Sigall’s books bring Hawaii companies to life

Bob Sigall is back reminiscing about Hawaii's past with a new best-seller, "The Companies We Keep2"

STORY SUMMARY »

Bob Sigall, a Honolulu-based marketing consultant and professor, has found a niche market in writing about Hawaii's amazing people, places and companies.

Bob Sigall » Job: Marketing instructor at Hawaii Pacific University » Accomplishment: Recently published "The Companies We Keep2." The book, the second in a series, evolved out of an assignment he gave his students to interview the president of any well-known Hawaii business. » Other endeavors: Business consultant since 1978; owned his own firm, Creative-1, since 1985; in 2003 launched Management Magic, which provides mentors to work one-on-one with midlevel managers and supervisors.

Sigall, who took a classroom project and turned it into a best-selling book in 2004, has now expanded the endeavor into a series. This holiday season, he released his latest installment, "The Companies We Keep2."

"I just got a call that told me "The Companies We Keep2" will be No. 1 on the (Hawaii) best-seller list (today), and the first book will be the No. 2 best-seller," Sigall said.

"Great news. I expected the second book to make the list, and hoped for No. 1, but I was not thinking my four-year-old book would also make the best-seller list again."

The title of the series, "The Companies We Keep," was taken from an old Aesop's Fable about a man who purchases a donkey but returns him to the seller after discovering that the animal had aligned himself with the idlest of the buyer's donkeys.

"Like the donkey, a man is known by the company that he keeps," Sigall said. "Hawaii is known or defined by the companies we have kept through our patronage, and the people that we have embraced with our aloha."

A lifelong entrepreneur, Sigall started his first business in intermediate school filing IRS tax returns for his friends. After earning a master's degree from the University of Hawaii in 1975, Sigall went on to found several local businesses. He's been a business consultant since 1978 and opened his own firm, Creative-1, in 1985.

Companies by the numbers How many signature items do these Hawaii restaurants sell? » Zippy's chili Answer: 175 million servings since 1963 » Leonard's malasadas Answer: 150 million since 1952 » Liliha Bakery cocoa puffs Answer: 20 million since 1990 » Royal Kitchen baked manapua Answer: 13 million since 1975 » Matsumoto's shave ice Answer: 12 million since 1951 » Big Kahuna's garlic cheese balls Answer: 7 million since 1994 » Boulevard Saimin 6 million bowls since 1951 » Helena's Hawaiian Food pipikaula short ribs 1 million since 1987 Source: Bob Sigall, "Companies We Keep2"

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FULL STORY »

Bob Sigall, a Honolulu-based marketing consultant and professor, has found a niche market in writing about Hawaii's amazing people, places and companies. However, there's one story he should have featured more prominently in his popular series, "The Companies We Keep" -- his own.

How well do you know Hawaii's stores Here's your chance to test your knowledge of Hawaii's fascinating people, places and companies: » 1. How did Christmas come to the Hawaiian islands? » 2. What did Imelda Marcos think of Frank De Lima's impression of her? » 3. Who was the King of Hawaiian Sweet Bread? » 4. Which restaurant is gone, but its salad dressing remains? » 5. What American Princess met her husband in Honolulu? » 6. Who was Hawaii's first visitor from Japan? » 7. Which comedian's joke became a local company name? » 8. What lullaby did Harry Owens write for his daughter? » 9. Are there wallabies on Oahu? » 10. Whose idea was Magic Island? Answers at bottom of page.

The story of how Sigall took a classroom project and turned it into a best-selling book series would have been worth including in his latest installment "The Companies We Keep2," which was released this holiday season.

"In 2004, an assignment I gave my students six years earlier at Hawaii Pacific University, to teach them the value of networking, turned into a book," Sigall said.

As Sigall's students networked, they uncovered dozens of fascinating stories about Hawaii companies, schools and organizations, he said. As Sigall shared these stories with friends, the material met with strong interest and he realized that it might be worthy of being published.

"Because of the reaction of my friends, I had a feeling the book would do well, but I never imagined it would make the best-seller list, let alone reach No. 1," he said. "Secretly I was afraid it would fall like a lead balloon. In many ways, I was taking a chance."

For those that know Sigall, a lifelong entrepreneur, there was little doubt that his latest endeavor would succeed. He started his first business in intermediate school, over 30 years ago, filing IRS tax returns for his friends so they would get refunds. For six years in high school and college, he had his own window-washing business.

