metromode - Blog

Post 1: Micro Equals More

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

At the crux of what seems to be a potential turning point in Detroit's story, many are seeking to find the next industry that will carry this city and state into the future. Will it be the film industry, clean-energy, tech-based firms? We encourage the effort made by organizations and governments to answer this question by offering heavy financial incentives and support to existing businesses.   However, it's our opinion that an increased focus on a diverse set of new and small business endeavors is an important part of the equation that needs more attention.

In our business, Guffly, we focus on helping artisans, small businesses ("tiny" may even be more accurate), and crafters get their products to the marketplace in a creative, meaningful, and financially beneficial way. We do this in the eco-friendly retail market, and every day we become more convinced that a resurgence of trade and craft is happening all around us. People seem to be more eager than ever to take their destinies into their own hands by starting their own small ventures. This is what we're doing ourselves, and this is what our network of suppliers have also done. We believe that if nurtured correctly, there is limitless potential for Metro Detroit to benefit from this trend. Organizations and individuals looking to bolster Detroit's long-term economic climate need to focus on micro-entrepreneurship and here are our suggestions on how this can be done:

•   Wage smaller bets. In addition to allocating large sums of money to medium and large firms and investing in bringing out-of-state businesses to the state, we need to spread this money more widely through micro loans and investments. All businesses start with one sale. In order to get that first sale, individuals need money. This amount of money, however, is much smaller for certain businesses than what you may think. If you spread $1,000,000 amongst 500 individuals, thus giving each an investment of just $2,000, you are increasing the number of successes to be found instead of investing that same amount of money all in one place. Likewise, the rate of return to be had on the successful small investments is often greater than the rate of return found on larger investments.

•   Create a nucleus of resources. Small businesses and individual ventures are not only strapped for cash, but often even more so for time. In order to generate revenue they need people on the ground level doing the dirty work, pushing the business forward. The issue for small operations is that there aren't enough financial resources to hire the people needed to make the ground level work happen the right way. Organizations seeking to encourage entrepreneurship need to provide resources to small ventures that have overlapping needs.

For example, as an e-commerce company Guffly needs web developers to enhance our value and marketing professionals to grow our customer base. There are thousands of small businesses out there who need these exact same things, and we venture to say that a hundred or so are right here in Metro Detroit. We need to pool our resources and share them cooperatively.

We envision a hub for e-commerce businesses that staffs professionals in the areas where we need help, and do this by using government funds or philanthropic dollars. We imagine this could work in various industries � retailers sharing warehouses and the fulfillment staff, tech start-ups sharing developers, etc.

•    Prime the young. Once these small ventures have the capital needed to begin, and the nucleus of resources available to grow, the next step is have an army of new workers who are primed to take on the task of working for start-ups. From grade school on, we need to teach our children a new, more entrepreneurial way of thinking. One of the problems Guffly has encountered is finding the right team members and interns who understand what working for a start-up entails. In our world, there is no such thing as a guaranteed 40-hour work week. Instead, we need people eager to put in the time and effort needed, people who don't see themselves as "on the clock" and instead are focused on growing a new business from the ground up and making the necessary sacrifices to do so.

We're not proposing that workers make sacrifices that won't yield a personal benefit, of course. Instead, we mean to say that we need to change our frame of thinking in a way that normalizes hard work and long hours for all team members involved in the early stages of a business, and likewise normalizes the expectation of ownership interests, stock options, and other serious financial benefits for team members who grow the business from the beginning.   There are simply not enough people who think this way and are willing to do this, and we think that solving this problem starts with educating youth to value entrepreneurship and small business once again.

We're not proposing that we stop supporting large businesses � we need them to hire people and pay salaries, after all. However, our region is past the stage of putting all of our eggs into one basket. We should spread the wealth and resources horizontally in order to create more of it. The more people we have at bat, the more home runs we'll see in the future.

Post 3: A Sticker on a Light Pole

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In early 2001, I was finishing up at the University of Michigan's Residential College. I began daydreaming about where I would go and what I would do. I thought publishing might be the route for me, and there were a few specific publishing houses in San Francisco that interested me. I sent a few emails, set up a few informational interviews, and took off for San Francisco to stay with friends and dip my toes into the job pool.

I had been to San Francisco a few times, but now I was looking through a different lens. Each time I visited a place, I wondered if I could see myself adopting it as a regular hangout. Every time I heard people griping about high rent, I also took note.

