Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

BILLBOARDS ARE NICE, BUT …

Ever drive past a billboard and get frustrated because you can’t figure out what it says? I do. Billboards can be an extremely effective method of advertising when done right. When not done right, they can be an enormous waste of time and money.

You have a very short amount of time to get your message across on a billboard. You have anywhere from 3-6 seconds, if you’re lucky and traffic is reasonably slow. That’s not a lot of time. I constantly see businesses trying to cram in all their information on billboards. Address, phone number, a picture of the owner with his dog, the product, a customer testimonial, the product logo … it goes on and on. The message gets lost and nothing is remembered as the driver tries to drive and read through the jumble.

MY RULE OF THUMB HAS ALWAYS BEEN …

My rule of thumb has always been one photo and two lines of text not more than 8 words per line. Unless your phone number is incredible easy to remember … 555-1000, don’t pt it on a billboard. The driver will never remember it and, obviously, they can’t drive and write it down at the same time. The best logos are short and sweet. (logo) Fisher Jewelers… Sooner or later your favorite jewelers. (second line) 1012 State Street. Short, sweet and to the point. If a driver can’t read your entire message in one pass, the whole message may be lost in the effort.

Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.

You should look at the size of the board your going to use. Small paper boards are harder to read then the large thru-way type. Along the same lines, the new electronic boards are treat for graphics, but their constant changing and the usual height can make complex images hard to read.

Billboards can be highly effective if you just follow a few common sense rules. And, happy motoring!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

WHAT’S YOUR USP?

I spent a week in Chicago many years ago. I attended a school put on by the Giant Killers, a marketing instruction company. The first question they asked us was… What’s your USP? Well, we all looked at each other, shrugged and developed blank stares. Our instructor continued to explain that a USP is a “Unique Selling Position”. Basically, what makes our product the best buy.

YOU NEED TO DETERMINE YOU USP FOR YOUR PRODUCT OR SERVICE.

Is your USP that your product is cheaper, a different color, an old family recipe, you promise rapid delivery… anything that makes your product stand out from the rest.

Once you determine your USP, you can start developing your marketing plan around it. Obviously, what makes you unique is what will make you appealing to your target market.

Compare yourself to your competition and find out what sets you apart. No competition? Then that’s your USP.

Your USP is what determines your marketing approach!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

THE CAR DEALER & TV

Years ago I represented a Chevrolet car dealer. He was reasonably successful, but wanted to take the dealership to next level and he hired me to accomplish this. One of the things he wanted to do was sell Chevets, a good solid second family car. It’s low price made it a great car for the blue collar family.

I produced a nice TV spot featuring the car and proceeded to map out the running schedule for the ads. When I presented the budget to the dealer he immediately threw out all the 11:00pm news spots. I protested, but he wouldn’t budge on the ads.

THE SCHEDULE WAS PRODUCING RESULTS, BUT NOT TO THE DEGREE I WAS LOOKING FOR.

The second flight was presented for approval and again the 11:00pm news spot were eliminated. Frustrated, I finally asked why he wouldn’t let me run the late news spots. He looked at me and told me that he and his wife went walking every night between 11:00 and 11:30pm. He wouldn’t be able to see his spot. I told him that I didn’t care if he ever saw his spot. In fact, if he was frequently seeing his spot we had a problem. He wasn’t the audience I was trying to reach. I wanted blue collar families not the Corvette crowd that he represented. He never relented and after awhile I resigned the account rather than argue with him constantly. Eventually he went through two more agencies and finally went out of business.

The point of the story is make sure you match the right product with the right audience. This means occasionally checking your ego at the door. Without the right match, you won’t see the results you need.

Next week … What is your USP?

Make sure you match the right audience to your product!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

Advertising’s Acceptable Lie

Truth in advertising is one of the most important rules in business. It’s what drives the ridiculously long disclaimers in automotive advertising and the list of discouraging side effects when the pharmaceutical companies hock their latest medical miracles. I don’t know about you, but every time I hear the side effects of some of these meds, I wonder if the ailment isn’t better than the cure.

So, I enter my favorite fast food restaurant and order that perfect cheeseburger pictured so deliciously over the counter. I take my treasure to the table and unwrap my sandwich to  find a squashed bun, most of the melted cheese sticking to the wrapper, catsup all over the place and a pickle stuck to the underside.

What happened to my picture perfect meal?

