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The Business of Trust

tw — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 12:34:23 +0000

This week on Business Matters we explore the matter of trust. What does it mean to be a trustworthy company? A trustworthy leader? A trustworthy individual? Our first guest, David Horsager, explains the Trust Edge, how businesses can be hugely impacted by the trust customers have in them, as well as the trust that runs within coworkers. His book describes research that identified the eight pillars of trust, all of which leaders and companies need to have in order to be successful. Our second guest, Ross Bernstein, has used his trusting personality to get inside the world of sports. He has befriended coaches and players from all over the world to tell him their experiences and lessons from the game, which he has written into over 50 books. Ross believes that trust is a delicate thing that can be broken very easily, but when it is solid, it can provide many opportunities. Our final guest is Waldo Waldman, who inspires people to never fly solo. After flying in the Air Force for over 20 years, Waldo learned the value of having a strong formation around you at all times. By having a trusting and solid formation, coworkers can feel supported and accepting of challenges. This week, we hope you look at trust in a new light and find new practices to use in your business and home life.

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David Horsager

David Horsager is the author of Wall Street Journal bestseller, “The Trust Edge.” In his book, David describes the methods of becoming, and maintaining, a trusted company, product, or leader. At its most basic point, trust is a confident belief in a product, organization or individual; which means someone else believes in it. Trust can hugely affect the bottom line in business. When trust increases in the workplace, stress goes down and innovation goes up. Furthermore, David says that a lack of trust can be the biggest expense in a company. It prevents customers from returning, employees from persevering, and companies from succeeding. David’s research has broken trust down into eight pillars: clarity, compassion, character, competency, commitment, connection, contribution, and consistency. In our interview, David explains how to be a trustworthy leader using his pillars of trust and motivation. In the end, it boils down to learning how to trust yourself in order to trust others and for others to trust you.

To learn more about David, check out his website. Also, like David on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

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Ross Bernstein

Ross Bernstein grew up in a small town in southern Minnesota, where he gained a love of sports at a young age. After he failed to be selected as a walk-on for the University of Minnesota hockey team, he drew on his love of sports to become the next best thing – the team mascot, Goldy the Gopher. This “undercover” position provided Ross the inspiration for his first book, “Gopher Hockey by the Hockey Gopher.” Motivated by his passion, Ross has written over 50 books about sports; the teams, the players, and the codes. To get close to the action, Ross has built trusting relationships with coaches and players, encouraging them to share their stories. In order to get the best information, his subjects must not only trust him in order to open up about their experiences, but they must also trust that he will not write anything about them that may place them in a bad light. He explains how in today’s highly media-centric society, if you break someone’s trust once, you can be blackballed forever. As both a speaker and a writer, Ross inspires individuals to win the right way, on their own terms. By taking accountability for one’s actions, you can become more trustworthy and successful in all aspects of your life.

Check out all of Ross’s books or contact him to be a speaker at your next conference. As always, don’t forget to follow Ross on Twitter for more updates.

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Waldo Waldman

Affectionately known as “The Wingman,” Waldo Waldman has used his passion for flying to teach businesses how to build trusting relationships among their employees. Waldo got his first taste for flying when his father showed him and his identical twin brother around JFK Airport, where he worked as mechanic. After high school, Waldo entered the Air Force Academy, where he majored in psychology with a minor in Spanish. He then became an instructor pilot, teaching others how to fly. In this position he learned patience and communications with his students. Then, he advanced to an instructor’s instructor – teaching others how to teach. Eventually, he flew fighter F-16s in combat in Iraq and Serbia. Although flying is a solitary experience, a pilot is still part of team. Waldo explains this in his talks, saying that to be successful you need to have a solid formation around you, both in business and life, so you can look both ways and know you can always ask for help. Basically, you should never fly solo. He says that some of the most important tasks you can do is to be prepared, be present, and follow through on your commitments.

Along with speaking, Waldo and his brother have founded the Wingman Foundation, which provides funds for veterans and other veteran organizations around the country. This money helps veterans create a stable formation after service. Check out Waldo’s website for more information about being a Wingman. Also, subscribe to his channel on YouTube and follow him on Twitter.

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TedxTeen: Giving Back (Part 3 of 3)

tw — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:59:37 +0000

A few weeks ago, the Business Matters team had the incredible opportunity to meet the speakers of this year’s TedxTeen conference, which was held in New York City. Twelve outstanding youth shared their inspiring stories of hardships, ingenuity, and ultimately, success. This week is the last part of our three week series on the TedxTeen speakers.