I had some great meetings with folks at publishing houses. It looked like I may have landed a paid internship � a good step, if not a full job. West Coast options were seeming a little more realistic.

Something happened, though, which caught me off-guard. Walking into two different shops � one a vintage place, another a record store � I heard music made by people who I'd seen quite a few times at bars in Detroit. Miles and miles away, people were proudly playing records of bands that I could see just a quick drive away. I got a little excited, a little territorial (how did they know about this!?), but mostly, homesick.

I had spent the last two years of my time at U of M spending maybe as many nights in Detroit as in Ann Arbor -- meeting tons of people, downing Stroh's, and somehow finding myself in a band, playing a few shows. I'm not saying my band was any good � it was just supposed to be fun. And it was. We'd get yet one more excuse to hang out with a bunch of people and see some of them play, too. At that point it felt like you'd always see the same folks at rock and roll shows because really, it was one larger cadre of people who would either be there to see a show or playing on stage. It was fun, but what was it worth to me? I was going to start all over on the coast. Or was I?

I wasn't sure just what I wanted to do. At the end of my visit to San Francisco, I hopped into my shuttle to the San Francisco airport. We stopped at a light. I looked to my right and there was a sticker on that light post� with a logo for a bar/music venue in Detroit: the Gold Dollar. It baffles me a little now, because I don't even recall the Gold Dollar having stickers. Maybe some band on tour made it themselves? I have no idea. But it got me thinking.

I kept thinking of home. The sense of place I had -- being able to watch and be a small part of what I felt was some of my favorite music being made anywhere at that point. That sense of well � community -- forged by raw creativity (and yeah, some Vernors and whiskey). I felt like I knew in Detroit and all around Southeastern Michigan people that were taking projects, bands, art shows, small businesses � and making things happen. That was something I just couldn't leave. There was too much positive momentum.

Some might say I was being naïve, and also that that was a pretty specific time in local music. Both are true to an extent. But it's also true that I haven't regretted that decision. I've been fortunate to live for the last eight years amidst people who constantly inspire me � and music is still a part of that.

As Jeremy Peters pointed out in his recent Concentrate blog, music (among other forms of art) is a critical, but often overlooked part of our region and state's identity. I don't think we realize how incredible of an asset this really is. Live music, particularly, is a shared experience. In my own life these shared experiences often breed a sense of community, and, sometimes, of place. Music, art, and its related sense of belonging -- being inspired by those around me � makes me proud to call this area home. I have to believe I'm not the only one for whom this is important.

I understand -- rock shows in dive bars aren't everyone's thing. However � think about something that has inspired you locally � from a great festival to children's theatre. Due to Michigan's financial woes, some of the organizations behind efforts like these are more reliant on private donations than ever before.

If you can't give money, can you give time? Talent? Expertise? Don�t think of contributing in those ways as simple altruism. Though you're giving back, it's also an easy way for you to meet some amazing people and nurture and grow your own relationships and creative community.

Post 2 - Why I Believe in the Power of Online Communities

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sure, I use Facebook. I use Flickr, LinkedIn, and obviously and most regularly, Yelp. What I love about Yelp is its ability to help connect people with solutions. You need to get your car fixed? Look at your Yelp friends' reviews of mechanics. Stuck someplace you're unfamiliar with at midnight? A quick iPhone search can pull up an all-night place to satisfy your cravings.

But why do I passionately believe that online communities in general are important? It didn't start with the company I work for, but it did start with a regional online community. An online community changed my life. Honest. I'm not messing with you here.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with a chronic medical condition. Without getting into the gory details (let's face it, nobody wants to be seen as a "sicky"), let's just say it was beyond inconvenient. It impacted pretty much every area of my daily life.

Here I was, in my early twenties, sick as a dog. I couldn't do the things I loved. Heck, I could barely even get through my workday sometimes. I had great doctors, including one who was trying some experimental medications. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I jumped at the chance to take one of these drugs.

I joined a tiny little email group with a few other folks taking the same medicine. Mostly it was people asking if their side effects were normal � if other people were experiencing the same symptoms. Not exactly fun or exciting, but practical and useful, nonetheless � it helped you to communicate with other folks going through the same thing.

I kept in touch with a few of the group members, including one who had been successfully treated via other methods. When it became clear that this drug was not, in fact, my magic bullet, I got in touch with this member. I talked with her online at length � after a few years of trying what felt like everything, I was hesitant to get my hopes up. However, I made an appointment with her doctor. Less than six months later, I was back to living a completely normal life.