Food advertising is one of the few areas that can get away with picturing the impossible… the perfect sandwich. The difference between the picture and the product that just spent 45 seconds in Skippy’s hands is a lot of work and a little magic. That sandwich was under the guidance of a “food stylist” and a professional photographer. It probably also spent a few hours on a computer in Adobe Photoshop. Remember the incredible photo of the refreshing milk being poured over Kellog’s Corn Flakes? Did you know that milk was mixed with Elmer’s Glue to make it look thick and refreshing.

We all know that the picture is never what the food looks like, but it’s OK. We accept it. And surprisingly, we even understand it.

I went to a restaurant and saw pictures of some homestyle meals taken by the owner. It didn’t look great and when it came out looking exactly like the picture, I was disappointed. Strange isn’t it? I don’t know what it was, but I somehow felt a rule had been broken.

If your product is food, spend the time to make it look right. Don’t falsify the product, but make it look as good as possible within reason.

Remember… false advertising can be the death of any business, but putting your product in the best light is acceptable.

Next week… A camera doesn’t make you a photographer.

Truth in advertising is one of the most important rules in business.

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

Consciousness: true selfishness

By Bob Martin

DON’T MAKE THEM LOOK FOR YOU!

About a year ago, I saw a great pizza shop ad on the back of a newspaper tab. It was full color, full page and it looked great. The ad actually made me hungry for pizza, so I decided to order. There was this great effective ad, but no phone number or address. I had no idea where the shop was. My resolve was to order from a competitor.

THIS AD WAS A TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY.

It made you go “looking” for the business and as we all know, consumers are too lazy to go to that much trouble. Hundreds of dollars down the drain not to mention the sales potential.

Don’t make your potential customers look for you. Make sure every print ad has your phone number for additional information and your address so we know where you are. I even encourage clients to use “landmarks” as a reference i.e. “across from Walmart” or “next door to Acme Motors”. The easier it is to find you, the more likely potential customers will be willing to come in.

Remember, without your address or phone number you’ve lost the “call to action” needed to motivate your client.

Next week… “Advertising’s Acceptable Lie”.

Make it easy for your customers to find you!

Bob Martin is principal of Martin Creative Consultants, providing advertising consulting and services to manufacturing and retail businesses. His MCC VoicePros division creates  audio voiceovers for radio, TV, internet ads and presentations.

It’s my pleasure to bring our readers another wonderful new voice, that of Alexandra Gergar, a great photographer, vegetarian cook, and marketing major at the University of Pittsburgh. Alex’s focus in Thinking Big Works, as you can tell from the banner, is the intersection of food and design, now coming to you on Saturdays.

David VanAmburg

Food & Design: redesign mis-steps

CLEAN AND SIMPLE

With clean bold lines, a beautiful typeface and no pictures, you would think that Tropicana’s carton redesign should have been hailed as work of imagination.  Should have been…

THE REDESIGN OF TROPICANA

In late 2008, Tropicana launched a new package design, and these new cartons hit grocers’ shelves around the country.  Almost immediately, a public outcry criticized the new brand design from the parent company PespiCo.  All across the web people negatively responded to Tropicana and its move towards their modern design. By February 23, Tropicana had an official recall of all of the newly designed cartons.

WHY DID THIS REDESIGN FAIL?
Ultimately, this new product design was unrecognizable.  For two decades Tropicana had the serif font, pure orange label and the beloved orange with the straw.  When they removed these three iconic references from the package, the customer became confused.  I know when I was looking for my “pulp free” variety I had to do a double take.  Spending seconds trying to decipher the carton to make sure it was:
a.) my brand of orange juice
b.) I correctly found my variety.

It was thoughtful concept of Tropicana to color code their varieties for “pulp free”, “some pulp”, “calcium” etc., but this just added to the confusion.  I was left with several choices that just overwhelmed me.  In fact, while I stood there trying to figure out which color was my “pulp free” I watched a woman come back and exchange one variety for another. When your customers have a hard time recognizing your product variation, what does that say about your package design?

CUSTOMERS HAVE THE ULTIMATE VOICE
As our world becomes smaller through social networking and viral opinions, individual brand contact with it’s customers is more connected and therefore more apt to intelligent criticism   Brands should expect customer reaction when they make drastic changes regarding their brand image.  Tropicana experienced this first hand, with a large backlash when blogs and online articles condemned this PepsiCo rebranding strategy.  The social media circuit lit up for the weeks following the launch of the redesigned cartons.  The public outcry was so overwhelming, that in just a few short months, Tropicana recalled their packaging decision.

