BGI

Today is a day to celebrate.  Obama is now officially the President of the United States.  It is our time, not to talk about change but to live it and create it in our lives, in our businesses and in our communities.  It's our opportunitiy to grab, but not on our own.  We must hold hands and run with it together.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to attend an Obama inauguration party with my friends from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute, a leading MBA in sustainable business near Seattle.  Everyone was in fine form, a highlight of the evening was a swearing in ceremony led by my good friend Aldan Shank, who effortlessly, and well protected by the secret service (see photo above), made light of our responsibility to make the most of this great time.  The opportunity is now and I'm ready to run.  Are you with me?

I just got back from what may have been the best business conference ever, the Social Venture Institute at Hollyhock on Cortes Island. Besides the breath taking land, mountains, ocean and forests, everything about it was all good. The sessions were first class and their format succinct and relevant. Learning from experts in the fields of branding, social enterprise, social media, strategy, business development, raising capital, basically all the things you need to have together to build a successful social mission based business. World class particpants and up and coming super stars, I feel lucky and privilaged to have been a part of it. Business is a lot more than about making money and this conference proved it. You need to have it together to be successful and profit is only a piece of success.

Top 5 things I loved about SVI

1) Networking - there aren't many places in the world where you can learn from multi millionaires, corporate executives, social justice leaders and budding entrepreneurs while kicking back in a hot tub looking out into Desolation Sound. I met so many amazing people, and not just trading cards, but really connecting, talking and learning from people I know I'll stay in touch with.

2) The Food - Top notch, local, organic healthy tasty living. Enough said. Everything put in front of us was amazing. Nourished mind, body and soul. SVI has it sorted. When the chefs get a standing ovation you know you're in good hands.

3) The Cortesians - It had been a few years since I'd been on Cortes Island while working on my MBA at the Bainbridge Graduate Institue (BGI). BGI has a great campus on this beautiful, quaint and remote island in the North Gulf Islands on the British Columbia coast. All the locals we met were super friendly, down to earth and leaders in so many ways. One of the leading Permaculture design schools is on Cortes - Linnaea Farm.

4) The Land - Beautiful big western red cedars, lush ferns on the forest floor, huckleberries, Sitka Spruce and fresh ocean air. Hollyhock is one beautiful place. Beaches for swimming, in the ocean or a nearby fresh water lake, everything was at our fingertips.

5) The buildings - green buildings left right and center. Inspirational learning spaces for the mind and heart. Besides all things business we nourished ourselves with massage, meditiation, yoga, you name it. Natural building at it's best. Cobb houses, solar power, yurts and modern concrete post beam luxary homes. Did I mention the hot tubs! Damb, this place is a slice of bliss.

Last week I went to Las Vegas for the Awards Recognition Association (ARA) show along with my friends at Eclipse Awards.  Recognition is a powerful way to build relationships, both in business and in pleasure, and going to the show was a great opportunity for me to learn more about the industry.  Sustainability has all to do with recognition and appreciation, as I learned so deeply working on my MBA at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI), as it's really about taking care of people and building culture, two powerful pillars needed to build successful progressive businesses and organizations.  One of the highlights of the trip was a tour we scheduled at the headquarters of zappos.com.  We had heard from friends that it was a great tour, and knew a bit about the success of this online retailer, but were totally surprised as to how progressive the organization was.  Jerry, the Zappos Major, took us on the tour and didn't cease to amaze.  In the photo above you can see him in his festive glory.  Behind you can see the desks of the c-suite, not what you might expect for a billion dollar company!

Management drives culture but employees create it

I was facinated to see how passionate, personal, creative and friendly the Zappos employees are.  For a company thats focussed on service, they were spot on.  They made me feel important and of value and this feeling I now attribute to their brand.  As we walked around the offices there were two things that I thought were super cool.

1. Each department decorated their own area and meeting room
2. Each department welcomed us in their own way

These factors help employees to own a piece of their job, to have creative freedom and expression and be recognized and valued for things that are fun.  This helps to build a positive culture, with happy and satisfied employees.  People who like their job and feel proud to serve their company.  They like each other and their customers.  From tiki lounges to hoola hoops to cowgirls ringing triangles to Mexican margarhita escapades, Zappos has a taste for everyone.

Zappos Library

At the end of the tour you get to choose books from their library that you promise to read, all of which looked good but a couple stood out.  I choose 2.

1. Co-opetition by Adam Brandenburger & Barry Nalebuff
2. Made to Stick by Chip Heath & Dan Heath

Since learning from Elizabet Sahtouris, an evolutionary biologist, at BGI I've been facinated by how cooperation is a more powerful tool for survival in the game of evolution.  That by working together and understanding each other's needs that we're able to best figure out how to work and live with each other.  This is the basis of what we're working towards in the Strathcona Green Zone, how businesses can work together for mutual benefit and build a healthy interconnected sustainable community.  It will be interesting to see how Brandenburger & Nalebuff tie in how cooperation and competition are related.  I'll keep you posted.  One of my great entrepreneurship professors, Paul Hudnut, talked about how to create powerful 'sticky' ideas in a presentation one day a couple years back and given my interest and passion for storytelling and marketing I'm excited to dive into this one as well.

Feeling like a king

Although my friends made me wear a tiara Zappos still made me feel like a king.  Another great moment of the tour was in our visit to Dr.Vik's office, a space used for employees to talk about things going on in their lives and get advice to help them deal with things and achieve their goals.  This sence of safety, comfort, and support again are powerful ways to build a healthy trusting culture, where everyone understands that people are people, not just cogs in the wheel making sprockets.  Success is based on people and it's manifested in the cultures that we create.