Goals, Deadlines, and Waving As They Go By

If you haven't noticed, we're really excited about launching the Greater Good Alliance. With all these "daily deals" sites popping up, it's thrilling to know we have something based on that premise (ease of understanding by populace), but with a significant ace up our sleeve.

Make that a pair of aces.

Just to refresh your memory, we are aiming to create greater communities, ones that are more intertwined, environmentally-aware, and socially dedicated. Businesses will be directly connected to local non-profits. Citizens will have easy opportunities to frequent those places of business and volunteer for the organizations. And every purchase (to be called a "connection") goes directly back to the local community.

Yeah, it's pretty awesome.

But those are our goals, and not our deadlines. While we are 100% committed to meeting or exceeding deadlines set for work with our clients, we made the mistake internally of not following our own advice. Our milestones were not rigorously followed, and if one slips by, another is likely soon to follow.

We are learning from that mistake.

I feel obligated to pass along what we've gained so you don't make the same slip-up in your organization or business. First, be excited about anything you're doing. That happiness shows through any marketing materials, event announcements, and even standard customer interactions; it is contagious. Contrived "excitement" is seen immediately by your clientele, and it leaves a very poor taste. Second, make internal deadlines just as important as one you would set for a customer. Hey, if it's missed, you can't deliver your product or service properly, so it still affects them! Third, know the difference between your goals and deadlines. They are not the same. Goals are what you hope to get done by a certain time. Deadlines are what you will get done.

Finally, you will miss some goals. Don't sweat it!

Lucky for you, you met your deadlines, so your customers were never affected in any way. In case you were wondering, this also connects directly with sustainability programs as well. Make reasonable benchmarks and work hard as a team to achieve them, but don't get discouraged if something takes longer than expected. Like any other business strategy, you may have unexpected setbacks. That's good. It means you are trying something new.

And what better way to differentiate than to do something no one else is doing?

Mutual help comes from mutual assistance

I want to help promote awesome non-profits. Can I do a ton? Maybe not...yet. But it's something. You know, like the old starfish on the beach story. "Made a difference for that one."

So let me help you! For a while now, our outreach has included calls for the social media information to local non-profits. Are we looking to spam them, solicit them to "buy our stuff", or otherwise harass the administrators of those systems? Of course not!

We are working to build a movement rooted in passion. Those non-profits are where the peoples' passions lie. So let us help connect them with what they likely don't even know exists in their own backyard!

The response has been...ok. Not great, but not dismal. However, I know there are many more great organizations in the Broward and South Florida region not represented! Our research identified over 2,000 of them in Broward County alone. Non-profits: We need your help to begin to help expose you to more people.

Why do we want social media information for non-profits? To feature them, what they are doing in our community, and to tell their story to those who may be interested in listening. Not to solicit donations, but to build the passion, so donations and volunteer time come naturally.

So if you know of great causes that are not represented by us, leave their information in a comment, or post on any of our social media pages (GreenProfit Solutions or Greater Good Alliance, on Facebook or Twitter).

You've got the passion. Help us help you spread it far and wide.

It feels a bit like a (shuttle) launch

You got me. It's been too long since my last post. Do I have an awesome excuse? Sure, I was battling reanimated dinosaurs on a remote island and just finally was able to escape. Good thing no one ever made a book, film, or theme park with that premise. Otherwise, no one would ever believe me!

In truth, we have been hard at work getting set for the soft launch of the Greater Good Alliance. What? Never heard of it? Time for you to get following and Join the GGA Movement! We offer Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for your status update addiction. Be among the first to sign up (it's free, really) and we'll give you $5 to use upon launch towards a discount or straight as a donation to a participating non-profit. Help a worthwhile cause with only your e-mail.

Anyway, that's what we have all been up to here at GreenProfit Solutions. One piece at a time. Like a shuttle. Millions of individual systems that not only need to work properly themselves, but also must work together with each other equally so. Yesterday, Space Shuttle Endeavour launched on her final journey into orbit. But it wasn't without delays and challenges. This time, an important power unit that helps keep hydraulic fluid from freezing while in orbit broke. Can't fly safely without those in good shape! So, the team made sure all was well before wishing the crew 'bon voyage'. While you can see the shuttle pass over you while in orbit, the Greater Good Alliance will be landing in South Florida in just a few weeks!

The message in all this? Make sure all the operations and strategies in your business or non-profit work properly. Then, ensure they work properly together. Silo thinking can be dangerous for the Shuttle. It can be costly for you.

Learning from Strange Places

Obviously, if you're reading this, then you have heard about the largest story on the planet. No, not the royal wedding, or that two Girl Scouts are appealing to stop the use of environmentally-destructive palm oil in their cookies, or even that a meteor shower (from Halley's Comet trail!) is coming this Friday.

You know what I'm talking about. Osama. Usama. However you spell it in your culture.

