Start With Why

A few years ago, I was sitting in a meeting with my Vistage Trusted Advisors team (a professional peer review group) when our host, Lori Blatt, threw us a curveball. Instead of doing the typical host business review, Lori put on a video and told us to relax and watch it. The video was a Ted talk featuring Simon Sinek entitled How Great Leaders Inspire Action. This 18-minute video opened my eyes. I was so impressed with Simon Sinek’s talk that I went out and bought his book on the same subject: Start With Why.

In a nutshell, Sinek claims that people won’t follow you simply because of what you do; rather, leaders inspire because of why they do what they do. His examples included Apple, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Wright Brothers. It’s a compelling story that I bought hook, line and sinker. You start with why, which leads to how, and results in what you do. Sounds simple, right? Sadly, this isn’t the way most leaders think, and those who don’t project why they do what they do don’t sustain success. This isn’t only true for business; it applies in all walks of life.

So, with this newfound knowledge, I asked myself: what is my why?

I really hadn’t thought about this before, being happy learning about the great examples Simon Sinek showed me and reading the specifics of how this all works in his book. I’ve always fancied myself a leader, but I never examined what made me a pretty good one (I’ve been told that I am, so I don’t want to sound like I’m tooting my own horn here). One of the things I’m most proud of myself for is that I’m the same person no matter what the circumstance. Business. Family. Friends. Society. It doesn’t matter who I’m dealing with; I always talk and act the same way. No situation seems too big or too small for me to be myself. I’ve gotten to know a lot of great people in my life, and I can count on one hand the ones I would no longer associate with (nor they with me). This makes me happy.

And then it hit me: my why.

“I believe that I was put on this earth to enter into long-lasting, positive relationships with as many people as possible.”

Whew. That’s a tall order, it’s a good thing I’m an extrovert! But, how do I do this?

“When I meet someone, I immediately act as if I’ve known them for my entire life, and often this leads to meaningful conversations in a short period of time.”

Wow. That’s me. Ask those in my life who interact with me the most (my wife, my kids, my boss, my coworkers, my close friends) and I think they would agree. I drive my family crazy with the way I will talk to anybody, and when they ask me “who was that,” I will often answer them “I don’t know, I just met them.” This ability informs my business success as well. Although I sell energy for a living, which as a commodity business can be very price-driven, I follow a relationship sales model. I have many long-standing customers and consultants who I consider friends. They do business with me because they like me and are comfortable working with me. I may not always have the lowest price, but my service to them is second to none. I always respond promptly, tell the truth, even if it’s bad news, and solve problems as quickly as I can. Simple, right?

So, why am I writing about this in a Tiki blog?

First, it’s my blog and I like to write, so deal with it!

Second, this is a story that’s been bouncing around in my head recently, and I needed to get it out, so here it is.

Third, I’ve been documenting my Tiki journey in these blog posts, and the one consistent theme has been the friends I’ve made over the past 10 years in the ohana.

Tiki is one of my newest walks of life, but I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in a short period of time. With the advent of the Internet, Facebook and social media in general, it’s even easier to develop meaningful relationships. Take my buddy George Borcherding (pictured with me on the cover image for this post), for example. George and I got to know each other via Facebook, as we travel in many of the same Tiki circles. George lives over 1,000 miles away from me in Jacksonville FL, but I consider him a good friend and Tiki brother. We’ve gotten together a few times now, all at Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Village Resort, where we’ve knocked back many Dole Whips and Tiki drinks together. George has inspired me with his love of Tiki, and I hope I have done the same for him. Mahalo Nui Keoki, I love you bruddah!

George is the exception, as most of my Tiki friends are people I haven’t actually met. No matter. Thanks to phones and the internet, I’ve had meaningful conversations with Tiki people all over the world. The syndicated radio/podcast host in Sydney, Australia. The Tiki mug maker in Paris, France. The Tiki wood carver in Kauai, Hawaii. The musicians in Jacksonville, Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles. The artists in LA, Seattle, Salt Lake City, and Melbourne Beach, Florida. The list goes on, and I don’t want to mention all of the names for fear of forgetting somebody. If you’ve read my blog posts, you know who these good people are.

The moral of my story is this: relationships matter to me. A lot. I’m good with that, and glad to know it helps me in all aspects of my life. That’s my why.

What’s your why?

You can check out Simon Sinek’s Ted talk here: https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

After you’ve watched the video, read the book: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Why-Leaders-Inspire-Everyone/dp/1591846447

A Small Collection

Tiki mugs are addictive. At least, they are for me. It all started with a nice score on eBay, and since my first Tiki mug purchase, I’ve gone on to collect a few more. I’m now out of room in the shelf I built just 6 months ago, which means I should probably stop buying Tiki mugs. Or build another shelf in A. Panda’s Tiki Lounge. 😎

As I marvel at the small collection of Tiki mugs I’ve amassed in just a few short years, it dawned on me: these works of art are mileposts along my Tiki journey. I will now recreate that journey for you, with pictures to prove it. Here we go.

The Kahiki Polynesian Supper Club, Columbus OH. As mentioned before, I found this gem on eBay, at a pretty reasonable price. There were many Tiki mugs sold at The Kahiki, so it isn’t particularly rare, but I had just begun researching this now-extinct Tiki temple and had a trio of “worlds colliding” moments (see Whenceforth A. Panda’s Tiki Lounge) when I found this mug. It was the start of a new addiction.

