Economy | The Barefoot Spirit

When The Hospitals Fill Up, The Economy Shuts Down

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 17:00:02 +0000

It doesn’t matter how you view the pandemic. It doesn’t matter if you believe in crowd immunity, if it’s political, or whose fault it is. It doesn’t matter if you think it’s an imposition on your freedom. What matters is whether or not you can get medical treatment when you need it. It matters if you die of an appendicitis or can’t get your broken leg fixed. It matters that the hospitals are overwhelmed and you can’t get in for “regular” medical issues. And that’s what’s coming – and in some areas, it is already here.

Every time that happens, the authorities have to shut the economy down. It matters that you can lose your job, hurt the economy, and really lose your freedom, not just by having to wear a mask, but by being ordered to shelter in place again. These developments are happening regardless of your opinions.

Sure, looking back there’s plenty of folks to blame, but that doesn’t matter now. The only thing that matters now is that we increase our hospital capacity and follow the European lead – short-term pain for long term gain: Super cautious reopenings with disciplined mask wearing and social distancing. It can be done. It has been done. But not so in the USA.

It’s getting harder to face our European friends on international Zoom calls because we look like fools for our lack of resolve, our selfishness, and our lack of discipline. Our national behavior of repeatedly filling up hospitals and getting closed down is undermining our credibility on other levels. Why should others listen to us when we continue to damage our own health and economy?

Where we live in Northern California, we have seen the community pull together to fight, contain, and rebuild after huge climate-caused and out-of-control wildfires. One, in our region, was the size of the city of Sacramento driven by 90 mile-per-hour winds that destroyed more than 6000 structures.

We could have blamed the power company, the utility oversight body, or even the oil companies for raising the temperature. We could have, but it wouldn’t have mattered. What mattered was getting the fire under control – and fast.

We could have whined and belly-ached about our loss of freedom when the firefighters closed down our freeway and evacuated us, but we all knew we had to cooperate to overcome the threat. There’d be time enough for blame and politics later, but now we had to save our lives and our economy, and everybody knew it. The result? Short-term pain for long-term gain. We got the fire out and are rebuilding our communities.

That’s what we have to do now, with the same conviction and the same resolve. They say, “Only fools fight in a house on fire!” No matter what our opinions may be, let’s all at least agree that overwhelming the hospitals is something we must work together to prevent. This virus is spreading like a wildfire! Let’s not go out and set new fires by not wearing a mask or social distancing. Until we have a proven vaccine, the authorities will continue to shut down the economy and order us to shelter in place every time that red light goes off on their dashboard indicating that the hospitals are filling up.

A country’s reputation is ultimately defined by the determination of its people. If we show ourselves to be foolish while overwhelming our hospitals, we will certainly look that way to others. We can tell you from being in business for decades, “It takes many years to build a good reputation, but you can lose it in a minute!”

Compassion should be driving our resolve to put out this “fire”! As the song say’s “…and crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea.” Where is the brotherhood these days? But if all you think about is yourself, why foolishly lose your health, your economy, and your international reputation? Others have controlled this wildfire. We can do this!

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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7 Re-Branding Considerations for Covid-19

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 17:00:48 +0000

The coronavirus and its consequences will be with us for a long time.

What does this mean for business and more specifically, how your brand is perceived? Simply, is it viewed as a necessity or as just a non-essential option?

The brands that can sell themselves as practical, necessary, and relevant will not only survive, but grow.

And what exactly is essential these days? Basically, anything that can keep you fed, safe, medicated, clean, healthy, entertained, and somehow earning a living from home are essential.

Safety seems to be at the top of the list, especially with the premature reopening of the economy. And as we begin to experience the second wave, safety will be top priority.

To read the complete article, please visit The Business Journals

Who We Are

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

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Holing Up at Home (Sheltering in Place)

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 17:00:45 +0000

In the past year, we have been evacuated, repopulated, and now confined. In an attempt to blunt the spread of COVID19, health officials have ordered us (along with most everybody else) to shelter in place, which means to stay home. It’s enough to cause anyone anxiety and confusion. How do you keep your wits in times like these?

