Community | The Barefoot Spirit

Buying into Algo-logic Can Be Costly

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 18:00:51 +0000

We’re suddenly living in a world where what’s important has been predetermined by a crude form of artificial intelligence, algorithmic “logic”. It only measures what it can measure.

Since it can’t measure the quality of the content, it measures the amount of reaction the article, post, podcast or video gets. This is all measured in “likes,” comments, or shares. The algorithm assumes that somehow quality is determined or measured by engagement.

You may find yourself slowly beginning to buy into this over-generalized and simplistic rating system in the absence of anything better. Seems like everyone else is going along with this as well, so you feel somehow validated. This is the first mistake.

After a while, you begin to believe that quality is a hierarchy of engagement. After all, it’s the only game in town. Or at least the most popular game! But are these algorithms really smart enough to decipher true quality?

Or conversely, can true quality content be suppressed due to lack of engagement? Or worse, once we buy into this ranking system can we be manipulated? Can clever digital marketers work the system to build artificial statistics to make certain content look more important to sell you stuff that doesn’t work? You bet!

In other words, we all are now voting on what’s important at the expense of critical thinking. Do those early votes in the form of engagement push content at us at the expense of content that may be wiser, more thoughtful, and more valuable to the human experience? You bet!

This is a seductive process where we can easily get carried away with trendy distractions at the expense of hard-won historical lessons. Are there more important indicators of value than what gets the most engagement the earliest? We think so and we are worried that those indicators can be lost.

Are smart phones really smart? Or are we dumbing down to the levels they can measure? Don’t get us wrong, we love the new technology and couldn’t live without it. But we constantly have to work around overly simplistic algorithms.

For instance, we love Pandora, but have to get through their algorithms to get the kind of music we like. Seems like everyone has a different work-around because of the overly simplistic algorithms. Our friend Bill says, “I spend the first few days listening to everything they play on a given station. I quickly hit the likes and dislikes so I don’t get too much of their simplistic idea of what I like.” Mary, on the other hand says, “I only hit the ones I dislike so I still get variety without getting into a rut.”

Bill and Mary are dealing with judgements some programmer made about what was important. Was the tune Bill first chose sung by a woman, then give him all female artists. Never mind the beat, melody, or lyrics. Bill knows this and immediately jumps on his next choice so this doesn’t happen. But the more Bill chooses, the less new offerings occur because of the limits of the algorithm. Mary know this and only communicates what she dislikes.

How many people like a post but don’t engage? Most! But if they don’t engage, does that make the post wrong, less news worthy, or less important? Algorithms can’t measure the silent majority because they are silent! They can only measure engaged feedback.

So now a potential minority or a troll farm can work the algorithms and influence your thinking. They may even cause you to take or allow action because you believe it’s what the majority wants. It’s not. It’s what the programmers have said was important because it’s all they could measure.

If this all sounds like a call for a return to critical thinking, it is! This year! Let’s consider the source as we move forward.

Our centenarian neighbor says, “When airplanes first came out, they’d walk on the wings, light ‘em on fire, and fly ‘em through barns! Nobody ever thought they’d be going to Chicago in one.” Is that where we are today with the algorithms that control what gets amplified in social media? Are we still in the barn storming days?

Let’s not get dumbed down to what an algorithm can measure! Let’s elevate history, proven principles and classic standards – even if they don’t get a lot of engagement these days. We’ve had enough cute kittens and baked lasagna! It’s time to move onto stuff that matters.

You only have a limited amount of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking that engagement alone is a measure of value to you, your business, or your community. For instance, we get very little engagement on our 2 weekly posts and we know why. Our readers are business people and simply don’t have the time to engage.

However, our articles are often picked up by major business publications such as Entrepreneur, C-Suite Network, and the Business Journals in 43 cities. We often get replies to our newsletter that say, “Please keep these coming,” “Awesome,” and “I can’t wait to try this in my own business.” In 4 years, we have had only 2 unsubscribe. Check out the best of our 30 years of successful business experience. And don’t feel obligated to engage. We’re happy to help!

Who We Are

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.

They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.

Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Climate Change Will Change More Than Climate

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 18:00:41 +0000

It’s hard to believe that with the world’s scientific community in overwhelming agreement, the documented loss of the coral reefs, and melting of the polar ice caps that so many folks still act like climate change is not happening.

We were recently discussing the latest economic mega trends with a good friend and business associate. When we suggested that climate change was going to be the biggest driver of business demand in the near future, he asked, “How long have you been on this kick?” as if just the recognition of the fact was some kind of a fad or political statement, some kind of a temporary advocacy.

The National Geographic, in their recent series on the subject, entitled The Years of Living Dangerously, explores the parts of the world now experiencing the beginning of the collapse of the ecosystem that sustains them. In the series, each week a well know celebrity hosts the documentary which goes on location to interview scientists and document the changes. Every scientist says the same thing, “I only wish I was more effective in getting the word out sooner!”

One development they investigate that will surely impact the western world in the immediate future is climate migration. Not migrants seeking political asylum, but seeking food! Many of the so called political asylum seekers from central Africa are actually leaving because of extended drought-cause starvation. On the other side of the world, If the Golden Coral Triangle which feeds the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Micronesia collapses, it will directly affect 400,000 people. A huge demand for more food is a mega trend.

