Would You Like Some Community with That Orange Juice?

Create or improve some community today.

I went to eat brunch yesterday at Monell's, a Nashville dining institution if there ever were one. Even though I've lived in Nashville for years, this was my first trip to this Southern-cooking Mecca.

What makes Monell's unique is first and foremost its food. Serving up a unique and delicious fried chicken, as well as other home cooked originals like corn pudding and cheese grits, Monell's has both locals and out-of-towners rave about the lunch and breakfast served in this house-turned-eatery.

Perhaps even more unique that the food is the way its served. At Monell's, there are no menus. Upon arrival, you're seated at a table with 12 chairs, even if you're just a party of 4. Then, the food comes out family style, all in big bowls and plates, just like Thanksgiving.

Of course, this means you'll be sharing a table and passing the veggies with complete strangers. And, this can make for either some meaningful lunches or forgettable brunches.

At first glance, it would seem that Monell's take on dining is also one that fosters community. After all, if you're sharing table space with others, you'll certainly make new friends or at least start up conversations with those whom you might have never met otherwise, right?

Not so fast.

While each diner's experience is certainly different, I didn't find community spontaneously happening around the brunch table at Monell's. It's one thing to get a bunch of people together in close proximity to one another and think that meaningful community will somehow 'happen.' It’s another thing entirely to actually create meaningful interactions that then allow people to start the long journey towards community.

There were four different groups at my table. There were me, my wife and my sister. There was the family of four (mom, dad, daughter, grandmother). There was the mother and daughter team. There was the husband and wife. And as everyone chowed down on hash browns and scambled eggs, no substantial conversations happened across inter-familial lines, save the occasional, "Can someone pass the bacon?" or "Is there any more orange juice?"

Conversations happened. My sister and I talked about Scrubs. The husband and wife at the other end of the table chatted about their friends. But no one made new friends. New community didn't happen around the Monell's brunch table.

Or did it? Afterwards, as we walked back to our car, we talked about the experience and our fellow tablemates. We had a good laugh (and some great pancakes). So maybe the family-style brunch didn't create new community. Maybe it just strengthened an existing one. We've got to figure out how to offer people meaningful experiences, understanding that new community and better community are equally valid pursuits.

Earth Hour 2008

See your world in a whole new light.

It all started with just one simple question: "How can we inspire people to take action on climate change?" And the answer looked like a light switch.

Nearly a year ago, the people of Sydney, Australia answered the question and made an impact by deciding to turn off their lights for one hour, between 8 and 9 PM. When they did so, they reduced the city's consumption by 10%, which was the equivalent of taking 48,000 cars off the road.

And this year, the movement has spread beyond Syndey. Now, Earth Hour is global.

Turning off your lights for an hour is nearly painless, and while the totaled savings may seem like peanuts compared to the strain on the global grid, the point of the hour is more than just flicking a switch and forgetting about it. The point is to become more conscious of the lives we lead and how over lights are left on, using precious natural resources and emitting carbon into our atmosphere.

Will one hour save the world? No, but one hour will start saving the world. As we take the first steps on that long journey we call social change, we must begin somewhere, and this Saturday at 8 PM is a very appropriate place to do so.

You can join the Earth Hour movement and commit to turning off your lights for an hour this Saturday at 8 PM local time. In fact, you could turn off others’ lights as well:

First Things Second

Order matters more than you think.

Whether you fancy yourself a person who carefully plans things out or someone who just like to go with the flow and see where the chips may fall, the order of things matters more than you think.

This makes sense in things like recipes or woodworking. You've got to add the eggs before you mix in the chocolate chips or you need to attach the legs before you work on the veneer.

But what about those hidden first steps that we all too often forget about? Here's what I mean:

I'm training for a marathon this November in San Antonio. I've done two before so this isn't new ground. And what's the first thing I need to do when training for a marathon? Get a good pair of shoes? Start building up mileage?