Our final set of TedxTeen interviews all speak about giving back to the public. Kristopher Bronner is only 18 years old and created a company that has unjunked candy. His product is sold at the same price and in the same location as the leading brands. Kris explains how Unreal Candy targets those who are already candy fans, encouraging them to find healthier options for their sugar cravings. By addressing the issue of childhood obesity in America, Kris offers a radical solution to food revolution. If they can unjunk candy, what’s next?

Our second interview this week is with Tania Luna, a self-proclaimed surprisologist. Tania and her team travel to different companies around the world adding surprise to everyday business routines. By implementing more adventure and unexpected challenges into the lives of employees, companies see more growth and innovation.

Our final TedxTeen speaker is Joseph Peter, the happiness man. A few years ago he traveled through Africa on the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. He documented his journey, snapping pictures of pure happiness on people’s faces as sports brought them together. Joseph eventually crafted a unique book out of his pictures, and inspired the United Nations to recognize an International Day of Happiness, proving that happiness is a universal goal.

Our last interview this week is not with a speaker, but with the woman who made the TedxTeen conference possible. For the past four years, Jess Teutonico has curated the TedxTeen event, finding incredible youth from around the world to speak to other teenagers. Although she originally worked in fashion, Jess now leads three organizations that empower global youth. In our interview, Jess explains the extraordinary way that youth are changing the world with their bright ideas.

We hope you’ve enjoyed meeting all of the speakers from this year’s TedxTeen conference – we certainly did! We at Business Matters wish all of the wonderful people we met good luck in their endeavors and know that they all have bright futures ahead. For more information about TedxTeen, check out their website and Twitter.

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Kristopher Bronner

A few years ago, Kris, and his younger brother Nicky, experienced a situation quite like the one Jimmy Kimmel instigated two years ago – after a night of trick-or-treating, their parents took away almost all of their candy. Their reasoning? It’s unhealthy! Upset and wanting to prove their parents wrong, Kris and Nicky started to research what went into their favorite candies. What they found was shocking; artificial flavors, colors and things they couldn’t even pronounce. So, they started calling food scientists, asking them if they could try to unjunk candy. Many succeeded but their inventions didn’t taste quite like the candy bars we’ve all come to know and love. Until eventually, they met Adam Melones, a chef who worked day and night to create what is now Unreal Candy. Unreal Candy launched just last summer with huge celebrity endorsements. Kris and his family have created five different unjunked candies that are sold in stores like CVS and Target at the same price as the originals. Unreal Candy is not all about monetary profit, but about public health. It’s targeting people who eat candy on a regular basis, not just those who shop in organic groceries. Kris and Unreal Candy finally provide a solution to the question “why do the things we love hurt us the most?”

To watch Kris’ full TedxTeen talk, click here. For more information about UnReal candy check out their Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube.

Tania Luna

Tania Luna studies the science of surprise. Surprising? We thought so! Tania was inspired by her high school experience of assuming everyone from the rival school was stuck-up, unless when she met someone nice – they were just the exception. Tania and her company, Surprise Industries create and study surprising scenarios. Surprising moments, or when your brain experiences something unexpected, lead to change. Tania and her team provide surprising events to companies, explaining how an environment that rewards innovation, vulnerability, and going off the script leads to discovery. As Tania explains in our interview, stepping out of your comfort zone, especially with others, is beneficial. By creating surprising experiences for employees, they bond in the face of the unknown, making them stronger and more comfortable with one another. Adding surprise into the workplace may not fit for everyone, but for many it provides the necessary, and extremely beneficial, push away from routine and boredom.

To watch Tania’s full TedxTeen talk, click here. To add some more surprise to your life, check out Surprise Industries’ Facebook and Twitter.

For those of you in the NYC area, Surprise Industries hosts Mini Surprises a few times a month. Secret instructions will be emailed to you a few days in advance, but you won’t know what you’re doing until you get there!

Joseph Peter

There’s no way you can resist putting on a happy face when you listen to Joseph Peter. A few years ago, Joseph joined the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour through Africa. With his camera in tow, he documented the happiness on the faces of Africans from all over the continent. He was amazed at the power that sports had to bring people together and make them happy. When he returned home, he was inspired to collect his pictures and make them into a book – a Book of Happiness – hand-crafted and entirely unique. One was presented to Nelson Mandela in 2010. Since then, Joseph has installed the Happiness Factory in NYC, an oddly shaped building full of pictures from his tour. On March 20^th, 2013, the world celebrated the first International Day of Happiness, which was recognized by the United Nations and inspired by Joseph’s project. It promotes “the pursuit of happiness [as] a fundamental human goal.” Joseph captures the moment of pure joy on people’s faces and asks us to question our definition of happiness. Sometimes, it’s the simplest things that make us the happiest.

