One trend worth pursuing (or at least investigating) is charitable gifts. For the past several years, this trend has grown so rapidly that individuals and businesses alike have replaced their usual holiday gift giving items with charitable gifts. Charitable gifts, paying it forward, or whatever you would like to call it, involve providing a monetary donation to a cause that meets your values and goals or purchasing an item(s) that those in need can greatly use. There are tons of websites and organizations that make it very easy for businesses and individuals to take part in charitable gift giving and even provide an option for people to create their own charitable gift wish list (in case you prefer to forgo all material gifts and would like all of your gift-givers to give to charities that mean most to you)!

For example, OXFAM America is an organization that allows individuals and businesses to give charitable gifts that will provide relief for communities in countries that face poverty, hunger and injustice on a daily basis. You can purchase unique gifts like books for children, a school meal program for one child, two sheep, a fair day’s pay for workers, a farmer’s flock and more. Although a large organization, OXFAM America does a great job of showing companies and individuals how their donation makes a difference. There are other organizations like The Gift of Giving and Just Give that give you the option of supporting a national charity or one that is a little closer to home. Whatever you choose, there are now so many options out there for you to give a charitable gift to something that you believe in.

At FMPR, we have incorporated charitable gift giving into our holiday e-cards for the past couple of years. We provide a call-to-action for our colleagues who receive our holiday e-card by asking them to consider giving to one of three charities we have hand-picked. This year, we chose to support a part of the economy that has unfortunately been hit hard: education. We decided to choose institutions within our communities on Kauai and in Pennsylvania as well as a national organization that support education: My Sandy Hook Family Fund, United Friends School and The Culinary Institute of the Pacific.

So, why should you pursue charitable gift giving? Well, as we mentioned above, it is a great option to break away from the usual holiday deliverables you provide to family, friends and colleagues. Charitable gifts also help you become more in-tune to the community in which you operate. Searching for what causes to give to educates you on what charities and nonprofits in your area are doing to help the local community be a better place for all. In addition, charitable gifts help increase your social responsibility if you find that your company is lacking in this particular area. It is a great way to show your appreciation and support (or kokua as we say in Hawaii) for the betterment of your community and the world as a whole.

How can you get started on giving charitable gifts? We have provided a handful of tips below that will help you kick-start your plan:

• Choose an issue or cause that your company feels strongly about supporting. Whether it is education, poverty, hunger or homelessness, you can stick to one cause forever or change it up every year.
• Figure out if you would like to provide charitable gifts to organizations locally, nationally or even internationally. Maybe the scope of the organization you choose changes as your company grows or as incidents take place in society (i.e. natural disasters, programs affected by budget cuts, etc.).
• Whatever organization you choose, make sure it is legitimate and established before you give.
• Choose what type of charitable gift you want to give, whether it is a monetary or object donation. No matter how big or small your donation is, remember that it is truly having an impact on improving the lives of others.
• Charitable gifts do not have to be seasonal. You can choose to give once a quarter, every anniversary of your company’s existence, or whatever you decide.
• Let your employees get involved! Whether it is nominating causes to consider for charitable gifts or choosing a team to run your gift giving program, let your employees be a part of the process because they will enjoy it.

Article contributed by Shelcie Takenouchi

During the most recent tsunami warning in Hawaii, residents reacted in many different ways. Some drove to the nearest gas station and waited in long lines to fill their cars and even bring home an extra supply of gasoline. Some went to their nearest grocery store or market to get last-minute essentials while others prepped their homes by pulling out candles, flashlights and filling up buckets of water. People fled their weekend Halloween parties or get-togethers to rush home, causing an immense amount of traffic that is usually seen at “rush hour.” The warning and ensuing evacuation caused many people to panic and take action that could have been planned for ahead of time.

If a natural disaster were to strike your community within the next five hours, what would you do? How would you communicate with your employees and clients/customers? How would you protect your assets (i.e. building, paperwork, produce, etc.)? The tendency for some businesses is to think “a natural disaster won’t happen here” or “we can figure out a plan later, right now work is more important.” The reality is, a natural disaster, big or small, can strike anywhere and these recent disasters should serve as a reminder to all of us. While planning for a natural disaster crisis takes time, you’ll be glad you did. Whether you are a small home-based business or a large corporation, having a natural disaster crisis plan will help your company stay afloat in the long run.

