jobs | The Barefoot Spirit

Your Own People May Have Hidden Skills You Need

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:00:13 +0000

The South Africans have a popular tale. It is about a man who had a beautiful piece of land, who, when he heard that diamonds had been discovered in Africa, immediately sold. He used the money to explore the continent for the rest of his life, searching in vain for diamonds he never found.

One day, the new owner of the farm he once owned, tripped on a large muddy stone that flipped over and sparkled in the sunlight. You guessed it; the stone was a huge diamond! It was one of the largest ever found, and only one of many found right there on the land the former farmer had left! All along, he had diamonds on the soles of his shoes!

Larger companies often are blind to the gems they have right in their own backyards. They tend to overlook the talent that is exactly what they need when it is right there in front of them. They think that the folks they hire are suitable for the position for which they were hired. Period. If different skills are required, then they will simply create a new job description and find someone to fill the position whose skills are adequate.

The multi-functional folks often go undetected. They may even be discouraged from doing other tasks for which they are imminently qualified. Ingrained HR policies and procedures keep them firmly in their box. Even though these employees may be aware of a better use of their talents, sometimes in essential jobs not yet created, they may have no channel to communicate this. They are told to “stay in line” and do only the job for which they were hired.

The company may be more profitable, grow faster, and improve its sales, if they only could get out of the hubris of thinking that the way things have been organized is the only way. They prefer to follow their unwritten rule that dictates that accepting advice from a lower level worker is just, well, not done. It would upset the hierarchy. And so, for the sake of corporate structure, these diamonds are often overlooked.

We once had a receptionist who came to us with a new position she herself wanted to fill. We asked what it was, and she replied, “Traffic Manager.” “Really! Do we need a Traffic Manager?” we asked. She informed us that our buyers’ trucks were being turned away from our warehouse because they did not have an appointment, and were driving back across the country without our goods on board, resulting in out-of-stocks, which in turn resulted in loss of shelf position, sales, and profits.

She said our clients and their sub-jobbers needed to be hand held to get the right paperwork and make the appointments with our warehouse in order to keep our product moving.

Yes, she got the new position and we patched a hole in our boat that we didn’t even know we had!

What if we were rigid and thought, “She applied for, and filled, the receptionist’s job and that’s that?” Or worse, “How dare she challenge our long established organization chart?” We would never have gotten the best out of our employee. We would never have corrected an unseen problem that was costing us plenty!

Are there diamonds on the soles of your shoes? Do your “lower level” people see both problems and opportunities that you, your managers, and your HR people don’t? Why not ask them? You may find out you don’t have to sell the farm and search the world for what you want. First, take a closer look in your own backyard.

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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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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How to Get a Job in Today’s Market – Part 1: Your Résumé

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sat, 26 Apr 2014 18:30:51 +0000

Today’s college graduates face increasing competition for the fewer jobs that are out there. We often are asked by college students, “What do I have to do to get hired?”

Many students chase the courses that seem to align with a particular profession hoping that their formal education in a specific area will attract an employer all by itself. It won’t!

Many students who put themselves through school with borrowed money face double jeopardy. First, the payback on the loan they’ve taken out is sometimes 3 and 4 times the amount borrowed, and because they had funds from the loans, they didn’t feel pressured to get a job while in college. So they pass up the opportunity to get real-world experience. Yet that experience is one of the qualifications an employer is seeking.

Here’s our short list of what employers are looking for today:

1. Experience. It is better if it’s in your chosen profession, but even if your experience is not, it demonstrates that you can and have held down a job. Hopefully, your boss provided you with a great recommendation you can put on your résumé. So, while you are going to college, consider working your way through, even if it makes your curriculum extend beyond the typical four-year standard. That job gives you a big edge over the students who just borrowed their way through school. And if you do borrow, you’ll be in a much better position to pay it off.

2. Entrepreneurship. Yes, employers are now starting to hire grads with entrepreneurship education and experience over those who don’t have it. Why? Because they want to hire folks that understand that all the money- including their salary, benefits and bonuses- originates from the sales of the company’s products or services. They want folks who understand that sales and customer service is the key to maintaining and growing cash flow. They basically want to hire people who really understand how their position fits into the big picture of the company.

