Err on the Side of Fun

In my professional life, I usually err on the side of 'conservative' when it comes to business attire and accessories, meeting etiquette and so forth. I have my go-to starchy button-up shirts and staple, black pencil skirts. I have my black leather portfolio to take notes at meetings. My laptop bag? It's rather forgettable, to be honest. But, I think I am on to something...I have a new business / networking secret! Do you want to sit down at a business meeting and immediately start a conversation? Form a bond? Have a quick laugh? Relax the tone of a meeting? You can take it further-- do you want to go on a date and immediately have something to break the ice and talk about?

ROCK A RAD PHONE CASE. 

No joke. What's your phone case look like? I always opted for something basic. Clear. Black. I then upped my game to the striped Tory Burch or Kate Spade designs- basic and refined. Don't get me wrong, I still appreciate the traditional phone cases-- but I have discovered that showcasing your unique style through small accessories like phone cases or iPad covers affords one many benefits:

• It's a great conversation starter.
• It shows that you are human. 
• It tells people you have your own style. 
• People just might be more apt to relate to you. 
• It can be funny and start meetings with a nice laugh. 
• It can indicate creativity and fun.
• It allows you to tell a story.
• It's an amazing icebreaker, and usually you yourself are not the one initiating the conversation.
• It is memorable. 

Check out my last three phone cases:

Currently, my phone is housed in my french fry Moschino iPhone 6 case, and it has been the best conversation piece I have ever had, period. Who doesn't like french fries? I get people of all ages asking me about it. At the most serious of business meetings, I sit down, formal as usual, and set my phone on the conference table for all to see. The result? High-level executives busting out laughing and asking me about this crazy case. I've had people grab the phone and pretend they are eating it. It's hilarious!

It's such a simple thing, but I can't even begin to tell you the conversations that come from this $30.00 phone case. Now, every Christmas, I ask my family (who live in Okinawa, Japan), to get me the most crazy, unique, kawaii phone case that they can possibly find. See picture above on the left: crazy cloud pink bow thing, Christmas 2013. Far right: panda chewing dangly bamboo case - Christmas 2014.

My crazy phone cases have become a trademark, an attribute of my personal brand, a fun hobby, and the most sensational conversation piece I have in my arsenal.

Overall point of this post? Be yourself. Be unique. Err on the side of FUN. Don't feel that you always have to opt for the conservative option. Get a phone case, or purse, or attache that suits you and makes you smile. Work should be fun. Life should be fun. And people tend to like and gravitate to fun.

Now imma go eat some french fries....mahalo for reading.

A day in the life of Lulu, a synopsis of my aloha Friday.

5:15 a.m. Friday. Aloha. I wake up, happy, but not a morning person. 

Walk my shitzu, Roxy (proud dog mom). 

Scoop poop into floral-smelling pink poop bags. 

Half-awake, appreciate the stillness of Honolulu pre-dawn. Paradise. 

5:45 a.m. Shower, using lush cosmetics "grass" shower gel (euphoric-highly recommend). 

I have a networking event at 6:45, so hair washing is out of the question today (females understand). 

5:55 a.m. Check news headlines on my iPhone. I want to know what's going on in the world. 

6:10 a.m. Makeup - on. The older I get, the less Makeup I wear, for some reason. 

6:20 a.m. Pencil skirt and silk blouse? Check.

6:25 a.m. Purse check-- Fail. Only two business cards. What kind of marketer am I? 

6:28 a.m. Haul butt to office. Grab business cards. Open outlook. No time to reply to anyone. 

6:35 a.m. Cruise downtown (slamming Mountain Dew, aka breakfast) head to a PBN "Women Who Mean Business" networking event. 

Already traffic? K. Takes forever, but I'm in paradise. That's Honolulu. Entertained by KCCN banter. 

7:00 a.m. Arrive at Plaza Club. Grab name tag. Take picture of epic view of Chinatown. 

Twitter, foursquare, Facebook....and I forget yelp. Darn (social media nerd slash first world problems). 

Next two hours? 