The documentary goes on to identify the major culprit, carbon emitters. The carbon acidifies the seas and destroys the reef, one of the building blocks of the marine food chain. Just like the anti-war protesters of the 60’s and 70’s and just like the Civil Rights activists, this new millennial generation has a cause that unites them: Carbon fees.

They, and most of the scientific community agree that carbon emitters are not paying the true price for burning carbon, giving them an unfair business advantage over alternatives. The reasoning goes, if you have to pay to have your garbage taken away, then shouldn’t carbon emitter have to do the same? The movement is building among the millennials who will ultimately control the vote. Whether you agree or not with the scientists and millennials they are going to persevere.

Up till now the carbon producers have been able to prevent a national carbon fee, but state after state is passing the fee in one form or another. More and more provinces and countries are doing the same. The demand for alternative energy, alternative transportation, and carbon sequestering is on the rise. It’s a mega trend!

More intense world-wide droughts are already a reality. The need for clean drinking water, either recycled or dehydrated is growing rapidly. It’s a mega trend!

United Nations Messenger of Peace, with a Special Focus on Climate, Leonardo DiCaprio hosted another telling documentary, Before the Flood, about the effects of climate change on the immediate and long term future of the planet. If you have any doubt that any of this is happening right now, and not in 20, 50, or 100 years, take a look!

Climate Change and its mitigation is the fundamental driver of the economic mega trends in motion today. These mega trends are pregnant with investment potential and will affect business dramatically. Smart business would be wise to make some thoughtful investments in alternative power production, desalination, hydroponic food production, carbon scrubbers, and carbon credits, just to name a few.

This is not just a “kick”. This is an economic mega trend! To deny it is not just bad for our health, it’s bad for our economy! Want to clean up the environment? Put a Buck on it!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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National Entrepreneurship Week – Early Exposure Builds Confidence

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 18 Feb 2016 18:00:39 +0000

Gary Vaynerchuk says entrepreneurs are born, not made. We disagree! Early exposure to the entrepreneurial mindset can be the difference between young minds knowing that entrepreneurial success is possible and never finding out. Sometimes something happens at a very early age that opens the door to entrepreneurship as a valid alternative. What is that?

The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (EntreED) promoted Congress to designate the last week of February to answer that very question. Dr. Gene Coulson, the organization’s Executive Director, has some educational programs he is encouraging. He wants to make young people aware of entrepreneurship as a career alternative in grades K-12.

Sure, in kindergarten and the 1^st grade it might be just a definition of what entrepreneurship is, how to spell it, and how it’s distinguished from employment. Exposure progresses and by the time the students are in middle school and high school, they will be aware of entrepreneurship as an option for their future. The key is every student learning more about entrepreneurship every year.

Some of the groups he works with encourage high school students to get involved in a business plan and other types of entrepreneurship competitions. Others bring in real entrepreneurs for the young folks to see, hear, and question. They thus expose the students to successful entrepreneurs who overcame their risk adversity, solved a problem, and improved the community.

Gene feels strongly that it’s the entrepreneurial mindset that really distinguishes the true entrepreneur from the business school students learning form and function. And that mindset can be encouraged at an early age. He says young folks need to take inventory of challenges and problems within their own communities, see them as opportunities, and imagine ways to solve them. Encouraging young people to begin to notice these problems and ask, “Who else do these problems effect?” is the beginning of ideation.

One member of EntreEd is the Generation E Institute which is promoting the “Entrepreneurs Interview” during National Entrepreneurship Week. During the event, middle school and high school students have the opportunity to meet local entrepreneurs and business owners. Smaller groups of students ask them questions in an informal conversational setting, then explain what they have learned to others.

This approach incorporates social skills, writing, communication, and public speaking – all essential entrepreneurial skills in themselves. But the contacts these students make will also become opportunities for future job prospects, mentor relationships, and community goodwill. Check out more ideas for the Generation E Curricula for K through 12 in Teaching Success: New Directions in Entrepreneurial Education.

We love this whole concept! These young people grow up thinking of entrepreneurship as a valid alternative rather than something reserved for the elite or well born. We feel that the entrepreneurial mindset can be taught and with that education comes the courage to take risks and see ideas through to success. It can help young people look at problems as opportunities and can give them the communication, social, and other skills necessary to engage and empower others to make their ideas a reality.

Gene is promoting these K-12 programs in the rural parts of Appalachia. Instead of resistance to these ideas, he was met with enthusiastic support. With the demise of the coal mining culture, the community has welcomed these programs. “Entrepreneurship is the only hope for this region,” they say.

Big companies and industries come and go. And when they do go, like coal in Appalachia, those who have been dependent on them for employment will be looking for solutions. Perhaps those solutions are in our schools right now! Let’s take out an insurance policy on our future. Let’s celebrate National Entrepreneurship Week by supporting ideas like those encouraged by EntreEd to build some great entrepreneurs!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Park Users Should Take Out What They Take In

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 17:00:30 +0000

When Michael was a young boy, his grandfather, a former police officer in the Mission District of San Francisco, would take him to play in Dolores Park where he would summersault down its pristine green banks. Last year almost 15,000 cubic yards of garbage were removed from this historic gem by a so-called progressive city. Times have changed and so has the impact of population, park usage and the proliferation of single use containers.