I had gotten my health back� and I've been healthy in the three years ever since. No complaints. I would say it seemed almost miraculous, but it was really just connecting with the right treatment through connecting with the right person� via an online community. The doctor and treatment were out there, I just had to seek out the right group of people and resources to connect those dots.

Here's my thinking:

If an online community could play a role in getting me healthy again� well, then finding a place to get tacos at midnight via an online community (like Yelp) seems like a cinch!

If an online community could connect me with a few other folks with very specific needs around the region, it can most certainly unite say� folks who want to track down the best ceviche in Southwest Detroit or karaoke in Ypsi. And if these folks have some simple interests like that in common, who knows what else they might share?

There's no denying that our own state and region have some "illnesses" of their own � or at least aren't as healthy as we�d like them to be at the moment. If a community (on or offline) can help nurture one person back to health � it certainly has the power to create positive conversations, help search out solutions and to motivate people to enact change. We may all have our various different tools � via the internet, in-person meetings, etc., but more regional collaboration and community is critical to getting this state and region healthy.

Post 1 - Community: I'm Talking About More Than Just the Warm Fuzzies

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

A lot of times when people ask me what I do, it's hard to provide a quick answer. My job title is officially Metro Detroit community manager for Yelp.com � a website that helps connect people to local businesses, and to each other. So, I can say I'm a community manager, but what the heck does that really mean? It's not as easy to pin down as a teacher, lawyer, doctor. People often can't really picture what I do. Basically, it's my job to nurture the Yelp community, online and off. But what does that mean?

Usually, I'm so enthused to give examples of what I'm working on � talking to small business owners, planning a big ole party, helping a nonprofit with publicity for a benefit � that I'm eager to share more details of what I do. On a day-to-day basis, I do a lot of the practical things many people do at their jobs � I send emails, make phone calls, set up meetings, and manage projects. I introduce people to each other, I plan events, I brainstorm.

What I'm doing now, though, is more exciting to me than other careers that might sound similar day-to-day. Why? My end goal is building community; community among people who are active on the site, and � as a side benefit � community in general. Trying to figure out how to help people connect to each other � and to new favorite businesses and "Third Places" that might not be on their radar? Well, that's something I've always fallen into naturally.

Connections to each other, and our ability to reach across sectors and interests and find shared passions and values, the ability to create a larger group that inspires and supports us � is something I believe in strongly, practically. I think it's far more powerful than just a nice word that gives you the warm fuzzies.

In Ann Arbor, in Detroit, and across the whole region of Southeastern Michigan, we need each other now more than ever. We need to connect, communicate, and figure out our shared passions and what keeps us loving and believing in our state and our region. And sure, we need to voice what frustrates us (lack of cohesive regional transit, anyone?) as well.

When I started this job, I had a handful of people who told me that it was quite impossible � that the various cities and towns and suburbs and villages of Southeastern Michigan were too fragmented. That east-siders would never come to an event in Ypsilanti, that people from the northern Detroit 'burbs wouldn't be interested in exploring the city itself, etc.

Now, there's some truth to that. But that's not the whole truth. Maybe it was my overwhelming sense of idealism. Maybe it was because I've always tended to bounce around a few different communities in the region and not feel pigeonholed. My real world experience has proven that as long as people find the things that connect them � shared interests, passions, or outlooks � they'll seek each other out and look for reasons to get together, to collaborate and to simply listen to each other � whether it's in quiet discussion or with beer in-hand at a raucous bar. I can tell you � in my work like and in my personal life � it works.

Over the last year, these shared passions have certainly worked to unite people at various Yelp events � where east-side Yelpers were motivated to drive all the way out to Ypsi to learn about brewing and connect with other yelpers at Corner Brewery. I've seen it in various meet-ups that have been organized by Yelp community members themselves � from "eat-up meet-ups" downriver to organized taco-truck hunts in Southwest Detroit.

There are a few specific stories that I think illustrate concrete value of the benefits of community beyond just thinking "Oh, I have some friends." A sense of place, and of connection with that place and its people, is one of the factors that not only keeps me here, but makes me happy to be here in Michigan. It impacts our quality of life in small, daily ways that add up.

Over my next few entries, I'll be sharing a few of the ways different types of community (based on creativity, a shared need/problem) have impacted my life in significant ways � and some examples of how it's very much been instrumental in helping local businesses as well. I'm pretty sure you�ll have your own examples to add, too � so please do. That's what this is all about.