But the spelling is not the important part. Nor was his death, in a sense.

It was the way various parts of the world reacted to that news. In Washington, DC, there were thousands of people celebrating in the streets. Other areas were more muted in their acceptance of the information. Nearly as fast, blogs and other writers began commenting on the morality of celebrating a death, even if that person were responsible for the death and suffering of so many.

But that morality question is not the point of this post.

It all comes down to the fact that different people, from a variety of cultures, respond to the same information in sometimes completely opposite ways.

And we sometimes forget that in the environmental field.

"A big, bad company is destroying an important place! You should care and do something about it!" we say. Who responds? Only those we already had "on our side". So how do we generate the response we want (action, activism, passion) in a group that is not receptive to the general message as written?

Make it fit them. Learn what drives these varying groups of people. What are their concerns? When we can scale and frame an issue into the world view they possess, then support will simply follow. It is suddenly in their best interest to speak out.

One size message does not fit all. For some, that previous example is all you need. Another community may respond better with, "Jobs, health impacts likely from specific damaging action. Work with others in your town hall to send a message supporting your children's future."

Dancing in the streets. A solemn, candlelit talk. Two ways of expressing the same emotion.

An Earth Day Message

On behalf of everyone here at GreenProfit Solutions and cuZOOM, I'd like to wish you a Happy Earth Day. It may be an oft-repeated suggestion, but we encourage you to make every day Earth Day. How? Make those little steps towards minimizing your impacts. You know what they are: reusable bags, consolidate driving trips, minimize energy and water use. But also, tell your friends and family. Help them do these little things as well.

And give. Of your time, your skills, your contributions, or your knowledge. It doesn't matter. But every bit you give back is a little more someone (or something) else would not have had if it were not for your generosity.

Earth Day isn't just about seeing green everywhere. It's about your relationship with the planet and everything (and everyone) on it.

Today, and any other day for that matter, ask us how you can help. We'll do our best to connect you with a cause that truly connects in your heart. No charge, no catch, and no strings attached. If you can help make your world a better place through our connection, then we've done our job.

But it is never done. Have a Happy Earth Day.

Edited 4/22/16

Sustainable Weddings, or, Marriage Without the Impacts

Oh, how irony can stick out its head at the oddest times. For this entry, I was aiming to address sustainable wedding advice. Considering this summer has three weddings I'll be attending, it's been a topic of discussion as of late. So what can be done? Weddings are notoriously expensive and resource-intensive celebrations, but that does not mean all hope is lost.

Of course, this is where the irony steps in. Yesterday, a business friend asked me this precise question. At the exact same time, I was reading a message from one of my to-be-married friends about how she will be making her wedding as sustainable as possible. So, I organized the steps she will be taking, along with a bit of explanation on each item. Turns out, the e-mail message was printed in the business associate's blog word for word.

Seems silly to reprint it all again here, so for some amazing sustainable wedding steps (all of which will save money), please continue on to Sustainable Wedding Advice (blog by Nila Do, Editor with Gulfstream Media Group).

Have a great week!

Go to the Event, Especially If You Don't Care

This past weekend, the Kids Ecology Corps. put on their annual People and Planet Day event. Held at a new location, Esplanade Park, they were privileged to be situated on one of downtown Ft. Lauderdale's prime pieces of real estate. The event accommodated a wide range of businesses, from local organic vegetables to personal health and wellness. Organizations participating covered the usual sectors: helping kids become more healthy and environmentally responsible, growing your business with the help of a "green" network group, as well as a variety of others. Food at the event was provided by a team of very passionate, talented, and entertaining organic chefs.

Needless to say, coupled with the beautiful weather typical of South Florida's spring, it was a great way to spend a Saturday.

So why weren't there tens of thousands of people passing through the event?

Because it was a "green" event. I'm not saying that as a bad thing, hey, we were there, and it's what we do 150%, so I am completely supportive of their mission, however, that actually took away from the participation.

Say there is an event for video games. Who do you think will attend? Gamers, developers, manufacturers of computers and game consoles, most likely. Those who don't play video games won't be there. Even if the topic of the event is bringing gaming to a new audience.

Same goes for a "green" or eco-friendly event. The mayor was there, a major grocer had a booth, but the vast majority of attendees were those already "in the know". So how do you overcome such a challenge?

Solve that, and you'll be the world's greatest event promoter.

One solution is to branch out from just your core audience. Include things that, going back to the gaming example, a gamer would scoff at. Similarly, appeal not to your supporters (they'll attend anyway most likely), but to the general public. Have games (yes, even outside the gaming event...people love a competition), challenges, and mainstream entertainment. The prizes don't really even matter. Just keep in mind ways to tie all that back into your primary theme. That way, attendees who may not have cared at all for the general theme can leave with some new insights, possibly even gained unconsciously.

But the most basic requirement of an event...it has to be a whole lot of fun. And this past People and Planet Day hit that mark.