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Celebrating Clients and Welcoming 2015!

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Happy 2015!

As the old year wraps, this post celebrates just some of my clients and the wonderful work they do. It’s an easy post to write. Each client makes the world a better place, and collectively they make it fun – yes, FUN – to go to work in the morning. To all my clients: thanks for what you do. This post’s for you!

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B is for Brilliant

Bob LeVine and Selective College Consulting had an exciting 2014. SCC assisted over 80 high school students seeking admission to the colleges of their choice. Bob LeVine, former Chairman of the Harvard Schools Committee for the West Coast of Florida, understands the methods used by admissions committees during the selection process. SCC teaches the techniques necessary to maximize an applicant’s chances of gaining admission to colleges of choice, especially the most highly-selective colleges. For 2015, SCC has a new, more robust Premier Package offering service not available anywhere else in the world.  In early 2015, SCC will host several free seminars on “What Juniors Need to Know (about College Admissions)” around Tampa Bay.

C is for Cool

Chase Ezell and Earth911 had a bang-up 2014. For over 20 years, Earth911 has positioned itself as the recycling authority. Their recycling directory provides consumers and business with over 1.6 million ways to recycle more than 350 different materials.  Earth911 also provides fresh, targeted content daily, helping consumers live a more environmentally responsible lifestyle. 2014 highlights included the launch of the YouChange™ marketplace powered by Earth911 – packed with eco-conscious products.  Another 2014 highlight was the launch of Earth911TV.  Earth911’s goal is to continue to be the leader in helping consumers and business reduce their daily waste. You are a part of the solution. Come join us in 2015!

D is for Dazzling

David Reed and the Sustany Foundation had a truly memorable 2014. The ever-popular Sustany Buzz in November – the annual riverside celebration of sustainable living in Tampa – flirted with 1000 attendees this year. Earth Day saw the first “Sustainable Restaurant Walking Tour” in downtown Tampa. Attendees sampled treats from several restaurants newly certified as City of Tampa Sustainable Businesses. Sustany’s mini-grant program funded practical and effective efforts like the Tampa Eden project, which built a new community garden. And Sustany was nominated for a “Sustainable Florida 2014 Best Practice Award.” 2015 promises to be a year of explosive growth as the Sustany Foundation and Tampa’s Sustainable Business Coalition combine efforts for even greater impact.

H is for Hooray

Hugo Amorim at Brandpendulum is looking forward to 2015. Hugo helps businesses tell their stories in engaging and delightful ways so that they can reach their true potential. He does this by designing logos, websites, and marketing materials within an overarching brand strategy. He works on projects that he knows will have the greatest impact on his client’s business. Working with Hugo is like having a business partner without the equity. He focuses on strategy first, and design second – Hugo doesn’t design for design’s sake.  He is candid, open and objective. If you’re looking for a designer who is also a strategic thinker, feel free to contact Hugo at Hugo@brandpendulum.com.

J is for Just Terrific

Julie Klein at Confluence Sustainability  specializes in sustainability strategies and solutions that use travel and tourism as a catalyst. Her work supports leading international travel destinations such as Vail, CO (coinciding with the 2015 World FIS Alpine Ski Championships) and Jackson Hole, WY in building collaborative sustainability leadership between businesses and community leaders. Projects took her coast-to-coast to support Hostelling International USA as they pursue a globally recognized sustainability certification. She is wrapping up the year with waste management and diversion strategy work for UNEP and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) program. Passionate about the power of travel and tourism in advancing sustainable development, Julie continues to work closely with Sustainable Travel International on several initiatives that foster their mission of tourism as a force for good.

L is for Legendary

Lisa Merlo-Booth and the Relational Centre has a laser focus on empowering women and guiding couples into happier, healthier relationships. In 2014, Lisa gave workshops for women and couples around the country on her groundbreaking work–incorporating a Grounded Powerful Strength (GPS) in how you walk in the world. She coached dozens of couples to turn their relationships into ones that fuel them rather than drain them. She will be launching a new campaign in 2015, “Change It,” to help men and women stop settling for bad relationships, jobs and lives. Through January 21, 2015, she is taking registrations for her new teleclass for mental health professionals called “Working Your Edges.” This class provides therapists, counselors and coaches a safe and confidential place to learn to better manage their most difficult clients. As Lisa says, “You deserve great things.” And she knows how to help you get them.

