Author’s Note: Re-entry into ‘fast lane’ USA after six months exploring the backwaters of Asia was culture shock in reverse – a relief at first, then stressful as time went on. Back on the American diet, I gained 20 pounds in 20 days, and embarked on a six-month round-the-country excursion – hitting 30 states by year’s end.
It was a typical road trip back east – traveling in a broken down ‘65 Mercedes with four of my college buddies. We were the Czechoslovakian Bobsled Team running, pushing furiously down icy roads to jump-start it. Then hopping in to drive merrily on our way from Colorado to Connecticut – without a clutch, a faulty electrical system, and through the Pennsylvania hills with no brakes. Somewhere in New York the fuel pump burst. But eventually we made it home safely for Christmas.
The Traveling Road Show, as we christened ourselves, rolled into the New Year, as our merry band skidded across the frozen northern reaches to descend upon unsuspecting households, picking up and dropping off friends along the way. In Atlantic City, we came out ahead by snagging quarters from the floor by the one-armed bandits.
From New York City, we headed to Lake George in the Adirondacks for a grand reunion of Silver Bay YMCA friends on winter break from university. I had just returned from Sri Lanka, and was itching to get back overseas. But these reunions with summertime friends were not to be missed, and there were many others to visit all around the country.
But it all ground to a halt suddenly on a cold, dark night of nasty sleet and freezing rain in State College, Pennsylvania. Mononucleosis (also known as “the kissing disease” because the virus is spread through saliva) turned a 3-day visit into three months – sick and stretched out in a sleeping bag for 10 weeks on the floor of a forgotten upstairs closet.
Months of relentless fatigue, illness and gut pain had taken their toll on my body and spirit, as the strength and energy returned ever so slowly to my weary limbs and weakened spirit. The price for that brief fling with the British girl in Kathmandu!
Indeed, it was the longest Spring in memory, and I wondered if the sun would ever return to the dreary Appalachians. Cold gray skies, relentless rain, and finally a few cautious rays lighting up the dogwood, cherry and apple blossoms – brilliant in the long-awaited sunshine. At last, I was well enough to travel and headed south and then west, visiting YMCAs and summertime friends all along the way.
The train rolled through utterly grim coal-mining towns and to Philadelphia, then followed the Delaware River south to Baltimore, the Chesapeake Bay, Washington DC, through Virginia and finally to Greensboro, North Carolina to meet a certain southern belle. A couple days in Raleigh, then by car to Boone where we stayed in a cabin overlooking the misty valleys and heavily forested ridges of the Appalachians.
Relaxing on the deck with a guitar, or in total silence but for a few woodland birds, we gazed out over the vast expanse of endless ridges and densely forested valleys. Bright spring flowers beside rustic homes pushing up through pungent, black earth. Thick stands of Mountain Laurels and Rhododendrons everywhere, like a subtropical rain forest. Eerie mists rising from forgotten valleys. Wondering at all the lost tales of men – their lives and deaths held secret by these, the oldest mountains on earth.
The train out of Charlotte swept south and west through Georgia for more reunions in Atlanta, and on to Alabama and the flats of Tuscaloosa, Meridian and Hattiesburg, Mississippi – flat and flooded. Then a five-mile trestle spanning Lake Pontchartrain into Louisiana and New Orleans where the local YMCA hosted me. Another southern belle gave me a wonderful historic and cultural tour of the French Quarter and Bourbon Street, jazz and street parties everywhere, and out to the mighty Mississippi for a ride on a grand old paddle boat — all under the full moon of a balmy Louisiana night.
By June I had traveled through 23 states, hitting 30 states by year’s end. Back at home in Colorado, the mountains were as peaceful and magical as ever with summer colors. Beautiful flowers everywhere – there had been plenty of water that year, streams bubbling merrily along.
Local TV and radio interviews organized by my sponsoring YMCAs in Illinois and Wisconsin helped raise enough money for my up-coming assignment with the YMCA of Western Samoa. And again, I had to find a map to see where they were sending me!
I was recharged and ready for more adventure out in the world. But not before taking advantage of the summer months in North America. So my brother Dave and I set off for Alaska and Yukon territory, following the trail of the 1898 Gold Rush.
Stay tuned for “North to Alaska” coming soon!
You can read more about Jim’s backstory, here and here.
Hawaii Social Media Influencers? Why Parents of Millennials Need to Pay Attention to Social Media Celebrities.
As a parent and businesswoman, I recently came to an important realization: influencer marketing is astonishingly powerful and I must pay attention to it. Because it is changing everything.
