Aloha Goes Mobile
By Bill Jarvis
President & CEO of Mobi PCS
Earlier this year, as we at Mobi PCS celebrated our sixth anniversary, we felt it was time to formalize the Mobi way of doing business. We have carefully nurtured our local corporate culture since our launch, and it was time to put down on paper the Mobi ‘Ohana Way. Our Mobi Values include: Practice aloha, be a leader, hire and develop great people, be a team player, consider the future, run lean, be pono, own it, be humble and have fun.
Practice Aloha. What does that really mean from Mobi’s perspective? As our approximately 100 employees discussed it, we defined the term as showing respect, gratitude and appreciation for our customers and team-mates; giving without expectation, and caring about and for our community, families, and one another. But how would we show that aloha to the community?
Over the years, we have been involved with schools, most prominently through Brown Bags to Stardom and Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘O Anuenue, commonly known as the Anuenue Hawaiian language immersion school in Palolo. Our most recent educational initiative is the new Gear Up and Give Back program, which asks the community to visit any of the 12 Mobi stores or 20 of our authorized dealers statewide to vote for their favorite local elementary, middle, or high school using our custom-designed Mobi Gear Up and Give Back web app. The school with the most votes on Aug. 31 will receive a cash donation of $10,000. The second- and third-place schools each will receive $5,000 donations. Many of our employees are parents with children who are schooled all across the state. We know that our schools – public, charter, parochial and private, from kindergarten through 12th grade – need our support. Dollars won’t solve all problems, but they can help, one school at a time.
We at Mobi believe that every member of this community can help our schools to better educate our young people. Join us in practicing aloha for our schools, in whatever way you can, whether you speak for Hawaii’s largest company or are a retiree. Volunteer to read to kindergarteners, help sort books in the library or organize a school clean-up day. Do you want to thank the teachers who help educate your own children? What about the men and women who taught you? They surely deserve it. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”
And to quote a traditional Hawaiian proverb, “O Hawaii no ka aina maika’i: After all, Hawaii is the best land.”
For all of us at Mobi PCS, we can’t imagine a better way to “practice aloha” than through the Gear Up and Give Back program. Please join us to “Give Back” to the schools in this and other ways!