M is for Marvelous

Megan Everett at Tools-N-Pros is rolling out new service packages and infoproducts in 2015, based on decades of supporting both online and offline businesses. She works primarily with larger businesses that need ongoing help to manage all the “moving pieces” as they grow. Services range from creating business plans, to consulting and quarterly reviews, to providing key reports, to finding and managing the contractors they need for specialized tasks. For businesses with smaller budgets, she provides stand-alone infoproducts that walk them or their assistants through all the steps needed to complete specific projects. Solutions can be created and/or customized upon request. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and a successful New Year!

Mike Bruny and Brand Inside a Brand focused in 2014 on creating content for corporate employees who want to strengthen their personal brand.  In 2015, Mike will offer a broader scope of services that covers training in several soft skills (personal branding, networking at conferences, and presentation skills).  If you or your employees need assistance in building your soft skills, don’t hesitate to reach out.  Find us at www.BrandInsideaBrand.com

R is for Remarkable

Rebecca Mullen is the author of the class A Soulful Cleanse, where participants come to figure out the source of their clutter habits and find a new, liberated way forward. She is newly partnering with her local ski area to harness the power of fear and fly down the mountain of life. Enjoy a free session with Rebecca to see if coaching with her might be a fit for you.

That’s the scoop! I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!

The People’s Climate March – A Ground’s Eye View

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So I  marched in the Climate March in New York City last Sunday.

While you’ve probably seen all the statistics and the amazing aerial photos of the march, there is nothing quite like being there.

400,000 people attended the march in New York City.

400,000 people attended the march in New York City.

In case you weren’t, here’s my ground’s eye view from WAAAY back in the third section of the march – which was devoted to “Climate Solutions.”

The march was:

  • Enormous. 400,000 people showed, instead of the 100,000 people that organizers expected. On the ground, that meant that things got pretty crowded by the time the march got moving.
  • Geographically diverse. The people around me came from everywhere.  The man next to me was a high school science teacher. He had ridden 4 hours on a bus from Oneida, NY to march on behalf of his students. When I asked why he was carrying multiple signs, he said he planned to put them up in his classroom to spark discussion. I also met people from California, Chicago, Vermont, Massachusetts and North Carolina. This was not a New York-only event.
  • Demographically diverse. All kinds of people marched:  young and old, men and women, families and singles, many races. Were there – ahem – “crunchy granola” types? Yes. But they were wildly outnumbered by people who look like my neighbors.
  • Very well organized. Thank you to the main organizers like 350.org for an amazing, successful event. Volunteers were easy to spot in their colorful tee-shirts, and directed me on my way. Thank you to the NYC police, who were out in force. The march was just as I had hoped – friendly, peaceful and LARGE. That doesn’t happen by itself.
  • Most memorable moment. At 12:58 pm, the organizers had asked for a moment of silence followed by a minute of noise to metaphorically “raise the alarm” about climate change. It was astonishing to see that many people fall silent all at once. And then, the marchers broke out noisemakers of every kind, including drums, rattles, horns – even a metal pot and wooden spoon. I experienced sound as a physical force,  a wave of sound that started in the  distance and then rushed over me. Wow!

The Bottom Line

As I’ve said before, I am not the marching type, but this march felt historic.

400,000 people in NYC alone is an astounding number of people expressing concern about climate change. And many of them went to a great deal of trouble to get there – taking buses and trains for many hours to meet and demand action.

When I looked around initially, I thought,  “Aahhh – these are my people.” But as the march progressed, I realized that “my people” seems to include everyone – students, teachers, kids and grandparents, people of faith, farmers, artists, scientists, business people and non-profits.

The key will be, can all that “people energy” be channeled into powerful and effective action? I think it can. After all, as one marcher’s sign put it, “There is no Planet B.”

 

Lining Up for the Climate March – Where Will You Be?

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So I’m starting to get excited about this Sunday’s Climate March in New York City.

