on Crave Hawaii, click here.

Side Note: Before moving to Hawaii, I worked for a legal publishing company in NYC run by Jimmy Finkelstein. His family owned the "Who's Who" publications that essentially were vanity books. My folks paid to get my high school and college Who's Who books (with wall plaque, of course). However, I never fell for the Who's Who in Business book pitches I later received. As it happens,  Jimmy sold the legal books/seminars biz -- which also put out the National Law Journal -- and about three years ago bought the Hollywood Reporter.

When I told him I was leaving his company to accept a job offer here, Jimmy tried to talk me out of it. In his Jewish-New York accent, he implored: "Rich, why do you want to move to Hawaii? Warm weather all the time... beautiful beaches... beautiful women everywhere. You'll get bored after six months!" Spoken like a true New Yorker.

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My phone has been ringing every day from prospective sponsors and advertisers now that OC16 has given us better time slots. To see our updated viewing schedule, please visit www.CareerChangers.TV. You can also watch video segments from past and president episodes on the CCTV YouTube Channel. Have a great weekend -- and don't forget about the Father's Day cook-off/car show at Aloha Stadium next Sunday!