We advise our clients on natural disaster crisis and how they can plan to be prepared when the unfortunate moment comes. Here are a few tips that will help get your business started on creating a natural disaster plan and process:

1. Make evacuation plans clear: In order to protect your clients and employees, make sure escape routes are planned out ahead of time and posted throughout the building. There should be a drill performed at least once every quarter to make sure everyone is aware of the evacuation procedures.
2. Create a list of emergency phone numbers: Develop a list of emergency phone numbers that include employees, clients, local authorities and emergency units.
3. Keep your data safe: If your business relies on electronic transactions or files, make sure that they are backed up and stored on a separate device from your computer. You might not be able to reestablish yourself if you don’t have access to financial or client information.
4. Determine a communication strategy: Plan a strategic and efficient way to communicate with your employees and clients prior to a natural disaster and if/when operations are down. Depending on the size of your business, delegate communication roles to employees. For example, who will be the company spokesperson? Who will alert all clients that business is down and keep them updated? Who will call the local authorities/emergency units to find out the status of the natural disaster?
5. Put your plan into motion: Test your natural disaster crisis plan out by running a simulation at least two times a year. It’s your opportunity to test the solutions and methods you have in place to respond to a natural disaster as well as help your employees understand their roles in the situation.

Article contributed by Shelcie Takenouchi 

Sixteen-year-old Nicole Rapozo of Kaua`i graduated a year early from Kapa`a High School this May with a 3.7 GPA. The daughter of Mel and Patsy Rapozo, Nicole is the author of a book of quotes entitled, “Inspiration, Motivation, Change,” the
proceeds of which she will use to begin a foundation to benefit children and single parents. Once she completes one year at Kaua`i Community College, she will transfer to a mainland college and major in psychology, to eventually pursue her doctorate and a career serving families and children.

“I enjoy community service and helping children and families.  I intend to use my education and my passion for community service to pursue a career that make a positive difference in the lives of all the people I serve,” says Rapozo.

Louis Herbst is a middle school instructor as well as the Athletic Director and Summer Camp and After School Enrichment Program Director for United Friends School.  Herbst has a bachelor’s degree in history and education, summa cum laude and will begin pursuing his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania this summer. He is enrolled in the Friends Council on Education Leadership Institute, where he will engage in a two-year action research leadership project.

“My goal is to become the head of a Friends School. I see an education through Penn’s independent school leadership program as an amazing opportunity to reflect and challenge myself. As a Quaker, I am committed to the conflict resolution and decision making processes that guide not just Friends Schools but many independent schools. I feel it necessary to be part of a program that understands these challenges and processes. More than anything, I desire to be a reflective leader that hears all, fosters teachers’ passions, and places the students first,” says Herbst.

“We are so pleased to invest in these two extraordinary individuals,” says Jenny Fujita, partner with FMPR.  “We are absolutely confident that they will both make enormous contributions to the world around them, and to their local communities in particular.  They are already on that path.”

“Jenny and I are especially impressed with Nicole and Louis’ desires and actions in caring for their communities and creating their own opportunities to advance themselves, which is a key to success in this evolving economy,” says Koerte. “Wherever their careers take Nicole and Louis, we know they’ll blend their intellectual talents and concern for others to play an influential role in the betterment of society.  To that end, as with our past FMPR Scholars, we will be posting updates about Nicole and Louis on our website at www.fmpr.net and with them, will continue growing our network of FMPR Scholars so they can collaborate and achieve great things for themselves, their communities, and the world.”

FMPR Scholars are chosen based on several key criteria: they are Kaua`i and Pennsylvania residents and students who are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees, preferably in communications or public relations; are interested in owning or working for a small business and/or home-based business; engaged in entrepreneurial activities; intend to come home to and pursue their livelihoods in their local communities after undergraduate or graduate school; are engaged in community service and wish to advance their local community after college; have proven intellectual and academic achievements; show integrity of character and an interest in helping others; have the ability to lead and the motivation to use their talents to the fullest.

