Healthy Living Tips

8 PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE MULTICULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Every day, thousands of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and public agencies encounter the challenges and the benefits of working in an increasingly multicultural society. From reaching out to potential customers, clients, donors, and taxpayers to providing critical products and services, every organization in today’s society must make effective communication in a multicultural context a key priority. It is an absolute necessity for organizational success and for building healthy communities.

Taking a multicultural approach to communication increases the relevance and impact by recognizing, respecting, and engaging the cultural backgrounds of all stakeholders and framing communication in ways that invite real participation and dialogue. Effective multicultural communication unlocks new resources and brings additional perspectives and talents to the table to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to our most challenging social, environmental, and economic issues.

An analysis of the raw data highlights the significance and growth of our nation’s increasingly multicultural population. Take ethnicity statistics alone: ethnic and racial groups account for 30 percent of the U.S. population, or more than 90 million people. By 2050, communities of color will make up 49 percent of the U.S. population, or more than 209 million people.

Through our work with leading businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies, we have distilled eight principles for effective multicultural communication. You will see that many of the principles make great sense for communication to all audiences and are built upon well-established communication and social marketing theory.

1) Check Your Assumptions at the Door: Begin With Yourself
Before beginning to work with any group that is culturally, ethnically, or racially different from your own, it is critical to step back and identify any assumptions, preconceived beliefs, or stereotypes that you might hold about that population. Your best intentions may be undermined by old assumptions or isolated experiences that can impact your ability to develop a sound strategy that effectively achieves the behavioral, attitudinal, or systematic change you seek. It is also essential that you not assume a particular group holds the same set of values or beliefs as your own.

2) Understand the Cultural Context(s) of Your Audience: Do Your Homework
The goal of any communication is creating shared understanding. As communicators, when we relay a message (language, symbols, images), it is with the expectation that the receiver can interpret as the sender intended and has the ability to take action accordingly. This is not always the case. Various cultural groups have unique ways of perceiving, organizing, and relating to information. They may have different needs, values, motivators, and behaviors. The norm for one group may not necessarily be relevant or appropriate for another group. The message must fit the cultural context (the norms, ideas, beliefs, and totality of meaning shared by a cultural group) of the audiences you want to reach.

3) Invest Before You Request: Create Community-Centered Partnerships
Historically, there has been a tendency to reach out to organizations serving special populations at the point when businesses, issue advocates, or other organizations need help accessing a community or seek to expand service or products to a community. Too often the first introduction is a request for assistance in conducting outreach, sharing information, facilitating market research, or referring participants to programs. In many cases, communication has been one way and self-centered—what can this person or organization do for us? By investing in the community—learning about organizational needs, attending events and community forums, and participating in community-based efforts—you can build trust and the foundation for long-term engagement. By taking this step first, before you have a specific programmatic request, you invest in building connections that lead to long-term partnerships.

4) Develop Authentic Relationships: Maintain a Long-Term Perspective
Authentic relationships are those that engage community members in idea generation, feedback, and decision making. Such a relationship is patiently developed because there is no need to rush to get to know and understand each other. The relationship is based on a true sense of shared values and shared mission and is focused on ongoing collaboration rather than a specific project. Communication, contribution, and commitment are all two-way.

5) Build Shared Ownership: Engage, Don’t Just Involve
As you seek to engage the community in your work, look for opportunities for the community to become vested in the mission that drives your work and its outcomes. Identify opportunities for leadership roles for members of the community and engage them as decision makers and owners of strategy. Actively seek their guidance and input in evaluating and refining strategies and messages. When there is more than one cultural group that you wish to engage, identify the needs, values, and motivators that the groups have in common and use these to develop messages and strategies that help unify the groups. This approach helps build community, ensure that groups do not feel they are in competition for attention or resources, and also helps to identify and elevate shared community needs and values that help shape ongoing community dialogue.

6) Walk Your Talk: Lead By Example
All of us have had experiences in which the message conveyed by an organization is inconsistent with its actions and behaviors. The classic example is a retail business with a huge welcome sign in the window and a staff that ignores you. This is just a manifestation of the challenges audiences experience when the message doesn’t match the experience. If you say that your programs are flexible, open to all members of the community, and based on community needs, then that must be what your audience experiences. If you commit to collaboration, then you must behave collaboratively. If you are committed to providing services to “everyone” in the community, your organization’s staff, governance, and partnerships need to reflect the community, and your resources need to benefit that community.

7) Relate, Don’t Translate: Place Communication Into Cultural Context
Successful multicultural communication requires more than just translating English-language content. It requires embracing the social nuances of diverse cultural groups and markets and actively engaging them in the creation of relevant communication strategies, tools, and messages that have the best opportunity to achieve the desired action. When existing strategies are deemed effective, the process of adaptation for new audiences is much broader than the words on a page. In fact, more important than deciding which language to use in your materials is ensuring that the content resonates with the culture and identity of your audience.

Effective multicultural communication entails appropriate interpersonal communication dynamics, the right context, and appropriate usage of culturally relevant imagery, vocabulary, vernacular, metaphors, or slang. Translation makes things readable, not necessarily relevant. A better approach is to make a conscious choice between translating existing concepts that work, relating existing concepts into new images and words that convey ideas more effectively, or developing completely new creative (message frame, copy, imagery).

8) Anticipate Change: Be Prepared to Succeed
Bringing new people and new perspectives into your organization, especially those from a cultural group that has not been previously engaged—be they staff, volunteers, clients, customers, members, investors, donors or community partners—will naturally change the dynamics of your organization. It may change how the organization is structured, governed, and staffed. It may impact how consensus is built, how meetings are managed, and how decisions are made. It may impact how a product is reformulated or how a marketing campaign is planned and executed. When conducting multicultural communication, answer the questions: “Are we prepared to succeed?” “Are we ready for change?”

Cases Study Examples:

The YMCA offers many examples of community-centered partnerships.

Issue: The YMCA of the Columbia-Willamette in Portland, Oregon, was interested in connecting with the fast-growing Latino population in the area. It wanted to increase Latino participation in programs and encourage that community to volunteer and become potential donors to the organization.

Strategy: The YMCA’s president was new to the area, recently relocated from Los Angeles, where he had worked extensively with Latino youth and families. He reached out to a local Latino-led community organization that served children and youth through a variety of programs. He offered transportation, access to facilities, and staff to lead nutrition and fitness classes free of charge.

Results and Impact: The pilot program sparked multiple on-site programs and joint fundraising efforts over several years. The Latino organization gained access to quality facilities, expert staff, and curriculum about health, fitness, and nutrition to supplement its educational and workforce development programs. Hundreds of children and teens benefited from year-round health and fitness programming. Over time, this relationship led to new Latino board members, an increase in Latino volunteers, and an increase in the number of Latino youths and families attending YMCA programs and services (the original goal).

New Seasons Market is a good example of investing before requesting.

Issue: New Seasons Market is a chain of Oregon grocery stores committed to building strong communities and supporting a healthy regional food economy and environment. Unlike many stores that carry a wide array of natural and organic foods, New Seasons has opened several stores in underserved neighborhoods that include the established African-American community, a growing Latino population, and many new Southeast Asian and Eastern European immigrants. These stores are in locations that were abandoned by traditional grocers decades ago. New Seasons needed to establish community support to build the stores and a strong customer base in neighborhoods other grocers had considered unprofitable.

