Sunday, April 20, 2008

The Four Things Most Entrepreneurs Need:

An excerpt from my ebook "The Way of the Radical Business":

to get a copy for yourself go to - www.tadhargrave.com (sign up on left hand side)

The Four Things Most Entrepreneurs Need:

I find that there are three things most of the entrepreneurs I meet need. Maybe you can relate to this:

First is Empathy: Hell, being an entrepreneur can be hard. We can work so hard and take failure or rejection so personally. We can work so hard for so little money.

Second is Context: They need a map to help them understand where they are. They need to understand where they’re strong and weak. They need a clear diagnosis that helps make sense of their symptoms. All they know is that some things just aren’t working. But they don’t know why. They’re lost and they don’t know where they are. They need someone to help them understand where they are and why.

Third is Options: Once they feel heard and understand where they are - they need to understand the various options for getting to where they want to be. This is where more information, reading books, listening to audios can be helpful. It’s a general level of solutions. From this they can begin to pick and choose what feels relevant. This level is about learning the language in a certain arena. They start learning the general principles of marketing, some of the core strategies and tactics and maybe even hear a lot of examples.

You can start to feel really powerful, like you now know how to navigate the terrain. You walk a bit taller. But at a certain point it becomes clear that the more you learn, the more you know you don’t know. You become increasingly aware of where you’re still ignorant. And you start to suspect that you need more than just guidance.

Fourth is Guidance: In many ways, this fourth level is what they were really after when they were looking for options. At the end of the day, they can get too many options. So many that they feel overwhelmed and immobilized. “Overwhelmed by insurmountable opportunity” as Pogo said. I find that most people are silently begging to be led. They’re craving for someone to take their hand and walk them from where they are to where they want to be.

They don’t always want this guide to make the decisions for them (though often they do), but they do want someone who can not only explain the options but also give them their best advice and opinions on what would be best. And guidance can only be done one on one - in a personal relationship.

You just can’t get guidance by reading a book or listening to some audio or watching a video. That just becomes more information. And more overwhelm. In fact, all of these levels are more powerful when it’s person to person. You can get a general level, a surface level, of all of these through books and online - but working with a coach or mentor will be, obviously, far more powerful.

After they’ve absorbed enough information (and for some people it’s more than others) a question begins to surface: “How does this apply to me?” They understand that it works - and why - but they are still struggling to make that principle fit into their business.

But you need to go through these four stages in order. You’ve probably experienced this where someone tried to give you guidance without any real empathy or diagnosis and it felt awful.

If all you do is get empathy - you’re still stuck.

If you get empathy and context but no new information - all you know is what’s wrong but you feel lost about how to solve it. A lot of flailing about can happen here.

In terms of empathy - I hope this ebook provides a little for you.

In terms of context - there are two diagnostic tools (‘The Horrible Hundred’ + and ‘The Radical 180’) you can use to give you an overview of where you are.

In terms of options and information - there’s a lot here to start you off.

In terms of guidance - I’m afraid this ebook won’t be of very much help at all. Isn’t that rotten news? Ah well. It’s a start.

In fact, let’s start off with one of the core principles I base all my marketing and marketing coaching on.

People Want Guidance, Not More Information

People don’t want information. Ultimately, they want guidance.

If you think you’re selling them a product or a service - think again. You are selling them a point of view a perspective.

Let me explain: they are suffering from whatever symptoms they have (e.g. not enough clients, lower back pain, an angry wife threatening divorce, inability to get pregnant).

But - why do they have this problem? And what will it take to fix it?

Does it make sense to you that there are a myriad of ways to solve any problem? Dozens of lenses to even put on it? And, does it make sense that the lense you put on it might shape the treatment you offer?

Let’s take the general example of ‘illness’. There’s many theories on what causes it:

An inconsistency between the will of the soul and the will of the personality:

o Karma
o Genetics
o Bad diet
o Stress
o Excessive acidity in the system
o Fear

Etc. I know some people who think that what you eat is almost irrelevant to your health. I know others who think that food is the only thing that matters.

Here’s the point for you: what is YOUR perspective on why your clients are struggling with their challenges? What’s your point of view? What’s your opinion and perspective?

Here’s what people want:

1. empathy and understanding for their symptoms
2. a clear, well thought out point of view on why they have these symptoms that doesn’t cause them to feel ashamed and stupid. Something that makes sense to them.
3. clear and personalized guidance on what to do about it.

Your job is to do those three things.

Your job is to make your case as to why your perspective is correct. Not to convince them - but just so they understand where you’re coming from and what kind of help they’re likely to get from you. You can’t just say, “Take these pills.” First they need empathy. Then you need to explain your understanding of how things got the way they did. Then you need to share exactly what you think they need to do to resolve it. And of course, engaging them in this conversation is critical.