Ranked as one of Hawai`i’s top PR firms, FMPR is a full service PR firm that provides the finest communications consulting services to clients in a variety of industries worldwide.  FMPR specializes in communications strategies that are effective in our unique island community, where cultural and business nuances must be carefully navigated. For more information about FMPR, visit its website at www.fmpr.net.

The following is an excerpt from “The PR Fix for the Everyday Person” © 2012 by Jenny Fujita and Joy Miura Koerte.

“The trouble with talking too fast is you may say something you haven’t thought of yet.”
- Ann Landers

Thinking before speaking seems obvious but most people don’t do it consistently. We have become a society of blurting out things without regard for the consequences.  We see it in politics when politicians put their foot in their mouth in front of a news camera. We see it in the grocery store when impatient people berate the cashier.  We see it at public hearings when people yell out their opinions.  We see it in high-drama reality TV shows and think, “Can you believe she said that?”

Unfortunately, we also often see a lack of discretion in ourselves, with our spouses, children, co-workers, and friends.  None of these blurts leads us anywhere good as humans or as a society. They shock and offend. They cause us to have resentments and hold grudges. They bruise our souls.

On the other hand, there are some terrific communicators that do think before they speak. Take the Obama campaign. In the historic election they were facing, they had to be very careful. They couldn’t afford mistakes. When issues arose, the campaign was often criticized for being slow to respond. This is very unusual in politics and the reason why politicians usually hedge questions. They don’t want to commit to an answer and they can always answer quickly if they say nothing of substance.  Yet with the Obama campaign, when the response did come, though perhaps delayed, it was well thought out and it was substantial.  Was it worth it for Obama to take his time before speaking publicly? Of course. The consequences of making flip remarks would have been disastrous. And though not everyone will agree with his political views, few can argue that Obama isn’t eloquent.

Now take the image of a grandpa and his grandson sitting on a riverbank with their fishing rods. The grandson asks his grandpa a hard question. The grandpa holds his rod, furrows his eyebrows, and looks off into the distance for a while. He smiles to himself and then looks at his grandson. And then he answers the question. He’s taken all the time in the world to give the boy’s question careful consideration. Was it worth the time? Yes, and in fact, those few moments and the resulting response created a memory that the grandpa and his grandson will remember forever.

Compare that with what happens while you’re making dinner on a school night, an activity sandwiched among a load of laundry, coordinating a pickup from soccer practice, assisting with algebra homework, and cleaning the cat box. You know how weeknights are… Everyone’s scurrying and overloaded. There’s little time to think about saying something nicely. Swiftness and efficiency are critical.  And yet it’s not very effective to treat people efficiently.  We save time but we waste intimacy and care.  This is why Steven Covey developed The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People not The Seven Habits of Highly Efficient People. But can you afford to slow down and think before you speak? This is your campaign, so to speak, and your only shot at winning with the most important people in your life, so yes, you not only can think before you speak, you must.

There are innumerable benefits to thinking before you speak. For one, the time allows you to formulate what comes out of your mouth, to erase defensiveness and avoid reactivity.

Defensiveness comes when someone says something to you and your verbal “fight response” sets in to protect yourself. “I did not!” “You did so!” “Well you….” This kind of interaction goes nowhere. It’s a never-ending volleyball rally.  A great way to stop the rally when you’re feeling attacked is to stop and say, “Thank you!” It sounds strange but the phrase “thank you” works in more situations than you might think. “Why didn’t you pay that bill?” “Thank you for reminding me! I’ll do it right now.” It’s hard to argue with that.

Reactivity is a term usually associated with a chemical reaction. In other words, when you mix two molecules together, they automatically do something. They don’t think about it. They just do it.  We’re humans though; we’re not molecules. We have self-control when we want to exercise it.  We also have deep feelings, complex thought patterns, and complicated lives. Words matter to us so being proactive instead of reactive counts.  “Be proactive” is something we’re told to be all the time in the modern world. We tell our clients to be proactive but what do we mean? We mean think ahead, anticipate what might be said or done so that you can prepare your actions and words.  This requires taking your time.