The People's Climate March happens September 21, 2014.

The People’s Climate March happens September 21, 2014.

I’ll be there to add my voice – as both a citizen and a green business owner – to thousands of others, to call for action now on climate change.

Just today, I saw how we are all going to line up. Here’s the map in case you need it: http://peoplesclimate.org/lineup/

I’ll be joining the “We Have the Solutions” group, which includes “clean and green businesses.”  Both the number of organizations participating – now over 1400 – and their sheer diversity is staggering. From native Americans to gray-haired grannies, from scientists to nurses, the list of partners is mind-boggling. My thanks to the organizers of the march for laying it out so clearly.

It looks like the weather is going to cooperate. 🙂 Where will you be on Sunday?

Will You Be at the Climate March?

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On September 21, 2014 I’ll be in Manhattan to join what some are calling the People’s Climate March.

The People's Climate March happens September 21, 2014.

The People’s Climate March happens September 21, 2014.

I hope it will be a peaceful, friendly, and very large event.

To be honest, I am not the marching type. But I’m going to this because:

  •  the data show that climate change is real, and now is the time to take action to head it off – not later.
  • for a variety of reasons, such action hasn’t occurred yet. By doing nothing, we increase the chance that bad things like killer storms, floods, droughts, and forest fires occur more frequently and become ever more severe. The bill for that parade of disasters will be paid by us, not just in terms of property damage and business disruption, but in terms of lives lost.
  • I have a family and a conscience. I want to be able to look my daughter, and my nieces and nephews, in the eye, and say “I did everything I could to fix this.”
  • I want to add my voice, however small, to what I believe is a very large movement whose will is being frustrated by a relatively few people with outsized influence.
  • I believe that addressing climate change will be an economic boon to the U.S. and the world.

If you’ll be there too, I’d love to know. Drop me a line at alueders@verizon.net and let’s see if we can at least say “Hello.”

“Building a Culture for Sustainability”- A New Book

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by Alison Lueders

From sustainability to employee engagement to profitability

Research shows that sustainable business initiatives create more engaged (happier) employees, which lead to more profitable companies. Specifically:

  • Gallup research shows that companies with  more engaged employees are more profitable.
  • Research from Harvard Business School shows that “sustainability initiatives are highly appealing to employees.” At Caesar’s Entertainment, for example, “customer loyalty and satisfaction – their overall experience and willingness to return to one of its hotels or casinos– is directly linked to employees’ level of participation in sustainable activities at work.”

But how?

Building a Culture for Sustainability profiles 9 companies.

Building a Culture for Sustainability profiles 9 companies.

Companies often struggle with the “how.” How do you build a culture for sustainability in your particular company? Jeana Wirtenberg’s new book,  “Building a Culture for Sustainability,” helps answer that question.

She spent 2 years profiling 9 companies in depth about their sustainability programs and practices. These are not “the usual suspects” like Whole Foods or Patagonia. These companies are big guys who have been around, in some cases, for over 100 years. They want to become more sustainable, but have a lot of history and baggage to deal with.

Culture is key

The list below captures just 1 program or practice from each company. It doesn’t do justice to the full book, but it may persuade you to take a peek. If your business is in one of the industries covered, read that chapter. Better yet, pick a company in an industry different from yours. It’s an easy way to get a fresh perspective for your own sustainability journey.

  • Alcatel Lucent is a telecom company built on the proud history of Bell Labs. They embrace a “triple bottom line” approach to business. To reach their sustainability goals, they organized “Green Touch” – a consortium of telecom companies whose goal is to make the global network “1000 times more energy-efficient by 2015.” To do that, companies share data that used to be proprietary. Cross-company collaboration is essential to get us where we need to go, and it’s a big culture change for many.

 

  • Alcoa mines and manufactures aluminum – the “infinitely recyclable metal.” Alcoa has a “measurement culture.” Their A3 process – “assess, aspire, act” – is used to measure all kinds programs, not just sustainability ones. As Laurie Roy, HR director said, ” If you’re not measuring it, how do you know you are making progress?” Setting science-based goals, and measuring progress towards them is a key element of a sustainable culture.