Strategy: New Seasons’ CEO and other leaders began attending neighborhood meetings prior to siting new stores. They learned from community members that a major need and priority was bringing a grocery store with healthy food into the neighborhood. They garnered community feedback on store location, product mix, and service needs. They began hiring and recruiting from the neighborhood for jobs in their other stores while new stores were in development. They participated in priority neighborhood projects, from street tree plantings to sponsoring a youth entrepreneurship program at one store. They advocated as an ally of the community for improved transit and other needs.

Results and Impact: New Seasons opened two large stores in neighborhoods without a grocery store and hired staff at all levels that reflected the local community. The diverse customer base from the neighborhoods has made both stores very successful. New Seasons has forged strong community partnerships and relationships, providing it with allies on priority issues of food policy. In turn, New Seasons has been engaged as an ally for community development and economic equity priorities. Further, local communities have pointed to New Seasons as an example of the expectation they have for other companies that benefit from doing business in their neighborhood.

The Lee y serás campaign (an initiative of the National Council of La Raza, Scholastic Inc., and Verizon) is a good example of “relate, don’t translate.”

Issue: Currently, 86 percent of Latino fourth-graders and 91 percent of Latino eighth-graders in the U.S. read at or below basic skill levels. Fewer than 25 percent of Latino 17-year-olds can read at the skill level necessary for success in college and the increasingly high-tech workplace. This achievement gap actually begins before children enter kindergarten. A major goal of this national bilingual early-literacy initiative is to empower parents and childcare providers to play a first teacher role.

Strategy: As the education system has increasingly encouraged learning English, non-English speaking parents do not receive encouragement for and may even be discouraged from reading to their children. Also, the traditional message of “Read to your children so they will be better prepared for school” does not resonate as well in the Latino community due to a belief by some segments of the community that learning begins in school, not at home. Clearly, traditional literacy frames would not work with this audience. New materials and a unique creative approach were needed in Spanish and best developed within a cultural context that the various Latino subpopulations could relate to.

The campaign’s focus group research guided the development of a message framework that centered on succeeding in life, rather than the dominant literacy message frame, “Read to your child so they can succeed in school.” Latino cultural strengths such as storytelling, rhymes, and singing were emphasized. Further, based upon an understanding of the work-life demands (another cultural context factor) of the primary audience, the message frame highlighted how talking, telling stories, and singing to children could be incorporated into parents’ daily activities. 

By recognizing that many parents have multiple jobs and cannot meet the demands of traditional messages that call for a set amount of time spent reading each day, the campaign created a culturally relevant frame that was effective with parents and primary caregivers. Six pilot campaign markets were selected to reflect cultural needs of specific subpopulations such as Chicanos and Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles, Cubans and South Americans in Miami, and Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York.

Results and Impact: Initial impact assessments in the six markets show very promising success. Parents involved in the program clearly and enthusiastically articulate and act on their first teacher role and articulate the core messages of the campaign in their own words when describing what is important for their children to succeed. Cultural aspects of the program such as rhymes, stories, and songs have been particularly well received.

Conclusion
Effective multicultural communication is a critical factor in engaging and garnering support from the full spectrum of voters, donors, customers, constituents, and stakeholders that make up the American mosaic. By applying the eight principles, your organization can better advance your goals and help create a stronger and more equitable society. While there are many nuances, approaches, and perspectives to learn and apply, ultimately it all comes down to what we like to call the 3Rs: Relevance, Relationships, and Results.

Metropolitan Group is a full-service social change agency that crafts and integrates strategic communication, resource development, and creative services that empower social-purpose organizations to build a just and sustainable world. More information is available at www.metgroup.com.

Many of us will send (and receive) flowers for Valentine’s Day (as well as Mother’s Day and/or Easter). However, many of us are unaware the $40 billion floral industry often exploits laborers, and deals in toxic chemicals – Not what you want to associate with a gift of love! Check out these facts from the bestselling book, THE FLOWER CONFIDENTIAL. We have an opportunity to use this holiday to improve our health, as well as minimize our impact on the environment and build community by making better flower choices, including:

 Local Harvest.

Organic Bouquet

California Organic Flowers

I love giving (and receiving) plants instead of flowers. Plants inevitably last longer (even if they don’t last forever), humidify and detoxify our air, all while giving us life-inducing oxygen! Talk about a gift that gives back! The many benefits of common houseplants.

Another traditional gift is chocolate; again, there are now many fair trade, organic and decadently delicious options.

 The why's of eco chocolate are numerous. Here are taste tests for some of the best.

As long as we are going all eco-love out, check out some Eco sexy lingerie and Eco sustainable intimacy products

This year make a more meaningful sentiment by buying and supporting healthier eco options, both for yourself and your home,

Happy Valentines Day!

Personally, I’m going to the Naked Scavenger hunt at the METROPOLITAN MUSEUM, because, if you haven’t noticed, I like to do things a little differently! ~ Cheryl Terrace  VITALDESIGNLTD.COM 

Any of you old enough to remember the classic rock tune "My City Was Gone" by the Pretenders? Like singer Chrissie Hynde, I go back to Ohio, but my city (Akron, aka The Rubber City) is not gone. Can you imagine my surprise to find a great organic restaurant, VegiTERRANEAN, by none other than Chrissie Hynde herself, on my last visit?

While other little girls were into Barbie, I was idolizing Chrissie as the world's coolest rock chick. I think of her as a true pioneer, back in the day when MTV actually played videos. "Back on The Chain Gang" and "Middle of the Road" may have been bigger hits, but the anti-development anthem "My City Was Gone" has a blues rock riff that still inspires me.

My mother told me about VegiTERRANEAN and I was immediately on board. I must admit that despite my green leanings, kicking the meat habit has not been easy. Nevertheless, onward we went for our vegan meal.

Surprisingly, VegiTERRANEAN is not a tribute to Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders. There are a select few bits of memorabilia, a guitar on the wall type of thing, but Hard Rock Café it is not. The room is loft-style, swank by most city standards, with concrete floors, curved chain link walls and subdued blue lighting. It is dominated by a long bar serving a great selection of local microbrews and some organic wines. A little bit of SoHo in Akron.

The interior of VegiTERRANEAN.

Intrigued by my outstanding meal of garbanzo beans and tomatoes, I set up an interview with Chrissie. I wanted to get the scope on the little veggie haunt in Akron. She is a real rock star, so I have, well, edited her comments a bit to clean up the language, lots of F-bombs. Hynde is not your typical celebrity turned restauranteur, however. She made it clear: "I am not in this to make money." Her cause celeb is to reduce meat eating and its negative impact on humans and the environment.

"The vastness of American geography and the car culture have made everything less dense, why should you always have to drive to get some groceries? Why don't we eliminate factory farming?" She spreads the word through her music. "It was never supposed to be man vs. nature," she told me by phone from VegiTERRANEAN's bar. "We are meant to be stewards of the environment. A meat eater on a bicycle has a worse impact on the environment than a vegetarian driving a Hummer. Your body is confused as a meat eater."

She may well be right about this. Recent articles in The New York Times and London Times examine the wide-ranging environmental impact of raising cows, slaughtering them and delivering the meat to market. Scary stuff that can convince you to come over to the meatless side. I will admit that since reading The New York Times article, I have sworn off my previously beloved hamburgers and have dramatically reduced my meat intake across the board.