Here’s some suggestions we have found that may be of value to help us all get through this:

Realize It’s Temporary

This is not the “new normal”. It will end, some things will have a long lasting effect, such as the blow to the economy and the way we shop. But we will get through this, and faster if we all pitch in and stop the virus from spreading. Just that realization alone provides us with the hope and encouragement to persist in the short term.

Clean Up and Organize

Aside from a positive attitude, now is the time to get ready for getting back into the action. We are systematically going through our stuff and making decisions about how to be more efficient and better organized. We want our immediate physical environment to reinforce a sense of order and preparedness, even though the world around us may be in chaos. This is productive, rewarding, and calming.

Reboot Your Body and Spirit

We are getting into nature as much as possible (while, of course, practicing social distancing). Walking in nature reminds us of the natural balances and beauty all around us. The physical exercise necessary to take a hike keeps our circulation up and our anxiety down. Natural sights, smells, and sounds reboot our attitude, give us a healthier perspective, and provide a needed break from “cabin fever.”

Learn Something New

This is an excellent time to learn something new. Never before has there been so many great things to learn online. Whether it’s taking a course or just researching what you are interested in, this is a perfect opportunity to expand your mind and your skill set. The more you know the better prepared you will be for the economy that will follow this crisis. Or maybe you can just finally learn that new language you’ve been talking about wanting to master for way too long.

Socialize Online

Take some time every day to call your friends and loved ones. People are lonely and feel deprived of social contact. It’s time to check in on them, find out how they are doing, and show them that you care. Your encouragement and support can raise their spirits and remind them that they are not alone and that you care. This “contact” can mean the world to them and improve their attitude, which most doctor’s will tell you is the foundation of mental health. Plus it makes you feel good as well!

Enjoy a Good Laugh

Get away from the constant drumbeat of the news. Watch a good movie, preferably something uplifting or humorous. It’s time for a good distraction and perhaps a good laugh! We particularly like some of the old movies like “The Thin Man,” a classic 1930’s detective film starring William Powell and Myrna Loy who with wit, flirtatious banter, and sarcasm solve mysteries with their dog Aster.

Find a Need

How can you pitch in? Our friend and neighbor, who is a Dr. and a researcher, has put his energy into researching and communicating the latest scientific information on COVID19. He is selflessly communicating his findings in plain English to his friends and neighbors and all who will listen. Another friend, a nurse, is not only on the front lines but is delivering food to those who are not able or at great risk to do so on their own.

Plant a Garden

We are fortunate to have enough space to have a garden. We have started veggies and flowers inside and out. We will grow enough food for our friends and neighbors. Watching plants break ground and grow reminds us that life is strong and will endure. Planting a garden is an investment in a bountiful future. It’s fun, rewarding and delicious! Gardens grow more than edibles. As Bonnie’s mom used to point out, “They grow sanity!“ Every day you see some progress. Just what we need right now!

Count Your Blessings

Sometimes it’s hard to focus on the 9 good fingers when you have a sore thumb. But that’s exactly what we have to do at times like this. Count your blessings (chin up; help others who need consoling; enjoy your good health and do the things that make you feel good; hug your significant other and the folks you are sharing your household with). We will get through this! We wish you all safe and healthy times while we wait for this threat to pass.

PS: Our Canadian colleague who runs the Canadian National Library for the Blind said she binged on our new business audio theatre style audiobook, The Barefoot Spirit over the weekend. She said she found it “uplifting and inspirational.” It will be converted to a format designed for the blind and offered through the library, free of charge. You can enjoy listening to Chapter 1 here. It’s free, a great distraction, and it’s edutainment at its best. So, we hope this is valuable to you. We are here to help you get through this and we will be here when it has passed. Feel free to give us a call (our phone sometimes works), but our internet and online social media are unavailable to us at this time. Guess they got the virus, too.