 

  • BASF  is a company that believes “chemistry is what enables the transition to a sustainable society.” For example, they developed Green Sense concrete mixtures, which save water, energy and CO2 emissions compared to conventional concrete. This material is used, among other places, in the Freedom Tower in New York City. Sustainability is integral to their business – not bolted on to the side.

 

  • Bureau Veritas is a world leader in testing, inspection and certification in over 140 countries.  Their work with clients inspires them to reduce their own environmental footprint through energy, water and energy conservation programs. In addition, safety is ” not a priority, but an absolute.”  That means 100% of employees receive ongoing training and communication about safety issues. From working safely at heights to safe driving, the focus is on prevention.

 

  • Church & Dwight owns Arm & Hammer (the baking soda people) and a variety of other brands. They’ve been using 100% recycled board in their baking soda boxes for more than 100 years.  They also offer full ingredient disclosure on many of their consumer products – a kind of transparency that truly sustainable companies will embrace.

 

  • Ingersoll Rand has been in business for over 140 years.  It’s a family of brands including Schlage and Trane. They’ve had great success building a sustainable culture using  Green Teams.  The number of teams doubled from 25 in 2010 to 52 in 2011 and doubled again to 110 in 2012. Each team focuses on improving their own facility’s environmental performance and on educating colleagues on “triple bottom line” issues. Locations with Green Teams have higher employee engagement scores than locations without Green Teams. ‘Nuf said.

 

  • Pfizer is a global health care company. Their Global Health Fellows program places employees in 3 to 6 month stints abroad. This donation of people-expertise to countries with little to no health infrastructure builds trust in international communities. The Fellows get first-hand knowledge of areas where Pfizer can tweak its business model to better serve local people. And Pfizer builds employee engagement by offering this very popular program, where numbers of applicants far outstrip the number of slots.

 

  • Sanofi is another health care giant. When you “put the patient first,” it’s a short step to seeing how sustainability supports that goal. Sanofi estimates that “13 million deaths can be prevented each year by safeguarding our environment.” Their CSR Ambassador Program enables employees from any department to volunteer for this role. Ambassadors learn about sustainability from in-house experts, and share that knowledge with colleagues. At Sanofi, this peer-to-peer approach is taking off.

 

  • Wyndham Worldwide –  This global hospitality company has a program called “Caught Green Handed.” It’s a recognition program that started in one business unit and spread to all the rest. Employees receive a certificate with their name and a description of their green contribution. This kind of program energizes employees and helps get the word out to others.

A treasure trove of examples

There are many ways to build a culture of sustainability.  If you want your business to perform well into the future, sustainability is your path to superior results.

Building a sustainable culture is not about annual events and lip service. It’s about tapping into the power of all your people to re-imagine the core of your business in sustainable ways. That’s an exciting mission for people at all levels.

So if your company is struggling with the “how,” grab a copy of Ms. Wirtenberg’s book.  It offers detailed examples of what companies are doing. It is also frank about the challenges they’ve faced. These companies don’t have some secret sauce that makes the transition to green easy. But you can learn from the road they’ve already traveled, and build a sustainable culture that suits your organization.

 

Which 2 Shows Just Got 14 Emmy Nominations Between Them?

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by Alison Lueders

Well-deserved recognition

In case you missed the announcement, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and Years of Living Dangerously (YOLD) received 14 Emmy nominations between them last Thursday (12 for Cosmos, 2 for YOLD.)

I watched both series and was mesmerized by the clear, captivating, science-based information they contained. Trust me – TV has come a long way from the snooze-inducing documentaries of the past.

If you missed one or both of the series, don’t despair. Cosmos is available now and Years of Living Dangerously in out on DVD in September.

Cosmos received 12 Emmy nominations.

Cosmos received 12 Emmy nominations.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyessy – science done  beautifully

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an inviting guide on a journey of amazing scope. Whether talking about Earth’s precise location in the universe, or exploring the operations of a living cell, he speaks like your neighbor next door. He’s clear and plain-spoken.

The series touches on many sciences – biology, physics, chemistry, astronomy, electromagnetism, and more. Rather than presenting concepts, the series tells stories – often of the scientists themselves, and how they made their discoveries.