So how was my meal at VegiTERRANEAN? Spiced tomatoes and chick peas with baby arugula, tofu feta and crustini. Fresh tomato and artichoke bisque with fresh dill. For the main course, fresh whole wheat linguini carbonara with smoked "gardein" chicken, asparagus and leeks. "Gardein" is a type of garden grown protein, actually quite tasty and fulfilling in a tofu sort of way for us "gotta have meat" types. Prices are moderate, the food was fabulous -- kudos to executive chef J. Scot Jones -- but the service was on the uneven side at best. Let's just say the kitchen operations could use a tune up.

VegiTERRANEAN is kosher and vegan friendly. Let's hope this type of eatery becomes more common, organic food is a great alternative for lowering the methane emitted during meat processing. To date, Karyn's Raw Foods in Chicago and VegiTERRANEAN in Akron are my two favorites. When I asked Chrissie about plans for expansion - she said "definitely but in a better economy." Two places that could use a VegiTERRANEAN or like concept -- Las Vegas and downtown Los Angeles -- both had appeal to her. She liked the idea of "tricking people into vegetarianism through good food". Through her hard work, dedication to animal rights, and understanding ecological systems -- she is certainly on the path to helping us all eat better.

If you are curious about what she is doing musically these days, check out Chrissie out jamming in Paris in June 2009:

If any of you have favorite organic restaurants in your area, please comment to let others know about them. Thanks for reading!

In Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife,[3] the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that production of palm oil also promotes the destruction of rainforests. More than 80 percent of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, largely grown on land that was once rainforest. When forests are cleared the habitat for endangered species is destroyed, threatening orangutans and other wildlife.

 CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who co-authored the report with wildlife ecologist Ellie Brown said, "We applaud food manufacturers for moving away from trans-fat-laden partially hydrogenated oils, and … switching to such heart-healthy oils as soybean, corn, or canola. Consumers and food processors should realize, though, that palm oil still promotes heart disease and that producing palm oil has a devastating impact on rainforest and endangered wildlife."

Since the early 1990’s the spread of palm oil plantations into forests on Borneo and Sumatra have helped to make Indonesia the world’s third-highest greenhouse gas emitter.[4] Ironically, the quest for eco-friendly biofuels, of which palm oil is a component, is also partly to blame. Deep in the forests of Borneo environmental groups are fighting the onslaught of palm plantations by reaching out to villagers with common sense and education. Founded in 1991, Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia (Yayorin) is dedicated to saving Indonesia’s forests and the endangered wildlife. Yayorin promotes orangutan conservation through environmental education and outreach, visiting remote villages, local schools and government institutions.

Established in 2007, the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) runs a guerrilla-style campaign in the Indonesian part of Borneo. According to COP the orangutan population is estimated at 50,000 and up to 3,000 orangutans die each year because loggers and palm oil developers are destroying their primary habitat. COP investigates new clearings, issues media alerts and documents environmental wrongdoing through video, photography, and GPS.

The Borneo Orangutan Foundation Survival (BOS) is the largest primate rescue project in the world with nearly 1000 orangutans in its care. BOS rescues wild orangutans from palm oil plantations and rehabilitates orphaned orangutans, displaced as a result of the destruction of their habitat to clear land for palm oil production.

The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) is a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with educational and entertaining interactive programs.

TIGERS operates four public exhibits, two in Myrtle beach, SC, one in Miami FL, and one in Boston, MA. Featuring animal ambassadors who serve as living examples of current worldwide environmental issues. TIGERS animal ambassador Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the dog became best friends upon meeting each other and their amazing video has become a YouTube sensation.

 Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

More often then not I get emails and calls asking if there are any positions available at LOHAS. I also get many emails and meetings over coffee to discuss options with collegues who are between things which is the PC way of saying they too are out of work. The fact that there are more people looking for fewer poistions makes it a competitive arena and intimidating. Plus many don't want to sacrifice their LOHAS values for the sake of food on the table. To aid those in search of a future LOHAS employer we have comprised a list of links that you may find useful to your desired field of work.

GREEN INDUSTRY
Great Green Careers
Great Green Careers lists jobs in renewable energy, the environment and sustainable building.

Idealist.org
A place to find dream job in the nonprofit sector, or find resources to continue growing in career.

Ethical Jobs
Jobs and resumes in ethical fields - Charities, Corporate Social Responsibility, Family & Children and other categories.

Care2.com Job Listing
Care2 is the largest online network for people who want to make a difference.

Greenjobs
"One-stop" site where recruiters and job seekers can interact.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy - Career Network
Employment opportunities in company gift, charity and fund raising programs.

SpiritList.com (Southern California)
SpiritList is designed for all involved in the fields of holistic health and well-being.

Clean Edge
Your source for Clean Tech jobs.

ENVIRONMENTAL/ ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Green Career Central
Green Career Central is a membership website that provides expert career coaching and advice. There is  a green job board that is open to everyone as source of green job and career openings.

Green Dream Jobs at Sustainablebusiness.com
Offer opportunities that fulfill society's needs while contributing to the well-being of all earth's inhabitants.

Environmental Career Opportunities
500+ Environmental Jobs in conservation, education, policy, science & engineering and more!

EnvironmentalCAREER.com
Assists individuals and employers in matching potential employees with employers.

EcoEmploy.com
Find environmental jobs in government, companies and non-profits. Includes science, natural and green opportunities.

Green Biz Job Listing
Provides a listing of opportunities in various environmentally oriented businesses.

Envirolink
A grassroots online community that unites hundreds of organizations and volunteers.

The UK Green Directory 
Information about the environmental sector in the UK for consumer, professional and business users.

GeographyJobs
GeographyJobs is a job search and job by e-mail service that is focused on bringing together geographers and employers in need of their talents.

WELLNESS/FITNESS
Wellness Jobs
Post Wellness job employment resume or find a Wellness job listing

WellnessCoachCareers.com
Search for Personal Trainer Jobs, Fitness Jobs, and Careers in Corporate Fitness and Wellness.

American Herbal Products Association Job Bank
The AHPA Job Board powered by CPGjobs provides natural health product companies with a specialized tool to assist in the recruitment and hiring of quality candidates.

Yoga Finder
Find yoga jobs and opportunities.

Health and Yoga Community
As the Yoga community grows around the world, Health and Yoga Placements & Recruitments allows Yoga Job Seekers and Yoga Recruiters to find each other.

FitnessJobs.com
FitnessJobs.com is an internet recruitment site/job board that specializes in the health, fitness, recreation and leisure industries.

HEALING ARTS
Healing Schools Job Listing
This listing can help you transition from student to practitioner with a salary. You can also find internships as well.

DIVERSITY/MINORITY
Jobs4.0
The leading source of job opportunities for candidates 40 and over.

Diversity Jobs
Diversity job board and workplace diversity blog with the latest news, articles, opinions and information.

MinorityJobs.net
Free Resume posting & Job listing site, with Career guide, civil rights, legal & government news archive, plus scholarship links.

DiversityWorking.com
The largest diversity job board online, career opportunity and news source resource and job search engine for the cultural diversity marketplace.

Women on Hire Job Listing
National career fair and diversity recruitment information as well as career advice for women including: job interview questions, resume example and cover letter.

Women’s Job List
Over 2000 companies and organizations link to this site, providing employers with exclusive access to highly qualified candidates.

OUTDOORS
Outdoor Adventure Professional Network Job Listing
Free job search and posting site for outdoor adventure professionals.

OceanCareers.com
Explore over fifty ocean-related careers.