They don’t want to have to read through hundreds of pages of books and e-books. They don’t want to have to listen to hours of downloadable audios. They don’t want to sit through a weekend seminar. They want someone to give them insight into their own situations. They want you to hold their hand. They want personalized, customized advice.

Always remember this: People don’t want information. They want guidance.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Toronto: Radical Business Participants - May 2008

I know that before I go to any damn event I always want to know one thing:

"who's going to be there?"

So, if you're like me - I encourage you to browse the following bios and check out who you'll be having the chance to share the weekend with.

Only 11 spaces left.

For more info or to enroll in the weekend:

http://www.tadhargrave.com/RBI


Here they are:


Ann Phillips:
Martial Arts Wellness Instructor

I have a PhD in environmental studies and before that studied Human and Medical Genetics. I have a diploma in Acupuncture and am a certified Reiki Master, Reflexologist, Niei Chi Instructor and have black belts in several martial arts. I have apprenticed with various practitioners of traditional medicines and have reached a basic level of understanding in energy healing. I am starting a socially responsible business which aims at using 'martial arts training technology' to train people to improve their health using natural methods, and inprove the health of their community and the earth.

It's purpose is to train people to achieve physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being to heal and empower themselves and to heal the earth.

*

chloe shackelton:
Eco-Friendly Clothing.


I am new to the eco-game and a brand new business. I am a sales agency representing three eco-friendly clothing lines with fabrics including organic cotton, bamboo, soy and hemp. All companies I represent must be fair trade or Canadian made. I am selling to retailers that are eco-conscious.

I work out of my home office, so i definitely walk to work and reduce waste by never eating out. I primarily use email and the telephone as my contact methods, use only recycled paper if i need to. i am using all used office equipment and display items. I have donated merchandise to the local upcoming art festival and will be donating to the Halton eco-festival. I spend my days researching new ways to improve the environment within my community and i am looking forward to being a part of environment Canada's Earth Week by providing a fashion show and sale to over 700 employees and will likely be doing a presentation for them on the benefits of eco-responsible clothing options.

*

Gurbeen Bhasin:
Progressive Film Production Company.


Has her educational and professional background in Social Policy and International Relations. She has been practicing Social Work for over two decades. During that time she has focused on the areas child welfare and mental health. On a creative level, Gurbeen has been writing as long as she could hold a pen and has over the last couple of years used film to further her artistic expression and capture that of others. She has lived in Iran, India, Canada and the United States and has traveled extensively and this helps her to tell the untold story in unique ways. Gurbeen has taught communications and other courses to help others learn to live the lives they love and do so powerfully! Toronto is her home, where her heart has grown roots and soul attachments. Her love for Rumi and the spirit that connects us all inspires her to stand of truth and justice in art, in life, in all.

Aangen: is the Sanskrit word for the front yard of a home where community members gather to give each other comfort, support, and nurturing. We are... a Supportive Community Centre; a non-profit organization that proposes to facilitate independence and cause community. We also aim to provide personalized emergency relief to those in disadvantaged life situations, by providing unconditional support and wraparound services. Our philosophy... is that in order to help our community members facilitate independence, we must facilitate our own, As such, we do not count on government or external funding, we raise our own funds. This is our definition of independence. We are committed to providing educational workshops for everyone that are easily affordable and promote self-reliance whilst causing community.

Meow Films: is an independent production company specializing in event coordination and promotions. Meow Films is here to understand your media and marketing needs and offer solutions that get attention and desired results whether product or service related. Our other services include a full array of film production, film/event/festival coordination, personalized documentary video memoirs, training workshops, industrial video solutions for promotions and training/education. Meow Films is a production company that cares about your marketing needs and want to work with you to meet your goals.

*

Laurie Varga:
Green Design Pro

http://www.anatomycommunications.com
http://www.divineonadime.ca

Anatomy Communications is a full spectrum design and marketing firm committed to helping our clients communicate clearly and powerfully in the marketplace. We deliver innovative solutions with ecology and social responsibility in mind.

Is it possible to be good in the world of business, you ask? We stay true to our values in this crazy world by practicing serene business.

I'm just an average person doing my best to live a sustainable lifestyle and run a small, green business. I'm also an activist, working to encourage other people to understand that more does not equal happiness.

I work from home and do everything possible to keep my business operations eco-friendly and low impact. I provide green design and marketing services to socially conscious businesses and I'm working to encourage other designers to do the same in an effort to transform the industry.

*

Beatrix Montanile:
Yoga instructor.