To watch Joseph’s full TedxTeen talk, click here. For more information about Joseph’s journey, read his blog and follow him on Twitter.

Jess Teutonico

Jess Teutonico is the woman who made the TedxTeen talks possible. For the past four years, she has been curating the incredible speakers at the conference, finding inspiring youth from around the globe. She strongly believes in the power of the young generation, discussing with us how they are special because they are able to bring attention to an issue and are committed to success. People are more likely to listen to the youth because they are surprising and impressive individuals who are fighting for what they believe in. This support allows them to develop into the leaders of tomorrow. In addition to the TedxTeen program, Jess also leads the Three Dot Dash organization, as well as her own foundation Under the Acacia. This association encourages sustainability to generate community activity in Kenya. Before she worked with TedxTeen, she was a special events and PR coordinator for fashion brands in New York City.

For more information on Jess, check out her website and follow her on Twitter.

All of our interviews would not have been possible without the incredible work of the We Are Family Foundation. We thank them for their generosity and giving us hope for a brighter future.

TedxTeen: Discovering Your Passion (Part 2 of 3)

tw — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:02:47 +0000

A few weeks ago, the Business Matters team had the incredible opportunity to meet the speakers of this year’s TedxTeen conference, which was held in New York City. Twelve outstanding youth shared their inspiring stories of hardships, ingenuity, and ultimately, success. This week is the second part of our three week series on the TedxTeen speakers.

All of our guests this week should be considered very lucky. They all discovered their passions at a very young age, inspiring them to create inventions, organizations, and products that help the community around them. Caine Monroy was only 9 years old when he built his own arcade out of cardboard boxes and scotch tape in his dad’s auto-part store. A documentary filmmaker released a short video about him which instantly went viral last spring. His passion for building and engineering inspired him to create the Imagination Foundation which provides creative opportunities to other kids like him in East L.A. Dylan Vecchione, another West Coast kid, found his love of the oceans exploring coral reefs in Hawaii. He developed a website that allows users from all over the world to view and experiment on panoramic coral reef pictures and data, allowing for all citizens to explore new ideas to save our oceans. Kelvin Doe, all the way from Sierra Leone, created the first radio station in his community under the name DJ Focus. As an engineering prodigy, Kelvin has not only inspired and helped members back home, but students at MIT and Harvard as well. On the tropic island of Hawaii, Kuha’o Case is an incredible pianist with a surprising characteristic – he is blind. Self-taught, Kuha’o inspires by action, demonstrating his superior piano skills and great heart through music. Lastly, Tallia Storm, the luckiest girl in Scotland, took a risky chance and it paid off. Asked to open his concert by Sir Elton John himself, Tallia proves that opportunities only work if you give them a little push. This week’s speakers are all young, ranging from 10 to 17 years old, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t just as optimistic, successful, and hard-working as any adult. They discovered their passions early and made their dreams come true.

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Dylan Vecchione

Dylan Vecchione has created something that he dubs, “like Google Street View, but for the oceans.” Dylan’s organization, Reef Quest, provides volunteers from around the world the chance to explore and experiment with virtual reefs. From over thousands of pictures that Dylan took himself, visitors to the Reef Quest site can see a panoramic view of a reef in Kahekili, Maui, among others. He promotes citizen science, a term that means any one can become a scientist, without all the training, simply by questioning and experimenting. By creating a system that is completely virtual, volunteers from across the globe can access the system and perform surveys of the reefs. It is Dylan’s hope that his project will not only raise awareness for the oceans, but provide answers to scientists who are studying the possibility of coral reef collapse. Currently, Dylan is creating a textbook that will sync with the virtual reefs online while doing experiments in the classroom.

To learn more about Reef Quest, check out their entire website and follow them on Twitter @ReefQuestOrg. To watch Dylan’s TedxTeen talk, click here.

Caine Monroy

You may remember seeing a video, about a year ago, all about a 9 year old boy who built an arcade in his dad’s auto-part store. Well, that kid is now 10 years old, and was invited to speak at the TedxTeen conference. Caine Monroy used old boxes and scotch tape to create all sorts of arcade games, from the Claw to Foosball, in the back of his dad’s store in Los Angeles. He charged customers $2 for a month-long Fun Pass. That was his plan, anyway. All summer vacation went by and he had no visitors, until a documentary filmmaker, Nirvan Mullick, stopped by. Nirvan was inspired and eventually made a ten minute documentary on Caine and his arcade, which quickly went viral last spring. Since then, Caine has launched a scholarship fund to raise $250,000 for his college tuition, which is being matched dollar-for-dollar by the Goldhirsh Foundation to create the Imagination Foundation to inspire more kids like Caine. He is also currently in the running for the LA2050 Grant to foster creativity in the Los Angeles school systems. Caine speaks to the dreamer in us all, reminding us to never let our optimism wane.

