There are basically two philosophies in business. One is based on lack and exclusion.

The other is based on abundance and inclusion. The one that is based on lack is fearful of competition because it assumes a limited amount of wealth.

The one that is based on abundance is supported by creation and innovation because it assumes an unlimited amount of wealth.

Exclusion

Terms like, “I want to get my share. If your slice of the pie is bigger, mine is smaller,” and so on are typical of the fear-based limited-wealth philosophy. The problem is that the philosophy is self-fulfilling  If you believe in limited wealth, you believe you can’t create it and are thus fearful of others taking yours. And because you assume you can’t make it yourself, you believe you have to take it from those that you perceive as already having it. This leads to lower self-esteem and disempowerment, which really does put the brakes on innovation and wealth building.

Due to the example of populist political leaders, the limited wealth philosophy is given permission and encouragement to be imitated. It manifests itself as extreme nationalism, fear of immigrants, and xenophobia. It also manifests itself as isolationism from a national level all the way down to social level. This divides the country and the world. But all the seminal accomplishments of mankind have involved many races, cultures, religions, orientations and nationalities, all working together to meet a global challenge.

Inclusion

At Barefoot Wines, we used to say, “When you see a bare footprint on the beach, you don’t know if it’s black or white, gay or straight, Catholic or Muslim, conservative or liberal, man or woman! All you know is that’s the impression a human makes in the sand. It’s simply evidence of a human being.  But it goes beyond that. The Barefoot Spirit, which is the spirit behind the brand we created and the business philosophy we promote  today, is based on taking the meaning of that image to heart. At its essence, it is the opposite of fear. It is trust! It’s the opposite of exclusion. It’s inclusion!

And with trust comes the inclusion of every type of human that can make that footprint. With trust also comes respect. And with respect comes a tolerance for opinions and points of view different than your own, points of view based on different upbringing, different influences, and different outlooks.

Conclusion  

But that’s exactly what you need to achieve wealth! You need the experience, opinions and, perspectives of outsiders, not to mention their purchases. You need their varied viewpoints to solve problems.  Cutting yourself and your business off from that income and advice is just plain, well, bad business!

Last year, we decided to demonstrate the value of inclusion by giving new life to our New York Timesbestseller, The Barefoot Spirit. We took the true story of how inclusion resulted in an iconic brand and produced it in a new way, as an audiobook. But not just another narrated audio book. This is an audio play with actors playing the parts in a real life adventure that demonstrates the power of inclusion. It’s complete with sound effects, interviews with us, and an original musical score. We thought the times demanded an example of successes based in inclusion. Don’t you?

Listen to some free excerpts at www.barefootaudiobook.com or wherever you buy your audiobooks. Thanks for including us in your education and listening pleasure!

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.