The Mai-Kai Restaurant and Polynesian Show, Fort Lauderdale FL. As my research into Tiki temples continued, I learned of the granddaddy of them all, The Mai-Kai. Founded in 1956 by two brothers from Chicago, this is the oldest and best Polynesian supper club in the world. My wife Jessica and I took a long weekend trip to Fort Lauderdale a couple of years ago (see Aloha Spirit: The Mai-Kai) so I could see this Tiki Mecca for myself. We spent many hours in this beautiful place, walking through the gardens, checking out the amazing Polynesian dance show, and knocking back a few libations in The Molokai Lounge. The tall Tiki mug came with my first Mai-Tai, and the rum barrel came from the gift shop. Good times, and I would return later for The Hukilau.

Disneyland’s Enchanted Tiki Room and Trader Sam’s, Anaheim CA. In 2013, Jess and I hit the road again, this time to California for the 50th anniversary celebration of The Enchanted Tiki Room (see Aloha Spirit: Los Angeles). We spent a couple of sessions in the new Trader Sam’s, where my favorite drink was the Krakatoa. It came with a cool animated show in the bar and this spiffy, lava-dripping Tiki mug. I also picked up this amazing Pele mug by Kevin Kidney at the Enchanted Tiki Room festivities, where I also scored some cool SHAG swag from the man himself. It was a memorable trip that contributed a lot of pieces to the Tiki Lounge.

The Hukilau, Fort Lauderdale FL. In 2014, I left Jessica at home and met my buddy Bruce at The Hukilau, the East Coast’s biggest Tiki weekender event (see The Hukilau: Day 1). 4 days of hanging out with like-minded Tiki geeks led to many new friendships and 2 cool new Tiki mugs: an orange coconut mug and a Marquesian cannibal mug by Eekum Bookum. Tasty.

Tiki Pop, Paris France. Sven Kirsten is the godfather of the modern Tiki movement (see Tiki Ohana: Builders). His newest book, Tiki Pop, was the companion book to the expo he had in Paris in 2014, Tiki Pop : L’Amérique rêve son paradis polynésien, at the musée du quai Branly. I gladly scooped up this tome and the Tiki Bob mug that came with it. Both are displayed proudly in the Tiki Lounge.

Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago IL. Last year, for my 50th birthday, the family took a road trip to Chicago. We spent time visiting my buddy Bruce, who lives in Lincoln Park, and he surprised me with a gift of this cool Tiki mug from Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge in Minneapolis MN. After a wonderful dinner at David Burke’s Primehouse, Jess took the kids back to the hotel and Bruce and I headed to Three Dots and a Dash for some Tiki drinks. While there, I picked up this gorgeous seahorse bowl designed by Baï of Paris. This is the most beautiful piece of Tiki art I own! It would inspire me to get another Tiki mug from Baï later.

Hawaii Kai, New York NY. When we returned from Chicago, my mother-in-law Phyllis surprised me with a gift of this cool bamboo Tiki mug. She got it on her honeymoon in NYC, at the now-defunct Hawaii Kai, Manhattan’s most famous Polynesian supper club. This is the rarest Tiki mug in my collection. Mahalo, Phyllis!

Tiki Lounge, Pittsburgh PA. Last year, we attended the first annual Wildwood Vintage Tiki Weekender in Wildwood NJ (see Wildwood Weekend), organized by my friend Beth Lennon of Retro Roadmap. I made a lot of new friends at the beach that weekend, including Paul Matarrese from Pittsburgh. During a room crawl / swap fest, I bartered one of my music compilations for this cool Tiki mug Paul brought along. The matchbook was a nice throw-in.

 Tiki Farm, San Clemente CA. Tiki Farm is one of the most popular purveyors of Polynesian pop culture around. They’ve created many Tiki mugs during the current Tiki revival, and just celebrated their 15th anniversary with this beautiful mug by Doug Horne. The mug comes with a cast-in spear holder in the back to hold a cool orange spear swizzle stick.

Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at The Polynesian Village, Orlando FL. On a quick trip to Orlando for a work sales conference last month, we made a quick stop in my happy place, The Polynesian. When we were there for our last family vacation, Trader Sam’s was still under construction. It’s now open for business! I met my newest Tiki friend, George Borcherding, for some Dole Whips and a couple of Tiki drinks. Our first drink was the Uh-Oa, which came in this cool bowl. I now have 2 Tiki mugs from Trader Sam’s, one from each coast.

Ku by Baï, Paris France. Ku is the Hawai’ian God of War. This is my 2nd Tiki mug designed by Baï, but this one I got directly from her. Whereas the Three Dots and a Dash seahorse bowl is my most beautiful Tiki mug, Ku is my most detailed and substantial Tiki mug. I really love Baï Tiki’s work – it’s stunning!

So there you have it. These are my prized possessions: Tiki mugs collected along many stops of my Tiki journey. But these aren’t the only Tiki mugs I own. My friends have a habit of thinking of me during their travels, and pick up little Tiki trinkets to bring home as gifts to me. Some of these gifts are Tiki mugs. Nondescript but cool, I haven’t been able to identify their origins, but I display them around A. Panda’s Tiki Lounge nonetheless. Here are a few final pictures of these beauties in action. If anybody recognizes any of these Tiki mugs, please let me know. Aloha!