It looks like FOX spared no expense on the production. Whether Tyson is standing on actual thawing tundra in Greenland or piloting his “spaceship” through different parts of the galaxy, there are amazing visuals throughout.

With each episode, Dr. Tyson leaves you excited about science. It had my whole family watching together and saying, “Wow – that’s amazing!”

Years of Living Dangerously – the urgency of climate change today

Years of Living Dangerously got 2 Emmy nominations.

Years of Living Dangerously got 2 Emmy nominations.

While Cosmos covers a range of scientific people and discoveries from the distant  past into the future, YOLD is very focused on climate change today around the world.

The opening sequence follows Harrison Ford to Indonesia to see deforestation first-hand. Another episode features Arnold Schwarzenegger talking about the wildfires that seem to burn continuously now in California. The 9 episodes in this series make the urgency of climate change real and powerful.

There are no models of sea level rise or graphs of greenhouse gas emissions. Just the stories of real people – from farmers  to firefighters and many more in between – who have already been devastated by storms, droughts, and the ever-creeping rise of the oceans.

Prepare to be amazed…

So kudos to Fox and Showtime for airing these series. Their Emmy nominations are well-deserved. Want  your kids to spark to what is cool and creative and fascinating about science? Grab these series when you can and get ready to say “Wow!”

Climate Change and Small Business – New Research

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Last week  the American Sustainable Business Council  released new research on the attitudes of small business owners about climate change.

The results very much track my own concerns as a small, green business owner.

The American Sustainable Business Council polled small business.

The American Sustainable Business Council polled small business.

The Key Findings

The survey of 555 small businesses from June 2014 showed that:

  • They are concerned about climate change.  87% of small businesses named one or more consequences of climate change as potentially harmful to their business, including higher energy costs, power outages, and rising health care costs.
  • They think government regulation is needed. 64 % of the businesses believe government regulation is needed to reduce emissions from power plants. (Hence I applaud the new carbon rules from the EPA last month.)
  • They know extreme weather is a threat. 53% of companies think extreme weather has, or will have, a negative impact on their businesses. One in five has already been hurt.

Small businesses know that climate change is a danger

As a small business in Florida, the concerns highlighted by the research are very real and very now. If the effects of climate change seem abstract to you, let me make it “realer” for you.

The climate risks to my business include:

  • Losing electric power. If I lose power, I lose my laptop, my internet connection and my phone connection. That means my work for clients is interrupted.

Since I promise clients that I’m dependable – i.e. I’ll meet or beat their deadline – this is bad news. I am dependable, but if my power source isn’t, then suddenly I’m not either. I’ve never had a power interruption that affected a client. But I have started considering backup systems like a generator. That’s a big expense ($5,000 or more) for a small business.

  • Flooding.  I am far from the beach in miles. But Tampa Bay is very flat. A “perfect storm” that hits just right could push a LOT of water inland at the same time that torrential rains fall. An unlikely scenario? Perhaps. But that’s probably what the folks in the New York subway system thought just before the water from Hurricane Sandy started pouring into the tunnels under the city.

A prudent business has to prepare for possible risks, and that includes climate risks.

  •  Hurricane damage. High winds can do structural damage. My home office is in a relatively new house, and roofs are  more wind-resistant than they used to be. But the frequency and intensity of storms has been increasing. I can’t assume the roof is strong enough for every storm.

Climate change threatens businesses of every size

So I’m happy to pass along ASBC’s  research to a wider audience. From my perspective, it reflects the reality of climate change as a risk to my small business and millions more like it.

What do you think?

The Sustainable Business Awards in Tampa

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Missing the Sustainable Business Awards

The Sustainable Business Coalition of Tampa Bay and the University of Tampa celebrated 7 winners of the 2014 Sustainable Business Awards.  I had signed up to clap for them on June 13, 2014.

The Sustainable Business Coalition celebrated 7 winners in 2014.

The Sustainable Business Coalition celebrated 7 winners in 2014.

Alas, the Universe had other plans. I drove into one of those pounding, wind-driven thunderstorms that Tampa is famous for.