Wilderdom Job Listing
Current outdoor education jobs and employment opportunities - links to adventure education positions around the world.

NON-LOHAS SITES (but information on LOHAS jobs available)
Juju
Speed up your job search and find better jobs! Juju searches millions of jobs from thousands of sites.

Simply Hired
Search over 5 million job listings and thousands of jobs sites to find a job you love.

Craigslist
craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, personals, services, local community, and events.

CareerBuilder.com
Search 1.6 million Jobs on CareerBuilder.com. Find new employment or work. Fresh job listings posted daily.

Indeed
Search millions of jobs from thousands of job boards, newspapers, classifieds and company websites.

If there are any others you wish to add please let me know. There are a ton out there and Id like to know which ones are good and bad. Good luck in your search! 

I assume that many of you are looking at your personal finances due to a new year and the tax man that will soon be knocking. Many may be asking themselves - "How can I do well while doing good in today's economy?" Well this is what I certainly am doing for my own personal reasons. Not only am I an advocate of sustainability management when it comes to business but also when it applies to personal finance. It certainly seems strange to think about investing as the unemployment rate hangs at 10%, foreclosures continue and penny pinching seems to be all the rage. And I find it so peculiar how we all relate to money. Money is supposed to be a unit of exchange for objects and services. It is not something to be a slave to. But why are we such slaves to it? Where does all the emotional baggage come from that surrounds it? What if we look at it money with different perspective? Would that give us some better ideas, attitudes and insight? This is what I have done and here are some great books I have recently read that I would recommend to anyone to read who is considering a new direction to take for their financial future and outlook on what to value.

The Cure For Money Madness - Spencer Sherman
spence spoke at the 2009 LOHAS Forum about his new process for curing what he termed 'Money Madness'. He had sufferred from it and noticed it in his clients, too: those irrational feelings about money that make otherwise rational adults behave foolishly—buying high, selling low, overspending, lying to their spouses, equating their self-worth with their net worth. Money madness stresses us out, poisons our relationships, and keeps us from making as much money as we can. So Spencer invented the cure. Now, in The Cure for Money Madness, he gives us the tools that have helped thousands of people find greater peace of mind—and make more money.

accorind to Spencer, money madness comes from unproductive messages that we received long ago such as, “It takes money to make money.” or “Paying rent is just throwing money down the drain.” “Don’t talk about money.” When you challenge the messages, you can transform all aspects of your money life: earning, spending, saving, investing, giving, borrowing. More money will flow to you. Your relationships will improve. You’ll enjoy your money more. And you’ll be more generous, too.

In The Cure for Money Madness, you’ll discover:

How much your money madness has been costing you
How wealthy you truly are, by using the revolutionary Actual Net WorthTM statement
How “small and boring” can help you outperform the top investors—without watching the market
How to communicate about money in ways that create deeper connections with your spouse, parents, children, friends, and colleagues
How to know what is truly enough

Money madness keeps us from living as richly as we might and enjoying the wealth we have. In these tough economic times, The Cure for Money Madness transforms fear and stress into prosperity and peace.

I like this book because I can relate to it through the emotions that I have experienced that are attached to money and there are very simple steps to follow that Spencer has put together to get to not only the root of the emotions for reprogramming but also a roadmap to financial freedom.


Slow Money - Woody Tasch

Another presenter at LOHAS, the ultimate green conference. Woody has seen a lot regarding asset management. This book talks about large picture and  presents the path for bringing money back down to earth- philosophically, strategically, and pragmatically- and with an entrepreneurial spirit that is informed by decades of work by the thousands of CEOs, investors, grantmakers, food producers, and consumers who are seeding the restorative economy.

This is the path toward a financial system that serves people and place as much at it serves industry sectors and markets. To discover this path and to begin to walk down it: That is the mission of Slow Money. This mission emerges from Woody Tasch’s decades of work as a venture capitalist, foundation treasurer, and entrepreneur, whose explorations shed new light on a truer, more beautiful, more prudent kind of fiduciary responsibility—a fiduciary responsibility that is not stuck in the industrial concepts of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, but which reflects the economic, social, and environmental realities of the twenty-first century.

These explorations take us from the jokes of his father to the insights of his son, from the boardrooms of foundations and start-up companies to the farm fields of Vermont, from gopher holes in New Mexico to the possibilities of an alternative stock exchange, from Carlo Petrini to Muhammad Yunus, from Thoreau to Soros.

    * Could there ever be an alternative stock exchange dedicated to slow, small, and local?
    * Could a million American families get their food from CSAs?
    * What if you had to invest 50 percent of your assets within 50 miles of where you live?

Such questions—at the heart of Slow Money—are the first step on our path to a new economy and a new culture. Inquiries into Slow Money is a call to action for designing capital markets built around—not extraction and consumption but—preservation and restoration. Is it a movement or is it an investment strategy? The answer is yes.

I enjoyed this book because it provides clarity and reason behind alternatives that can happen if we look at our current broken financial systems that chase quarterly earnings instead of measuring full wealth beyond dollars. It put me in a very calm and peaceful state of mind and made me appreciate the simple things more. It has started a movement that I am all behind and am hopeful it will lead the path to sustainable green business.




Your Money or Your Life - Joe Dominguez, Vicki Robin, Monique Tilford

This is a book I read a while back that really gave me the best roadmap to savings that I had ever had at a time when I really need it. I was in a large debt hole and after reading I was able to have a blueprint of a savings plan and goals that I was able to accomplish. Thier program is a simple yet powerful one that I did successfully. And if I can do it anyone can.

Do you spend more than you earn? Does making a living feel more like making a dying? Do you dislike your job but can't afford to leave it? Is money fragmenting your time, your relationship with family and friends? If so, Your Money or Your Life is for you.

If you are looking for a serious, no-bones-about-it approach to simplicity and financial independence, we recommend that you read and follow the nine-step program outlined in Your Money or Your Life, by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin with Monique Tilford.

There is simply no better, step-by-step program available than this. It has helped thousands of people simplify their lifestyle and dramatically change their relationship with money.

Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin took back their lives by gaining control of their money. They both gave up successful — and stressful — careers in order to live more deliberately and meaningfully. Now, in this inspiring and empowering book, they explain their nine-step program that shows you how to:

    * get out of debt and develop savings
    * reorder material priorities and live well for less
    * resolve inner conflicts between values and lifestyles
    * convert problems into opportunities to learn new skills
    * attain a wholeness of livelihood and lifestyle
    * save the planet while saving money
    * and much more

WHY READ THIS BOOK?

Ask yourself these questions:

    * Do you have enough money?
    * Are you spending enough time with your family and friends?
    * Do you come home from your job full of life?
    * Do you have time to participate in things you believe are worthwhile?
    * If you were laid off from your job, would you see it as an opportunity?
    * Are you satisfied with the contribution you have made to the world?
    * Are you at peace with money?
    * Does your job reflect your values?
    * Do you have enough savings to see you through six months of normal living expenses?
    * Is your life whole? Do all the pieces — your job, your expenditures, your relationships, your values — fit together?

If you answered "no" to even one of these questions, this book is for you.





More Than Money; Questions Every MBA Needs to Answer - Mark Albion

I really like this one as it is a quick read with powerful insight for those new grads. Can MBAs, often cast as risk-averse conflicted achievers caught in the MBA trap of "I'll make money now and then...", find their true happiness and achieve their destiny in the midst of societal and peer pressures?