TROPICANA WILL SERVE AS A WARNING FLAG
No brand wants to do what Coca-Cola did in 1985.  Modernizing your brand is a way to bring in new customers as well as keep your current client base interested in your product.  However, when you stray too far away from what your customers hold as the core of your brand, you have misunderstood what your customers demand.

Regardless of what Tropicana has done for the package design, the juice is still the same great taste.  Tropicana has loyal following and that is why there was strong reaction to this design change.

FYI: Tropicana spent $35 million for this design and promotion.

Alex graduates from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in marketing and finance.  Cooking since she was a child, she now  a food blog called Lemons In Water.

Product design is a conversation with your audience, why not blog in the same manner?

Alex Gergar

enlightened orgs: inspiration

ECONOMIC SOLUTIONS WILL BE FOUND AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

Michael Kalmanovich, owner of a unique, organic food supermarket in Edmonton, Alberta, does not lack for inspired, innovative ideas to fulfill his passion to sell locally grown organic food, socially conscious products, and a free dose of education in the process. He took his first step of faith in 1991 by opening a store with $20,000 invested, $167.00 in his bank account and a huge abundance of dreams.

Earth’s General Store was opened in a small location on the fringe of the university in the capital city of the province. It is also smack dab in the heart of a ranching and oil-based economy. It was in this province that KD Lang, a home-town celebrity, riled local extremist ranchers who defaced community signs outside her home town of Consort, Alberta, after her public service announcement in which she spoke out in favor of vegetarianism.

If opening an organic food store in a business culture like that sounds like it takes guts and a leap of faith, that pales by comparison when you hear Michael’s latest dream!

A STORE WITH INTENTION

“I started the store in 1991 in response to some trends I noticed while conducting workshops on environmentally friendlier lifestyles:

• People wanted to know where to find the information that I was sharing outside of the workshops and more of it;
• People wanted to know where to purchase products that lessened their impact on the environment;
• People were concerned about the world – both environmentally and socially;
  
• People were scared;
• People wanted to do something about what was happening in the world.
  

I survive by people purchasing items from the store but it is not the purpose of the store to sell products just to sell them and to make profit. The purpose of the store is to create change. It is a tool for change.

“People have the ability to make choices at every decision in their lives. I am not talking about all the big ones where people angst over their decision, I am talking about all those small decisions. Many of these small decisions were made a long time ago and they become routines but these “small decisions” collectively add up to major effects. As a consumer you are always faced with a choice and each choice will involve a compromise.

The people that attain this level are called conscious citizens and since we are creatures that need to consume to survive we can also say that these conscious citizens will also be conscious consumers.”

MICHEAL’S LATEST INNOVATION – GETTING A LOAN FROM HIS CUSTOMERS

Right from the  outset, Michael’s dream was much bigger than the location he has occupied for the past 18 years. Now, in the midst of an economy that has most businesses ducking for cover, he is ready to expand.

But, in a very novel way.

Although he is able to get financing from the bank, Kalmanovich says, “I would rather be beholden to the community rather than to a bank.” (I think I a lot of people around the world today, Michael, would agree with you!).

Two weeks ago, Michael sent a request, through his newsletter, to his regular customers making them an offer.

He is asking for a loan.

Investors will get a 15% discount on their store purchases for purchases up to the amount of the loan! He is also adding a further 5% gift to their loan, which means an investor who puts in $2,000.00 would actually get  $2100.00 in discount credits.

The sentiment of the dozen people who have already donated upwards to $2,000.00, is they see it as a no risk investment, certainly at much higher levels of return than they can get anywhere else today, and mostly, they see it as an investment in their community.

WOW – THAT’S A MUCH BETTER OFFER THAN I HAVE SEEN FROM ANY BANK!

WELCOME! -  EARTH’S GENERAL STORE – to our directory of Enlightened Orgs.

IF YOU LIVE AND SHOP IN THE EDMONTON, ALBERTA AREA, WE HOPE YOU WILL GIVE THIS INNOVATIVE IDEA YOUR SUPPORT. TELL A FRIEND!

Sustainable business will emerge through creativity, innovation and inspiration. This economy is the best possible stimulus to get us thinking and being more creative than we ever dreamed possible.

Does Michael’s idea trigger any others that might make your business more viable and sustainable? If so, let us know!