Nope. The first thing to do when training is to drink a ton of water. So, you'll find me most days filling and refilling my water bottle (and then running to the bathroom hourly). It won’t matter how comfy my shoes are if I'm dehydrated.

This same thing applies in lots of lines of work. The first step in a fundraising capital campaign isn't to design catchy marketing pieces or to announce what you're doing. It's to conduct a feasibility study to see if your area (geographic or issue) can handle the 6, 7, or 8 figures you're trying to raise.

When starting a business, you don't write a business plan on Day 1. You conduct your market research to find out if anyone else is already doing what you do.

When you want to buy a house, you don't call a realtor first. You call a mortgage broker to see what you can afford. When you want to redesign your Web site, you don't figure out which flashy bells and whistles you want to add – you have an honest conversation with yourself about what you want someone to know when they arrive at your digital doorstep.

No matter how well you may plan, there's usually always something to do before step one.

Shop for a Cause

Get your fair trade on.

Shop For A Cause
CoolPeopleCare and Ten Thousand Villages Partner for Unique Shopping Event

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (March 23, 2008) - On Tuesday, March 25, Ten Thousand Villages will partner with local Web site CoolPeopleCare.org to provide a special night of shopping. The Green Hills store will be open for extended hours while CoolPeopleCare.org will be helping shoppers learn how they can make a difference in as little as five minutes a day. The event runs from 6-8 p.m.

Ten Thousand Villages sells fairly-traded handicrafts from around the world, all of which have been made by artisans that are paid a fair and equitable wage for their work. There are over 150 Ten Thousand Villages stores in the U.S., and the Nashville store has been open since 2002.

"We're excited about our partnership with CoolPeopleCare in order to raise awareness of the benefits of fair trade," says Lisa Pierce, store manager. "By extending our store hours, we hope more people will visit us that day and learn about the difference they can make with their shopping choices."

Shoppers spending more than $100 will receive a copy of CoolPeopleCare's first book, "New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours," which was published in November by Brentwood-based Xyzzy Press. The book was co-authored by the site's founders, Sam Davidson and Stephen Moseley.

"We hope that we'll be able to show Nashville that every little decision matters – from the kind of coffee we drink to the kind of gifts we buy," says Davidson. "When we all realize that we can have a positive effect a world away with our purchases, we'll begin to realize just how much power we have to make a difference every single day."

Davidson and Moseley will be on hand to sign copies of the book, which contains more than 100 ideas on ways to make a difference in as little as five minutes a day.

The event is part of CoolPeopleCare's first annual Springamajig, which highlights 40 days of events designed to get people out of their homes and out into their communities. The rest of the schedule can be found at www.springamajig.org.

Springamajig 2008

CoolPeopleCare.org Announces 40 Days of Events to Get People Out of Their Homes and Into Their Local Communities to Make a Difference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Springamajig 2008 CoolPeopleCare.org Announces 40 Days of Events to Get People Out of Their Homes and Into Their Local Communities to Make a Difference

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (March 12, 2008) - CoolPeopleCare.org's first annual Springamajig will highlight 40 days of events in Nashville and around the Southeast that show people how to get more involved in their local community. Springamajig begins on Saturday, March 22 and runs until April 30.

"Spring is the perfect time to get out of our house and enjoy the nice weather. And, if you can make a difference while you're at it, everyone's better for it," says Sam Davidson, President and co-founder of CoolPeopleCare, Inc. "These 40 days of events are designed to breathe new life and ideas into all of us who want to make a difference."

Events range from local festivals and hikes, to movie premiers and lectures. Featured events encourage people to come together for a worthy cause, to meet new people and to learn about how to positively impact the environment. Events are still being considered for inclusion.

CoolPeopleCare is also partnering with local organizations like Team Green to raise awareness of environmental issues.

"Partnering with CoolPeopleCare allows us to show all of Nashville just how easy it is to make a difference and help improve the planet," says Laurel Creech, Team Green's director. CoolPeopleCare and Team Green will host an event together on April 29.