Today, the weekly trashing of Dolores Park is an unfortunate example of misplaced user entitlement caused in part by the Park Department itself. Every day, park users bring in food and beverages and discard the containers as if it is the park’s responsibility to provide comprehensive garbage service. And why? Because the park provides garbage receptacles. But there are never enough and it overflows throughout the park. When parks provide garbage collection services it gives users permission to leave their waste behind. Trash pick-up was manageable in the past when there was a much smaller attendance, but usage, especially in urban parks like Dolores Park, has skyrocketed over the years.

So what to do? Add more garbage bins? Maybe teach people to use special recycle bins? Both of these solutions avoid the real issue. Park users have been programmed over the years to walk in with their single use containers and walk out without them. The thinking goes something like this, “Someone else will pick it up. It provides jobs. I pay my taxes and I deserve to have my parks serviced no matter how impractical or how expensive that may be. They put a receptacle there, and they’ve always picked up the garbage in the past.”

Regional, State and Federal parks with no back country trash receptacles have a simple message at the trailheads, “Pack out what you pack in!” This policy has been whole heartedly accepted by most hikers, and many feel it’s their duty to pick up and pack out any discarded trash they see on the trail. Why should this be different in urban parks that are coming under increased population and budgetary pressure?

Instead of increasing the number of trash receptacles, why not reduce them and put up a sign on the ones that are left that says, “Please take out what you brought in! Do your part to save your park budget for maintenance, repairs and beautification.”

This approach has been used successfully in several parks across the country. It does not just help keep the parks clean, but it focuses public attention on disposable food and beverage containers by asking park users be responsible for taking them out as well as bringing them in.

We can no longer afford to say, “Bring in your garbage and leave it here.” We have already been successful in training people to take their own bags to the grocery store. So training them to take their own garbage home is not out of the question. But it’s got to be started by the parks themselves with good signage that appeals to people’s sense of community.

If park advocates and volunteers were to start an education process to make users aware of this accelerating situation, would the park users change their ways and take “ownership” of these precious lands made available to them? If children were taught to be responsible for the land around them that they use, how long might it take to reverse this alarming trend?

Let’s apply the decades old “Pack it in. Pack it out!” backpacker’s creed to all park users.

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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Why We Write

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 19:21:33 +0000

We’ve been asked who we write for and why. The answer can be found in how we write. We learned most of our business knowledge the hard way. We write for you so you can avoid the painful lessons we have experienced first hand. We write to give you news you can use.

Even though we both have been to college, higher education isn’t required to understand these concepts. In fact, most of what we cover is not taught in college. It’s basically street smarts we learned by making mistakes and then scrambling to correct them.

We know that the majority of you are hard-working folks who are either considering starting a new business, or have already started one. Our posts are short and to the point, trying very hard not to use words that could be confusing. Although directed toward employers, most of the lessons we learned are valuable for employees as well.

You will find a consistent thread of philosophy that weaves its way throughout most of our posts. You must embrace a higher level of values to be sustainably successful no matter what you are doing. It is from that point of view that you make the big decisions that have far-reaching consequences throughout your business and career.

Some of these philosophical attitudes include:

Treat the other guy like you want to be treated. This is what our parents used to call the “Golden Rule.” Answer the question, “How would I like it?” This affects many subordinate decisions, including the quality and cost of your product, customer service, employment practices, and incentives.
Take responsibility for your own behavior as well as that of your company. This will have a positive affect on whether you blame and complain, or aim and gain. Focus on what you can do to avoid the problem in the future.
Be part of your community. This means caring about the state of the planet and the human race, at least within your business territory. This will shape your carbon footprint, community outreach, support for worthy causes, and ultimately improve the reputation of your business.
Take a smaller slice of a larger pie. This changes your attitude toward partnerships, and allows you to include others in your success. Your attitude toward teamwork, strategic partners, and paying for performance are all results of this concept.
Practice basic humility. Realize that none of us know it all, nor can we do it all. Seek out experienced advisors, use outside services, and recognize what you are good at and where you need help.
Demonstrate integrity. Basically, do what you say you will do, even if it’s more costly than you anticipated. Live up to your word and take responsibility for your own actions. Be sure your company provides timely service and stands by its guarantees.
Believe in yourself. This affects your tenacity in the face of naysayers, financial hardship, and stiff competition. For start-ups, this is essential to help you get through the hard times until your product or service gains traction in the marketplace.

Your views on life, your fellow man, the planet, and your ability to increase value are reflected in your company’s culture, creativity, and success. When we write about the various aspects of business as we have experienced them, we try to tie them into these ageless virtues. They not only make good sense, they make good business.

We hope our posts are fun to read, easy to understand, and valuable to the vast majority of readers. Thank you for subscribing to our posts!

Who We Are

To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.

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