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Just say “No Straws, Please” [There, That Wasn’t So Hard!]

Organizational Design Consulting, Path Consulting, Vancouver
Image may contain: ocean, text and water
Please, Baby Beluga, don’t eat that 2 litre bottle of not-good-for-you! What an amazing picture, Plastic Oceans!

With apologies to the companies around the world that make straws, we need to break up. Let me explain:

Plastic Oceans gets it. There are Texas-sized gyres of garbage floating around our oceans. That’s our fault. They’re not entirely comprised of straws, but just like sorting our recycling, saying “no straw please” when in restaurants may literally be the least we can do to combat our unhealthy relationship with plastic.

Do you know who gets it beyond Plastic Oceans? Vancouver’s new amazing, inspired social enterprise, Zero Waste Market.

The get it so much that they’re promoting tonight’s screening of A Plastic Ocean in Vancouver. And they’re demonstrating what makes them awesome as a market.

You can RSVP here, it’s free!

Ultimately, when people are harmonizing and optimizing their work-life-vocation-volunteering balance, which is the core of Path Consulting, it’s easy to skip the straws. It’s easy to align our working lives with our values.

And organizationally, when we have a pretty high bar for progressive values that improve the world, through a social enterprise or otherwise, it can be pretty simple to ensure our activities and our broad stakeholder relationships do more than just ensure sustainable economic activity!

It’s easy to be impressed with Zero Waste Market. I was last month. And you will be too.

Go see the screening tonight. And begin the trend among your people to make “no straw please” go viral!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

Wonder Woman, Pregnant Women, Heroes and Equality

Path Consulting

https://i0.wp.com/pbs.twimg.com/media/DBeZ6AaXsAA9WE0.jpg?resize=337%2C445&ssl=1This has been my week. Let’s make it everyone’s!

When we are developing our own expertise and counting all the people who’ve got our backs, and all our intentional and accidental mentors, proteges, heroes and anti-heroes…we need to keep in mind that we shouldn’t assume everyone else already knows what empowerment looks like.

Social Innovation Hub Inspiration, 5/5

Uncategorized, Vancouver

GRAINWelcome to part 5 of 5!

Last Wednesday I spent the evening being rather impressed with a number of social enterprise groups at the Social Innovation Hub, run by UBC and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

In a world where it’s hard to pin down a non-cynical definition of “social enterprise,” Wednesday night was refreshingly simple. Each enterprise was deeply personable. Each had their story, a compelling narrative that resonated with the audience. Each knows that in the 21st century, we are increasingly more aware of the values inherent in our consumption. We gravitate towards those who share our values and away from those incapable of expressing values.

This week, I’m going to share with you the 5 groups who presented last week. I love what each of them is doing. And you likely will too!

Fifth up on Wednesday night was…

Who: EatGrain
What: Dry Goods For Fresh People. We bring a fresh approach to dry goods. All Canadian.
Web: https://www.eatgrain.ca/
Contact/Mailing List: https://www.eatgrain.ca/pages/contact
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatgrain

Promo: Grain sources, sells and mills 100 per cent Canadian grains and beans, aiming to reconnect customers with the sources of their dry goods. GRAIN rejects conventional practices of processing, storage and distribution.

  1. Because family farms matter and it’s hard for us to individually get direct connection to those making our staples.
  2. We can’t raise the bar on improving the ingredients in our life without knowing more about sourcing, processing, storage and distribution.
  3. Because learning the stories of individual farmers expands our interconnected narratives.

And for context, below are my tweets and retweets from the night. Enjoy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

Social Innovation Hub Inspiration, 4/5

Vancouver

Welcome to part 4 of 5!

Last Wednesday I spent the evening being rather impressed with a number of social enterprise groups at the Social Innovation Hub, run by UBC and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

In a world where it’s hard to pin down a non-cynical definition of “social enterprise,” Wednesday night was refreshingly simple. Each enterprise was deeply personable. Each had their story, a compelling narrative that resonated with the audience. Each knows that in the 21st century, we are increasingly more aware of the values inherent in our consumption. We gravitate towards those who share our values and away from those incapable of expressing values.

This week, I’m going to share with you the 5 groups who presented last week. I love what each of them is doing. And you likely will too!

Fourth up on Wednesday night was…

Who: ChopValue
What: Because someone DID figure out what to do with all those used chopsticks!
Web: https://chopvalue.ca/
Contact/Mailing List: https://chopvalue.ca/contact/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChopValue

Promo: ChopValue Manufacturing creates innovative composite materials using recycled chopsticks. Developed by Felix Böck a UBC PhD student in the Faculty of Forestry, ChopValue aims to remove more than 100,000 disposable chopsticks that are sent to Vancouver’s landfill every day in order to give urban waste a second chance.