Below is Bonnie’s shortlist:

Clean up your own backyard (or closet, or garage, or attic)

Educate yourself (improve your skills; take on-line courses)

Socialize (using video calls and phone calls) NOTE: folks need to connect, and when they do, they will talk longer than usual, so be prepared! Everyone needs assurances these days that, together, we can get through this.

Recreate (get into nature – the parks remain open)

Play nice with others (face it – we are stuck with our roommates, significant others, kids and relatives. It might take some getting used to, but it seems like we have the time required to adjust to living 24-7 under the same roof. Luckily for us, we (Bonnie & Michael) have had decades to build up a tolerance to each other, and therefore have already adjusted each other’s shortcomings; when discussions come up, stick to matters you agree on; now is not the time for strife!)

Distractions are your friend (old, feel-good movies; your fav series; our audiobook, which the director of the National Library for the Blind, said she “binged” on.

Find a need and fill it (Dr. Brad is doing research on this virus and sharing it with friends, family, and neighbors; discover needs your community has, such as a personal shopper and home delivery services)

Plant a veg garden (we plan on tilling up a grassy area in our fruit orchard, and planting enough veggies for our neighbors and our workers; consider sprouting seeds indoors and planting the starts once you are convinced there will be no more freezing temperatures – good luck guessing when that may be)

Count your blessings (chin up; help others who need consoling; enjoy your good health and do the things that make you feel good; hug your significant other and the folks you are sharing your household with)

Keep the Spirit alive!

Who We Are

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

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3 Lessons to Vitalize Your Business!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 17:08:38 +0000

We recently had the honor of the opening keynote for the Alaska Small Business Development Center’s first annual Vitalize Alaska Conference. The conference was the brainchild of Jon Bittner their new Executive Director. He wanted to encourage and inspire innovation and business development in the new frontier. Over 300 small and medium-sized business owners attended.

The conference was held in Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, but still under 300,000. The state is much bigger in area than Texas but lacks the infrastructure we take for granted in the lower 48. As you can imagine, the winters are harsh, and the people are stalwart.

While most of the rest of the country enjoys a booming economy, Alaska suffers from a recession, brought on by the collapse of oil prices in an oil-producing state. Needless to say, they have to find a new path economically and so they are turning to entrepreneurship.

What could we possibly bring to the table that would help them in their challenge? What could we bring that would have a universal and positive impact on those folks who now face raising themselves up by their own bootstraps? We looked at our own bootstrap experience and discovered three practical lessons we could share:

1. Follow Your Opportunity …Passionately!

You often hear, “Follow your passion!” It seems to make sense on its face, since we all need that drive and tenacity that comes naturally when we follow our passion. But you can follow your passion right into the poor house if you are not fortunate enough to have a passion that is in great economic demand.

We followed our opportunity, passionately. The chances are greater that opportunities, not necessarily in your passion, will present themselves more often. We found we didn’t have to give up on our passions to seize the opportunity we were presented with. As a matter of fact, we found many creative ways to use and incorporate our passions into our mercantile business, not the least of which was Worthy Cause Marketing.

We saved a bundle on commercial advertising by supporting worthy causes we were passionate about. We wanted to give the members of those causes a social reason to discover, buy, and advocate our products. This can work in Alaska!

2. Use your Hidden Assets and Resources.

The VC’s have brainwashed most startups and small businesses into believing that the only way to success is to secure a big investment, go through a burn rate, scale fast, and fail fast. If you are playing a numbers game, then you only need one unicorn in 10 if you expect a 10X return. Forbes, the SBA, and others all agree that still, today, 9 out of 10 new businesses fail. ‘Sounds like they are indeed failing fast.

But what if you don’t get a big investor and don’t have the luxury of a big burn rate? If you are like most of us, you don’t! So now we are talking cash flow management. And the secret to cash flow management is reducing your need for cash and growing slowly, but surely!