3. Stability. Probably the first thing employers do when confronted with a ton of résumés is to eliminate the ones that look “unstable.” Instability is easy to spot because it’s measured by how long you have held onto each job. If, for instance, you have been jumping around from job to job with less than one-year tenure at each, it makes them question, “Why should I hire this person? The training alone will take 3 to 6 months.” It’s difficult for a college student to demonstrate long-term tenure with an employer, but holding on to a part-time job for two years or more speaks volumes.

4. Ethics. What was the biggest mistake you made working for an employer and how did you handle it? No, it’s not a trick question. It’s all about whether you cover up and blame others, or whether you take responsibility for your own behavior – and sometimes, for the behavior of others. Employers want to hear that you are honest and can take responsibility. So, if you can, demonstrate what you did to make sure you, or anyone, wouldn’t make that mistake again. It may be that you rewrote the policies and procedures; checklists and signoff sheets; or even put a new clause in a contract or a sign on the door! Employers want to hear how you added permanent value to your last employer’s company.

Remember, when all the résumés are lined up, you want yours to stand out. Employers are looking for employees that will justify their investment in time, money, and training. Your resume has to say, “I’m worth the risk!” So make sure your resume distinguishes you from the rest. We wish all the grads good luck landing that all-important job after graduation!

Who We Are

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

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Can Entrepreneurship and Innovation be Taught? You Bet!

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 04:15:59 +0000

When we were in school, we always wondered why, if the professor was so smart, wasn’t he making a fortune at whatever he was teaching? Well, in the schools of entrepreneurship that have popped up across the country, things have changed. Many of the professors and instructors are now, and have been, successful entrepreneurs. They share their real world examples, challenges and solutions with their students.

None is more exemplary in this practical, hands-on approach to teaching entrepreneurship than the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Santa Barbara, California. Scheinfeld is particularly unique because it is a two-year school in a community college that serves aspiring and established entrepreneurs. Further, it has a novel cutting edge program that we are donating our time to support: the Enlightened Entrepreneurship Series.

It all began with an intimate fireside chat with Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia. It has now grown into one of Scheinfeld’s most popular activities. Twice each year, they invite a significant CEO/Founder to visit and interact with their students to educate and inspire them with the entrepreneurial spirit. For two hours, up to 150 students and attendees have a casual, unrehearsed conversation with entrepreneurial thought leaders who have already been there and done that. It’s unscripted and based on questions from the audience about real world issues facing all aspiring entrepreneurs. And it’s free! Scheinfeld also posts videos of the series on their website.

We are honored to be the featured guests for the March 8^th event. We hope to inspire the students and attendees with what we call The Barefoot Spirit (the American entrepreneurial spirit, West Coast style). Ironically, Santa Barbara was the first town in the country to get Barefoot wine, giving the town a 25-year history with the brand. It’s also surrounded by some of the most active chapters of the Surfrider Foundation, Barefoot’s longtime non-profit partner.

We are very excited about speaking at entrepreneurial schools to share our experience and lessons learned. As we enter the Age of the Entrepreneur, several dovetailing dynamics are giving birth to this new renaissance of creativity, making the timing perfect.

1. Unemployment and under-employment. Due to off-shoring , downsizing , and automation, the number of jobs just isn’t there anymore. Many educated folks are facing self-employment as the only form of employment.

2. The Information Revolution. Just like the industrial revolution was the catalyst for thousands of applications of industrial technology, the new information revolution is a fertile breeding ground for applications of information technology.

3. Knowledge and Communication. Never before has so much information been available with such ease of access. Worldwide communication and collaboration are now literally at our fingertips.

4. Reduced Costs. Everything from rent to labor, and from communication to the cost of money, is less expensive now than a decade ago. The economic downturn itself has provided advantages to start-ups not seen in years.

5. Acquisition Climate. Due to their large budgets, strict divisions of labor, and legal department domination, big business today often acquires new ideas. If you can demonstrate sufficient market share for your idea, you now have a much better chance of being acquired and monetizing your brand equity.