As I approached the venue, parking spots were non-existent. People I might have asked for directions were wisely indoors, and my navigation device suddenly beeped “Satellite Connection Lost.”

I realized I was lost too. Rather than continue wandering in the downpour, I drove back to work.

And the winners are…

But I still want to celebrate the winners. The award recognizes each business for “outstanding sustainable business practices and their commitments to people, planet and profit.” Here’s the list:

  • Elutions Inc. – which offers clients energy management solutions for buildings. Given that buildings account for about 40% of greenhouse gas emissions, products that help buildings use less energy make a huge difference.
  • Triad Cleaning Solutions – This company offers green cleaning products and services that improve indoor air quality for clients. And for commercial clients, using such products enables them to apply for LEED certification.
  • Bayshore Solutions – This web design, web development and digital marketing solutions company is a repeat winner. It’s good to see businesses become greener each year!
  • The Refinery – This farm-to-table restaurant does a fantastic job. (I’ve eaten there.) According to their website, “we set the bar high when it comes to what we put on the plate. If it wasn’t grown in Florida or produced using ethically sound methods, you probably won’t find it here.” ‘Nuf said.
  • Advanced Healthcare Partners. This is a health management and consulting company. I don’t have more information as of this writing, but am curious to know more.
  • Suncoast Food Alliance – Tampa has a growing “farm-to-table” movement. This company helps put farmers together with chefs, so that their fresh produce, eggs or meat get to the restaurants at the peak of flavor.
  • Landmarc Contracting -This construction and renovation firm is a certified Lead-Safe business. What’s that mean? According to the EPA, “Home repairs that create even a small amount of lead dust are enough to poison your child and put your family at risk. If you live in a home or apartment that was built before 1978 and are planning a renovation or repair project, make sure you renovate right with a Lead-Safe Certified contractor.”  Like Landmarc.

Had I been able to attend, I would have said, “Congratulations” and “Thank You” and “Please keep up the good work” to each of the winners. So I’ll say it here.

And kudos to the Sustainable Business Coalition of Tampa and the University of Tampa for hosting this event. Until next year!

 

A Different Sort of Post…

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Summer’s here! It’s my favorite season, even in steamy Florida. Sunsets at the beach, sipping cool drinks, reading a good book – that’s what summer means to me.

Sharing the Story of a Friend

In honor of the “school’s out, let’s relax” mentality, this post is a little different. Rather than share a green business story or tip, I’m sharing the story of a good friend, Tim Grahl. Tim runs Out:think, a company that helps authors sell more books in this digital age. Authors from Pam Slim to Daniel Pink have all landed on the New York Times best sellers list with Tim’s help.

Tim Grahl knows helps authors sell more books.

Tim Grahl knows helps authors sell more books.

I met Tim at a conference for entrepreneurs a couple of years ago. He spoke candidly about his business. For example, one of his challenges was dealing with clients who asked him to work for free. Tim – who is one of the nicest guys you will ever meet – startled me out of my seat by saying, “If they [the prospect] don’t want to pay you, “F*** them.” (Pardon.) The wisdom in that remark is with me every day.

The Courage to Share the Ups AND Downs

Earlier this year I was intrigued when Tim publicly committed to selling 10,000 copies of his own first book – Your First 1000 Copies: The Step-by-Step Guide to Marketing your Book – by June 27, 2014. As of this writing, he stands at 8770 sold. A bit short of his goal.

I bought his book and read it. (8771, Tim!)  And I recommend it. Because so much of this short book is just about good marketing in general. His “Connection System” and the notion of building an audience before you write your book are truly marketing philosophies for the future.

So if you’re interested, pop over to Amazon and buy his book now for 99 cents. I get no part of that; I just think you’ll enjoy it or may know someone who will.

One of the Good Guys

Tim Grahl is one of the “good guys.” He has emblazoned the phrase “be relentlessly helpful” on my brain. He made me a better business person. And for that, I’d like to help him reach his goal of 10,000 books by June 27.

There’s no pressure – I just want to help get the word out. It’s a way to start summer in a positive, “pay-it-forward” kind of way.

And if you DO buy, you have my thanks!