One hidden asset we had was our top supplier. Outside of product (wine), our biggest need was packaging materials (glass, corks, closures, labels and cartons). Because we were a low priced product with high volume, we would use more of these materials than any of our supply company’s other customers. We certainly let them know this, but we didn’t stop there.

We met with them quarterly to share our growth plans and negotiated a long-term contract. We let them know ahead of time when we couldn’t make our payments. And we gave them a catch-up plan that would bring out account current. Over time, we were able to gain extended credit and terms that saved us from borrowing the money or worse, trading equity for it.

Treating your suppliers as partners to save money can work in Alaska!

3. Put Your Self in the Other Guy’s Shoes.

You hear this all the time. It basically the golden rule. But just how does that translate into practice in the business world? And why does it remove obstacles and speed the processes you rely upon?

We found 7 distinct people we had to sell in order to get our product to market. They each wanted something different. Surprisingly, most of them were interested in something else entirely beside “The best wine and the best price” (our slogan).

For instance, our own people wanted income, acknowledgment, time off, and a company that stood for more that its product. The ownership of our distributors wanted a strategic advantage with a powerful retailer who wanted our product. The distributer’s sales managers wanted to make their numbers. The salespeople wanted to make their commissions. The retailers wanted a proven product with excellent customer service. The store clerks wanted to feel important, so they would recommend and reorder our products. Only the consumer really cared about the wine or the price!

But discovering and delivering what each person in the chain wanted (and not what we thought they wanted) was the key to our success. This can work in Alaska, or, for that matter, anywhere.

We admire the spirit of Alaska, and hope these lessons help vitalize their recovery!

Who We Are

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

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Now is the Time to Start a Climate Change Mitigation Business

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 14 Dec 2017 18:00:32 +0000

Want to start a new business? Don’t know what it will be? Take a big hint from the 2nd Anniversary meeting of the signatories to the Paris Climate Accord. Just about any business that addresses, slows down or mitigates the effects of climate change is in demand.

The attendees have put their money where their mouth is with over $1B in investments to help industries and countries abandon oil and coal.

Big guns like Richard Branson, Bill Gates and other top energy and investment fund leaders unveiled a plethora of projects designed to fund efforts to lessen the effects of climate change.

The World Bank announced that it would cease financing oil and gas projects in two years.

The “America’s Pledge” coalition to honor the 2015 Paris climate goals now represents half of the U.S. economy.

Eight U.S. states will be developing electric vehicles. The Gates Foundation has created a hurricane relief investment fund for the Caribbean and another to help farmers to develop low-carbon technology and adapt to climate change.

The projects aim to speed up the end of the combustion engine to reduce the emissions that contribute to global warming.

In other words, as President Macron of France says, big businesses and successful economies of the future will be producing and utilizing renewable energy. If you were looking for a mega-trend to capitalize on, or an expanding market with no apparent end in sight, this is it!

Why not do your business on “main street” and go with the flow? Just imaging the opportunities that are presenting themselves in these otherwise detrimental circumstances:

Fire. We’re going to get burned! Much better fire protection, fire-resistant building materials, and fire-fighting equipment are in demand. How about better warning systems, temporary housing, and integrated disaster status information systems? And we are going to need better forestry practices, underground transmission lines, and better fire retardants.

Water. We’re going get thirsty! We need more and better clean drinking water delivery, destalinization, collection and storage systems. How about technology that saves water to be used for cleaning, manufacturing, and crops? Add water purification and water-free sewage systems.

Power. We have to get off the grid! This includes alternative and local generation devices, breakthrough battery technology, independence from wires for power transfer and communications, long-range electric and other zero emission vehicles.

Air. We’re choking! We need carbon sequestering technology. It will be in demand as carbon tax begins to become the norm as the world gets more serious about this situation. Replanting of the forests and rewarding for the preservation of trees are definitely on the agenda. Carbon scrubbers and alternative power plants for industry will be in demand as they begin to pay the true cost of production and compete with producers who are carbon neutral.