To learn all about Caine’s story, click here. To donate to Caine’s scholarship/Imagination Foundation, click here. Also, please votefor Caine to win the LA2050 grant! (Voting ends April 17^th, 2013). To watch Caine’s TedxTeen talk, click here. And, as always, don’t forget to follow Caine on Twitter for more updates: @CainesArcade.

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Kelvin Doe

No one believes more strongly in the idea that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure than Kelvin Doe. Growing up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Kelvin found broken electronic parts in garbage cans and rebuilt them into batteries, generators, and radios. With no guidance or manual, Kelvin simply had a knack for putting things together. He has provided lighting to homes in his village from soda, acid, metal, and tape. Kelvin even manages his own radio station, which he hosts under the name DJ Focus. This channel provides music, news, and an outlet for his community to discuss upcoming events and issues. Kelvin, often cited as an engineering prodigy, is the youngest person to be invited to the “Visiting Practitioner Program” at MIT at 16 years old. He’s also spoken to students at Harvard, often five or ten years his senior. Kelvin’s incredible gift has generated so much positivity in his own surroundings and he continues to share his insight with the TedxTeen attendees, encouraging individual development and local contribution. Overall, he believes that you shouldn’t be afraid to fail, because that is what makes us human.

To donate and learn more about Kelvin, check out Innovate Salone, an organization that empowers the youth of Sierra Leone. To watch Kelvin’s full TedxTeen talk, click here.

Kuha’o Case

Kuha’o Case is an exceptional piano player with a quality you’d never expect – he is blind. Growing up on the big island of Hawaii, he taught himself how to play piano without anyone ever showing him what keys were which note. He simply heard the sound they created and felt it within him. Kuha’o has the incredible talent of hearing a song once or twice and being able to play it back, adding his own style to the melody. At the TedxTeen conference, attendees were asked to vote for which song they wanted to hear, and Kuha’o was only told the winner once he was on stage about to perform. (Check out his stunning performance). Last summer, Kuha’o created a Kickstarter project aimed at raising money to produce his first CD and purchase his own piano. It was successful and another project is in the works for this summer and his second CD. Kuha’o is an inspiration to everyone, preaching that only you can define your limits and anything is possible if you just believe.

Check out his full TedxTeen talk here and subscribe to his Youtube channel for more videos of Kuha’o’s music.

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Tallia Storm

As Kelly Carmichael said, “Tallia Storm is taking the world by storm!” During a vacation to Hawaii with her family, Scottish jazz singer Tallia Storm ran into David Furnish, Sir Elton John’s partner, at breakfast. Always prepared, Tallia took a chance that many would be too scared to take, and asked him to pass along her demo. The next day, she received a phone call from Sir Elton John himself, asking Tallia to open his show in Scotland. Result! Since then, Tallia’s world has been turned upside down. She has performed at the Teen Choice Awards after party, attended fashion week, and is even a guest blogger for Huffington Post. (Read Tallia’s take on TedxTeen). In her speech, Tallia asks, “If you met the hero of your thing, would you be prepared?” pushing us all to take leaps of faith in our everyday lives. You never know what could happen.

To watch Tallia’s full speech, click here. Also, don’t forget to check out her TedxTeen performance too. For more information and to hear some of her music, check out Tallia’s website and follow her on Twitter @Tallia_Storm.

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All of our interviews would not have been possible without the incredible work of the We Are Family Foundation. We thank them for their generosity and giving us hope for a brighter future.

TedxTeen: Changes in Culture (Part 1 of 3)

tw — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:32:54 +0000

A few weeks ago, the Business Matters team had the incredible opportunity to meet the speakers of this year’s TedxTeen conference, which was held in New York City. Twelve outstanding youth shared their inspiring stories of hardships, ingenuity, and ultimately, success. This week is the first part of our three week series on the TedxTeen speakers.

First up are three individuals who have inspired change in the ideas and beliefs of their cultures. Maria Toorpakai Wazir is a girl who just wanted to be a tomboy in an environment where she wasn’t even allowed to be educated. After pretending to be a boy to play sports, she courageously fled her home in Pakistan to Canada where she has become an excellent squash player. Maria’s story shows the importance of challenging traditional gender roles and educating women. Next, we spoke with Sophie Umazi, a young woman from Kenya. After the violence of the 2007 Kenyan election, Sophie was almost killed just because of the color of her skin. She escaped and started a music school that teaches music history from all the ethnic groups of Kenya to children whose parents were killed after the election crisis. In 2012, she started the I Am Kenyan Project, which asks people from around the world to unite and share pictures on Facebook. Our last guest is Ndaba Mandela, grandson of Nelson Mandela. His foundation, Africa Rising, is committed to empowering the youth of Africa to change the stereotypical perceptions both within and outside of the continent. After listening to this week’s program, we hope you feel inspired to make small changes within yourself, to impact the world around you.

