authenticity

GREEN EDUCATION FOR OUR FUTURE LEADERS

Sustainability Education at all levels is the training needed today for our next wave of innovative leaders and the very people who will help us retool our corporations to safely and responsibly operate in the world. When I met with Rachel Gutter last year to discuss her work with the USGBC, she told me that the kids today are sustainability literate. They know no other way. They are engaged in solution and operate with a collaborative world-view approach. From what I have learned from Tom, this is not only true, but vital skills needed as we transform the world.READ»

Southwest Airlines Versus Subway Restaurants: A Case Study in Advertising

At first it was cute. I would hum it under my breath. It was a promotion that was sweeping the nation--move over Jared, Subway's $5 foot long sub (ANY) campaign was a hit. That was until I realized Subway's corporate definition "ANY" must be at least slightly different from those of their franchisees.READ»

METHOD, More of an Organism Than an Organization?

Co-founder Adam Lowry says “we are not in the soap business, we are in the clean business.” READ»

Ketchup? My Deliverables Don’t Need Any Ketchup!

I ordered a New York Strip steak at a restaurant called Recipes Remembered. After the server brought it to the table, she asked if I needed anything. And that’s when I made the mistake of asking for ketchup. At first, I wasn’t ...READ»

Green Rankings Are a Great Way to Benchmark Successful Strategies

When we think “green company” what companies come to mind? Patagonia, Stonyfield Farms, and now even WalMart. But there are hundred of corporations (if not thousands) that deserve to be called out for the amazing business ...READ»

Translating Inner Purpose into an Authentic Mission Statement

This posting lays out steps to connect with your inner purpose and provides a guide to translating your inner purpose into an authentic mission statement. READ»

Companies Embrace Innovation Through Their Buildings

 This morning, I attended a private tour of the new Eco Office at Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.   Southface is an organization who works in green building advancement.  Long before the USGBC began ...READ»

Companies Embrace Innovation Through Their Buildings

This morning, I attended a private tour of the new Eco Office at Southface Energy Institute in Atlanta, Georgia.   Southface is an organization who works in green building advancement.  Long before the USGBC began gaining ...READ»

Today’s Sustainable Innovations, Tomorrow’s Table Stakes

The tide of sustainable initiatives continues to shift rapidly.  Over the last few years, as we have all been working to create strong, authentic and lasting initiatives, I have watched what was once the cutting edge of conversation ...READ»

How to Reduce Restaurant Waste and Cost by Over 50% AND Power a City

Last week I had the benefit of meeting the team that is revolutionizing the way restaurants will look at their waste. The group is Fox Pollutions Systems from the UK and Germany and I met them in the corporate offices of Ted’s Montana Grill. They have developed a unit which is installed in restaurants to capture the food prep and table scraps that would otherwise be hauled off with the garbage. In the case of some dense communities (such as Manhattan), the cost of hauling off food waste is attached to tip fees in the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. READ»

Companies Are Marketing Authenticity: Is It For Real?

“Marketing used to be about advertising, and advertising is expensive. Today, marketing is about engaging with the tribe and delivering products and services with stories that spread.” - Seth Godin from his book “Tribes.” A colleague recently asked me “in today’s world of greater authenticity and transparency, how do you know what’s for real and what’s not? How was we know if companies speak the truth or are merely continuing a next generation of green-washing (where companies said they were environmentally responsible in one aspect or another … but in many more ways, their claims were unfounded or exaggerated at best)? READ»

Tactical Transparency and Organized Authenticity

In an essay about his book, "Tactical Transparency," John C. Havens discusses Barack Obama, Social Media, and Google Alerts.READ»

• Building Trust with Transparency

Building Trust with Transparency

Fast Interview: The co-author of "Tactical Transparency" on how companies can use authenticity and social media tools to reinforce their brands and create relationships with customers.READ»

• Tactical Transparency and Organized Authenticity

Talking Religion at Work - When is it acceptable?

Everyone says you're not supposed to talk about politics and religion but people generally talk politics at work or in other "off limits" settings.  I'm wondering why if someone mentions their faith at work (unless ...READ»

Another Look at China and the Olympics

When I wrote about China and its mishandling of the Olympics, I wondered if there was more deception to come. And apparently there was. As a colleague of mine commented in the original blog, two girls on the Chinese gymnastic team ...READ»

The Olympics in China and Authenticity

In my mind, already, China has botched these Olympics. Word has come out that two different aspects of the elaborate opening ceremony were faked. Some of the fireworks seen on the televised ceremony were computer generated. And the ...READ»

Tactical Transparency and Fighting Fair

CNN has an interesting video ("Online campus gossips won't show their faces) about a popular campus website called, Juicy Campus. Long story short, the site allows people to post anonymously and it's allowing a lot of people to ...READ»