Food. We’re going hungry! We need to improve production and nutrition while reducing water and petrochemical use. Demand for food produced closer to consumers is increasing. New types of aqua culture and advance in protein production will take the lead as traditional farming and cattle grazing becomes unsustainable.

Flood. We’re going under! We need to move out of harm’s way, float, submerge, or literally stem the tide. We have entire cities that will have to be saved or abandoned. We’re talking dikes, piers, and elevation techniques. We need hurricane resistant buildings, disaster relief, and independent power, sanitation, and communication systems. And don’t forget first aid, evacuation, and mobile hospital technologies.

So, these are just a few opportunities envisioned due to the effects of climate change that are already upon us. They may have once seemed futuristic, but now our lives literally depend on them. Your new business can contribute to this megatrend. We hope this short list inspires some folks to choose a business that provides even a partial solution to these needs. The world as we know it is relying on your new technology to survive. And so is its population. Now, go get ‘em!

Who We Are

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

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Can Legislative Indecision Hurt Small Business?

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 06 Jul 2017 17:00:21 +0000

A small business owner recently asked us if we thought Washington’s indecision over the health care issue could affect her business. Our answer was not the one she wanted to hear.

It has been the public’s willingness to commit to the purchases of new cars, refrigerators, and houses that has greatly determined the state of the economy since the great depression. This is still the situation today. As long as we continue to make these major purchases, it’s smooth sailing. But will consumers be able to afford the payments on major purchases if they have a major increase in their health care costs?

What if consumers are thinking about that new car or house right now and reading the news about the government’s indecision on health care costs? What if, suddenly, consumers had to fork up another $300-600 per month …or more? Would they be more likely or less likely to make that new car purchase PLUS committing themselves to hundreds of dollars more in monthly payments? Just the specter of this possibility may be enough to make them second guess that next major purchase.

Once a considerable segment of the market decides to postpone these kinds of purchases, the dominoes begin to start falling and sales in most businesses are negatively affected. We saw this in the last recession. Initially the pundits said it would be contained to the real estate sector. But they didn’t factor in that consumers felt less wealthy, even if it their “wealth” was on paper. They immediately cut back on their spending, especially for those major purchases. This trickled down to startups and small businesses, and many jobs were lost.

We fear the potential for this same phenomenon is at work today. Real estate is now in a significant bubble, the stock market is once more overvalued. We have lived long enough to have seen the economy take a big hit, just because the press focused too much news on poor early holiday sales, which created a self-fulfilling prophecy scaring consumers out of their wits and out of the stores. How about governmental indecision on a major part of the consumer’s personal budget?

Whether you agree with the concept of government health care or not, it’s here and it’s here to stay. Americans now expect government health care at some level. So that’s a dead debate. Now the question is, what kind and how much? This is an important enough decision that it requires some bi-party cooperation. There’s no doubt the existing health care plan needs fixing and the new plans obviously need to be better thought out. There’s no simple solution.

No elected official wants to face reelection with their name on a bill that leaves 20 million people uncovered or facing radically increased premiums. Meanwhile, the indecision about the future of health care can cause unnecessary negative effects on the economy. Indecision creates insecurity, and insecurity results in more indecision.

We are pro-business. We especially love to support startups and small businesses. For us, this current situation directly impacts those businesses, since the postponement of major purchases will have a ripple effect that will hurt businesses at every level. We would like to see all elected officials understand that working together to solve this problem quickly is more important than honoring any pre-election pledges made without consideration of the big picture. The economy is fragile, so let’s not spook the consumers!

Who We Are

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

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We Can’t Afford to Take a Break from Climate Change Mitigation

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 17:00:20 +0000

Why is it suddenly necessary for tens of thousands of scientists to march on Earth Day and implore us to take climate change seriously? Why do they have to insist that there is no debate and that the signs are already here? They obviously think we need a strong reminder.