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Maria Toorpakai Wazir

As a young child growing up in South Waziristan, along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Maria wanted to be like her brothers more than anything else. At the age of four, she cut her hair, donned her brother’s clothes, and burned her girly ones in the backyard. Her father, an inspiring figure in Maria’s life, quickly nicknamed her Genghis Khan after the great Mongolian warrior. Under this guise, Maria studied and won men’s weight-lifting championships, where she was able to channel her tomboy personality into sports. Eventually, her aggression mounted and her father thought it better for her to release it on the court, with a racket, rather than on other people. Maria had found her calling – squash. Maria was eventually found out as a girl and after her family was threatened for its radical gender roles, she fled to North America where she found guidance under squash star Jonathon Power. Since then, Maria has developed her skills as an exceptional squash player in Toronto, Canada. In our interview with Maria, she spoke of her experiences of the freedom and unlimited possibilities girls in North America have. She is amazed at the volume and autonomy that her teammates show in such simple occasions as riding the bus to practice. Maria is amazed at the support and love that she has received since fleeing her home in Pakistan and it is her hope to bring tolerance and patience to people around the world, stating “it’s not about religion, it’s about being human, and it’s about humanity.”

For more information about Maria, like her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @mariatoorpakai.

To watch Maria’s full TedxTeen speech on Youtube, click here.

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Sophie Umazi

Sophie Umazi is Kenyan, and she’s very proud to admit it! In 2007, the Kenyan election provided the catalyst for ethnic group rivalries to clash. People were raping and killing others simply because of their physical appearance and tribal association. When Sophie was only 13, she was stopped by three men who wanted to kill her because they identified her as an enemy tribe member. Sophie was enraged, why should they target her just because her skin was lighter than theirs? She can trace her family history into at least five tribes; she is the epitome of Kenyan! Luckily, Sophie was able to negotiate for her life and escaped. After that experience, Sophie founded a music school in 2009 within an orphanage for children whose parents were killed in the post-election violence. There, they learned music traditions of each tribe, and soon they began to understand and appreciate the value of each other’s history. In 2012, with threats of violence and a full-blown civil war in the works, Sophie mounted a Facebook campaign. She asked individuals from all over the world to take pictures of themselves with the phrase “I AM KENYAN.” The page quickly went viral, embracing the issue that if we are all citizens of the world, and if one part of the world is suffering then the whole world is.

For more information about the 2007 Kenyan election click here or here. See how things have changed since 2007 with a look at the 2013 Kenyan election.

Like the I Am Kenyan Project on Facebook and follow Sophie on Twitter @_umazi.

Watch Sophie’s full TedxTeen speech on Youtube.

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Ndaba Mandela

Yup, you read right. Ndaba is grandson of the famous South African activist and former President Nelson Mandela. Growing up as Nelson Mandela’s grandson came with both gifts and burdens for Ndaba. While his last name has opened many doors for him, people’s expectations of his greatness have weighed heavy on his shoulders. After traveling all over the world, Ndaba realized he was often asked the same question when people found out where he was from, “how big are the lions?” He chuckled and responded that he was not a zookeeper, so he did not know. This question continued to strike him as he experienced the growing ignorance of African culture. Ndaba created the Africa Rising Foundation which empowers the youth of Africa to educate visitors in their own land and on their own travels too. By working from within, the Africa Rising Foundation is breaking down the negative mindset that outsiders have of stereotypical starving children and war, to realize the great diversity of beautiful people and landscapes that the continent of Africa has to offer.

To learn more about the Africa Rising Foundation and its many programs, click here. For more information about Ndaba, check out his TedxTeen profile.

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All of our interviews would not have been possible without the incredible work of the We Are Family Foundation. We thank them for their generosity and giving us hope for a brighter future.

The Business of Change – Encore Edition

tw — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:20 +0000

As we prepare for the interviews from our visit to the TEDx – Teen event in New York, we bring you this encore edition of the program. Next week we begin the first of a three part series of these compelling conversations with these very inspirational young people.

Most of us go to the supermarket to buy our food. We trust that everything we buy will be safe and healthy. The problem is that food safety and healthy eating look different depending our your point of view.