Post 4: The Next Big Transit Win

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the past few blogs, I've explained how your life could be improved by better transit, how far we've come as a region, and the critical next steps to ensuring quality regional transit becomes a reality, even here in the Motor City.

Clearly, the biggest battles are ahead. Some are happening right now!

We need real regional cooperation among the leaders of Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb Counties and the City of Detroit to create an official regional transit authority. Mayor Bing and Oakland Executive Patterson have to put parochial interests behind them and support this best opportunity to advance transit for the entire region.

We need to convince the state legislature to invest in transportation by changing the gas tax and allowing regions to vote on a local sales tax. Too many legislators, led by Senate Leader Mike Bishop, are adamantly opposed to anything that sounds vaguely like a tax, no matter what the need or benefit. That's got to change.

We've also got an even more immediate test case of both of these critical next steps � the potential to expand transit service and the SMART millage throughout all of Oakland County. The County Commission will be voting on it in a few short weeks! All the democrats and one republican are supporting it. We just need a few more courageous republicans to recognize the enormous need and benefits and support it. We also need to make sure Executive Patterson doesn't veto it!

We're not leaving any of these vital decisions up to chance!

Transportation Riders United is proud to lead the fight that could decide the direction of transit for decades to come. We are working to demonstrate overwhelming public support with a petition calling for regional cooperation and increased transit investment. We've got over 12,000 signatures already and need your help to get 40,000 before the end of the year.

We are coordinating meetings between local transit supporters and key elected officials at the state and county levels to ensure these leaders are getting the message. We are building and demonstrating support throughout the business community, which stands to benefit greatly and has important influence with elected officials. We also continue to work to spread the word about the benefits of transit through community events, regional media, local presentations, partner groups, social media, and much more. All that, in addition to actively watchdogging the various transportation plans and projects to ensure that they are done right.

TRU is Detroit's transit advocate. We have a decade of experience, research, outreach, advocacy, and planning behind our belt. We understand what is at stake and we are actively tackling it. But we can't do it alone. If you support this vision and are excited about this potential, please get involved.

Go to DetroitTransit.org to sign our petition and ask your friends to do the same. While there, join our email list to keep updated on key transit news, events, opportunities, and more.

Call Oakland Executive Patterson and urge him to support regional transit, including the regional authority and the SMART bus millage.

Contact your state legislators and tell them you are willing to pay a little more in taxes to support vital transit investments.

Come to TRU's 10th anniversary celebration and/or join TRU as a member to support and advance our work as Detroit�s transit advocate. Imagine vibrant successful communities throughout greater Detroit all connected by convenient efficient rapid transit � then help us make that vision a reality.

Public transit in the Motor City has come so far. We are on the cusp of real change. Yet the biggest battles are ahead. With your help, we can truly ensure that the greater Detroit area becomes as attractive, prosperous, and successful as we all imagine it can be.

Post 3: Taxing Steps Will Make Quality Regional Transit

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you read my first blog, or if you've spent much time using transit in other cities and dreamed about real rapid transit in Detroit, you understand why we need to improve and expand our transit here in greater Detroit.

A large portion of the region now agrees that we need more and better transit, so what's holding us back?

Just two little things � regional power sharing and a new tax. That's all.

First, we need a regional transit authority - one agency for the full tri-county area to plan, fund, coordinate, and implement new transit investments. As we saw with the Cobo deal (and the water fights and anytime Brooks Patterson shares a stage with a Detroit mayor), our regional leaders don't always play nice when it comes to sharing power over regional resources. But today's system of separate agencies in charge of Detroit buses, suburban buses, Woodward light rail, Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter train, the People Mover, and regional transit planning really doesn't work. Nor can any of these entities gather the tax money needed to implement a complete system.

The Regional Transit Coordinating Council, which includes the leaders of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties and the City of Detroit, is actively negotiating a regional authority agreement. Haven't heard nearly as much about that as you did when the Cobo deal was being negotiated? That's the plan, to get the squabbles taken care of behind closed doors instead of in competing press conferences. But it is just as, or probably even more, important than the Cobo deal, with even more on the line.

Rumor has it that Wayne and Macomb leaders have agreed and that the other two are close. Once those four agree, the state legislature must take it up and pass it through both chambers and get the governor's signature. Amazingly, that will probably be the easy part, once Detroit and Oakland County are both on board. Let's hope (and work to ensure) that the benefits to the region will overcome any parochial interests or narrow-minded politics!