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy’s book can be ordered from her website www.soulabundant.com.  Special prices for bulk orders upon request. Seminars and retreats customized to the needs of your group or organization.

enlightened organizations: global trends: inspiration

CONSCIOUSNESS TIPPING POINT

Since the US Presidential election, I have been contemplating that moment in history when your country exercised their Free Will and made a statement for change by choosing Barak Obama as President-elect.

Many people have since focused on the shattering of the ethnic glass ceiling as the most significant outcome of this election. But, I think, there is something else, more profound, and of greater global significance, that happened. To use Malcolm Gladwells term, I think the historic implication of this event is that we hit the “tipping point” on Consciousness.

THE OLD IS ERODING

This is a critical moment in the decline of the Consciousness of Power Phase that has prevailed for the past 400 years, and towards the emergence of the new Phase of Interconnectedness, Abundance and Consciousness in politics, business and human relations.

BARAK TO SAVE AMERICA?

Don’t misunderstand me. I think it was vital the person who triggered this ‘tipping point’ for consciousness change in America, and, therefore, the world, had to be a black man. This symbolic action had to occur to correct an incongruency in your country’s historical application of the Constitutional statement - “all men are created equal” – except, of course, people of color. The act of electing a black man to the highest position in the country now means there are no longer any excuses along ethnic lines.

HOW THE WORLD VIEWS COLOR

I must admit though, I am a little taken aback whenever the issue of Obama being “black” comes up in discussion. To me, he looks like a very handsome, “Canadian Snowbird” who hit upon some hot weather in Florida over the winter season!

It is nice to see this breakthrough in America on racial lines, but this is not really what it is all about. Why did the rest of the world celebrate! Why did 4 in 5 Canadians say they would vote for Obama if they could vote in this election? Whatever his contribution once in office might be – the moment of his election, is a most significant act in itself. Obama somehow generated an aura – he seems to be a lightening rod for HOPE for a better tomorrow for all.

WE ARE ONE – IT IS TIME TO START LIVING LIKE WE UNDERSTAND THAT TRUTH

I think this election was a signal people around the world are enlightened enough to realize we all have a right to experience our full potential. You and I have been friends and business associates for years. This is the moment in time we have had many discussions about. All of humanity needs to step up, take action, and play our part in creating the enlightened organizations you and I have long believed are necessary for the next phase of our evolution. Our concept of Enlightened Orgs has been evolving over time. It is time to take these concepts to the organizations who are ready to be players in the shift.

YES, WE CAN.

In our work with Enlightened Orgs, we created a chart mapping a path for Consciousness called the Body Conscious Guide.© We see it as The Tao to Conscious Business©. Will everyone be READY to make this shift? Of course not. We know that. But we also know when a paradigm shift happens; it happens quickly. Those who are intuitive and creative will be the first to visualize and create the new structures that must follow this evident decline of the Power Phase. These will be the survivors.

Life does not unfold in a linear fashion. Our First Nations people taught us life was a cycle – from birth – to living – to death – to rebirth. Death can be painful. For some, even the idea of death may be painful. But out of pain comes rebirth. This is true of all living systems. Man is but a part of a living system. Organizations are living systems. Organizations are born, serve their purpose, then die off or need to be re-born or re-structured. Propping them up to continue to struggle with the same disease that precipitated their eminent demise is folly.

OUR ECONOMIC SYSTEM IS DYING

There is no greater evidence of this than in our financial systems, and certainly apparent in the current economic crisis. The model that served in the past, is not the right model for the future. We are experiencing great economic pain. There has been a symbolic death. The time for rebirth is now. Being reborn means to create something new and different. Attempting to use old, dead systems to sustain new life does not work. This phase we have entered requires a new form of leadership.  It requires a Corporate MindShift.

SIMPLE VISIONS CREATE PROFOUND CHANGE

I saw a wonderful clip on YouTube, posted by Gen-We. This group was proposing one simple statement that could change the world… “I will bring an end to the reliance upon fossil fuels by … (date)… an obvious reminder of the amazing goal set by J.F. Kennedy, that unleashed the creativity to accomplish what seemed impossible… putting a man on the moon. A simple but powerful statement galvanized the world and generated spin-off technologies no one could possibly have anticipated through implementation of normal planning processes.