Let me give you an example. If you are a snack food company, you think in terms of the consistency of the quality of your product. You want everyone to have a similar experience when they eat your snacks. Your concern for safety – means that there isn’t anything in the package that doesn’t belong there.

How this food impacts your body, isn’t the snack company’s concern. They believe that we are responsible to make the best choices for ourselves. They may stack the deck with their packaging and advertising, but they believe the consumer will make the best choices for themselves and that’s not their responsibility. Whether we agree with that or not, this is an important perspective to realize and with this understanding remember we, the purchasers of the food we eat, are responsible for our own health and safety.

The good news for personal responsibility is the many organizations that take up the mantle of making sure our food system is safe. Not just safe like disease free, but safe from unintended consequences.

One of the long –standing advocates for food safety is Andrew Kimbrell. Andrew is a public interest attorney, activist and author. He has been involved in public interest legal activity in numerous areas of technology, human health and the environment. in 1994 he established the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA) and in 1997 the Center for Food Safety(CFS).

The most important thing about Andrew isn’t in is bio or resume. He is an authentic human who cares about the well-being of others. This passion bubbles over into his advocacy at all levels.

Recently several of us had the opportunity to sit with Andrew at the Kickapoo Country Fair, which is the Midwest’s largest organic food festival sponsored by Organic Valley. Andrew was one of the keynote speakers at this year Fair. Today’s program contains interviews by both Thomas White of Business Matters and Missy Hughes, Director of Governmental Affairs at Organic Valley.

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The purpose of this program is to stimulate a conversation of change. Change that corrects the course of business when it’s not operating in the best interest of all.

To help you understand more deeply the issues of the day, we begin a new feature. It puts the spotlight on a thought leader and let’s them share their perspectives. In this program, we bring a conversation with Jerome McGeorge. Jerome sees the world more clearly than most. He has been an integral part of the Organic valley team since its inception.

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Local Self- Sufficiency – Encore Edition

tw — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:00:25 +0000

This week we talk about a movement that’s growing across the globe in response to the impact of how we humans are trashing the planet. Whether it’s our use of petrochemicals or the consequence of some of our food production practices or our insatiable appetite for stuff, we are consuming more resources than earth can provide.

Inevitably we are facing situations that are new. This year’s intense heat and droughts are just the beginning. Just look at the dramatic melting of the Greenland ice cap, which has shocked even the most aware climate scientists.

To some, this all seems so far away. You may ask, why does this matter to me? One reason it could matter is there could easily be a disruption of power or food or water in your community. We are interconnected so if the power goes off in New York, the impact can be felt across the country. Now the fact that the power goes off isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s just that we aren’t prepared for it.

If there was a hurricane coming our way, we’d hurry down to the supermarket and buy provisions and fill our gas tank and make sure there was water stored away. We don’t have this type of early warning system in place for the situation we are facing. Don’t despair, there are a number of groups who are working on preparedness. Not like the scare of the 60s when we put in bomb shelters.

This time, people are coming together in small towns and neighborhoods of big cities to put attention on self-sufficiency. It is our self-sufficiency that is our best approach to the uncertainty we face.

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Guests
Daniel Lerch

As Publications Director of Post Carbon Institute, Daniel is the lead editor and manager of the Institute’s major print publications—most recently the four-book Community Resilience Guide series (2012), a report series on shale gas production (2011), and The Post Carbon Reader (2010), a sixteen-author compilation on our interconnected sustainability crises. He is also the author of Post Carbon Cities (2007), the first major local government guidebook on the end of cheap oil.

Daniel has presented to professional, government, and public audiences across the United States, as well as in Canada and Europe. He has been interviewed in numerous radio, video, and print outlets, and has been quoted in major publications including The New York Times and Business Week. He has a Master of Urban Studies from Portland State University in Oregon, and has worked with urban sustainability and planning issues for over fifteen years in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

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Carolyne Stayton

Carolyne Stayton is the Executive Director of Transition US. She is adept at aligning community activities towards unified goals, a skill honed from over thirty years of working with nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. She has successfully galvanized communities around various social issues and has particular expertise in program development, participative leadership and “learning” organizations.

Her background includes serving as Director of New College’s North Bay Campus for Sustainable Living, an innovative educational institution that promoted advanced studies in leadership, community-building and developed the nation’s first “green” MBA program. Carolyne has a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration, resides in Sebastopol, California and is passionate about stewardship and protection of the natural world.

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Ted Trainer

Dr. Ted Trainer is a Conjoint Lecturer in the School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales. He has taught and written about sustainability and justice issues for many years.