Absolutely--if you recognize that what you thought were your safest career choices actually may be your riskiest. How so? Your safest choices keep you on your destiny path; your riskiest ones take you away from it.

How do you know? More Than Money offers four questions and twelve principles to keep you on your path and tools to help you measure where you are and what you need to do to fulfill your destiny.

I highly recommend this book to MBA students or to those who know new MBA's and give it to them as a gift.

These are a mixed and diverse grouping of books and some may value some more than others. If you have any other books or experiences on personal finance or understanding our societal relationship with money I would love to know about them. Please share.
 

From EnlightenNext, based on a talk by Andrew Cohen given at the LOHAS Forum 2009

Global warming. An increasing potential for pandemics. Weapons of mass destruction. Such threats to human survival understandably arouse fear. This fear can cause our perspective to contract rather than expand. Ironically, a focus on survival can impede our survival. The best way to survive and thrive is to evolve, not only as individuals but also as a species. The impulse to survive greatly differs from the impulse to evolve. The former can lead us to focus so narrowly that we lose touch with higher consciousness; the latter does the opposite.

The impulse to survive is ancient and instinctual. Like other animals, we’re biologically programmed to respond to threats to our individual or group survival. In contrast, the conscious desire to evolve—to become more as individuals and as a culture—is relatively new and not experienced by everyone. You experience the evolutionary impulse when you feel passionately excited about your potential to reach a higher level of consciousness. In becoming aware of your infinite potential, you get in touch with the best part of yourself and have an overwhelming sense of goodness. If we harness this evolutionary impulse, we can work together to accomplish all of the important things we want and need to do.

It’s tremendously important, then, that we inspire people to change, not in small ways or for petty purposes but profoundly so that they maximally participate in and contribute to the evolutionary process that continually produces greater consciousness. In other words, people must become enlightened. By enlightened I mean becoming deeply aware of one’s own consciousness and also igniting a desire to expand, or evolve, that consciousness.

Scientists believe that the known universe began about 14 billion years ago. All but a small fraction of that time passed before the appearance of self-reflective consciousness, awareness of one’s own awareness. However, the capacity for such awareness must have been present from the beginning of time. Otherwise, such awareness never could have emerged. Earth progressed from lifelessness to insentient life to sentient, or conscious, life. As organisms became more complex, mentality—interior existence—emerged. Eventually, humans developed the capacity to reflect on their own consciousness. The fact that sentience arose from insentience indicates unimaginable potential. We all share in that potential. To the extent that we actualize new and higher potentials, we advance the evolution of consciousness. That evolution is a process of expansion.

The opposite of such expansion is personal ego, a narrow focus on one’s own desires and fears. The ego is the perennial obstacle to higher spiritual development, especially in contemporary Western society, which, for all its advances, also ends up encouraging narcissism and self-absorption. In early infancy we’re entirely egocentric, aware of only our own needs and desires. We don’t realize that there are perspectives other than our own. As we mature, we become increasingly aware of others’ needs and perspectives. In most cases, our sympathies expand to include family members, friends, and other people with whom we have direct contact and then extend to all people who share our ethnicity, nationality, race, and/or religion. Many of us progress further, to a sense of oneness with all human beings. Relatively few progress still further and develop a sense of community with all sentient beings, all creatures who possess consciousness.

If God is everything that exists, then all consciousness can be said to be the mind of God. Your own consciousness, as well as that of every other sentient being, is part of that mind. Therefore, we all are part of the infinite and its boundless potential.

I first experienced a sense of infinite potential as a teenager. I had a feeling of great expansion, an increased awareness of consciousness—indeed, a cosmic sense of all consciousness. When you experience such awareness, you become inspired. You gain a new purposefulness that transcends personal circumstances. Acting on the evolutionary impulse, you’re filled with creative energy. Instead of seeking personal gratification, you see yourself as a vehicle of consciousness, the ultimate mystery. You shed your ego, which confines, and are free to experience fully. By regarding situations and events from a cosmic perspective, you realize your higher potentials and advance the evolution of consciousness.

Consider highly creative, intensely motivated people such as artistic and scientific geniuses or deeply inspired political leaders. Such people radiate positive energy. They’re passionately engaged in their work. Innovators, they envision what’s possible and make it reality. Like evolution itself, they turn the latent into the manifest. Driven by a desire for greater consciousness, they tap into infinite potential.

You, too, can tap into that potential. To the extent that you don’t, you’re only partly awake. At best, you cope. You don’t move yourself and others forward. The best way to overcome negative thoughts and feelings is to move beyond the narrowly personal and recognize that you’re part of something much larger than yourself: the very evolution of consciousness.

Engineers can design robots that calculate and that perform other functions, but engineers can’t create awareness. Consciousness has been evolving for billions of years, since the beginning of the universe. You can reflect as you do because of that long history. The direction of evolution has been toward ever-greater consciousness. If you’ll contemplate the amazing evolution of consciousness, you’ll feel awe and wonder that are the opposite of ego. At the same time, you’ll realize that you’re part of that miraculous evolution. You’ll appreciate the preciousness of consciousness and of the capacity for consciousness. You’ll marvel at the infinite potential that enabled consciousness to emerge and that becomes increasingly manifest as consciousness continually grows.

According to the Big Bang theory, all matter could fit on the head of a pin when the universe began. We all derive from that original matter. All things truly are one. If you understand and ponder that, you’ll begin to realize your higher potentials. You’ll experience oneness with the entire creative process. That oneness will liberate and empower you. You no longer will feel separate or insignificant. Instead you’ll have a cosmic, God-like perspective. Seeing the infinite potential in yourself and others, you’ll arrive at a higher level of consciousness. Through such consciousness, we won’t just survive . . . we’ll evolve.

If you want to view a video of Andrew's presentation from the LOHAS forum click here.

In Why Our Health Matters Dr. Andrew Weil defines health as 

a positive state of wholeness and balance in which an organism functions efficiently and interacts smoothly with its environment. 

I have experienced imbalance at times and am fortunate to have regained my health efficiency again.  Pretty much anyone who has experienced being overrun with common cold virus molecules understands immune system imbalance. There are many things that can cause an imbalance-a virus, a diet lacking in nutrients, a genetic mutation.  But what's behind these imbalances? 

During these times of health care reform debates, much has been made of personal responsibility.  In August 2009, Whole Foods' John Mackey wrote in the Wall Street Journal that obesity is a "self-inflicted" problem, the responsibility of which people ought to take 

very seriously and use our freedom to make wise lifestyle choices that will protect our health.

He's right about one thing: we do need to take responsibility for our health.  But are obesity and other chronic health conditions-aka imbalances-solely self-inflicted?

'We are what we eat' as the saying goes.  So what are we eating?  According to the USDA report Dietary Assessment of Major Trends in U.S. Food Consumption, 1970-2005, Americans are not eating what we should.  In order to meet the USDA's 2005 Dietary Guidelines 

Americans would need to substantially lower their intake of added fats, refined grains, and added sugars and sweeteners and increase their consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low fat milk and milk products.

Why We Eat What We Eat
  
So, John Mackey is right, at least to a point.  Digging a little deeper leads me to ask: Why are we eating what we are eating?  One answer is that we are eating some foods because they are heavily marketed to us.  For example, during children's shows, commercials for "fun food" abound and in one study 89% of the analyzed products marketed towards children could be classified as of poor nutritional quality owing to high levels of sugar, fat and/or sodium. You can argue that children shouldn't get their nutritional information from TV or marketing, but the reality is this information seeps in. We can't have an entire industry dedicated to creating, capturing and maintaining customers and not at least consider that it might share some ownership for what it is paid well to convince others to do.