The systematic dismantling of the EPA, rolling back of air quality standards and continued long-term commitment to fossil fuel are good reasons for a strong reminder. It’s not like we can take a break from avoiding this environmental disaster. The scientists weren’t satisfied with the last administration’s actions, and now they are marching!

What does it say for the level of education in our country that apparently allows this to happen in the face of irrefutable facts? Are we so short sighted and so selfish that we prefer to believe that the preponderance of science on this subject is wrong?

Will we have to get to the point of no return, have a stream of disasters hitting us regularly, and suffer vector spread pandemics before we wake up and listen to the experts? Will it be too late by the time we all get it?

That’s why the scientists are marching! They know enough to be scared for our health and welfare if we continue down this path. They don’t believe they did a good enough job getting the word out.

They thought, because they were scientists, that they would gain a certain level of respect above and beyond politics and not have to make a big demonstration. They were wrong!

Now we need scientists to really turn it up a notch. National Geographic’s last edition was on climate change. They had to write the article as if it was to a person who had been duped or wanted to believe that climate change was a hoax. Their article began with three highly substantiated statements: climate change is real; it’s our fault; there is no debate.

When our grandchildren ask us, “Why didn’t you do something?” Will we say, “We thought the only way to have jobs was to take your environment away from you”? Will we say, “Nobody knew how fast it would change” when in fact all the scientists knew and begged us to take it seriously. Or will we say, “We chose to get our news from sources that played down or denied climate change and scientific facts.”

It’s clear that the only industry that benefits from the denial of climate change is the fossil fuel industry. Even their relatively short-term gain will be a long-term loss due climate caused disaster to our economy.

Climate change is not political. You can’t vote, ignore, or argue it away. It’s happening regardless. The scientists are telling us that every minute we continue to increase emissions puts us closer to the tipping point of no return, and closer to run away warming. Are we really so foolish as to let this continue without making changes to mitigate it?

We believe the moves to dismantle the EPA and roll back emission standards are bad for business, bad for our standard of living, bad for our quality of life, and bad for our health. At their core these steps protect a has-been, buggy-whip industry which is using the government for its own selfish and shortsighted immediate gain – at the expense of our own, and our children’s, welfare. In short, these moves will be shown to have been on the wrong side of history. Let’s listen to our scientists!

Who We Are

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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Bring Back the Trades!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 03 Nov 2016 17:00:37 +0000

Within the last few decades we have seen the increasingly rapid demise of the teaching of the trades in high schools and community colleges. The “shiny ball” seems to be technology. Courses in the physical trades – also known as vocational education – seem to have been traded out for anything high tech. But is this really beneficial to our students and our economy?

We have several friends in the trades. They have established businesses in everything from cabinet making to auto repair, from construction to upholstery. Their common challenge is they can’t find good help anymore! Apparently educators think we don’t need auto shop and woodworking classes any longer. The trades today are dominated by aging Boomers. But where are their replacements?

Most students who don’t complete a 4-year college will wind up in the trades. But how are they prepared to go out into the workforce? We used to teach trades education. Now the high schools and 2-year colleges are abandoning this practical education for coding, programming, and software engineering, all based on the premise that the tech boom will continue forever.

No doubt we need these techies, but how many of them do we really need before they begin to reduce their own demand, flood the market, and reduce their own income? And what happens when the next tech bubble bursts? Do we face another huge unemployment crisis that affects real estate values and ultimately the whole economy?

Meanwhile, there’s a demand for the trades, whether you want to improve your home, or reupholster your couch. In the last recession, we saw a reduced demand for the trades because of the hiatus in construction. At the same time, we saw an increase in demand for coders. That sent a relatively short-sighted message to the schools to dump the trades in favor of tech. Now we’re faced with a serious shortage of qualified tradesmen, and all the while the specter of automated coding and programming is looming on the horizon.