My principal objective is to “help others gain optimum health and well-being through the practice of yogic sciences”. Three years ago I initiated an out door program called PARK YOGA in order to make Yoga accessible and fun for the community. From June through October, free classes are held in 4 different parks in East Toronto; Withrow Pk., Riverdale Pk, Greenwood Pk. and Leslie Grove Pk. To date approx 300 students have attended these classes. During the winter months, classes continue in St. John’s Presbyterian Church in Riverdale and at my home in Leslieville where students can attend on a “pay-what-you-can” donation basis. Every winter I also host a 30 Day Yoga Retreat to India where participants have the opportunity to safely experience India’s culture and study under the tutelage of accomplished yoga masters.

Recently I registered myself as a company, Atma Shakti Yoga, in order to expand my ideas to include specialty workshops and additional affordable yoga retreats to rarely visited global destinations such as Cambodia and Croatia. I plan to also partner with other organizations or teachers that share my vision.

*

Leehe Lev:
Personal trainer and lifestyle coach.


I go to clients' homes and help them reach their fitness and healthy lifestyle goals. I use a wholistic approach to my fitness training, which mean providing nutritional consulting, stress management etc. to make sure they are balanced in the mind, body and soul. Check out my website at http://www.wholeself.ca

The business is just me for now. I bicycle to my clients and am a huge bicycling advocate. I'm a minimalist and constantly find ways to cut my carbon footprint. I also do a ton of eco-related volunteer work for the Toronto Bicycle Union, Green Enterprise Toronto and Green Neighbours 21.

*

Marla Gold:
Nia Instructor

I am a Holistic Practitioner and a Nia Instructor. I am trained in several modalities from Reflexology, Acupressure to Energy Psychology techniques. I balance my practice between treating clients in my office and facilitating weekly Nia classes and workshops about Energy Medicine and movement. My goal is to help people get back in touch with their bodies and how they move through life in order to feel happy and full of energy!

The energy exercises I teach to my clients helps keep them happy and energized. They are easy to learn and I encourage them to teach their friends, family and colleagues to pass on the joy! The Nia Technique is all about joyful movement and moving from a place of authenticity. My participants experience a release of stress and an inner sense of peace and happiness after taking a Nia class and they get the benefits of getting physically fit!

*

Jaclyn Sherry:
Wellness Centre manager & Business Consultant.
www.CAISH.ca

My focus is on building loyalty programs to keep existing clients and attracting new clients to the wellness centre.

The Wellness Centre is an Ayurvedic Centre with Ayurvedic Doctors. The philosophy of Ayurveda healing system is to live consciously-mindfully and in harmony with each other, nature, the Divine Creater and ourselves. So we promote living consciously in every aspect of life. Within my marketing initiatives/strategies I promote spiritual marketing a conscious way of doing business. I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to learn how you implement conscious marketing strategies.

*

Jennifer Hicks:
Nia Instructor
www.jennhicks.ca

I have been teaching Nia for the past 2 years. Learning how to share my skills and expertise with the right target market is my objective for 2008.

Nia combines dance, martial arts and healing arts. It provides an inspiring cardiovascular workout that is suitable for everyBODY. Not only does it help develop strength, flexibility, mobility, agility and balance, but it teaches people how to be healthy by "dancing through life".



*

Sunday, April 13, 2008

The Waking Up Syndrome

by Sarah Anne Edwards and Linda Buzzell

“Humankind cannot bear very much reality." — T. S. Eliot

Just dealing with our daily lives keeps most of us too busy to worry about whether or not the sky is falling. We focus on getting to and from work, paying our bills, doing our errands, and, if our time-stressed schedules allow, enjoying a little time to relax with friends and family.

But we’re deluged of late with dire pronouncements from high-profile newscasts, documentaries, and scientific reports about global warming, melting ice caps, dwindling oil supplies, and a looming imminent economic collapse. Closer to home, we’ve experienced climate-related disasters: floods, wildfires, hurricanes, wildfires, and severe droughts.

While the sky may not be falling, this day-after-day onslaught of alarming news is making it more difficult simply to overlook the triple threat of environmental, climatic and economic concerns. It’s leaving many of us feeling like Alice in Wonderland, being sucked down a Rabbit Hole into some frighteningly grotesque and unfamiliar world that’s anything but wonderful.

Few of us are eager to contemplate, let alone truly face, these looming changes. Just the threat of losing chunks of the comfortable way of life we’re accustomed to (or aspiring to) is a frightening-enough prospect. But there’s no avoiding the current facts and trends of the human and planetary situation. And as the edges of our familiar reality begin to ravel, more and more people are reacting psychologically. A noticeable pattern of behavior is emerging.

We call this pattern the Waking Up Syndrome, and it unfolds in six stages, though not necessarily in any particular order.