“I HAVE A DREAM…”

Great things have come from simple yet powerful statements from visionary leaders in seemingly impossible short time frames. When the dream is big, we tap into our SUPERCONSCIOUS. It is here we find all we need to create all that we can dream. Are we ready to dream about a world in which everyone has full access to education, security, health, peace and the fulfillment of their dreams? We have all we need to make it happen – but do we have the will? -do we have enough people who are willing to take up the call?

“I will put an end to war on the planet by…”

“I will put an end to poverty on the planet by…”

Many are already taking up this new challenge and reaping the rewards that come from being in the right place, at the right time, with the right vision. The city of Vancouver, British Columbia elected a young new mayor, Gregor Robertson, who won a landslide victory with his dream:

“We will eliminate homelessness in Vancouver.”

“We will make Vancouver the “greenist” city in Canada.”

If we can believe that we can go to the moon – can we not believe all of the above statements are possible? – …all we need is the…

…. “I WILL!”

It starts with ME. It begins by trusting our instincts, and then drawing upon our creative resources. We don’t need to know HOW! As we show in our Tao of Conscious Business – only when we shift from ME to WE, can we achieve the miraculous – and once we make that shift…

TOGETHER, WE DO!

Obama’s acceptance speech reflected that same calm demeanor. He pointed out this was not a victory for him but a victory for the people. The question is not whether Obama can save America from the mess it is in. The question is, no different than that posed by another charismatic US President over 40 years ago…

“Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.”

David, you and I are both ‘children of the Peace movement’ who were left somewhat disillusioned and disappointed when the change we dreamed about in our youth did not happen. We were able to “IMAGINE” along with John Lennon.. we wanted to GIVE PEACE A CHANCE. But we wanted change by pushing against the system… by focusing on what we did not want. It was a movement precipitated in frustration and anger and youthful rebelliousness. Looking back at it, that was not the right consciousness to lead a movement to higher consciousness!

Today, we have been given another opportunity to finish the work started in the sixties. I recall, even then, believing I could have greater impact if, instead of marching, I worked within an organization to bring the values of tolerance, hope and fairness for all. That could not be more true, than it is today.

THE TIME TO FINISH THE 60′S MOVEMENT IS NOW

Hopefully, we, collectively, are more mature now, and can understand the message of personal responsibility. If the world is going to sit back and wait for one man to solve the problems – we are doomed. If the world is ready to step up, take responsibility, exercise our greatest creativity, realizing we cannot solve the problems with the same mind that created them – we have HOPE and POSSIBILITY.

Let’s trigger a loving revolution by the people – for the people… a revolution in which everyone wins.

MINDSHIFTS

These are times for new thoughts and consciousness. You and I have known it will take new mindsets to understand what this Consciousness phase is all about. It will not be easy for some to let go of the Phase of Scarcity, Control and Fear – allowing for the emergence of the Phase of Abundance, Interconnectedness and Consciousness.

The biggest difference today is the realization change occurs through our BEING. Each one of us BECOMING the change we want to see in the world. It is not about marching, or platitudes, or demonstrations, battles – it is not even about being “agents of change”. It is about getting in touch with our own sense of BEING, our own levels of consciousness and being present for those individuals or organizations who are ready to make the shift.

Being an agent of change means you are working on someone else or something else to get them to change. This new shift towards a Conscious Organization begins from within. Yes, we still need champions for change. But the real catalysts for change are the people who are living the new dreams, values, and consciousness. They work patiently and lovingly with all individuals inside and outside the organization to shift awareness and awakening.

I think through our Body Conscious Guide© and the Tao of Conscious Business charts©, we can communicate to others, the TAO (The Way) to the change they must make to succeed in a new world. It is a time of great hope. Let’s not miss the opportunity.

Yes we can… and together we DO!

It is time to provide leadership and insights to organizations and individuals who are ready and who are seeking clarity to, “where to from here.” We are looking for organizations that believe things can, and should be much different than the models we have pursued that have brought the planet to the brink of demise. These organizations are seeking a road map. Quantum physics concepts teach us about an interconnectedness that can be translated to every living condition, “What I do to you, I am also doing to me.” The successful businesses of the future will choose their actions based on understanding this quantum model.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG
Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com,
Judy Berg and David VanAmburg provide retreats for organizations interested in working with their management teams to make a Corporate Mindshift.  Retreats are very interactive, providing insights into current levels of consciousness, and drawing attention to where issues may exist to impede progress. Contact us for a session tailored to your organization and its needs.
attractingsuccess@soulabundant.com or david.vanamburg@mutualgravity.com

network marketing: marketing solutions

WHAT IS NETWORK MARKETING?