Another reason we eat what we eat is result of basic biology.  In his book The End of Overeating, former USDA commissioner David Kessler writes that consumption of certain combinations of sugar, salts and fats (remember what was being marketed to children?) causes a person's brain to crave unhealthy products. What's more, Kessler shows us the science behind why we don't just want the unhealthy products, but that our brain is different as a result of eating these products such that we can't refuse them.  Ultimately, eating certain combinations of sugar, salts and fats leads to an individual having decreased control over their own response to the cues associated with these foods.  This sounds scarily like we have lost decision-making power over our own bodies.

Even if we do overcome the marketing and the biology, can Americans afford healthier food?  The New York Times writes that a University of Washington study found that 

Calorie for calorie, junk foods not only cost less than fruits and vegetables, but junk food prices also are less likely to rise as a result of inflation.  

So, not only do some of us have a weakened ability to say no to the sugar, salt and fat-laden foods, but this is all many people can afford.  It has been argued that obesity is an economic problem rather than a personal one.  A simplistic way to look at this issue is this: the bill for an average family's grocery shop at Whole Foods is likely to be much higher than the same at other grocery stores.  So Mr. Mackey's expectation that we "use our freedom to make wise lifestyle choices" is a little oversimplified since not everyone is exactly free to shop where so much healthy food is found in abundance.

Interacting With Our Environment

Given the USDA's Dietary Assessment report, we know we need to be making better food choices.  Other reports remind us that we need to choose to be more physically active too.  But these aren't the only ways we could improve how we interact with our environment.  When I read in The New York Times that millions of Americans are drinking contaminated water associated with negative health consequences when we already have rules on the books to protect us from this, I know we also need to become more civically engaged. 

There are endless ways we can do this.  Organizations like Food and Water Watch have Take Action pages that regularly give us an easy way to share our thoughts with our legislators and other leaders about food, fish and water safety.  Government agencies routinely offer public comment opportunities so we can weigh in on pending policies.  For example, the Food and Drug Administration is considering changes to nutrition labels on food products right now and is inviting the public to share their ideas (until January 19, 2010).  And, if time is short making it daunting to articulate smart comments, Fooducate has come up with 7 suggested label improvements for you to consider, cut and paste into the FDA's comment page.

This is just the beginning of what we could be doing.  What I wonder about these days is:

• What will it take to get more people civically engaged on matters impacting health and wellness?
• How would you describe your relationship with your health and how did it get that way?

I would be honored to read your responses to these questions.

Healthy Living Tips for Children.
By Diana Mercer, founder Clementine Art.

During a tot’s art class at my children’s art studio in Boulder CO, a parent discovered that her toddler had placed a spring green paintbrush in her mouth, much like a lollipop. We both flinched as the paint smeared around her little girl’s lips, fully coating the inside of her mouth.

Springing to action, we rinsed and wiped her daughter clean. This mother turned to me with a worried look and asked, “Is this really ok?”

“Our paint is non-toxic.” I replied with assurance.  For more than 20 years as a teacher, I have understood that non-toxic is as good as it gets for children’s art supplies. The label ‘non-toxic’ means that a product is not related to any toxin or poison. I am confident that this means it will not kill anyone. For many years, The American National Standards Institute (ASTM) has been certifying that art supplies meet non-toxicity standard ASTM D-4236 and that any toxins will be clearly listed on the label.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has this to say:

Parents and others buying art materials, school supplies and toys such as crayons, paint sets, or modeling clay should be alert and purchase only those products which are accompanied by the statement "Conforms to ASTM D-4236."

Like many people, I have lately become concerned about the environment and more aware of health issues as they relate to my food, cosmetics, and other consumer choices, I buy organics when I can, bring grocery bags to the store with me, and ride my bike instead of getting in the car so often.

After the paint-in-the-mouth incident, I felt besieged by unanswered questions about what children’s paint is made of. I wondered why the ingredients aren’t available to me on the label? The colors, odor, and seemingly infinite shelf life of children’s paint made me wonder what kind of chemicals, synthetic dyes, and preservatives were contained in my non-toxic bottle of paint.

As a consumer, I have been concerned by news that widely distributed toys from China were discovered to contain excess levels of lead paint; that a ubiquitous children’s dough is reportedly made using a petroleum base; and that art materials contain synthetic dyes that have been linked to a wide variety of health issues in children including allergies, ADHD, and a variety of cancers.

I love art, and children. As an art teacher, I want to provide children with safer choices. On my short list, I’d like a product that is made with natural ingredients that I can pronounce. I’d like to purchase them from a company that is honest enough to list their ingredients right on the package. I want art materials that are safe for children, and the environment. 

Clementine Art was founded on the principle that we can do better for children. Clementine is committed to providing all natural, and non-toxic art supplies for children made from simple, and wholesome ingredients. 

Clementine Art creates pure, natural and healthy art supplies for families.  Clementine is art you can feel good about. The high quality art supplies are made with all natural ingredients, certified non-toxic, and environmentally friendly.  Clementine packaging is made of 100% post consumer recycled and reusable materials. Clementine Art founder Diana Mercer has more than 20 years experience in the early childhood and art education classroom, Diana Mercer has developed a deep respect for children, and for the role of creative exploration in healthy child development. Learn more www.clementineart.com

In Cruel Oil: How Palm Oil Harms Health, Rainforest, & Wildlife,[3] the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) reports that production of palm oil also promotes the destruction of rainforests. More than 80 percent of the world's palm oil comes from Malaysia and Indonesia, largely grown on land that was once rainforest. When forests are cleared the habitat for endangered species is destroyed, threatening orangutans and other wildlife.

CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson, who co-authored the report with wildlife ecologist Ellie Brown said, "We applaud food manufacturers for moving away from trans-fat-laden partially hydrogenated oils, and … switching to such heart-healthy oils as soybean, corn, or canola. Consumers and food processors should realize, though, that palm oil still promotes heart disease and that producing palm oil has a devastating impact on rainforest and endangered wildlife."

Since the early 1990’s the spread of palm oil plantations into forests on Borneo and Sumatra have helped to make Indonesia the world’s third-highest greenhouse gas emitter.[4] Ironically, the quest for eco-friendly biofuels, of which palm oil is a component, is also partly to blame. Deep in the forests of Borneo environmental groups are fighting the onslaught of palm plantations by reaching out to villagers with common sense and education. Founded in 1991, Yayasan Orangutan Indonesia (Yayorin) is dedicated to saving Indonesia’s forests and the endangered wildlife. Yayorin promotes orangutan conservation through environmental education and outreach, visiting remote villages, local schools and government institutions.

Established in 2007, the Center for Orangutan Protection (COP) runs a guerrilla-style campaign in the Indonesian part of Borneo. According to COP the orangutan population is estimated at 50,000 and up to 3,000 orangutans die each year because loggers and palm oil developers are destroying their primary habitat. COP investigates new clearings, issues media alerts and documents environmental wrongdoing through video, photography, and GPS.

The Borneo Orangutan Foundation Survival (BOS) is the largest primate rescue project in the world with nearly 1000 orangutans in its care. BOS rescues wild orangutans from palm oil plantations and rehabilitates orphaned orangutans, displaced as a result of the destruction of their habitat to clear land for palm oil production.