Key Springamajig events include an informational session at Moore & Moore Garden Center, Nashville's Earth Day and a signing of Davidson's first book, "New Day Revolution: How to Save the World in 24 Hours" at Davis-Kidd.

Published by Brentwood-based Xyzzy Press, Davidson and CoolPeopleCare, Inc. co-founder Stephen Moseley released the book in November 2007.

Springamajig will conclude on April 30, which is being designated as CoolPeople CarPool Day. On that day, people are encouraged to commit to carpooling to work, lunch, or anywhere else they may go. “Riding with a friend is one small step we can all take to make this world a better place,” says Davidson.

Visit Springamajig.org to learn more and to find an event near you.

The Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants Goes Green

This week's Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants lands here.

It's St. Patrick's Day, which means that we have some very talented people talking about all things 'green' in the nonprofit world. Here's what made this week's Carnival:

Environmental:

• Katya Andresen discusses why environmental campaigns should stop focusing on gloom and doom when trying to stir up interest.
• Green may be a nice buzzword, but Marianne Richmond shares why 'sustainable' is better.
• Nancy E. Schwartz is talking about nonprofits and plastic bags.
• The Chesapeake Bay Foundation makes its case on why green is good for the economy. This is also a good example of how a nonprofit can make its case in a letter to the editor.

• Want to know how to ask for a major gift? Read this story.
• Saving some green can be as important as going green, and Kivi Leroux Miller shows you just how far $1000 can go.

How to Turn a Party Into a Protest

Have you ever gone to a tea party and a protest broke out?

Ever since I read Kalle Lasn's Culture Jam, I was captivated by one simple piece of information he put forth. On page 66, he posits:

The United States of America was born of a revolt not just against British monarchs and the British parliament but against British corporations.

He then goes on to make his case that the Boston Tea Party was a protest not just against the tyranny of a county, but also the monopoly of a company.

Because I read this right before my recent trip to Boston, I picked up a short book on the tea party, and read it on the flight home. I was fascinated by the events that took place in the winter of 1773, and I couldn't help but wonder if such an extraordinary act of protest could happen today against repressive corporations.

In reading Robert J. Allison's New England Remembers The Boston Tea Party, I gathered a wealth of information about the context of that fateful tea party, as well as some lessons for those of us today who are looking to spark a revolution:

Set your sights high:

To make a major statement, you've got to go after the biggest problems, polluters and perpetrators. After all, at the time, the East India Tea Company was one of the largest corporations in the British Empire, no small task for a group of lowly colonists.

Stand together:

The party in the harbor was just the icing on the cake, which highlighted weeks of protest, meetings and movements. Allison describes all of the protesters' activities as "well-organized, well-coordinated" efforts. "Even Admiral Montagu was heard to remark that 'these were not a Mob of disorderly Rabble…but men of Sense, Coolness, and Intrepidity.'"

Stick to the plan:

The group could have sent the entire ship into a watery grave, setting it afire and tearing it to pieces. But that wasn't the point; the tea was. "Each squad captain kept careful tally against the manifest, ensuring that every chest of East India Company tea, and only the East India Company's tea, was destroyed." You'll be far more effective in making a statement if you do one thing, and do it well.

Stay true to the cause:

Long after the sexiness of the protest buzz and the convenience of radicalism have worn off, you must stay the course to remain effective. Change takes time, and the more committed your entire life is to a cause you believe in, the more effective you'll be. Here's what it meant for John Adams:

After a thirty-five mile [horse] ride on a hot July afternoon, Adams arrived at Falmouth (now Portland, Maine). Weary, dusty, and hot, Adams hoped to relax and revive with a cup of his favorite beverage. "Madam," he asked Mrs. Huston, "is it lawful for a weary Traveller to refresh himself with a Dish of Tea provided it has been honestly smuggled, or paid no Duites?" "No sir, we have renounced all Tea in the Place." Mrs. Huston's patriotism far exceeded his own, he found. "I can't make tea," she said, but, pointing to her husband, offered, "but He can make you coffee." For the rest of his time in Falmouth, Adams "drank Coffee every Afternoon" and bore it well.

Adds Allison,

"Before 1773 upwardly mobile Americans had adopted tea as a social beverage; now Americans renounced tea as a patriotic duty. "Tea must be universally renounced," Adams said. "I must be weaned, and the sooner, the better.""

The value of the dumped tea (in today’s figures) totaled $1,738,500. That's a feat of staggering protest for a small group of committed citizens. But then again, the actions of such a group are the only thing that has ever changed the world.

Revolt. Life is too short to not make a difference.

The Myth of Free

People love free - until they ignore it.

The newest edition of Wired has a cover story by Chris Anderson on why free is 'the future of business.' In the article, Anderson details not only why free has worked for everyone from Schick to RyanAir, but why it will continue to be more and more of a necessity for any business looking to grow.

The article is well done, and I'm sure the rest of Anderson's forthcomig book dealing with this topic will be as well. Indeed, Seth Godin enjoys the ideas Anderson promotes, and the article has even made some think about what this could mean for the nonprofit sector.

And while Anderson does make a great case, I think that the case for the downside of free must be made as well.

Sure - free is sexy. It's catchy. It gets you noticed and helps stir up business. But free can also very easily be meaningless.

If you don't believe me, take a look at the Internet. How many blogs and other Web sites sit inactive and empty? You know what would happen if Blogger charged just $0.99 a year to activate an account? You'd have fewer empty blogs and better dialog on the Web.

Or if MySpace deleted accounts after a period of inactivity? Or if eBay did the same? Because let's be honest - there's a big difference between users and active users, my friends.

Of course, digital free doesn't really matter than much, because the cost for all of those empty accounts is nearly nothing. Take a look at your house, then.

Chances are, you wear (and love) the clothes you paid for more than the free ones you got at a hockey game or a 5k. Same thing with those beauty product samples. Or things given to you vs. things you bought.

While there's the benefit of no cost when it comes to free, there's also the downside of attention spans. We usually ignore or neglect that which is free. After all, if it didn't cost us anything, why bother taking care of it, maintaining it, or seeing to it that the item, thing, object, blog or profile is used to its full potential?

I'm reminded of the story of a young boy who got a new pair of jeans because he outgrew his last pair. They were a bit dirty as well. The next day, when his mom came to pick him up from school, she noticed grass stains on the knees of his new pants. She asked him why he dirtied his brand new jeans and he replied, "I don’t mind. I didn’t pay for them."

If you stake everything you're trying to become on free, be careful: the speed with which you got that initial buzz and interest today is directly related to the speed at which people might ignore you tomorrow.

The kids who were paying for college themselves always worked harder than those on scholarship.

I Can Do Back Bends: Adventures in Flexibility

Have you stretched yourself lately?

So I can't really do back bends. But my cartwheels are surprisingly decent for a dude with no formal gymnastics training.

I'm in Tullahoma, Tennessee right now, which is a quaint and quiet little town about an hour south(ish) of Nashville. I'm here because I delivered a lunch workshop to nonprofits about how they can better communicate with the next generation. I'm also scheduled to speak at a church tonight about the little things anyone can do to save the world.

As I was driving to Tullahoma (don't miss that – I said as I was driving to Tullahoma) this morning, I got a call from my contact. She said, "Sam - I have another speaking opportunity for you today, if you don’t mind."

I never mind. "Great," I told her. "When and where?"

"It will be at 2 PM." This was good since I needed to find a place to kill some time in between noon and 6. "And you'll be talking at a middle school."

That sounded fine. I'd spoken to classes before. Just recently I'd spoken to high school students taking a class on global issues. "Cool," I said. "How many people will be in the class, and how long do I have?"

"Well..." she replied. "That’s the thing. You'll be speaking at an assembly. There will be 140 7th graders."

The silence that bewilderment brings filled the airwaves between me and her.

"Did you say 140 7th graders?"

"Yes. And you'll have an entire hour."

Now, I've spoken to groups of students and I've worked with kids as young as 6. I'm not afraid to be around or talk to kids or teenagers. But on stage for an hour in front of well over 100 students is something different entirely.

This was new territory. I've got a set of canned talks that can work in nearly any situation. If she had booked another church, a nursing home, an educational conference, or even something at the local Grupo de Personas que Hablan Espanol, I'd be good to go. But I haven't exactly done the whole Assembly-Full-of-13-year-olds-at-the-End-of-the-Day gig yet.

But, I'm a flexible guy. So, I'm happy to make it work. And work it I did.

We had a great time at East Middle School, and I really hope 140 kids walked out of that room with some ideas on how to save the world. Maybe they really only remember the funny story about the love note I wrote to Jenny in 2nd grade, but at least they heard the idea that we can all make a difference.

I could have declined and everything would have been okay. The kids would have gone to their regular 7th period classes, I would have found a coffee shop to work from and no one would have been inconvenienced.

But I wouldn't now have the Assembly-Full-of-13-year-olds-at-the-End-of-the-Day talk. So, I'm the better for it.

Being flexible is one of those intangible qualities that is needed in any job or volunteer opportunity. Managers may not be asking it, but it's one of those wild card factors that can really show someone's mettle and their potential to work in certain situations. If I were hiring, I'd ask the candidate to tell a story about a time when he or she was flexible.

If you're not asking this question, you should start. It will tell you more about someone's ability to work under a deadline, under pressure and in uncharted waters. It will tell you a lot more than "What are three strengths you have?"

And if you're a job candidate, make sure you have a flexibility story ready, even if you're not asked. Working that story in during an interview will showcase some originality and the story will stay in someone's mind longer than that boring 'Objective' line will.

So start stretching yourself. You'll improve in some key areas and you may even get a great story out of it.

When In Doubt, Do Something

What's your company's Innovation Policy?

The most recent issue of Fast Company celebrates Google as the world's most innovative company. Inside are scads of interviews with folks who work there, each telling their tale not only about why it's a great place to work, but how it was recognized as being a place of creativity and ingenuity.

Of particular interest to me was the reasoning on David Glazer, an engineering director. He comments:

We started running a bunch of experiments. We set an operational tempo: When in doubt, do something. If you have two paths and you're not sure which is right, take the fastest path. What's true in physics about motion is true when you're creating a product. It's easier to keep moving and change course than when you're sitting and thinking and thinking.

No wonder Google's stock price soars and its functions continue to get better. No wonder it could very well soon take over the world.

When you have a lot of talented people and allow them to unleash those talents in order to create anything, you’ll be surprised at what happens. And you'll ride this big wave of creative momentum all the way to the bank.

If you're losing talented workers, if you can't connect with a younger set, if it seems like your competition is bypassing you by leaps and bounds, look at your innovation policy.

Google allows its employees to spend 20% of their time working on whatever they want. Such a policy means that brilliant products and ideas stay in-house. Even though folks leave Google to start their own company, many stay put and are handsomely rewarded for their creative outbursts.

Many folks leave awful jobs in order to have the freedom to simply do what they're good at. It's a shame that so few workplaces provide talented people with the appropriate freedom and resources to stretch themselves and the company's own idea of what is possible.

I can't help but wonder in woeful agony how many great ideas are simply dying in people's minds because the higher ups or the current processes in place at any given business are ones that embody the opposite idea from the one that Glazer champions.

Ask around. If your place of work has a "When in doubt, sit on your hands, stay put and shut up" policy, then chances are, they'll very soon be having a Chapter 11 policy.