Steve Petranik

Honolulu

Editor at Hawaii Business

Editor of Hawaii Business magazine

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Articles

For Jennifer Ablan, Coming Home Was a “Full Circle Move”

1 week ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

Hawaii Business’ new editor in chief had an impressive career in the national business media. Now she’s back in Hawai‘i, in her dream job. While growing up in Kalihi and attending Radford High School, Jennifer Ablan had a plan: “I wanted to be Lois Lane.” That meant going to New York City – a real-life version of Lane’s Metropolis – and being a reporter covering the city’s biggest stories.
Why You Should Listen Like a Good Journalist – Even If Others Don’t Listen Back - Hawaii Business Magazine

2 weeks ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

I began life as a shy kid and though I have developed an outgoing exterior, in many ways I remain an introvert at heart. That has helped make me a good listener. I’ve also been an outsider and an insider, a success and a failure, affluent and poor – which I think helps me to be more empathetic to other people’s views. I love to learn and am willing to be proven wrong about things that I thought to be true. Or to understand a new perspective that is as valid as mine.
Our Surveys Asked Hawai‘i Residents: What Is the State of the State?

1 month ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

37% of businesspeople say Hawai‘i is stagnant, and 33% says we’re in real trouble. METHODOLOGY: The BOSS Survey of local businesspeople and the 808 Poll of the general public are conducted twice a year for Hawaii Business Magazine by the research division of Anthology/Finn Partners. To learn the methodology for the polls, go to hawaiibusiness.com/bossmethod2025. This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Hawaii Business Magazine.
Despite Your Anxiety, Don’t Tune Out the News

2 months ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

Here are seven ways to stay informed while keeping your stress level under control. Knowing that I’m a journalist, people frequently tell me they can’t follow the news anymore. The turmoil in Washington, D.C., has pushed many over the edge, but then you also have wildfires and climate change, poverty and inequality, racism and intolerance, wars and violence, the uncertain economy. Every day seems to bring a fresh wave of scary reports.
A New Program Offers Advanced Leadership Training for Rising Executives

2 months ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

Hawai‘i Leadership Academy is a short, intense program that prepares vice presidents, directors, senior managers and department heads for even bigger roles. There are several training programs in Hawai‘i designed to prepare first-time managers to succeed in their new roles, and other programs give emerging leaders a holistic immersion in Hawai‘i and its unique culture.
How Hawai‘i Women Can Overcome Obstacles and Build Thriving Businesses

2 months ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

A Bluesky executive keynotes a major event for women entrepreneurs on May 2 that helps them finance, launch and grow their businesses. For the past two years, the Women Entrepreneurs Conference has been a high-energy half day of learning, inspiration and networking for hundreds of local female business owners. This year’s event on Friday, May 2, promises to be the best one yet.
Here’s What Hawai‘i Business Leaders Say about Their Companies, Life, Communities and Local Politicians

2 months ago | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

The Performance Index – based on changes in employment, gross revenue and profit before taxes at the 357 companies surveyed – fell for the third consecutive survey. The Optimism Index– based on those same business people’s feelings about the direction of Hawai‘i’s economy in the next year or two – rebounded from the low score in the previous survey.
Good Independent Journalism Matters More Than Ever

Mar 14, 2025 | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

My parents escaped dictators, communism and fascism for a better life. They knew that democracy was intertwined with fact-based media. If you count the five years I delivered newspapers as a kid, I have worked in the news business for 55 years. I am proud of the work my colleagues and I did – we were never perfect but most of us worked hard to provide accurate, useful and timely information that was fundamental to people’s lives and to democracy.
7 Fascinating Facts from the Hawai‘i State Data Book

Feb 26, 2025 | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

Death, taxes, tourists and other data about Hawai‘i, then and now. The annual state Data Book is a local treasure: The numbers inside tell us much about where Hawai‘i and its people are now and how we got here. Here are just a few of the things I found interesting and revealing in the Data Books, which are all online beginning with the 1967 edition, and other sources. • After the Japanese attack on military bases around O‘ahu on Dec.
I Used to Be a Little Scared of Retirement. Not Anymore.

Feb 6, 2025 | hawaiibusiness.com | Steve Petranik

The problem with paradise is the price we pay to live in it. It’s a lot. That high cost has proved too much for many. To make ends meet, hundreds of thousands have left Hawai‘i in the past decade, many of them reluctantly, and more will follow. But my wife and I have been lucky. We’ve been here for 38 years and hope to stay for the rest of our lives. It hasn’t been easy, though. We both worked full time for all of those years and raised two children.