6. Schools of Entrepreneurship. When we started Barefoot Cellars, there were few if any schools of entrepreneurship. Now they’re all over the country. Like the Scheinfeld Center, aspiring entrepreneurs now have schools dedicated to what they need to know. These are fantastic resources we wish we had access to when we started.

See you at Scheinfeld!

Who We Are

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

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Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 03:09:20 +0000

Santa Barbara has always been our favorite Southern California town – great biking, hiking, surfing and culture. But today, we discovered a whole new reason to love this gem of the Pacific Coast, The Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. This unique school takes the increasing demand for entrepreneurial education head on, and at the community college level, no less.

This afternoon, we enjoyed a wonderful beachside luncheon with Melissa Moreno, the school’s Director. She has been instrumental in the creation and development of the Center. Only three years old, it’s already getting the attention and support of several successful entrepreneurs.

Check out their fireside-chat format conversations with these notables on video at their site. These chats are jam packed with excited students interacting with real entrepreneurial successes.

Today’s entrepreneurial students want case studies from real business founders. They want to hear their story and ask them practical questions about how they overcame hardship, challenges and undercapitalization.

Our economy has proven time and again that it’s the entrepreneurs that create new businesses, new jobs, and innovation. Today, we face big challenges. For many graduates, sometimes the only source of employment is self employment.

The Scheinfeld Center provides a big head start for anyone thinking about starting their own business, whether they are looking for credit, or just want to get the latest academic disciplines or practical tools necessary for successful entrepreneurship.

Like schools everywhere, they are struggling with the economy. This seems ironic since they are one of the obvious vehicles to turn the economy around. They deserve your interest and support, so please help pass the word about the Scheinfeld Center. We need more schools like this!

We were honored to be asked to present our experience to the Scheinfeld students next March. Now we have another great reason to visit Santa Barbara. We hope the lessons we learned, sometimes the hard way, will help the next generation of entrepreneurs to achieve success!

Who We Are

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

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Job Descriptions – A Portrait or Snapshot

Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 03:46:04 +0000

Job descriptions seem to have a certain amount of authority built into them. They can describe the job for the new hire and be a reference for the last word in duties.

The problem is that nothing remains the same for very long. Constant operational changes and market pressures can make even new job descriptions obsolete within months. Job descriptions should be seen as living documents that require frequent updating.

Particularly in start-ups where duties and responsibilities are evolving, job descriptions should not be taken too literally. Entire functions can suddenly shift or be outsourced, leaving your staff questioning what they are supposed to do. Here are some principles about job descriptions we have found helpful:

Hire the person, not the job. The job you hired them for may not be the job in which they excel. The person may be worth keeping even if they are not performing well in their original job. If they demonstrate the ethics and quick learning abilities you seek, they will apply those attributes no matter what they are doing. You may soon discover they are better suited for some other job.

Cover all the bases (but not necessarily by the same person). When you organize your business, don’t forget to take a micro view of each job description. Your goal is to cover all the bases with the people who are best suited to handle those components. By identifying the components independent of the job descriptions, you become more flexible and have the luxury of building the job for the person instead of the other way around.

Define the job in customer service terms. Every job description should begin with a preamble that states what your company produces and how this particular job helps make that happen. Make sure everyone gets a flow chart that shows how their paycheck, bonus and benefits get from your customer to them. Identify the performance gauging metrics for each job. Develop pay for performance compensation systems based on your company’s sales.

Reorganize often. Every time someone leaves your company, you have an opportunity to reshuffle the deck. Match your people’s personal skills with the various tasks in your company. Ask each member of your staff if they are happy with the assorted components of their jobs. Put the components of the job just vacated up for discussion. You may be surprised at the horse-trading that takes place! The job opening you end up with may look quite different from the one that was just vacated.

Let your people write their own job descriptions. Every year have your people update their job descriptions with what they are really doing now. This will help with training in the future and send your people a message that you value them and their approach to the job more than a static description that may be obsolete. Give your staff a chance to discover more efficient ways to perform or communicate. They will take ownership of the performance metrics if they have a voice in their creation and refinement.

Keep your company up to date. Engage your people in the process of creating and updating their own job descriptions. Allow them to show you where they excel. Make the job description a current, living snapshot, and not a stale, portrait, wall hanging.

Who We Are

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

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