Vocational training will also reduce the dropout rate by providing skills that are in demand now. But who decides what will be taught in high schools and 2-year colleges? Local governments. Don’t they have a responsibility to the community, the students and the economy to bring back vocational training? Sure, it’s not as glamorous as tech training, or academic courses, but what does the rest of the world know that we have forgotten?

According to Marc Tucker of the National Center on Education and the Economy, writing back in 2012, “Japan, Singapore, the Netherlands, Denmark and other leading industrial countries lived in the midst of the same global economic forces we did, but they did not do what we did in response. They doubled down to improve both their academic and their vocational programs. They built education systems designed to support the middle class as well as an elite. They built vocational education programs that require high academic skills. And they designed programs that could deliver those skills. They did not sever the connections between employers and their high schools; they strengthened them. They made sure their high school vocational students had first-rate instructors and equipment. Their reward is a work force that is balanced between managers and workers, scientists and technicians.” He goes on to explain how democracy itself is dependent on a strong middle class and vocational education is essential to providing a balanced economy.

For a real eye-opener, read his entire article and send it to your local high school and community college board members. The demise of vocational education he warned about in 2012 is a reality in 2016. It’s time to bring back the trades!

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Student Debt is Everyone’s Problem

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 17:00:56 +0000

What if you gave a back-to-school sale and nobody came? That’s what retailers are facing this year as many college students and grads face the frugal realities of their college debt. In the last recession we saw how interrelated the various elements of the economy are. Remember when they said, “Don’t worry, the recession will be contained in one sector,” but as time progressed, sector after sector collapsed like a line of falling dominos? The first domino to fall this time may be the $80 billion student loan debt.

Some Boomers are quick to point out how they were able to work their way through college without relying on the easy-to-get college loans available to the new generation. Some ask, “Why didn’t they realize that the money would have to be paid back?” as if somehow shifting the blame will make it their problem? This is not their problem. This is our problem!

Just like the stock market and housing sector collapse in the last recession, a major segment of the economy is beginning to buckle. 20 and 30-year-olds, saddled with high levels of student debt, have already begun to cut back on their retail spending. This should be their most productive and strongest time to contribute to our economy. Retailers are already seeing the hit. This will affect jobs, commerce, finances, – everything.

We all need these new buyers to spend to support the future of our economy. Their contribution is essential to our standard of living. None of us can afford to lose the buying power of this generation. Our economy has always been driven by retail sales. It has always been the canary in the coal mine. How can we save the canary? And by “we,” we are talking about retailers, lenders, the government, and the general public.

Perhaps we can reverse engineer a solution by starting with the goals that would work to everyone’s advantage? The folks with student debt get a reprieve. The retailers make the sales they need to keep the economy going, the lenders get paid, the government avoids a catastrophe, and the general public side-steps another recession.

We think a possible solution has to involve a large-scale refinancing program, interest forgiveness, and in some cases, where grad businesses create jobs, actual loan forgiveness. What is the cost of another recession? Can we avoid it with timely, and ultimately less costly, measures designed to free up the productivity and financial contribution of current student debtors? What is the value to the economy of increased sales, new jobs, and increased tax revenue? What is the value of a stronger and more wealthy generation that can ultimately be in a better position to pay those loans off? Are those values greater than the cost of a solution? We think so.

In the meantime, what can retailers do beside further reducing prices and extending payment terms? Retailers have the credibility and the influence to advise their elected officials on the solutions to this pending new recession. They can warn about its attendant tax and financial implications to the government and overall economy. And they can call for immediate action before the next domino falls.

A quote from this post appeared in a recent article recent article in AMEX Open Forum.

Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey are the Founders of Barefoot Wines, New York Times Bestselling Authors of The Barefoot Spirit, How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand and The Entrepreneurial Culture, 23 Ways to Engage and Empower your People.

Who We Are

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

The post Student Debt is Everyone’s Problem appeared first on The Barefoot Spirit.