  1. Clever replacements for waste are too rare. When one comes around, we need to embrace it.
  2. I’m not vain, but a custom-engraved, recycled chopstick yoga block sounds good to me, and as a gift too for my fellow yoga freaks.
  3. Their team is as creatively diverse as their ideas. I’ve always been a sucker for supporting BC’s value-added wood sector. This is just too easy! 🙂

And for context, below are my tweets and retweets from the night. Enjoy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

Social Innovation Hub Inspiration, 3/5

Vancouver

Welcome to part 3 of 5!

Last Wednesday I spent the evening being rather impressed with a number of social enterprise groups at the Social Innovation Hub, run by UBC and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

In a world where it’s hard to pin down a non-cynical definition of “social enterprise,” Wednesday night was refreshingly simple. Each enterprise was deeply personable. Each had their story, a compelling narrative that resonated with the audience. Each knows that in the 21st century, we are increasingly more aware of the values inherent in our consumption. We gravitate towards those who share our values and away from those incapable of expressing values.

This week, I’m going to share with you the 5 groups who presented last week. I love what each of them is doing. And you likely will too!

Third up on Wednesday night was…

Who: Quupe
What: Item lending? Life is better when you share it
Web: https://quupe.com
Contact/Mailing List: https://quupe.com/FAQ.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/quupe_inc

Promo: Quupe (“koop”) is an online rental platform that provides users a way to rent things from their neighbours. Founded by four master’s students from the Centre for Digital Media, Quupe started with the realization that people have valuable things in their homes that sit around gathering dust, and now they want to get stuff out of storage and into the world, for everybody to own it.

  1. The iconic kayak bought one summer, used 8 times, then…dust, guilt, calculating how much you lose when you put it on Craigslist? This.
  2. For me, socializing the logistics and creating a structure to protect owners from damage…this is critical.
  3. Landfill, ugh.

And for context, below are my tweets and retweets from the night. Enjoy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

Social Innovation Hub Inspiration, 2/5

Vancouver

Welcome to part 2 of 5!

Last Wednesday I spent the evening being rather impressed with a number of social enterprise groups at the Social Innovation Hub, run by UBC and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

In a world where it’s hard to pin down a non-cynical definition of “social enterprise,” Wednesday night was refreshingly simple. Each enterprise was deeply personable. Each had their story, a compelling narrative that resonated with the audience. Each knows that in the 21st century, we are increasingly more aware of the values inherent in our consumption. We gravitate towards those who share our values and away from those incapable of expressing values.

This week, I’m going to share with you the 5 groups who presented last week. I love what each of them is doing. And you likely will too!

Second up on Wednesday night was…

Who: Meatme
What: Meat…farm to table made easy
Web: https://www.meatme.ca/
Contact/Mailing List: https://www.meatme.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeatmeCA

Promo: Meatme is an online marketplace for consumers to connect with local farmers for healthy and honest meat. The company crowdfunds whole animals, then works with local butchers and logistic partners to deliver meat straight to customers’ doors.

  1. One of the best lines of the night: “the Tinder for farm-to-table meat consumption.”
  2. Cow/chicken/hog shares are a great idea, but if you don’t have one of those really big freezers, Meatme crowdsources the meat shares.
  3. If you have been wanting to develop deeper relationships with those who provide our food, it just got so much more logistically easier.

And for context, below are my tweets and retweets from the night. Enjoy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

Social Innovation Hub Inspiration, 1/5

Vancouver

Zero Waste MarketLast Wednesday I spent the evening being rather impressed with a number of social enterprise groups at the Social Innovation Hub, run by UBC and Coast Capital Savings Credit Union.

In a world where it’s hard to pin down a non-cynical definition of “social enterprise,” Wednesday night was refreshingly simple. Each enterprise was deeply personable. Each had their story, a compelling narrative that resonated with the audience. Each knows that in the 21st century, we are increasingly more aware of the values inherent in our consumption. We gravitate towards those who share our values and away from those incapable of expressing values.

This week, I’m going to share with you the 5 groups who presented last week. I love what each of them is doing. And you likely will too!

First up on Wednesday night was…

Who: Zero Waste Market
What: A market with no waste, because we all know packaging is out of control
Web: http://www.zerowastemarket.ca/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zerowastemarket
Contact/Mailing List: http://www.zerowastemarket.ca/contact/

Promo: Brianne Miller founded Zero Waste Market to combine her background as a marine mammal biologist and her passion for tackling food waste and plastic pollution, on container at a time! Zero Waste Market is transforming the way people shop for groceries by building a 100 per cent package-free retail model. At Zero Waste Market, customers bring their own reusable containers to purchase local, organic and ethically sourced whole foods and home items.

  1. If you know about the garbage patches floating around our oceans, this.
  2. If you are already into the mode of saying No Thank You to straws in restaurants, this.
  3. If you are sorting your recyclables and composting and find that your “garbage” back is almost entirely non-recyclable plastic, then this.

And for context, below are my tweets and retweets from the night. Enjoy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

(In)secure: the Future of Working, A Tyee/SFU Joint

Organizational Design Consulting, Path Consulting, Vancouver
We're not in Kansas anymore!
We’re not in Kansas anymore!