The Institute of Greatly Endangered and Rare Species (TIGERS) is a wildlife education organization, dedicated to promoting global conservation with educational and entertaining interactive programs.

TIGERS operates four public exhibits, two in Myrtle beach, SC, one in Miami FL, and one in Boston, MA. Featuring animal ambassadors who serve as living examples of current worldwide environmental issues. TIGERS animal ambassador Suryia the orangutan and Roscoe the dog became best friends upon meeting each other and their amazing video has become a YouTube sensation.

Marie Oser is a best-selling author, writer/producer and host of VegTV, Follow Marie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/vegtv

It’s a brand new day.  You wake up after a great night’s sleep and get ready for work. 

You have objectives to meet, deadlines approaching and meetings scheduled which will make for a very full day. 
After a quick breakfast and a cup of your favorite morning beverage, you head to work.

Then your day goes haywire.



Traffic jams make you cranky.  Nothing on the news you wish to hear.  The parking lot is full and it is hot outside.  You finally make it to the office already tired and sweaty from the commute.  You walk in to find your employees, the same ones who are supposed to be helping you move forward, stuck in permanent water-cooler chatter.  They scurry back to work just as you arrive.

Mistakes, apologies, Internet surfing and just plain goofing off are ruining your productivity and the productivity and profitability of your company.   In short, you have C.R.A.P. – Confusion, Resistance, Apathy and Procrastination in the driver’s seat.  It’s time for a new approach to getting things done!

Before we go any further, let’s get real here for a minute.  Do you really believe that people come to work saying to themselves “I wonder how I can mess up this company and get paid for it?”  Probably not.  Down deep, every human being wants to be a part of something they can be proud of.  The rampant “what’s in it for me” apathetic approach to work cannot be tolerated.  At the same time, it’s an almost insurmountable job for an organization or individual to be responsible for changing the attitude of every employee individually.  While simple steps can be taken to reprimand bad employees, the root of the problem must be addressed as an organization before real change is to take place.

The root of the solution to the problem is a simple formula called F.A.S.T.  In short, your employees need to have the right Focus, take the right Action, have the right Systems, and be on the right Team in order to provide your company with the most profitable return on investment.

So how does this formula work?  Let’s take a look:

1. The Right Focus – Bad employee behavior is rampant when employees or managers are isolated and do not know the “bigger picture.”  People need to know what is expected of them and why.  With downsizing happening, many employees have taken on the job of others and have lost sight of this original focus.  They are unsure how their job fits in with the company objectives, which can lead to resistance and procrastination.

Additionally, employees need to know the actual requirements of their job and what is considered success.  For example, a bank teller may be required to process a particular type of transaction in a specified amount of time, or may be required to process x number of customers in an hour.  This sets a guideline for both employees and management/leadership of the organization by which success or failure can be measured.

2. The Right Action – Time productivity is a primary component of success, yet we are all bombarded with daily distractions, interruptions and “can you just fit this in now?” requests. Ill-equipped to handle the ever-increasing amount of information, email and phone messages, many employees are simply overwhelmed by the amount of work required and goof off because they can’t handle it all.

In order to set people up for success, allow them to have an hour a day of  “focus time” where they are not allowed to be interrupted.  They will use this time to tackle those high priority items on their list of tasks to complete.  This promotes a feeling of accomplishment and success and demotes the frustration of having too much to do.

3.The Right Systems – Take a look at how things are being done – do employees take the simplest and cleanest route to accomplishment or are they stuck in the process maze?  The harder it is to get things done, the more your employees are apt to be confused, nervous or just plain resistant to going through the pre-established systems.

It may be time to do an internal systems check.  Ask your employees which systems make it difficult to do their job in an efficient and timely manner.  Prioritize those which are most often reported, and fix it.  Create new and more streamlined systems that do the work with less effort, and employees will step up to be more productive

4.The Right Team – We all know how important it is to have the right person for the job, and the right team to make it happen.  Yet all too often, people are asked to step into doing jobs that have been vacated with disastrous results.  Simple tasks to some people may be daunting to others, which leads to decline of the organization.

It may be time for an internal individual audit of each of your team members.  Schedule a private interview with each one and ask them what they believe they contribute to the team, what is working for them and what is not working for them.  Then ask them what they need to be completely successful in their position.  The results may shock you, and when you take corrective action, they will also take corrective action, and profitability (not to mention productivity) will grow to new heights.

People have always been, and probably will always be the single most important asset to any organization.  At the same time, those same people can be the biggest problem in any organization.  By putting this formula into place, you will immediately see where you or your organization can create a structure that enhances both employee happiness and productivity which eliminates confusion, resistance, apathy and procrastination – and all those wasted trips to the water cooler.

Can you see the value of putting this formula into place in your business?

I just returned from the International Spa Association Annual Conference held in Austin Texas. This was my 4th ISPA event and it is always a treat. It certainly is the most well groomed, beautiful person event I go to. Spa is a big piece of LOHAS as it incorporates
health and wellness along with personal care and green building. The last few years has seen a surge in green health spas have seen a surge in green orientation with things like eco-friendly towels and robes along with natural and organic skincare, essential oils and body treatments. These elements are a no brainer for modern LOHAS consumers who want LOHAS products without sacrificing quality. LOHAS consumers are also a main target audience for spas as many are those who frequent spas for massage treatments or other forms of wellness for the body and soul. (that would be me!)

The spa market has exploded in the last 10 years but the term 'spa' has been butchered quite a bit. I can go to my local Wal Mart or strip mall and find nail and hair salons with spa incorporated into their name - (usually in bright neon lights). However when I go into them nose gets singed with smells of chemical toxins from manicures or hair products or get blasted into the street from techno music. I often see  articles and pictures of exotic locations with luxurious hotels with spas included in glossy magazine spreads. All of course with a hefty price tag that limit me to my imagination as to what the lifestyles of the rich and famous is like. Call me old fashioned and snobby but that is not what I consider the true meaning of spa. The whole point of the creation of the industry was to generate awareness of self and healthy lifestyles. These initially were wellness centers that provided space for integrative alternative medicine practices such as massage, acupuncture, energy healing and meditation. Somewhere along the way external beauty, pampering and opulence founds its way into the mix and led the growth of the industry. When I was growing up hotels that had golf courses were all the rage and was a status symbol of a quality hotel. Now if the hotel has a spa it is considered a luxury hotel.

The economic crisis has caused many hotels to reconsider this paradigm. Insiders of the industry have told me that many hotels that incorporated spas into their properties from a 'me too' type of keeping up with the Jones attitude often did not factor the costs of operation into their profit/loss margins. Rather it was blended enigmatically into overall hotel costs. A spa on hotel property was a thing to have and since business was good the scrutiny on spas was limited. Nothing like a crisis to mix things up. Now that hotels are struggling with occupancy so are hotel spas. Those that did not have a structure to measure costs and profits are really floundering. This is also true with destination spas. Some say the wealthy are still booking and traveling - that market will stay the same regardless. But the so called 'wealthy wannabe' are the ones who are not spending. Overall spas are seeing their customers still come to their spas but are spending less per visit. This was echoed by many who I spoke to over the course of the event. For us to have a sustainable economy on all fronts we need to hit the reset button.

