Maui Brainstormers Offers Marketing Workshop

Guest Speaker and Panelists: (left to right, first row) Lori Fisher, David “Kahu” Kapaku, Danielle Miller, (second row) David B. Fisher and Wayne Wong. MBB photo.

“Do your mission statement, tag line and elevator pitch messages translate a great first impression?

If not or if you are not sure, you are invited to attend the free “1-Minute Marketing” workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 5 p.m., at Maui Economic Development Board’s Malcom Center, Ste. 5, in Kihei.

At this interactive Maui Business Brainstormer workshop, attendees will be offered an opportunity to learn how to craft an effective message—delivered in person or via any marketing media—hard or electronic copy.

Panelists and speakers will include Lori Fisher, David “Kahu” Kapaku, Danielle Miller, David B. Fisher and Wayne Wong (see “Panelists and Speakers” below).

Seating is limited. Make reservations at MBB’s Meetup page.

“With today’s educated consumers and highly competitive market, simply applying sales psychology is no longer enough to break into a prospect’s natural resistance to be sold,” said Maui Business Brainstormer organizer Grace Fung. “You need to produce also a great first impression.”

“Great first impression means using messages that are a good fit, coherent, holistic and people-centered, as well as ready for today’s different fast paced lifestyle patterns with prospects who are too busy to pay attention to what is written or being said, Fung added.

“Clear and timely messages are critical for success in today’s business environment,” said Gerry Smith, director of Business Development for MEDB. “At MEDB, we are very excited to help sponsor events like this where entrepreneurs can sharpen their skills at effective messaging.”

Panelists and Speakers

David B. Fisher is a Hawai‘i business consultant and educator who helps his clients move their thoughts to action, communicating to customers, investors and  team members. “Besides the humility that comes with realizing that the more you know, the more you don’t know; a huge lesson has been the importance of brevity and engagement,” said Fisher. In 1990, he opened and operated the Small Business Development Center at the Maui Research & Technology Park until 2009, working with over 3,000 entrepreneurs and creating over $100 million in economic impact. Fisher is also an MBB member.

Danielle Miller is a small business enthusiast and marketing coach. Her expertise includes social media management and training. She also teaches at UH Maui College’s EdVenture program and hosts a women’s mastermind group. Miller is the principal at Miller Media, a marketing company on Maui offering marketing coaching, consulting and training as well as full service profile management. Miller is also an MBB member.

David “Kahu” Kapaku is a coconut basket weaver, ordained minister, Hawaiian activist, musician, teacher, planter, Hawaiian consultant, storyteller and poet. However, he more interested in writing children books/stories. Kahu is a Distinguished Toastmaster who mastered the communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Kapaku is also an MBB organizer.

Lori Fisher is an experienced executive, manager, author, lecturer, presenter and mentor in the technical communication and user experience fields. She brings expertise in analyzing organizational behavior, building organizational capability and growing organizational credibility. Her areas of specialization are clear and effective communication, creating and delivering powerful business presentations, and aligning communication with business strategy. Her professional background includes 30 years in the software business as an executive at IBM, managing usability, design and technical communications. She also taught writing and business communications at UC Santa Cruz for over 20 years. She is also an MBB organizer.

Wayne Wong is a recovering “business technologist” with over 30 years of IT experience evolving from coder to senior management, concentrating on ecommerce, online marketing and data security. He is the director of the Maui Small Business Development Center. His professional experience includes Small Business Solutions project director under EdVenture at UH Maui College. Using employer engagement, skill shortages and education/training gaps are identified and become the basis for curriculum leading to higher-wage, high-skill employment. Wayne holds a master of business administration degree in marketing from the University of Puget Sound and a bachelor of science degree from the University of Washington. He is also an MBB member.

“This workshop was a success and fun at the 2015 Maui Small Business Week; therefore, the following sponsors and supporters are helping MBB to make it happen again,” said Fung.

• Maui Economic Development Board
• Maui Small Business Development Center
• Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce
• SCORE Maui

The Malcom Center is located at 1305 N. Holopono St.