(In)secure: the Future of Working, a Tyee/SFU joint on May 25 examined the nature of the precariat. I had many thoughts!

As individuals and organizations we need to become far more intentional about the nature of work, relationships, fulfillment and the social contract.

THAT is why I’m a Path Consultant and an Organizational Soul Consultant.

Here are my tweets from last night. Do they resonate with you? Then we need to talk. We need to build a game plan for you or your organization to make this a more intentional century for you. Plus, as an added bonus, you’ll have a real advantage over people who don’t really understand all this yet.

Call me. I’m at ebStrategy.org.

What Are Your Power Anthems?

Organizational Design Consulting, Path Consulting

Regardless of what you do, you are a brand.

Sure, this may sound weird, but with all your hats as employee, innovator, activist, volunteer, expert, mentor, and/or protege, you can’t be unintentional about how you present yourself, just letting others define your scope and relevance in the world.

So you have to manage your identity, integrity, expertise, excellence in all you do at work, among your people [friends, family] and in all your other vocations and passion activities. You are the CEO of the thing that is you. Just maybe without the massive salary and titanium parachute.

Companies have whole teams of people who stickhandle their brands. You have just you, and the people who support you, and those you support. But that’s OK because you’re already pretty good and managing your posture. We have all [perhaps sometimes just inadvertently] developed some skill here. But probably not enough.

And what about your organization? Your business, non-profit, world-changing activist crew, co-op, social/hobby group that enriches so many people’s lives. Organizations also have souls. They cannot be left to drift about. We need to be intentional, and that means finding music that reflects the greatness that comes from everyone’s shared energy, vision, passion and frankly, idealism.

So one of the things we need to do to solidify how awesome we are is designate our fight songs. Our anthems that invigorate us and help remind us that we are pretty tremendous.

I was reminded of this when out of nowhere, Ed Sheeren’s new song “Castle on the Hill,” clobbered me with brilliance, reminding me of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.”

Castle has a powerful narrative, bold music, a solid baseline, deep human themes, decades of living and the pathos inherent in great literature. So does “Born to Run.”

Some of my other power anthems of awesomesauce and world dominance include Tina Turner’s “The Best” and “Better Be Good To Me” and Kathleen Edwards’ “Change the Sheets,” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ the Free World” and “Crime in the City,” and the Tragically Hip’s “Ahead by a Century.” And that mystical thing that happens in those few precious early seconds when U2 begins to play “Where the Streets Have No Name” in a live concert.

These are the songs on my playlist that fill my ears as I start on a bike ride that involves a 10-20 block uphill.

These are the songs I fill my head on my way into a speaking event.

These are the songs that I play while I’m debriefing my time creating new universes with Path Consulting clients and organizations embracing how to intentionally enrich their souls. After these genius-birthing times when I’m reviewing where we came from, what we did and where we’re going, these songs re-affirm how we can jump and reach the bar. And bar! How we can enter a Spartan Race and not just finish, but beat a bunch of people.

So you.

What are your anthems that elevate you to greatness?

What songs help make you feel whole?

And have you built a playlist that you flick on when you are about to enter the realm of the gods?

In Path Consulting, we build these soundtracks. We play them when we are winning and when we are struggling. We forge new memories of growth and triumph, much like those fond memories you have from childhood when you feel in love with a new song.

We don’t have to struggle with just holding onto past moments of song bliss. We can create new ones that will help define us. For the rest of our lives.

Se get busy!

I’m at ebStrategy.org.

No More New Year’s Resolutions! Whew.

Path Consulting

There are far too many people studying whether New Year’s Resolutions work or not. I’m not one of them.

As someone who has either attended or taught in K-12 and university for 40 years, January 1 means little to me. Labour Day is the start of my new year. Even in years when I wasn’t teaching or attending school, I would have trouble sleeping on that Labour Day Monday night, electrified with anticipation of the coming semester.

So when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, I’ve never been compelled to use this month as a petri dish for the new me, or a new version of me in all my work, family, friend, life relationships.

So instead of encouraging the high stakes of making your resolutions work, or encouraging you to not beat yourself up for failing to achieve them, let’s think about process.

Let’s think about optimizing your work-life-vocation-volunteering balance, which is my Path Consulting model. And not just this month, but going forward. Because frankly, it’s not like you have never addressed your balance!

And even though it is January, working on optimizing balance in your life doesn’t have to be tainted with the “New Year’s Resolution” baggage.

You don't have to portage your canoe on your own! I've got your back.
You don’t have to portage your canoe on your own! I’ve got your back. [“End of the Portage” – Winslow Homer]
That’s why Path Consulting exists year-round. Take a look at the what goes into Path Consulting, and let’s roll up our sleeves to smooth out the bumps in your life.

But the better metaphor is portaging. You paddle your canoe, but when you hit the rapids you need to portage: carry it beside the rapids until you get to smoother waters. Or when you’re canoeing over long distances, from lake to lake, you need to portage over land. But you don’t need to portage on your own. I’ve got your back!