He is also developing Pigface Point, an alternative lifestyle educational site near Sydney, and a website for use by critical global educators, which can be viewed at: http://socialsciences.arts.unsw.edu.au/tsw/

You can find some of Ted’s writing at The Simplicity Institute’s publication page.

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Relationships: Customers, Employees, and Leaders

tw — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 05:03:25 +0000

“The people you work with are people you were just thrown together with. I mean, you don’t know them, it wasn’t your choice. And yet you spend more time with them than you do your friends or your family. But probably all you have in common is the fact that you walk around on the same bit of carpet for eight hours a day.” – Tim Canterbury, played by Martin Freeman, The Office UK Christmas Special

This week on Business Matters we examine relationships in the world of business; relationships between employees and relationships between companies and customers. Whether they play out online through comments, over the phone in customer service, or face to face in a cubicle, the ways people interact with each other affects how productive and successful a company can be. Our first guest, Mark Fidelman, discusses how to become a thought leader in today’s transparent economy. By creating a dialogue with followers, whether personally or professionally, leaders become more adaptive to business demands. Our second guest this week, Dr. Natalie, challenges companies to look at what their customers are saying about them. Although it may be painful, it is one of the most beneficial and eye-opening practices a company can do. Our final guest this week is Ben Waber, the co-founder and CEO of Sociometric Solutions, who speaks to us about modern tactics used to analyze group dynamics. Just as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test evaluates which personalities work best together, current sociometrics examine support systems and their impact on the work environment. By understanding the value of relationships between employees, and between companies and consumers, businesses can learn how to increase profits, productivity, and prosperity.

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Mark Fidelman: “No longer can you be playing from the old playbook, hoarding information, hoping the mistakes you made can be covered up.”

Diverse business experiences and a witty personality have contributed to Mark’s success as CEO of Evolve! and Forbes contributor. Mark believes that one of the most effective ways of becoming valuable to companies is through thought leadership. When you gain followers on social media, in the right quantity and quality to your goal, you have a built in feedback system where you can brainstorm with an almost immediate response. By understanding the impact and consequences of a company’s decision one can better modify the message in the future. To learn more about Mark’s insights into workplace interactions, check out Mark’s Forbes column or his book “Socialized!” which explains how to create highly adaptive and successful businesses through new strategies, technologies, and communities. Don’t forget to follow Mark on Twitter @markfidelman.

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Dr. Natalie Petouhoff: “Conversation is no longer hidden, it’s no longer under wraps, it’s now on the public, and I liken these conversations on the web to cave paintings. If you think about cave paintings, most of them last for millions of years, so what’s being said about your company is permanently inked into the psyche and into the site where people are talking about it.”

Dr. Natalie Petouhoff knows people. She is a leading expert on enhancing customer service in today’s online-based economy. Based on her research of Facebook, Twitter, and more, Dr. Natalie developed an ROI model for customer service that helps brands better engage in consumer interaction through the use of social media. According to Dr. Natalie, the first and most important step is to understand what customers and employees are saying about your company. By understanding the conversation being had, companies can better adjust their methods to increase profits and productivity. For more information about how to maximize positive customer conversations, check out Dr. Natalie’s most recent book, “Like My Stuff: How to Get 750 Million Members to Buy Your Products on Facebook.” Follow her on Twitter @drnatalie and learn more about Dr. Natalie here.

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Ben Waber: “It turns out that if you want to understand how happy somebody is, how productive they are, particularly at work, you really need to understand who you’re actually talking to.”

Our first guest is Ben Waber, the co-founder and CEO of Sociometric Solutions. Ben’s company examines sociometrics by digitally tracing relationships within the workplace. Through the use of Bluetooth on cellphones, RFID readers, and voice analysis, Sociometric Solutions has provided insights into how to organize people more effectively. In doing so, companies can increase productivity simply by changing the way employees interact with each other. For instance, in our interview, Ben details how adding break time for Bank of America call center personnel increased their productivity by a whopping 30%. Ben’s book, People Analytics, which discusses “how social sensing technology will transform business,” releases this May. Pre-order your copy today and follow Ben on Twitter for more updates: @bwaber.

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Worthy Causes: Food, Family, and Wine

tw — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 12:51:03 +0000

Welcome to our first edition of Business Matters 2.0! We appreciate your continued support and now we’re so excited to share our new and improved vision with you! This week, we speak with three incredible leaders of worthy causes that bring the power of film, family, and wine to people across the globe.

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Evelyn Iocolano: You can hear the passion for service to other’s in our first guest’s voice.