The spa industry was visibly hit at the event as well. Last year the ISPA conference had over 3000 people. This year there were about 1700. The exhibit space was also about half as many vendors as last year. Obviously the foot traffic was much quieter than years past. Yet I was surprised when I spoke to most vendors that they felt positive about the event. They said that although the traffic was less those that were walking the floor were serious buyers who were purchasing orders from them and there was more time for a deeper discussions and relationship building.

I think this brings up a very significant point for all businesses - how deep does a relationship go once the transaction is taken out of the equation? This is something that many companies are facing as many people are not spending. The old ways of business are being re-evaluated to figure out how to maintain relevancy in an environment that is transaction less. If you have ideas on next steps please share your thoughts.

I think that this is also a time of opportunity for spa leaders to refocus attentions on wellness. Health care is on the forefront of many people's minds with the debates on health care reform getting a lot of media attention. I think spas are a great place for educating people on preventative care and relaxation. Plus if you think a massage or organic living is expensive you should look at the price of health care. The spa industry has seen a purge of businesses. Now if they can re-establish the focus on the reasons for wellness I think we would all find that refreshing. I would love to hear your thoughts.

I attended the Naturally Boulder conference last week that brings together the organic and natural product gurus, industry leaders and entrepreneurs that reside in Boulder. This was the fifth year of the event and it was amazing to see how much happens from the LOHAS cradle of Boulder Colorado when it comes to the natural and organic market. I guess you could equate it to the Silicon Valley of organics.

To give you an idea of the concentration here are some Boulder based companies you may have heard of or seen on shelves (I am now inhaling deeply to include them all in one breath…)

Izze Soda, Rudis Bakery, Celestial Seasonings, White Wave, Horizon Dairy, Aurora Dairy, Gaiam, Pharmaca, Pangea, 3rd St. Chai, Sounds True, Eco Products, Pixe Mate, Wild Oats Markets, New Hope Media, Twist, Lumia Candles, Greenmont Capital, Larabar, Chocolove, Boulder's Best Organics, The Organic Center, Bakti Chai, Organic Vintners, Evol Burritos...and the list goes on.

The event had about 280 people attend and among them were pioneers such as Steve Demos, Mo Seigel, and Mark Retzlof mingling with younger 30 something entrepreneurs.

Magic Mark Retzlof was honored with the lifetime achievement award for his efforts in the organic world. Everything the guy touches seems to turn to gold. He co founded the beloved Alfalfa's market the was bought by Wild Oats, Horizon Dairy and Aurora Dairy, Rudi’s Bakery and also Greenmont Capital just to name a few of his achievements. Kudos to a well deserving person for the award.

There was a very interesting presentation on the state of the nutrition industry economy by Nutrition Business Journal's Patrick Rea. What was most interesting is the rapid growth of the pet supplement industry that is up 11.6%. Personal care is also a strong segment of the market. NBJ estimates the growth of the natural and organic space to be around 8-9% which is not the double digit growth people are used to but - hey any growth is good growth these days.

The other interesting panel I saw was moderated by Steve Hoffman, the president of the Organic Center. The members of the illustrious panel were Official Natural Products Legend  Steve Demos founder of White Wave who tried over 200 product lines before discovering Silk soy milk, the drummer of Rage Against the Machine, who’s now founder of a yummy lemonade stevia drink suitable for diabetics and health-conscious, sugar-avoiding families; the man behind Bear Naked granola, and Tami Simon, founder of Sounds True, who talked about her calling to provide service and crystals. She made a few good jokes, too. It was good to hear what they had to say about hanging in there during tough times we are facing today.

Coming out of this I was once again awestruck at the concentration of successful entrepreneurs that are locally based. If you didn't know any better you would think that moving to Boulder and starting a natural and organic oriented company would be easy. But it is a lot of blood sweat and tears that many have had that make them successful. One key phrase that Demos said that stuck with me is that our society is based on the success of achievement rather than fulfillment. I feel this is so true and that many in this industry work to carry that mantra. It is a very supportive community of people who look to help each other and better the industry. Not to say there are not problems but this event does not focus on that.  I would have liked to have seen more Colorado based companies attend the event instead of the usual Boulder crowd. I also see tremendous opportunity for cross pollination of other Boulder based groups to learn from each other - i.e. the Outdoor Industry, Naropa University, clean tech and other groups that target the same audience.

But it was definitely a good reason to meet great people and share an organic beer.
 

I attended the Naturally Boulder conference last week that brings together the organic and natural product gurus, industry leaders and entrepreneurs that reside in Boulder. This was the fifth year of the event and it was amazing to see how much happens from the LOHAS cradle of Boulder Colorado when it comes to the natural and organic market. I guess you could equate it to the Silicon Valley of organics.

To give you an idea of the concentration here are some Boulder based companies you may have heard of or seen on shelves ( I am now inhaling deeply to include them all in one breath):

Izze Soda, Rudis Bakery, Celestial Seasonings, White Wave, Horizon Dairy, Aurora Dairy, Gaiam, Pharmaca, Pangea, 3rd St. Chai, Sounds True, Eco Products, Pixe Mate, Wild Oats Markets, New Hope Media, Twist, Lumia Candles, Greenmont Capital, Larabar, Chocolove, Boulder's Best Organics, The Organic Center, Bakti Chai, Organic Vintners, Evol Burritos...and the list goes on.

The event had about 280 people attend and among them were pioneers such as Steve Demos, Mo Seigel, and Mark Retzlof mingling with younger 30 something entreperneurs.

Magic Mark Retzlof was honored with the lifetime achievement award for his efforts in the organic world. Everything the guys touches seems to turn to gold. He co founded the beloved Alfalfa's market the was bought by Wild Oats, Horizon Dairy and Aurora Dairy, Rudis Bakery and also Greenmont Capital just to name a few of his achievements. Kudos to a well deserving person for the award.

There was a very interesting presentation on the state of the nutrition industry economy by Nutrition Business Journal's Patrick Rea. What was most interesting is the rapid growth of the pet supplement industry that is up 11.6%. Personal care is also a strong segment of the market. NBJ estimates the growth of the natural and organic space to be around 8-9% which is not the double digit growth people are used to but - hey any growth is good growth these days.

The other interesting panel I saw was moderated by  Steve Hoffman, the president of the Organic Center. The members of the illustrious panel were Official Natural Products Legend
Steve Demos founder of White Wave who tried over 200 product lines before discovering Silk soy milk, the drummer of Rage Against the Machine, who’s now founder of a yummy lemonade stevia drink suitable for diabetics and health-conscious, sugar-avoiding families;
the man behind Bear Naked, and Tami Simon, founder of Sounds True, who talked about her calling to provide service and crystals. She made a few good jokes, too. It was good to hear what they had to say about hanging in there during tough times we are facing today.

Coming out of this I was once again awestruck at the concentration of successful entrepreneurs taht are locally based. If you didn't know any better you would think that moving to Boudler and starting a natural and organic oriented company would be easy. But it is a lot of blood sweat and tears that many have had that make them successful. One key phrase that Demos said that stuck with me is that our society is based on the success of achievement rather than fulfillment. I feel this is so true.  
I would have liked to have seen more Colorado based companies attend the event instead of the usual Boulder crowd. I also see tremendous opportunity for cross pollenation of other Boulder based groups to learn from each other - i.e. the Outdoor Industry, Naropa University, clean tech and other groups that target the same audience.

But it was definitely a good reason to meet great people and share an organic beer.