This past year was a riot. I got to enjoy another amazing year of living in Hawaii. Working, playing, and exploring. I traveled. From exciting business pitches in Seattle to my first trip to Las Vegas. Food shows in New York, and visiting family and friends back East. I got to talk. I know that’s no surprise to anyone that knows me but this past year I got to do it for work, and all around Hawaii. All that talking somehow landed me my first appearances on television news shows. Two of them actually. Not to mention my debut on the television show “Lost,” where I had a very exciting two second appearance as an extra. Anyone want an autograph? No? OK. Then, Hawaii Business had the the strange initiative of placing me in their magazine. Their audience is still complaining about that. All in all it was a fun year, but in 2010… I have work to do.

So what’s in store for 2010?

• I know it’s cliche, but I have to get back into some kind of fitness routine. I’ve been copping out under, “I surf, no need to workout,” but that really isn’t cutting it. On top of that I have to start eating better. I hope Kim and her Food Network obsession can help me out with that.

• After I get healthy I need to get back to giving back. Say that three times fast. I did some work with a few non-profits this year but I wasn’t really able to create any routines with them. This year I hope to remedy that. Access Surf is on top of that list because I really believe in what they’re trying to get accomplished.

• Get entrepreneurial. Work on a business plan, write a screenplay, something! My head is always in the clouds and I’m blessed and cursed with having constant ideas flood my mind. Instead of talking about them this year I plan on choosing a few projects to work on and actually working on them. I majored in Entrepreneurship for God’s sake!

• Smile more. I do plenty of this but lately I have been realizing how damn lucky I am. It doesn’t happen that much but I still need to drop the stress and the random complaints about meaningless crap. Instead, I’m going to grab my board and go surfing while the sun goes down behind me.

• There are a list of others that have to do with staying in better touch with friends and family, pushing the needle at work, getting in the water more, reading more, etc. etc. but I don’t want to bore you folks with too many details.

Anyway, wish me luck.

Everyone is in the same boat right now, that we’re all watching this digital evolution unveil itself one day at a time. But the important thing is that while we watch, we also participate. There are no experts on the subject, only people with opinions, ideas, and probably loud personalities (guilty). So take the first step, find your medium and a voice, and find ways to help your business strive.

The interview was held at 6am the day after St. Patrick’s Day, so with little sleep and some butterflies in my stomach, I headed out to the interview in the middle of the night. It was a little nerve wrecking to be on live television for the first time but the folks at McNeil Wilson Communications made it a super smooth process! The warm welcome from the entire KITV4 crew was much appreciated, and Mahealani Richardson made it feel like I was just talking shop with a friend. So here it is, why Twitter is a fantastic self branding and company marketing tool.

If you are interested in catching the “State of the Web 2009″ panel discussion, you can catch the live stream here, live on March 24th, 2009 at 9am Hawaii time.

Ambitious maybe, but mostly true. Like anyone else I have my bad days but for the most part I’m stoked. Here’s proof:

See? That’s me stoked while dropping in on a right at Wailupe, a favorite surf break of mine. Surfing is a huge source of my stoke and from what I’ve heard that’s where the term originated from. I moved to Hawaii just over a year ago and the stokes have been pretty consistent ever since. It has been an absolute privilege to live and play here, and I continue to envy all those who were born in Hawaii. Those are the folks who pass that stoke on to me everyday, cheers!

Other than surfing, I get stoked on doing anything outside. Probably makes sense why I love living in Hawaii so much. I also get stoked on work stuff. I work for StarrTech Interactive a division of Anthology Marketing. I dig interactive media planning, digital new media, social media, media media, and some more media. If you don’t believe me, check my Twitter page. 

So what can you expect from this piece of interactive literature? Sarcasm, and lots of it. Other than that there should be some surf session posts, movie posts, new media posts, exploring Hawaii posts, some rants, some raves, and some randoms. What do I expect from you? To laugh, to learn, and to vicariously earn a stoke of your own through mine. I also want to hear your comments, thoughts, and arguments. I love to argue, so bring it.

Speaking of bringing it (have you brought it yet?) I would love to hear where your stokes stem from. So… what’s your stoke? 

Cheers,

Dan Zelikman. (1)