Taking your time before you speak also ensures that you speak only for yourself and say the appropriate thing. We always tell our clients that when they’re asked questions about a situation involving several parties that they must only answer for their own company. Same goes for you. If you’re asked a question about a situation involving several people, say, “I can’t answer for them but I know that I…” Without the pause, we can be too tempted to surmise what another person thinks or feels and answer for them, and that can get us into trouble because we might very well be wrong about what the other person thinks or feels. Plus, you wouldn’t want someone answering a question on your behalf unless you’d given them permission to do so.

Avoiding assumptions is another advantage of thinking before you speak. For many of us, we instinctually take anything and everything personally. When our spouse is in a bad mood, we worry that they’re upset with us.  When the boss is grumpy, we think we’ve done a bad job. Pausing before you speak allows you to reframe, remove the assumption that it’s about you, and consider the reality that there could be a million and one reasons why your spouse is in a bad mood or the boss is grumpy. In The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz reminds us not to take anything personally. He says, “”Nothing others do is because of you. What others do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.”  That’s true, and yet unless we stop ourselves and consider this truth, we so quickly make assumptions.

Exercise:

The Three Second Rule

Spend one day counting to three slowly before you say anything. That’s right, anything. It will seem awkward at first because we’ve gotten so used to high-speed responses. Remember that that’s not the normal rhythm of healthy human interactions. Slow down and take your time before you open your mouth. When you do, use discretion.  Remind yourself to be proactive instead of reactive. Avoid being defensive by saying “thank you” instead. Speak only for yourself.  Remove assumptions and take nothing personally. You will be happier for it and so will all those with whom you’re conversing.

Have you ever been caught up in a drama with family, friends or co-workers? Those incidents usually boil down to what someone told so-and-so about someone else who told the next person, and so on.  In the midst of it, you feel like you’re back in high school, where everyone is acting pouty and impulsive.  One of the reasons we celebrated our high school graduations was to be done with those shenanigans!

When you think back to the times in your life when you had conflicts with others, the root issue almost always came down to one thing: bad communication. Inevitably the wrong thing was said at the wrong time in the wrong way. Or the wrong thing was heard at the wrong time in the wrong way.

Alternatively, if you think back to the most wonderful times in your life, those usually involved positive communication. The first time you said or heard “I love you,” when you said, “I do,” when you read the offer letter for the job or school you wanted, or the first time your baby smiled at you.

Since we have no recall on words or expressions though, and since communication is so impactful in human interactions, the way we communicate is critical, whether we’re talking, displaying body language, listening, or writing.

When people hear the term “public relations” they usually think of a consulting service that’s provided to a company or celebrity to shape up their image, promote them, and help them talk to their respective audiences.  Well, public relations is just as important for the everyday person. It will only serve you to have a great image, to present yourself well in public, and to be able to communicate positively with the most important people in your life (your spouse, parents, children, boss, in-laws, etc.). If you boil PR down to its essence, that’s all it is: relating well to your publics. That’s what we teach our clients to do every day through our work at our PR firm. And that’s what we teach you to do in “The PR Fix for the Everyday Person” © 2012.

PR has gotten a bad rap for being “spin,” presenting a fake image, or lying to people. This is not the case.  Good PR is about putting forth who you really are in a positive way.  It’s about knowing yourself — the good, the bad and the ugly — but maximizing the good and minimizing the bad and the ugly.

PR is also about mindful discretion, both in our words, tone, and body language. We all get in trouble in life when we gossip, make assumptions, exaggerate, react impulsively, scowl, roll our eyes, stay silent when we should speak up, or speak up when we should be silent.

Often, we are so embroiled in our emotions, defending ourselves, or justifying our words and actions that we don’t even know how we’ve gotten ourselves into a mess, and we certainly don’t know how to get out of it. As your personal PR consultants, we’re here to give you concrete tips, scripts, and actions to help you live a happier, healthier, conflict-free life.  Communication is that powerful. So we’re going to tell you how to get your PR fix and use it well. More to come!

LinkedIn started out in the living room of co-founder Reid Hoffman in 2002 and the site officially launched in 2003. At the end of the first month in operation, LinkedIn had a total of 4,500 members in the network.  As of February 2012, LinkedIn operates the world’s largest professional network on the Internet with more than 150 million members in over 200 countries and territories.  To us, this makes having a LinkedIn profile as basic as being a member of your local Chamber of Commerce.