Our Thursday posting is dedicated to Network Marketing, so what better time than the Christmas season to talk about what it means to “network market.”

Probably the greatest networker of them all was Jesus Christ. He had a message he believed in, and knew it had to be shared with others. He gathered 12 others who believed in him and also wanted to spread the message.

Now, more than 2000 years later, there are still people committed to “paying it forward.” Isn’t it amazing what an impact only 12 people can have, as they each share the message with others-who share it with others-continually passing it on.

Whatever the message you believe in-why not pay it forward? Pass it on. Perhaps you have a product or service you are passionate about and believe others you know and care about would benefit from it. Or perhaps, it is just a daily passing forward of the way you think life should be lived…doing kind things for other people.

LIKE THE VICTIM WHO TREATED HIS MUGGER RIGHT…

Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.

“He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, ‘Here you go,’” Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, “Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you’re going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm.”

The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, “like what’s going on here?” Diaz says. “He asked me, ‘Why are you doing this?’”

Diaz replied: “If you’re willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me … hey, you’re more than welcome.

“You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help,” Diaz says.

Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.

“The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi,” Diaz says. “The kid was like, ‘You know everybody here. Do you own this place?’”

“No, I just eat here a lot,” Diaz says he told the teen. “He says, ‘But you’re even nice to the dishwasher.’”

Diaz replied, “Well, haven’t you been taught you should be nice to everybody?”

“Yea, but I didn’t think people actually behaved that way,” the teen said.

Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. “He just had almost a sad face,” Diaz says.

The teen couldn’t answer Diaz or he didn’t want to.

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, “Look, I guess you’re going to have to pay for this bill ’cause you have my money and I can’t pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I’ll gladly treat you.”

The teen “didn’t even think about it” and returned the wallet, Diaz says. “I gave him $20 … I figure maybe it’ll help him. I don’t know.”

Diaz says he asked for something in return the teen’s knife “and he gave it to me.”

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, “You’re the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch.”

“I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It’s as simple as it gets in this complicated world.”

Produced for Morning Edition by Michael Garofalo.

Story originally reported on NPR at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=891647

CIRCLE OF LOVE

There are some brilliant ideas already out there that you may want to become involved with as your expression of networking or paying it forward - or you might want to develop your own.  Here is a link to the Circle of Love. A concept being “payed forward” by someone who just wants to make a difference in the world by encouraging like-minded people to band together and create a synergy of love.

We are passing out of a long dark period of time when all too often people banded together primarily for the purpose of power, inflicting pain or distinguishing our differences.  We can counter this by banding together to touch the essence of what man is really here to do – to give and receive love.

The Circle of Love

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behavior Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant:Attracting Success, Fulfillment and True Happiness
more about: www.soulabundant.com,
You may not be of the Christian faith, but I hope the spirit and intention of this celebration is one you can honor.  We will never all hold the same views, beliefs or religions, but we can honor and respect our differences… and therein, will lie our ascendancy to highest consciousness. Paying forward kindness and love transcends all religious orders.

Enlightened Organizations: inspiration

100 Mile Diet
click for more

THE VALUE OF LOCALLY GROWN FOOD

Vancouver, British Columbia’s, Alisa Smith, free lance writer and journalist, and partner J.B. McKinnon, author, challenged themselves to a one year mission to eat only locally grown foods from a 100 mile radius of their Vancouver home as a statement in support of the environment and local growers.

Their prize-winning book, “The 100 Mile Diet, A Year of Local Eating”, published in 2007 and winning regional awards in 2008, is a memoir of their experiences in finding and preparing local food. It presents an important part of the totally new way of looking at the world and of the role we need to adopt as keepers of the earths treasures for future generations.

The 100 Mile Diet may not be an “organization” by definition, as we normally profile on Monday’s blog of Best Practices of Enlightened Organizations, but the authors are a partnership, and their project, and ultimately their product, which is a new way of thinking about how we eat, does indeed, qualify them as inductees into our Hall of Enlightened Organizations.

Their project may seem like it focused on food, but it actually brings into question issues of globalization, the oil economy, environmental collapse, and the unraveling of the social fabric of our communities. These issues are of primary concern to enlightened organizations… they are the issues and values enlightened organizations are committed to dealing with ahead of profit margins. The 100 Mile Diet has caught on internationally and is increasing awareness of how each of us can make a positive impact on the global environment by eating “from home”.