Evelyn Iocolano is Executive Director and Co-Founder of Lollipop Theater Network. This incredible organization brings films currently in theaters to children who are hospitalized due to chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Joining forces with VP of Focus Features, President of Twentieth Century Fox, and actress Anne Hathaway, Evelyn and the Lollipop Theater Network provided an escape to normalcy for sick children and their families. Visit their website for more information and to donate. Follw Lollipop Theater Network on Twitter: @lollipoptheater.

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Nancy Hunt: Inspired by the song “We Are Family,” she guides WAFF to bring out the best qualities in teen leaders from around the globe.

Our second guest, Nancy Hunt, has been President of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) since its founding in 2002. WAFF strives to educate the next generation about global issues of respect, understanding, and cultural diversity. Previously, Nancy was Executive Producer of the We Are Family Project, bringing together over 100 children’s television characters to film a PSA promoting multiculturalism. Follow her on twitter @nancyhunt.

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Michael Houlihan: Using “Worthy Cause Marketing” he built one of the leading wine brands in the country.

Our final guest this week is the co-founder of Barefoot Wines, Michael Houlihan, who was affectionately titled “Head Stomper” as president and CEO for 19 years. With no money and zero knowledge of the wine industry, Michael, and his partner Bonnie Harvey, ingeniously built a leading national brand. They stumbled upon “worthy cause marketing” by working with non-profit organizations to spread the word about their wines. His experience creating a hugely successful company has provided him with cases full of insights and tips for branding, marketing, and performance-based compensation. Follow Michael on Twitter @barefootfounder.

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Simplicity, Leadership and Wisdom – Encore Presentation

tw — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:00:42 +0000

This is our final week of encore productions of Business Matters. Next week, we lift off with Business Matters 2.0. Join us then for a new on-air team, great conversations and some surprises.

One of the hangovers from our current national election process is that we are not inspired. We feel that our political systems have let us down, large corporations are only focused on how much money they can extract from their customers and we trust each other less and less.

This week, we go back to basics to understand what we can do to change our malaise. We start with simplifying and finding out what’s essential in our business world and home life. Next we explore ancient wisdom to understand the impact of the Zen tradition on leadership. Finally, we talk with one of the most successful corporate leadership gurus, who shows us the power of inspiring ourselves, those we are in relationship with and the world.

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Guests

Leo Babauta
Writer of the amazingly successful blog, zenhabits, Leo points out that his credentials for a simple life don’t come from his formal education or some form of certification. They come from his deliberate choices and the results he experiences.

We all have personal dreams. Perhaps we want to be healthier or want more time with our family or want the freedom of being debt-free. Whatever our dream, it’s achievable, if we remember the example of Leo. All dreams happen one step at a time.

You can find out more about Leo’s good advice and practical approach by reading his book, The Power of Less: The Fine Art of of Limiting Yourself to the Essential… In Business and Life.

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Ginny Whitelaw

Ginny had a remarkable career. She is a biophysicist, who spent 10 years with NASA where she was Deputy Manager for Integration of the International Space Station Program. This background along with 30 years of training in Zen and martial arts brought her to teaching the value of Zen practices as a leader.

To gain a clear picture of the wisdom that Ginny shares, you can read her book, The Zen Leader: 10 Ways to Go from Barely Managing to Leading Fearlessly.

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Lance Secretan

From his success as the CEO of Manpower to the books he’s written about leadership, Lance Secretan has distinguished himself as an authentic teacher. His authenticity is infectious to all who meet him whether as a client or in the audience of one of his speeches.

In this time of negativity and divisiveness, he stands out with a simple and profound message. His message, which comes from his dream is “To change the world by creating inspiring organizations.” Lance’s latest book is The Spark, The Flame and the Torch: Inspire Self. Inspire Others. Inspire the World.

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Doing the Right Thing – Encore Presentation

tw — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:55:27 +0000

We are renovating Business Matters so that we soon can bring you Business Matters 2.0. During this time of transition, we are airing some of our favorite archived programs. Today’s program comes from June 29, 2011. This program was broadcast as From the Inside Out. We hope you enjoy this program.

To create positive change requires we reach into the depths of our own humanity and find honesty, courage and a connection to the world around us. Our three story tellers are not just talkers, they are doers. Richard Heinberg has been telling us the dangers of peak oil and not regarding our abuse of the planet for many years. He and his wife are living examples of what each person can do to make a contribution to turning things around.

Brad Blanton tells us that honesty is the way for people to come together in community. Brad has run twice for the U.S. House of Representatives on the platform of telling the truth (and he means it).

Alex Pattakos is the author the best selling book, Prisoners of our Thoughts, where he extended the pioneering work of Victor Frankel. Alex created the OPA Way to teach people the positive lessons of living like Zorba the Greek.

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Guests