After earning a master's degree from the University of Hawaii in 1975, Sigall went on to found several local businesses. He's been a business consultant since 1978 and opened his own firm, Creative-1 in 1985.

"Over the years, I have offered marketing and management consultation to over 700 Hawaii businesses," said Sigall, who is also a director of Small Business Hawaii.

Like many of the success stories in his book series, Sigall triumphed in his latest endeavor by applying his best skills.

To hedge his bets, Sigall conducted market research on both the first book and the second and sought community sponsors to share in the publishing costs. The title of the series, "The Companies We Keep," was taken from an old Aesop's Fable about a man who purchases a donkey but returns him to the seller after discovering that the animal had aligned himself with the idlest of the buyer's donkeys.

"Like the donkey, a man is known by the company that he keeps," Sigall said. "Hawaii is known or defined by the companies we have kept through our patronage, and the people that we have embraced with our aloha."

By keeping company with those who could help him achieve his newest goals, Sigall quickly saw his career gamble pay off. The first printing of the original book sold out in four months, Sigall said. It is now in its fourth printing.

"It's now carried in every major bookstore," he said, adding that retailers also have added "The Companies We Keep2" to their collections.

Revenue from "The Companies We Keep" has become a primary source of income for Sigall, surpassing the net from his marketing and teaching jobs, Sigall said.

This time around, Sigall, who self-published his popular series, is more confident about public response to "The Companies We Keep2," which offers readers more amazing stories about Hawaii's people, places and companies.

"I think it's going to be a great success," he said. "It's a kamaaina trivia-lovers dream and it's a vehicle to spill the beans about Hawaii's greatest stories."

Sigall said that while Hawaii's rich cultural diversity offers many fascinating stories, little of the information has been published.

"Hawaii's companies and organizations are usually so busy telling us what's on special today that they don't tell us their great stories from the past," he said.

"As a marketing consultant, I see this as a missed opportunity. Knowing the travails our companies overcame deepens our appreciation of them"

Sigall said that he would urge other companies with great stories to share them with customers.

"Put them on the back of their menu or brochures. Put pictures up on the walls. Share the stories in their advertising. Detail them on Web sites," he said.

Perhaps, Hawaii's businesses should listen to Sigall. Just look at what sharing their stories did for him.

Answers 1. An English ship, the Charlotte, happened to be exploring Waimea Bay, Kauai, on Christmas Day in 1786. The crew's celebration became Hawaii's first Christmas dinner. 2. She was amazed, she said, at how much he looked like her! 3. Robert Taira took King's Bakery from Hilo to Honolulu and then went global. The ninth of 11 children born to Okinawan immigrants built an empire that employs more than 300 people, grosses more than $25 million annually and is sold in more than 50 major markets 4. Tony and Peaches Guerrero closed their Tropics Restaurant in 1968; however their French dressing was so popular that they continued bottling it. 5. Hawaiian Pine executive Charles Black didn't know who Shirley Temple was when he met her at a party in Hawaii. That was part of his appeal to her and she was in love at first sight, she said. They were married 53 years. 6. In 1844, five young fishermen were shipwrecked off Japan in a storm. An American whaling ship brought them to Hawaii. One, "John" Manjiro, ended up advising and translating when Commodore Perry arrived in Japan, and was made a samurai for his service. 7. Mahalo Airlines was named after comedian Rap Reiplinger's skit. The joke was that they had four emergency exits -- two in the front of the cockpit and two in the rear. Party balloons could be used as flotation devices if the airline should run out of luck and plummet into the raging surf 8. Harry Owens, the Royal Hawaiian Hotel band leader, wrote "Sweet Leilani" to commemorate the birth of his daughter in 1934. The song, which was later recorded by Bing Crosby, went on to become a nationwide hit. 9. Yes. When Alewa Heights was being built in 1916, a developer brought them in to attract attention. But the wallabies got loose, establishing colonies that ranged from Halawa to Nuuanu valleys. Additional development eventually squeezed all of the wallabies into Kalihi valley. 10. In 1955, Henry Kaiser suggested two large islands be built in addition to the peninsula he called Magic Island. He wanted to build waterways, bridges and six hotels on them. Source: Bob Sigall, "The Companies We Keep2"