TWO SIMPLE FACTS THAT MAY SHOCK YOU INTO CONSIDERING A 100 MILE DIET

In a way, their project is also reflective of the Slow Food movement begun in France to counter the Fast Food industry. The very act of becoming engaged in the source of our food brings us into an energy that reminds us we are part of nature.  We are energetically part of the environment in which we live, which means we share an inter-connectivity with all living systems in that environment. By becoming conscious of eating from the local area, we link to the ‘terroir’ of the region, its heritage, artisans, community and farmers.

“It’s remarkable, but people who grow their own food, who reconnect with the soil, can immediately appreciate the implications of an economy that doesn’t respect the power of ecology,” says Woody Tasch, author of the book, Slow Money.

Tasch believes one aspect of social responsibility has been left out that can no longer be neglected is a more personal connection to our food. It all comes down to Earth and back to sustainable agriculture.

“Eating locally isn’t just a fad like the various diets advertised on late-night TV-it may be one of the most important ways we save ourselves and the planet.”
- Dr. David Suzuki, chair, The David Suzuki Foundation

Smith and McKinnon were at first amazed to realize that the typical ingredients in their meals were traveling a distance that spanned from Toronto to the Yukon before landing on their dinner table.  The concept of greenhouse gases, smog and consumption of energy to move this product was astounding.

Although the idea of the 100 Mile Diet has gained international awareness, the concept is not all that foreign to many still alive today.  It is a return to a life style from the not so distant past.

A 100 MILE DIET, IN THE NOT TOO DISTANT PAST, WAS THE WAY OF LIFE

I recall the enthusiasm my cousins and I would have for spending time with my grandparents in rural Manitoba. I would rave to my friends about my grandmothers wonderful cooking.  Now, I realize it was not so much the cooking as the source of the products.  The garden contained corn, potatoes, cucumbers, peas, dill, beets, turnips, green and yellow beans, tomatoes, to die for…  the list goes on.  One of our favorite pastimes was playing hide and seek with a salt shaker! – lying low in the deep rows of vegetables, snacking on cucumbers or tomotoes, waiting to be found.

MOTHER NATURES OWN GARDEN

The weekends were filled with excursions to the countryside to pick a wide variety of wild mushrooms in each of their growing seasons, or low bush cranberries, blueberries, saskatoons, pincherries, rose hips, or wild strawberries.  My grandfather would pick up his fishing gear as soon as he arrived home after a full day of work, load us into his little fishing boat, and head up the river to catch fresh Pickerel for dinner.

FOOD AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WERE INTERWINED

Evenings were car trips to the farms of relatives or friends after dinner and provided a social opportunity, as well as, a chance to pick up fresh farm eggs, chickens, beef, milk, fresh icy cold cream that was later left to sour to make sour cream that someone who has only eaten supermarket sour cream could never begin to understand… to mention nothing of the homemade butter and the homemade cottage cheese!

I guess it was a lot of work.  But I do not recall anyone complaining. It seemed there was always plenty of time to share the experience with us. The handling of the food was part of the life and social experience.  Products were swapped and shared with great pride. Pails of handpicked berries were often left by neighbours on the doorstep in the early morning, and later exchanged for the jars of preserves they had been used to make.

EVEN A SMALL CHANGE MAKES A DIFFERENCE

Maybe a full 100 mile diet is not something you want to commit to.  But I do challenge you to consider even a small change in your purchasing habits.  A lot of people, each making an adjustment, can make a huge difference. Perhaps you will try growing your own tomotoes in pots on your balcony.  You will be amazed at how much produce comes from just one small plant – and you will love the difference in flavor.  I believe you will also find getting an energy connection with your food actually changes your energy consciousness.

BLESS BLESS
JUDY BERG

Organizational Behaviour Consultant
author: Imagine Your Soul Abundant: Attracting Success, Happiness and True Fulfillment
more about: www.soulabundant.com
Judy and Jim Berg have chosen to reside in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia because of the availability of locally grown produce.  They are committed to supporting local growers. Last summer they purchased beautiful cherries directly from the grower for $1.00 per pound!  The same cherries were being sold at roadside stands for $4.99 per pound and at the local supermarkets for $6.99 per pound. Here are some statistics that should make you concerned.

Share of each U.S. consumer food dollar that returned to the farmer in 1910, in cents: 40

Share that returned to the farmer in 1997, in cents: 7

Let’s support our local growers – or all of our food will be coming from thousands of miles away.