Snow Day

Off the Record: My kid's had so many snow days this year, I'm beginning to wonder if we should just start homeschooling!

While there's nothing like sharing a cozy day at home with loved ones, there's also something to be said for a writer having her space and quiet time.  A lot of work happens between the ears, and that's more challenging with more people in the house.

My solution: put the wee ones to work!  (Okay, my "wee one" is a teenager who's chomping at the bit to earn money.) Today, she has updated my paper files, and is now transcribing an interview for me.  Both tasks are essential to keeping the writer productive. Yet I have shoved both tasks onto the back burner for far too long.
Keeping my files updated helps me keep my life in order.
The interview transcript will be the primary component in a chapter of the non-fiction book proposal I'm developing.  

The subject of the book?  That's a secret, but I will divulge that the interviewee was the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger.  He is one of many generous individuals who support my book idea.  We had a great phone conversation several months ago, and I'm excited to read the transcript and then put it to good use!

Back to writing!

Government Nutrition Policy as Illustrated by Banksy

OFF THE RECORD:  I'm a foodie, a health-obsessed foodie.  Few things frustrate me more than hearing news reports of the national health crisis, while information about proper nutrition is silenced by huge ad campaigns promoting "food" products that degrade human health.

I was delighted to discover this fantastic illustration by Banksy today.  Check it out.

http://www.banksy.co.uk/indoors/donut.html

Trust-Based Relationships in Business

It's not personal; it's business.

Wasn't that the mantra of the last era in business? Surely, folks are still holding fast to the ideal that the ends justify the means.

Take off the gloves and throw yourself into the fight. At any cost, make sure your company comes out on top.

And how did that paradigm work out for us? Looking at the state of the economy these past few years, I would say not very well. Looking at the reports of increasing stress-related health problems, such as depression, obesity, and heart disease, plaguing the United States, I would say not very well.

My mentor and friend, Mitch Anthony, an ad guy with a conscience, agrees. In his post "Uncovering the Logic of Deep Change, " he writes:

The time has come to look beyond the four walls of existing enterprises and instead focus on connecting people across large numbers of institutions, shaping much broader ecosystems of participants and helping them to build long‐term trust‐based relationships that encourage and enable a new kind of human synergy.

Off the record: It IS personal and it IS business, and trust-based relationships are the foundation of the new world. Like it or not, we've got to start tearing down the walls that separate us from our colleagues, clients and competitors. "Competition" is old-school. Collaboration is the way of the future.

I, for one, am forging connections with professionals who, in the old paradigm, I would have considered competitors/threats. The experience is enriching, enlivening, and increasing my career satisfaction. These mini-"think tanks" bring me a wealth of camaraderie and knowledge, and stimulate my creative juices, leading to a higher quality product for my clients.

I invite you to join the new paradigm, and share your experience with collaboration here.

Read "Uncovering the Logic of Deep Change."

Good Bye to Conscious Cow

Off the Record:  I have a hard time letting go.

This is why I have held on to my alter-ego, Conscious Cow, for almost a year without posting any new blogs on "her" site.

I had the best of intentions to get something new out there.  But...
I haven't posted anything new for two reasons:

1. re-purposing, recycling, re-using, and composting are more mainstream today than when I launched Conscious Cow in 2008.  You can find books, websites, and magazine articles (a few written by yours truly) covering these topics.

(Other resources on the web include: www.greenlivingtips.com, www.focusorganic.com, and www.howtocompost.org.)

2. I had been doing it as a public service.  Keeping a blog like Conscious Cow fresh and relevant requires a ton of time and effort in the form of research. Business ramped up in 2010 (yay!), and I suddenly found myself super busy with paying projects, family obligations, and activities in my local community.

Hence, I bid my alter-ego a fond adieu, and thank all those who visited her and took her message to heart.

(Surprise to me:  it feels good to let go!)