Meet amazing people, see old friends, meet people IRL. Get inspired by a panel of leading business women. All the while, avoiding ad reps. 

(Shino we need a better picture) ;) 

Did I mention I was energized and inspired? Utterly and completely inspired. 

Notes and takeaways: 

"Be fierce." 

"Don't be afraid to negotiate. Ask for what you're worth."

"Work hard in silence and let success be your noise." (Frank Ocean?)

If you can't handle all you have to do as a woman and leader in business- hire a house cleaner. 

Shave off things that make your life stressful (someday, yes). 

9:30 a.m. back to the office. 

RUN IN HEELS! 

Write press release.

Update web.

Proof eblast. 

Touch base with my amazing team.

11:00 a.m. Lunch at Panya. Laksa. White blouse ruined from spicy, delicious red broth. 

12 noon. Swing by home, pick up Roxy (Fridays I get to bring her to work, best workplace ever). 

12:05 p.m. Back to office, always juggling. Running in heels (that should be my blog name, actually). Fielding phone calls. Avoiding radio ad reps cold calls (I just don't have that medium in my marketing mix this year). 

1:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. Love my job...enjoy my new office. Turn on Spotify work playlist.

Work: assist, respond, plan, brainstorm, discuss, support, lead, delegate, write checks, and most importantly, listen. 

4:10 p.m. Drop Roxy at home. Put on comfy clothes and proceed to haul butt out the door, again (Roxy is sulking and pissed). 

4:25 p.m. Makiki Nails. Cheap manicure. White polish, cause I saw it on the Peppermayo insta). Feeling fresh. 

5:00 p.m. Home in no time. 

5:30 p.m. Breathe. Shower. Roxy, treats. Makeup, lil bit. Tank top, kimono, shorts, cute sandals, check. No time for hair so, ballerina bun. Bohemian effortless / cute? I'll go with that. Tired, but it's aloha Friday. :) 

6:30 p.m. Head to Hawaii Kai for a triple date (is that a term people use? Like not 2 couples, but 3). 

7-ish....Dinner with the cool kids at Mailes Thai Bistro. Three vodka sodas (Titos is my new fave vodka). 

Eat. Drink. Be merry. Enjoy new friends. Laugh. 

10- ish....head to a friends shop, new location, drink, help paint, be merry. Social media. Instagram my nails cause they look cool....

Midnight...home, chill, laugh, sketch, try to go to bed. Tough for a night owl socialite on a Friday night...

Missed first Friday and have no vodka. What the?! 

Try to sleep? Fail. Insomnia. 

Solution? This blog post. A day in the life, a synopsis. Boring? Perhaps. A great day, indeed. 

Pele Party

The Pele Awards 2014!

Thank you to Bill for taking me to the Pele Awards on April 26th and allowing me to totally crash the MVNP table. 

While I was a student, getting my M.B.A. at Hawaii Pacific University, I was focused on a career in marketing and/or advertising. The one firm that I stalked / admired / adored / followed closely, was MVNP. A friend of a friend was working there at the time and I heard about all their big accounts and insanely creative work. I'm pretty sure I applied with them fresh out of college but never got a call back! While I am happy in my career now, and never ended up at MVNP, I must say I had a blast with their team at the Pele Awards. I loved being around such fun, energetic, creative people. One guy at the table even passed out blinky-light-up plastic ice cubes to put in our cocktails. Ummm these are my people.

The awards were unlike other award dinners I go to for work (save the standard rubbery chicken entree). The venue was beautiful, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, seaside. Drinks served on the lawn, then we went inside for the program. Instead of the standard speaker and emcee announcing the winners, the event was a full-on theater production. It felt kind of circus-like with a ringmaster who presented all the awards. A crew of actors and dancers performed all the way through, and they were awesome. Winners didn't go up to the stage (except the big winners), they simply stood to be recognized. With so many awards being handed out, I appreciated this format because it made things go faster! Also, it was awesome to see the advertisements on the big screen. I am so pleased to have been in a room with some of the most creative geniuses in Hawaii. Maybe I should go into advertising someday...hmm. Check out the list of winners here!