Stage 1 - Denial.
When we first get an inkling of the shifting environmental reality and its potential impact on both the national economy and our daily lives, most people begin by denying it. We slip into one of four common ways to discount things we’d rather not deal with:

“I don’t believe it.”
We simply deny the existence of any such concerns and refuse to consider them. This might include latching eagerly onto any few remaining naysayers for confirmation and comfort. But as the number of reputable naysayers dwindles, more people are forced to face the fact that “something” is happening.

“It’s not a problem.”
We may admit there’s a change taking place, but deny that it’s significant, seeing such things as climate change and economic fluctuations as part of a normal pattern that is nothing to concern ourselves with. Or we may incorporate the changes we see happening into our spiritual and religious beliefs, regarding them not as a problem, but a test of faith, a sign of a global spiritual awakening, or evidence of a long-awaited Apocalypse. Some may believe focusing on such problems makes them worse and that we should instead visualize, meditate, or pray for the world to be as we want it to be.

“Someone will fix it.”
We may admit major problematic changes are underway but conclude that there’s nothing we personally can do about them and we needn’t worry because technology, scientists, the government, or some expert authority will come up with a solution in time to save us.

“It’s useless.”
We may believe there’s nothing anyone can do about macro-problems, so why do anything, except perhaps eat, drink and be merry. What will be, will be.

Stage 2 - Semi-consciousness.
In spite of the various ways we may try to discount what’s happening to our environment (and consequently to our economy and whole way of life), as evidence mounts around us and the news coverage escalates, we may begin to feel a vague sense of eco-anxiety. Some express this as virulent anger at all this discussion about global warming. Others dissociate from their growing concern and misdirect their feelings toward other things in their lives, perhaps blaming family members or jobs for their undefined discomfort.

Stage 3 - The moment of realization.
At some point we may encounter something that breaks through our defenses and brings the inevitability and severity of the implications of our collective problems into full consciousness. We might read a particularly compelling article, learn more about the aftermath of Katrina, hear a news broadcast about polar bear deaths or rampant fires and flooding, see a documentary like “An Inconvenient Truth” or “The End of Suburbia.” Or — most dramatically – we might experience a natural disaster ourselves with all its personal and economic costs.

At such moments, suddenly we realize no matter how we try to explain away the changes that are happening, they are and will be accompanied by huge challenges to life as we know it and cause considerable pain and suffering for many, including ourselves and those we love.

Even if we believe all these disruptions are leading to a global spiritual awakening or a long awaited Apocalypse— even if we think some helpful new technology is going to emerge (hopefully soon)— we nonetheless begin to understand on a visceral level that the changes taking place will have dramatically unpleasant implications beyond anything we’ve faced in our lifetimes. In fact, we realize many of these uncomfortable changes are already underway and will be growing in coming months and years, affecting most of the things we love and cherish.

But like the character Neo in the 1999 movie The Matrix, even at this point we still have a choice. We can choose to swallow the metaphorical red pill and find out just how deep this rabbit hole goes and where it leads. Or we can take the soothing metaphorical blue pill and choose to “escape” from the nightmarish Wonderland of the rabbit hole we’ve fallen into by slipping back into the comfort of our favorite form of assuring ourselves that all is well.

But if, like Neo, we take “the red pill,” we wake up to the reality of our individual and collective situation. We get that the triple threat challenge facing us is a real Medusa monster. Once we’re awake, the problem is full-blown in our consciousness. It’s right in our face. It won’t let us turn away, and the force of it makes “waking up” incredibly painful.

The moment we realize — even briefly — that we’re slipping into a dangerously threatening new world that no longer makes sense according what we’ve always believed, our genetic wiring kicks in with predictable physiological and emotional threat responses that can take many forms.

Some of us become obsessive newswatchers, documentary filmgoers, internet compulsives or book readers, wanting to know more and more about what’s really happening. Loved ones may think we’ve gone nuts. Spouses may consider divorce; kids may decide mom and dad are hopeless cranks.

The more fragile or vulnerable among us may get depressed or experience panic attacks. If something about this current eco-trauma retriggers earlier traumas in our lives, we may have a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) reaction. Even the more resilient may throw themselves obsessively into save-the-planet and other activities, soon to become exhausted and weary from trying to do what no one person can.

Others, once they realize what’s happening, see it as a new business or political opportunity. These green business ventures can sometimes be helpful and productive, but at other times can actively circumvent or sabotage the efforts of those who are trying to solve the problems.