This all starts when I hear my teenage son giggling under the covers. He’s watching a video of a YouTuber called “Guava Juice.” I have never heard of him before, but apparently he counts millions of viewers (including my son) among his enthusiastic fanbase. Guava Juice is a social media influencer from the Philippines, and very popular with Hawaii’s Keiki.
What is a social media influencer?
A social media influencer is someone who has established authentic credibility in a specific industry or niche, and who has influence over others and has propelled regular people into “social media stardom” with powerful, engaged followings. They get courted by brands to promote on their social media channels because people trust them. In just a few hours, they can garner results that used to take mainstream marketing years to achieve.
Social media influencers have, in a sense, become the new celebrities. And influencer marketing is the new celebrity endorsement.
Think of it as word of mouth…on steroids.
Guava Juice, for example, attracts eager audiences with his over-the-top, silly videos. When my son will spend hours laughing at videos of Guava Juice taking baths in Sriracha, Skittles, and Doritos (notice the brands?). On a slow day, these videos average a whopping 4 million viewers. The marketing potential is undeniable.
Case in point: a week later, my son asks me for 10 bags of Doritos, so he and his friends can make a video. They create their own gaming channel. At the end of each video, they thank their two subscribers (each other) for following them, and ask their two viewers (themselves) to “like and subscribe!”
Clearly, my son has been influenced.
Since witnessing this, I have been on a mission to learn more about who our children are being influenced by, and how deep this influence goes.
When I first hit Google, I find an article by Hawaii Business Magazine. It references several business women who have built followings as social media managers. It is written from an agency perspective, and focuses on more main stream influencers in retail and fashion.
This is when I realize that no two influencers are created equal. There are influencers for every kind of niche with varying demographics, influence, and reach.
But my son and his friends don’t know who these women are. So I begin to wonder what this international phenomenon looks like at the local level. Who are the social media stars of Hawaii?
After a bit of research, I learn that the two most famous social media stars from Hawaii are influencers called Nigahiga and Bretman Rock. Their following is huge.
Nigahiga, now living in the mainland, has over 40 million combined followers.
And Bretman Rock, a teenager from Ewa Beach, has over 20 million. I personally don’t allow my children to watch Bretman Rock. The language and sexual content is just not appropriate for kids. But pushing these boundaries is precisely what catapulted him to success. And he is now reportedly pulling in $4000 to post a single photo.
808 Viral
But Nigahiga and Bretman Rock are just two participants in a network of social media influencers here.
The first locally based millennial entertainment page to build a name in Hawaii is called, appropriately, 808 Viral. It’s a group of influencers who collaborate on various outrageous comedy skits. Many of their challenge videos, such as “Mokes Try Vegan Food” and “Mystery Manapua,” have gone viral.
All of the kids, it seems, know about 808 Viral. And as a parent, I’m okay with that. I find them to be a nice group making an attempt to be more responsible when it comes to a younger audience. For example, they assisted a fellow parent in helping to diffuse a bullying issue. They have been speaking at schools and supporting community projects, That was a major plus for me. I still monitor their content, however, before letting my kids watch it.
Their popularity has resulted in enviable business partnerships. They recently received sponsorship from Hele Gas and Aloha Kia. Moreover, several of the 808 Viral members left to build solo “brands.” Pashyn, known for her viral video “Pidgin Siri,” has accumulated a following of over 100,000 followers.
808 Viral’s founder, Daniela Stolfi-Tow, has been working with Hawaii influencers for several years and has created a network of over 1.5 million followers. To date, her material has pulled in over 500 million views.
“Everyone started it just for fun and it just grew and grew. One day we were out shooting a video and groups of people surrounded us wanting photos. They knew all our names, and every video we had done. We were just looking at each other like, wow, is this really happening? It is pretty amazing that anyone can pick up a camera and go viral from their living room and become a star overnight.” said Stolfi-Tow
Other popular Hawaii social media influencers include mythical creature Mermaid Kariel. Her audience now totals over half a million followers who love to watch her breathtaking underwater adventures.
Bretman Rock’s sister Princess (@maelovecleo) has her own channel totaling over 450k, even her 2 year old daughter Cleo has 100,000 fans. Both have several clothing sponsors. Little Cleo has even learned to catwalk from her Uncle Bretman.
Alex Farnham (channel name Mockstars) was so successful he moved to California and has been in several comedy movies and parody videos with millions of views. He most recently can be seen in the Mike’s Hard Lemonade commercials.
I found myself cracking up giggling under the covers as I watched all these videos. I realize that my son isn’t the only one in my house who has been influenced. #lol
Some more reading: