Category Archives: Business

Re-Blog: An Open Letter to Those Who Hate

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This is one of the best things I’ve read on the internet in a long time. I’m scared of what I see in political discourse in our country, in conversations I hear on the street, and where I hear people cite information from.  I’m all for people having different ideas, different feelings, different priorities, and different motivations.  Fine- but every day I see and hear a deepening chasm of hate and ignorance that frankly scares the shit out of me.

Recently, I was asked what I felt it meant to be “progressive,” a word I am not afraid to use to describe myself. To me, being progressive is being humble, willing, and interested in taking a look in the mirror at yourself and learning from what you see.  It is virtually synonymous with being accountable.  I answered honestly, and realized after the fact that my answer has nothing to do with supporting traditionally liberal values- I’m sure there are folks who espouse traditionally conservative values that would aspire to that same reasoning.

That said, I think it does have something to do with basic human decency, responsibility to our whole communities (including the natural resources that sustain us, the diversity of our citizens, and the many resources that we indirectly benefit from), and a commitment to thinking carefully.  We need this, we need it now- how can you help?  How can I help (feel free to post ideas to comments)?

Race to the Bottom

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Local businesses are moving out of your community NOW! When there aren't any left...

There is a question I’ve been thinking about often recently.

It seems like many things in our culture today involve a race to the bottom.  Who can own the most stuff, make the most money, be right most often, or “beat” someone else at something have become fundamental drivers in economics, social hierarchy, and even family life.  Ghosted out timber towns- not quite dead, but definitely not live, are ample evidence.  They opened their doors, offered tax breaks, and ceded environmental concessions to lure in good paying jobs and “economic” security.  Once the forest was clear-cut, the timber companies moved on, and the people who had felt connected to their land, found themselves connected to a graveyard of stumps and chaff.  Talking to my cousin, in her sophomore year of high school, academic success depends on being in the top 10%, getting good letter grades has been prioritized over understanding the issues that  result in a tolerant and engaged citizenship.

We praise wealth, and yet we eschew it.

As was better said on Seth Godin’s blog, the paradox of a race to the bottom is– what happens when you win? (both links are worth the read)

This the case for local economics.  For local businesses, for paying more, for demanding quality and humanity in our economics.  One of the most satisfying parts of my holiday in Austin has been getting a substantial amount of food for the family at a local farmer’s market and paying in cash.  Most of the gifts I brought for people were crafted in the place that I bought them.  Much more has been written about the topic- but I highlight it here again because supporting our local economies, our communities, is the single most important goal we can have in spending our money (in case you want to reconsider what local looks like, you may have it better than you think).  The after Christmas sale isn’t such a good deal when you realize what’s on sale.

“When you try to get something for nothing, what you end up with is nothing worth having.”  (Ralph Marston, I think…)

Work in the Morning

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Dubstep-- go. Focus-- go. Ideas-- go.

Over dinner last night, one of my new friends here in Missoula joked “Come on out to the bar with us tonight Skander, its not like you have work in the morning!”

While I appreciated that she was celebrating my flexibility (something which I hope to retain while I develop work for myself), she was fundamentally wrong.  I have a ton of work to do. No, I’m not getting paid for this work, and no, no one will actually care if I don’t work on the ideas I have in mind, but if I ever want people to take me seriously- I gotta get out of bed in the morning and get to work.  This phase of my work is about investment.  It’s about creating a portfolio of work in Montana that will be the foundation for all future business.

Goals

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(major typo now fixed)
I didn’t want to see another museum or walk around another church. Instead I spent the last few hours of my time in Quito in a huge park near the center of the city. This is where the locals hang out. On a beautiful Sunday, hundreds of people- families, couples, singles, friends, lovers, dogs, young, old, everyone- playing vibrantly, perusing craft vendors, eating street food. And no gringos. The scene was idyllic, and exactly how I’d like to remember this place. This is humanity. This is community. This is what we want, and what we need.

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(Family, community, outdoor, fun. Glad I didn’t go to the museum)
Sunday morning I had gotten an email from my brother regarding my upcoming plans and he had some important questions, including “do you have a plan B and C for accomplishing your goal?”. My brother has been one of my strongest supporters during this period of unemployment, and if I walk away with nothing else from this time, a stronger relationship with him will have made all of it (7 months and ~$10,000 spent) worth it. Lately, he’s been more privy than most to my plans and his questions about them have been amongst the most useful.
I’ve spent a lot of my time here thinking about my goals. When I met my friend on the plane in August, one of the most enjoyable parts of the conversation was about our goals, both big and small. I shared a few immediate and practical goals for the next year.
-Get a WFR certification.
-Volunteer for a habitat restoration group.
-Learn to play the harmonica.
-Get on a 5.11 trad climb.
Good goals are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely), and I’m really excited about the ones above, as I believe they are achievable and realistic this year. Sometimes though, it’s useful to have broader goals, and in response to the question from my brother, it was only appropriate to outline the big goal I’m aiming for next. If I put it on a resume- I want to participate in a locally oriented business that affects local resource consumption towards a more sustainable level.
There are several ways this might happen, and I’m not quite ready to talk openly about them, but biking around gave the time to really hone in on that goal, and once I knew what I was aiming for, and in light of the fact that I wasn’t working towards some of the other goals on my list right now, it only seemed obvious that my bike tour had accomplished it’s mission. I’m sharing my goals here because I hope that all of you can support me in pursuing them, and hold me accountable when I do things that don’t work towards them. Thank you in advance, and for enjoying my last post from South America.

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(At the top of the Basilica de Voto, and a last look at Quito)

Occupation

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As I travel people often ask me if I am a student, and I describe (in terrible Spanish) that no, I worked for 4 years as a mechanical engineer- something I still care deeply about and consider to be my profession. While riding, the question of how will I next earn an income often arises, and I’m happy to say that while I’m not sure what it will be yet, I am certain I’m looking forward to it.
At the hotel in Pasto I got into a discussion with a German traveler about the merits of the current “Occupy Wall Street” movement. He and I shared some values, but I realized that I significantly disagree with most of what he had to say, and I think it’s best to be clear on where I stand.
I agree with the German that people need to be aware of how significantly and negatively their lives are controlled by a handful a major multinational corporations. Furthermore I believe these corporations are dinosaurs that undermine the progress of our society. They destroy local communities, directly destroy any chance of social and resource equity for all people around the globe, and facilitate a level of greed and excess that fundamentally precludes a sustainable civilization for anyone. In general, I don’t like multinational companies, is that clear (here’s some great data about why we have a serious problem)? All that said, I don’t think the occupy wall street movement is really actually accomplishing anything. My German friend believes that the occupation is a good thing because it is making people more aware of the issues. I disagree, most people hear about the protest via main stream media (whom have only barely covered it), and have successfully portrayed it as a bunch of hooligan 20somethings out to whine and garner attention. Those who read about it otherwise (alternative websites, etc) are already fairly onboard with the message and this don’t really need the reminder (myself included here). My first objection is that the real message isn’t getting to the people that need to hear it. Want to get the message to the right people? Go door to door in your town with examples of how Wall Street impacts your community. My second objection is that my generation needs to create examples of alternative businesses and commerce mechanisms that offer opportunity for employment and demonstrate how a functional, locally based economy can bring greater prosperity, sustainability, and stability to a larger group of people would make a much larger, and more useful statement. Damn straight that’s hard, but so are the global problems that come with a population of 7 billion.
Be creative, look at your communities, identify what you and the businesses in your community can offer better than the big corporations. Try things, talk to people, network, build and show the alternative and take back the market share for the communities you live in (and make sure your congressperson knows what you are up to, and that you won’t be stopped). Occupy yourself first. I’ll be clear, I am part of the 99% and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I worked hard and have earned the opportunities that I have been fortunate to have. I worked my butt off for a long time and can take some time off to travel (on money that I earned). I’m excited to think about the next best ways for me to apply myself towards creating a more powerful, local, sustainable economy (it’s something I think about every day). A good friend recently posted this on Facebook- and while it may read harshly, the point is not to be missed.

Second thought of late.
Data is awesome, and many of the business thinkers that I respect often talk about to importance of data, it’s quality, quantity, and significance. In the green building work I was doing before I started traveling, data was king. The recent passing of Steve Jobs and the many discussions of his personality and success has instilled an important point. Data isn’t everything. Mr. Jobs often raised eyebrows with statements about not doing market research. He was willing to imagine, to innovate, to take the risk that his ideas represented a market that didn’t yet exist- and therefore a market you couldn’t get accurate data for. So in his passing, I look at my life with the prospective of understanding the value of data, and the inspiration of knowing that data doesn’t really describe what the next best thing is. To the wall street kids- what do you want to change? Imagine it, precisely, then work your tail off to make it happen. Mr. Jobs (one person) had that approach and changed the modern conception of technology, media, and information. I bet that all of us together can change even bigger things- like the economy, community, and government.
“Talent is the ability to hit a target no one else can hit. Genius is the ability to hit a target no one else can see.” (Arthur Schopenhauer)
“All of us are smarter than one of us.”
(Dr. Charles Cole)

Fire.

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I’m a bit behind and am posting this from Montgomery, Alabama. More on that soon.
Monday night I met up at a bar on the north side of Chicago with two friends that reinforce some very important ideas.

In some ways, my social circle is growing smaller- having less time to spend with people has forced me to consider who it is that is most imperative that I spend that time with, and I’ve started to notice a trend in why I chose to spend my time with the people I do.

I spend my time with the people that hold themselves to some account of how they spend their time. They hold me to account for how I spend mine. They are passionate, dedicated, enthusiastic, positive, and engaged. They know what they are doing, and aren’t afraid to chase it all the way. They have a fire in their belly that is familiar to me, and that I esteem above most other traits.

Matt is going to fix healthcare in the United States. From the clarity with which he explains himself and the depth of his experience, I believe him.

Hattie is going to fix our kids relationship with God, whatever they may conceive him to be. From the smile on her face, and the passion in her eyes, I believe her.

And then Matt put the question to me, what are you really going to do with your life Skander? His goal is big and audacious, and he won’t achieve it alone, but I believe it’s possible. I’ve been trying to figure that out all summer- after our conversation, I’m finally able to describe it:

I am going to change the way humanity interacts with natural resources.

I consider myself incredibly lucky to have friends that continue to force me to sharpen the edge of my razor, and that these friendships continue to grow through shared motivations, despite the geographic distance between us. It’s important times here in Chicago.

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Get Your Hands Dirty

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I spent 4 days this week working at Arctic Organics– one of the first and oldest organic farms in Alaska. After 8 weeks chasing various adventures, the simple, humble manual labor was intensely valuable. I’ve been staying in Palmer with my good friend Margaret who is the director of The Alaska Farmland Trust. Her group is working to preserve farmland in Alaska and grow the local food movement I cannot speak more highly of her efforts. She put me in touch with Sara and River who own Arctic Organics, and they introduced me to a carrot field that needed weeding… lots of weeding. I shared the work with a fun team of other kids in their 20s, working hard in the fresh air and pulling an enormous mass of unwanted biota from the carrot beds. It’s good to get your hands dirty.

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Getting it done...

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Have I mentioned I love biking to work?

True to the website statement, Arctic Organics is leading the charge for local organic food in Alaska, and while I did appreciate getting paid for my efforts, it felt like a privilege to be a part of their operation even if only for a short time. Nowhere else in the country perhaps is the issue of local food and sustainability so important- if food was not flown to Alaska in airplanes it is estimated that the state would start facing food shortages in as little as 3 days. Do you know where your food comes from?

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Sometimes you gotta stretch out between weeding sessions.

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Visionary owners, and folks I look forward to seeing again.

The opportunity also spurs some thoughts on labor- I couldn’t help but relish the feeling of looking down a freshly cleared bed after several hours of working on my knees. It’s a Case for Working with Your Hands, and a reminder that while work often prevents us from playing, it is also essential to balance the endless play I have had the pleasure of experiencing this summer. I have to admit, it felt good to go to work in the morning (but also that my knees didn’t feel so good after 4 days on the ground…). I look forward to including other new and varied work experiences along my travels, as well as considering what other options might give me more fulfillment in a permanent work arrangement.

What Next, part 1

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(from May 31, 2011)

How does going to play around on Denali N.P. help me figure out what’s next in my life?  It leaves me with a lot of time to think.As I think of myself as a Change Agent (my preferred title on LinkedIn)- someone willing to take on the hard work of making our civilized lifestyle more sustainable- being here might not seem like the most obvious thing to do, but I’m starting to realize that it just might be the best way about it.

“You’re not wasting your time here.”  Luke said to me as we were packing up at the base of ‘Bacon ‘N Eggs”.  It was like he knew what was lurking in my sub-concious.  I had asked him how he had found himself providing Solar PV and mechanical engineering services as an independent contractor for the park service, as well as mountain guiding and hunting guiding when things were slow.  He just fell into it- because he did what he was interested in, in the places he wanted to be in.  Luke stuck to his guns, and chased his dream fearlessly.  He recognizes that his chase is still on, but that the chase is part of the dream itself, so he’s living it out to where it might take him.  Thanks for the lesson.

Two days since our climb and I’ve been listening to the snow fall on my tent for two hours while reading “The Ecology of Commerce” by Paul Hawken.  He lays out a compelling plan for changes that would allow our capitalist economy to reflect our human reality much more accurately.  Looking back at why I left my job, and looking forward to what I’d like my life to look like, I feel like I’m an important point in my career- with some important experience and ideas to share, but still lots of room to learn and grow.

Chris has a humble axiom he likes to share with climbers coming on the mountain: “Better climbers than you have died here, and worse climbers than you have summitted.”  It begs humility, and possibility, and is an important reminder for business.  All businesses want to be successful- some are, and some aren’t.  Of those that succeed, some are good at what they do, some are lucky, and some simply don’t have competition.  A few of the important things that I believe are imperative for successful businesses:

  • Your employees are no more and no less important than your clients.  Don’t let that balance slip in your head or your co-workers heads.
  • Do whatever you do in a unique and innovative way.  If you want to have an unprecedented result (a more sustainable building, a better product, a more powerful impact), you won’t get there doing things the same way you’ve always done them (and the way that everyone else does them).  If your doing things the same way as your competitors, you’ll get the same result.*
  • A professional organization will accomplish nothing without an accountable project management process, and an accountable culture amongst all levels of the staff.

As I look forward to the next step of my professional development the ability to understande and overcome these challenges is a key part of what I have to offer.  I look forward to finding an employer that is excited to embrace these challenges, and that leverage my talents to create a more sustainable world.  Maybe this doesn’t exist.  Maybe I will have to hang my own slate out there.  Only time, and the universe, can tell.

*Cilogear Backpacks is one of my favorite examples in innovation.  They offer a premium product, are price competitive, and locally made, while offering innovative designs with a minimum of wasted time and materials.

Success

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Had a great conversation today with a new friend while driving up to Portland. It reminded me of two private journal entries from the last year that I wanted to post more succinctly and publicly.
I refuse to believe that the value of my life can be measured in dollars.
I consider true success to have been achieved when one looks back on what they have done without regret, and when one can look forward at their life with the honest assessment that what they are about to do is the best thing they have ever done.
I’ll probably rephrase this in the morning but wanted to share before I forgot.

Business

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Although I am hoping that the majority of material on this site relates to adventure sports and traveling content, my career and my philosophy on business is another adventure that I hope to keep actively exploring, even while not associated with a formalized business entity.  I have enjoyed my career to date in the green building industry, and am fascinated by the opportunity that business represents to change the world- and how we conduct business is influenced by how we conduct our lives.  So as I include thoughts and photos from climbing and skiing adventures, I think it’s important to share the things I continue to learn and think about business.

I’ve followed appreciated work done by 37signals for quite some time.  For whatever reason, their style (which I can only deduce from their web presence), their products (which I have not directly used), and their process (which I have only read about, not participated in), seem to resonate with me.  I saw this article by Jason Fried and I really appreciated his ideas.  As business people, there is value in what we do- don’t do things if you don’t understand their value- but be aware that value comes in many forms.

Part of my personal mission is changing the world, and at this point I’m convinced that business has a part to play in that.  As I take time off, I intend to make a concerted effort to distill what I have learned in being part of a business for the last four years, as well as continuing to build a knowledge base and philosophy that will make me a greater asset to future business endeavors.

“I began learning these things when I was 14. And I’m glad I did, because the habits entrepreneurs develop early in their careers go a long way toward determining their success.”  (Jason Fried)