Stage 4 - A Point of No Return.
Once awakened, especially as economic and environmental changes intensify, most of us find there is no turning back. We find ourselves traveling deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Whatever methods we’ve used to avoid facing the coming changes is no longer successful to quell our personal concerns. We can no longer help but notice the continuing rapid progress of the bad trends – more expensive energy, higher costs of living, a weaker economy, more species in trouble, rising temperatures, more devastating severe weather events, increasing political, economic and military competition (wars) over remaining resources, etc. It all starts to make a dreadful sort of sense as we let in the enormity of the situation.

One of the most difficult aspects of this stage is the profound but unavoidable sense of isolation and disconnection we may feel when living in a different world from most of those around us, a world we can no longer escape from, but one few others seem to notice. The result is a bizarre sense of surrealism. Interaction and communication can become a challenge. How do we relate to a world that’s no longer real to us, but is business as usual to most? Do we try to reach out to others about the ugly new reality and endure their defenses? Is it better to indulge those who don’t yet see the reality we’ve stumbled into and act “as if” nothing has changed just to get along? Or might it be easier to withdraw from life as we’ve known it and turn into a hermit?

5. Despair, guilt, hopelessness, powerlessness.
The realization sets in that one person or even one group or community can’t stop the effects of such things as climate change and peak oil and their economic consequences from impacting millions of people around the planet and at home. We see this thing spiraling out of control and realize that our species, and even we individually, are responsible for much of what’s happening! As the mayor of Memphis said to the Los Angeles Times when a major heat-wave hit his city and most of the Midwest and South last summer, “This is pretty akin to a seismic event in the sense that there is no solution that we here in this room can come up with that will take care of everybody.”

Some have suggested that this stage is similar to the traditional grief process, and indeed, this is a time of grieving. But there is a significant difference between this awakening and the normal experience of grief. Grief that occurs after a loss usually ends with acceptance of what’s been lost and then one adjusts and goes on. But this is more like the process of accepting a degenerative illness. It’s not a one-time loss one can accommodate and simply move on. It is a chronic, on-going, permanent situation that will not only not improve, but actually continue to worsen and become more uncomfortable in the foreseeable future, probably for the entire lifetime of most people living today. This is what author James Howard Kunstler calls “The Long Emergency.”

Our grief and sorrow are also amplified by having to bear the pain of upbeat acquaintances who go merrily along in their denial, discounting their own uneasiness about what’s happening and wondering why we’re so “negative.”


Stage 6 - Acceptance, empowerment, action.
As we come to accept the limits of our general powerlessness, we also find the parameters of the power we do have in this strange new situation. We discover we no longer need to resist our current and emerging reality. We don’t need to feel compelled to save the entire world or to hold onto a world that no longer makes sense. We are freed, instead, to pursue what James Kunstler calls “the intelligent response, ” seeking and taking whatever creative, constructive action will best sustain those aspects of life that are truly most important to us in the context of the changes unfolding around us. At this point our curiosity and creativity kick in and we can begin following our natural instincts to find what is both feasible and rewarding to safeguard ourselves, our families, our communities and the planet.

And indeed, growing numbers of people are beginning to respond with a plethora of creative, socially and personally responsible actions along four paths that are similar to those identified by Joanna Macy in her book World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global Justice and Ecological Renewal and Richard Heinberg in Peak Everything: Waking up to the Century of Declines. We are finding individual and collective ways to:

Resist making matters worse.
What’s going on may or may not be inevitable, but we don’t have to speed it along. We can do at least one thing to ease or lessen the negative impact of these changes. We can join an environmental action group, plant a tree, bike to work, help with a protest march or write letters to our congressperson. Just doing our little bit to limit the damage eases the psychological distress we’re feeling, even if we’re not “saving the whole world.” Taking even a small stand for what Macy calls “the life-sustaining society” (as opposed to the life-destroying one) gives us back our dignity and sense of agency.
Raise our level of consciousness so we can maintain some serenity and not burn out in the midst of all this change. We might adopt a spiritual practice of some kind, take up meditation, expand our understanding of ecology or history, or spend time reconnecting with nature, learning to live our lives in harmony with the rest of the earth.

Build a lifeboat for ourselves and our loved ones.
Many people are already taking steps to create a richer yet more sustainable way of life better suited to weathering the new economic and environmental realities. Some are moving to less vulnerable or expensive locales. Others are simplifying their lives, starting to lower their energy use, or creating personal and community permaculture gardens. Still others are changing into more sustainable careers, joining relocalization efforts to safeguard their local economy, or adopting alternative ways to exchange needed goods and services. Learning more about these positive possibilities is vital. Until we can see that there are options, there’s no way out of despair except to return to dissociating or denying, which only makes us more vulnerable to the difficulties around us.