LinkedIn provides an excellent opportunity for anyone in the work world to post professional information about themselves and link with multitudes of individuals and groups in their areas of interest – without the personal, potentially sticky nuances of other social media outlets.

If you haven’t done so already, set up a LinkedIn account.  Post a high resolution, professional photo of yourself as well as the most impressive points of your resume.  Using the available choices, let the LinkedIn world know what it is you’re after (consulting offers, expertise requests, business deals, etc.).  The focus is purely professional; there’s no need to post any personal information.

Then, it’s time to start connecting. Shoot for at least 200 connections initially, and accept requests to link as you receive them.  To find people and groups to link, begin by searching for your alma mater, past workplaces, and professional organizations of which you’re a member.  Join groups as appropriate and invite people within those groups to link to you. Whereas it might be inappropriate to “like” a colleague on Facebook, it’s entirely appropriate to link to them on LinkedIn. In no time at all, you will have a list of hundreds of connections, and an outlet to communicate with them directly or en masse.

Use LinkedIn as a basic business tool and you’ll gain innumerable benefits from reconnecting to job hunting to marketing your current business.

It wasn’t a tough sell: free pie for a bit of feedback. We took them up on the offer right away and in the process, they involved us in their business and showed us that they care about what we (and all of their customers) think. Now, we are practically indebted to them, in a good way. In other words, we’ll definitely buy pies from The Right Slice because of our positive experience with them.

The Right Slice has served up the right PR slice by using social media to engage their publics and bring awareness to a new product, and by engendering a deeper engagement with their patrons.

Think of ways that you can involve your customers, pull them into your world, and show them that you truly care about their opinions.  Give away something free and valuable, and ask for something in return.  Normally, when we give things to others, we try not to have strings attached. Not so in business. Quid pro quo is what you’re after because then and only then are you truly attached to your customers and they to you.

Shelcie Takenouchi completed her master’s degree in public relations from USC and is working at Hill & Knowlton in Irvine. Benjie Baclig is in his third year at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. This summer, he interned at Barclays Capital in New York. Shyanne Matsumoto is in her second year of pursuing a double major in secondary education and chemistry at Oregon State University.  All three are thriving and connected as a network of FMPR Scholars who intend to come back to Kaua`i one day to share their knowledge and leadership.

This year, since we are now a bicoastal company operating out of Hawai`i and Pennsylvania, we will award one $1,000 scholarship each to a Kaua`i student and a Pennsylvania student pursuing their bachelor’s or graduate degree.

The scholarship application is available online at www.fmpr.net. Applicants must be able to demonstrate how they fulfill specific criteria through their completed Application Form, a personal statement, and school transcripts.  Applications must be submitted by March 30 and FMPR Scholars will be announced on May 1.

We look forward to seeing what talent comes forth this year through our FMPR Scholarship application process.  It gives us great hope for our future leaders and for the larger network of FMPR Scholars we’ll continue to create over the years.

The selection of FMPR Scholars is based upon Kaua’i and Pennsylvania residents and students who:

• Are pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees, preferably in communications or public relations.
• Are interested in owning or working for a small business and/or home-based business.
• Are engaged in entrepreneurial activities.
• Have the intention to come home to and pursue their livelihoods in their hometowns after undergraduate or graduate school.
• Are engaged in community service and wish to advance their local community after college.
• Have proven intellectual and academic achievements.
• Show integrity of character and an interest in helpinWg others.
• Have the ability to lead and the motivation to use their talents to the fullest.

Click here for an application as well as detailed instructions.  Completed applications are due by March 30, 2012, and the FMPR Scholars for 2012 will be announced on May 1, 2012.

We are looking forward to learning about applicants’ aspirations and plans for the future; about how they plan to make an effective contribution to the world around them; and how they will blend their intellectual talents and concern for others to play an influential role in the betterment of society, wherever their careers might take them.

When we award our Fujita & Miura Public Relations Scholarships it will be our honor and privilege to wish those students well as they head off to college, and to demonstrate our great optimism for the future of our youth.