Join with others in small communities
for support and understanding. Don’t try to cope with this enormous challenge alone! Find others who share your concerns and views. Some people have formed reading or study groups around books like David Korten’s The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community, Richard Heinberg’s Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World, Cecile Andrews’ Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life, or Middle Class Life Boat by Paul and Sarah Edwards. Others are becoming active in relocalization efforts like those described on www.relocalize.net . Still others are joining together to turn their neighborhood into a sustainable “eco-hood” or exploring options for co-housing or eco-villages.

Taking some action in each of these four areas prevents us from getting stuck in panic and paralysis. It energizes us and re-establishes a sense of confidence and security in life. Does it mean we will no longer be plagued with concerns, doubts or even fear at times? No. The threat of what we face is huge and relentless. There’s never been anything like it in human history. All who awaken to the enormity of the challenges before us still slip and slide somewhere along this continuum at times. One day we may feel encouraged with our forward action, the next we may be back to despairing. Or we many need to take a mental holiday altogether for a few days or weeks so we can come back refreshed and reinvigorated, ready to work again on the survivable future we’re creating for ourselves and our loved ones.

When asked in an interview with The Turning Wheel if there are times when she ever thinks “Oh, no! This is impossible,” even Joanna Macy, who has been a leader in championing ways to address these changes, replied, “Every day.” But she goes on to explain that while she does think this at times, such times pass because she can’t think of anything more engaging and enjoyable than addressing the most pressing issues of our time.

Such wisdom seems to be the secret to living positively while navigating the painfully difficult stages of awakening until we get to the point where we can enjoy the daily challenges our dismaying situation presents to our imagination, our creativity and our deep and abiding love for the most valuable aspects of life.


To Learn More

Books

Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life by Cecile Andrews.

World as Lover, World as Self: Courage for Global Justice and Ecological Renewal by Joanna Macy.

The Great Turning: From Empire to Earth Community by David Korten.

The Long Emergency: Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change and other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-first Century by James Howard Kunstler.

Middle-Class Life Boat, Careers and Life Choices for Staying Afloat in an Uncertain Economy by Paul and Sarah Edwards.

Permaculture: Principles & Pathways Beyond Sustainability by David Holmgren

Peak Everything: Waking up to the Century of Decline by Richard Heinberg.

Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World by Richard Heinberg.

Reconnecting with Nature by Michael J. Cohen.


Documentary DVDs

The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of the American Dream. www.endofsuburbia.com/previews.htm

Escape From Suburbia: Beyond the American Dream

The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil

What a Way to Go: Life at the End of the Empire. www.whatawaytogomovie.com/

Crude Impact

Organizations

The Post-Carbon Institute www.postcarbon.org

Sarah Anne Edwards, Ph.D., LCSW, is an ecopsychologist, author, and advocate for sustainable lifestyles. She is founder of the Pine Mountain Institute (www.PineMountainInstitute.com ), a continuing education provider for professionals seeking to empower their clients to respond to today’s challenging economic and environmental realities.

Linda Buzzell, M.A., M.F.T. is a psychotherapist and career counselor in private practice in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, California. She is the founder of the International Association for Ecotherapy (http://thoughtoffering.blogs.com/ecotherapy ) and the co-editor of Ecotherapy: Psyche and Nature in a Circle of Healing (in press, Sierra Club Books).

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Beyond the Green Economy

BEYOND THE GREEN ECONOMY: COMMUNITY, LOCALITY, AND INDIGENOUSNESS

In an interview, Tad Hargrave speaks about the web of life needed to make a sustainable world.

Joshua: I’m very excited about this interview. I’m speaking with Tad Hargrave (tadhargrave.com), a green marketer and personal hero. He is one of the major people to inspire me to start InspiringWebCopy, and he generously agreed to be interviewed for Inspiring Newsletter.

Because of technological problems the interview could not be recorded, but I was taking furious notes.

JOSH: Tad, you’re “the marketer who works with hippies.” Are you a hippie? What was your journey, were you a “hippie” first or a marketer first?

TAD: A mix. I went to a Waldorf school, was raised with politically progressive values, and environmentally conscious. Then in high school I read Anthony Robbins and got really into that—seminars on personal growth, New Age, Steven Covey—and they are pretty capitalist, on the more progressive end of the suicide economy but still a part of it. Even the idea [in Tony Robbins] that you need to be always growing, that you are either growing or dying, that dying is bad, is a part of that I feel is problematic in personal growth. The perspectives around money are capitalist. I led Tony Robbins seminars and was really into that.

At the same time,I went to a YES! Camp in Oregon – Tony Robbins is really yang, and then I was at this YES! Camp which is really yin, and it was bugging me. I wanted to say "stop whining and telling stories and making excuses". But I felt changed, and loved. And it made me question my whole world-view really deeply.

I spent a few years doing both. I’d say to campers, “I’m a capitalist, capitalism works, it’s just misunderstood.” But I started learning more about [the politics of] environmental issues. I was still in the leadership-within-the-system model, I led Tony Robbins seminars at schools to build school spirit, then spent time at YES I out grew that model started to think well, the system works, but there are some pretty big problems with it and that there need to be some major lifestyle changes.

In 1999 I started YouthJams. I started having deeper conversations with more seasoned activists, some challenging conversations, about the IMF and WTO. I went to protests, I met anarchists. My politics shifted. I was no longer feeling that it was possible to make change within the system—now I believed the system is fucked.

And then I began to get the itch to train and facilitate things. At YES, it’s a very yin space, and I like to talk, to coach, to give advice. I was feeling bad about that, I thought I should be “holding space” more. But then I realized I didn’t have to make myself wrong about that—I like to train and facilitate. I had started a business at 18, leading the Tony Robbins workshops in high schools, and learned a lot about marketing (some of which I feel I’ve recently recovered from)—but a lot of it is very simple and commonsense. And I also began to realize that there’s a big difference between the local, mom-and-pop, green business and the multinational corporations. I thought, I’ll teach this stuff to green businesses.

I led my first green business workshop, and it was just awful. Three people showed up, it was just me pontificating and with only a few real life examples. One person left. Ugh.

Then they got better.

JOSH: How’d you learn about Stephen Covey?

TAD:
In junior high school, on PBS. I was fascinated by this idea that natural law and princple could be the center of things, integrity. Leo Buscaglia was the first person I read, he had a book called Love. He was a teacher at UCLA and taught a class on it, how to be more loving, since there wasn’t any other class like that in the curriculum, and it was packed. There were assignments like go tell your parents you love them.

JOSH: What in your view is sustainability?


TAD:
A sustainable world is something that can be sustained, and that means an entirely different way of living from what we see now. Way beyond “the green economy” I which I think is not sustainable. If we all did everything suggested in the Al Gore movie, we’d have a %21 reduction in carbon emissions, that would not be enough. I see that we need to get away from a) nation states, with so many modern conflicts being started based on artificial borders (e.g Iraq, Israel, the USA, Canada), and b) cities, requiring importation of food: if you’ve outstripped the land’s capability to support you, that’s not sustainable. We must challenge the centralization of power.

A friend of mine recently went to a women’s empowerment group, and she spoke her vision, and that was be a billionaire. I’ll be a billionaire, imagine all the good things I could do with that money, she said. I looked at her and said, “Show me the way you’re going to make a billion dollars without exploiting the environment or people.” And is that the answer, putting greener people at the center of power? I don’t really think if Obama, or Edwards, or even Kucinich got in office that would solve everything.

Tolkien had it right. When Boromir wants to take the ring from Frodo, claiming he can protect them with the help of the ring, Frodo sees how the ring is already twisting [boromir[. The only way is to destroy the ring, to destroy the power center—and recreate a web of life.

Martin Prechtel says in the modern world, if you want a knife you go to the store. In his village, you have to talk to spirits first, you have to get it out of the ground, you have to take everyone’s needs and opinions into account. It’s very easy to have a fast social movement and a revolution of white, male, land-owners if you all the think the same, but if you include women, people of color, nature and animals—then things need to slow down. This web of life is the real green economy. At the same time it’s true that the present green economy is bringing us some things that will help us get there, The Internet is horrible and violent, but does decentralize communication and power. We’re seeing a shift in energy production also, where individual’s homes have solar arrays that feed into the grid.

I believe the way of the indigenous is the only sustainable way.

JOSH: What can your clients—green businesspeople, holistic healers, mom-and-pop—do to be more sustainable, more indigenous?


TAD:
I think the first thing is to have a new conception of wealth—the assumption of wealth is that it’s an individual thing, not a community thing. Even New Age books, while they b.s. that it’s really gratitude or health or relationships, talk about those things in a way that is really individual, I feel. One reason the green economy is crucial is in setting up the community—we’re seeing BALLE, living economies.org, growing tremendously.

The key word here is local. [] [Meetings of people in circles] are the most important thing I think now, not because it’s the most radical, but because community is formed. The entrepreneurs are so grateful to be learning about each other. Obviously there are ways to become greener and more sustainable and take more of a stand—that’s not what I teach but I think there are a lot of ways, from what they sell to where they source materials) but the main thing is the new organic not going to be 'super organic' it's going to be local. I’ve started seeing “Don’t buy organic, GROW organic" bumper stickers. Business can focus not only on their own growth but focus on the growth of the local economy.

It’s about not seeing ourselves as isolated, but as part of the re-weaving of the economy as a different thing.

BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) http://www.livingeconomies.org) is growing incredibly quickly, their conference sells out every year.

Also, people are starting to see that all the many issues — racism, sexism, classism, colonization, civilization, all are part of the same package. These words all describe who’s in the center and who’s not; white people, men, people with money, the colonizer, those who live in the city versus country; all have the common dynamic of centralizing power, and people need to stop taking it in the first place.

JOSH: What’s your spiritual stance, on the spectrum of materialist to “out-there”?


TAD:
The animist philosophy resonates with me the most; I feel there are different levels of reality, and that if this world is extremely diverse the spirit world must diverse too. I haven’t had any direct experiences; I don’t feel qualified to comment. Some days I feel as though I can’t give a shit about spirituality but I do know thatempathy is really important. I see someone watching The Secret and then their friend goes through a tragedy, and the person who saw The Secret asks them “How did you create this? What are you learning from this?” without extending to them basic compassion for what they’re going through. I think the re-humanizing, re-“indigenizing” is important, not the fascination with bells and whistles of spirituality. Everyone wants big vision questions, and fireworks. No one in their past lives was the guy who shoveled shit. Everyone was King Arthur.

Recently I’ve been interested in Marshall Rosenberg’s Non-Violent Communication work.

I have seen at the rainbow gathering scene, while there are progressive elements, I’ll see very young people leading workshops, someone in their mid-twenties. I don’t see experience and groundedness. One workshop about "Spiritual Experiences" was just a guy talking about his various drug trips. A weird ego gets into it. Sort of a "who’s got the biggest spiritual dick?" thing. But then a lot of them will come to people like me to wrestle with what’s going on in their lives, and they seem to get nervous around me. They realize they need to get real about what things they're doing to make money, the consequences of the development deal they’re a part of. They’ve rationalized these things to themselves and to other people around them, and now they feel they need to stop. They crave more of a human realness versus importance. People dealing with their issues---those conversations are so beautiful. But at a conference I went to recently people began to talk in New Age speak and I felt myself fly away, I just had to leave the room. They were not speaking from experience; they were wsying things to 'sound' loving and wise. I find myself getting bored or disgusted.

JOSH: What about holistic healing, if anything, contributes to sustainability?


TAD:
Holistic practitioners are definitely important. They’re very connected to the whole green economy; the medical/pharmaceutical industry is horribly violent; alternatives are super-critical.

The healthiest thing, though, is community. There have been studies, one says that if you have a shitty relationship with your parents that’s a bigger factor in shortening life expectancy than smoking a pack of cigarettes a day.

[In terms of holistic practitioners I’m working with currently in helping them re-word their descriptions of what they offer] I see a common problem that they need to be conscious of what language they are dropping. Platitudes, New Age-speak, it’s true in any kind of business, but I think it’s especially a challenge for holistic healers. You’re talking about “raising your consciousness,” but what does that really mean?

JOSH: What projections do you tend to get, if any, from your clients?


TAD:
I don’t get a lot. I’ve worked a lot to cut through and to name most of the pretenses that show up in this industry. But a lot of marketers are actively courting the projections and crafting the elaborate pretenses, wanting to be viewed as experts. As worthy and powerful. Deana Metzger writes that healing is a community event; and points out that, in many ways the whole doctor-patient relationship, the professional-patient relationship, is part of the problem. It struck me that in marketing this is true as well. If I make myself 'seem' like my time is scarce or a like I'm a genius, that can be a fun game, but at the same time. . . .I see a lot of holistic healers who don’t want to talk socially with their clients. It’s a mentality of professionalism and protecting oneself. But I also think it's a way of them not needing to admit they human. They get to pretend that they're all healed and enlightened by not dealing with people outside of their sessions. They get to keep it from being a real human relationship. There is a similar thing in marketers. Trying to keep a distance and seem to be very powerful.

One projection I do get is that I’m all about the green economy. I don’t talk about indigenous life in my workshops. People assume I’m all New Age-friendly and compact fluoreseents, maybe.

JOSH: What are you doing now?


TAD: SAGE—Socially Aware Green Edmontonians, is about a local living economy, local business members meeting and community members meeting. We have had four or five meetings so far. There’s been lots of information gathering, meetings twice a month. Green business entrepreneurs and sustainability. We’ve had meetings about how to grow a business and meetings about how to grow a garden. Also about nuclear power and Sari, the exploitation of oil in Northern Alberta that is presently the largest oil deposit in North America and would be an extremely resource-intensive extraction process. We’re looking at meeting with the city and how to get people together around these topics. www.e-sage.ca

JOSH: Thanks so much for your time and for sharing about your work and your visions. Tad Hargrave (www.tadhargrave.com)