Then we need to fund it.

Just about every other major metropolitan region has a dedicated tax for public transit. That's one of the reasons just about every other region has better transit that we do � because they pay for it. While funding mechanisms vary, most metro areas have a regional sales tax of ½ or 1% that funds the construction of new transit lines and the operation of their buses, trains, subways, and other transit. Other metro areas pay on average $200 per capita on their transit network; top cities invest even more. Our region pays just $75. So we get what we pay for.

The question is - are you willing to pay a little more to get better transit?

Would you be willing to pay an extra quarter on a $50 dinner to not have to pay for parking? How about a nickel on a $5 beer to not have to worry about a designated driver (or a DUI)? A penny or two more on your morning coffee to have a more vibrant city?

From my conversations and Transportation Riders United's research, most people are willing. Now we just need to convince the politicians to give us the choice. That's the real battle.

My last blog will detail what TRU is doing to make sure our elected officials do what is right for regional transit and how we need your help to make it happen.

Post 2: What a Difference a Decade Makes

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It is often said that you can't understand where you're going without looking back on where you came from. That's especially true for transit in the Motor City. We've still got a long way to go, but we're on the right track, and wow, have we come a long way!

Detroit once had a great transit system; the biggest municipally-owned streetcar system in the country. Vibrant, close-knit communities like Ferndale, Mt. Clemens, and Birmingham were built up along train and streetcar lines. Early autoworkers would hop on the streetcar to go to work or shopping, saving their new automobile for the Sunday drive.

Over several decades, however, interurban train lines closed, streetcars were sold off to Mexico and replaced with buses, and commuter trains stopped running. For the past fifty years, transportation investment throughout the greater Detroit area (and most of Michigan) focused almost exclusively on building more and bigger roads and highways.

Since development follows transportation, subdivisions and strip malls popped up like house farms in former farm fields and forests all along the big new highways. People moved further and further away from the central city, lured by initially quick highway commutes, low building costs, and government housing incentives. The communities they left behind were stuck subsidizing the sprawl, getting paved over for the big new highways, and struggling to pay for massive infrastructure.

While the new car-dependent suburbs may have worked well for some people, they neglected the needs of many other people throughout the region. Fully one-third of our population is too young, too old, or physically or financially unable to drive. Many more just want to have other transportation options. These include many people in the suburbs, including moms who are sick of spending their lives as kid-chauffeurs, aging seniors who want to maintain independence despite losing their vision, families struggling to pay gas and car payments with decreasing incomes, and many others. Those are just a few of the reasons that transit is so important!

By the late 1990s, Detroit was providing a lackluster and unreliable bus service that often didn't show up and left people in wheelchairs waiting on the curb for hours. City and suburban bus service was badly coordinated and even the People Mover had to operate one-way at a time after damage from the Hudson's Building implosion. Even worse, far too few people understood that things could be different. Bus service was seen as welfare for people who couldn't afford a car and there was no understanding of the enormous economic benefit other cities were deriving from rapid transit investments.

A handful of local individuals got pissed off at the lousy transit service, and the lack of any real leadership to improve it, and decided to do something about it. Their reasons for action varied � an environmental lawyer concerned about air pollution, a well-traveled 14-year old who saw the connections between transit and urban vitality in other cities, city residents who just wanted their bus to show up on time � but their dedication never wavered and Transportation Riders United was created.

Over the past decade, the region has changed dramatically. City and suburban bus services are working much more closely together. Both have over 80% on-time performance and are actively striving to do even better.

Active discussions are occurring among key elected officials in Oakland County and throughout the region about expanding transit and eliminating holes in service. There is broad public support for expanding transit and growing interest in funding transit improvement. Regional leaders and national experts frequently discuss the enormous economic and revitalization benefits transit can provide in keeping young professionals here, recruiting new economy businesses, spurring redevelopment, and creating jobs. And our first two rail lines are likely to start running within the next few years, along Woodward and out to the Airport and Ann Arbor.

While we are still primarily dependent on buses and regional leaders continue to squabble over taxing and control, we are fully on the rebound, having reached the nadir and started to climb again. We've still got a big hill ahead of us to ensure regional cooperation and dedicated transit funding, but I'm pleased to say that we've come a long way, baby!

Come to TRU's 10th anniversary dinner on November 16 to learn lots more about past transit troubles, the founding of TRU, and the enormous impact we've had over the past decade.

Read my next blog posts for how we're going to get the rest of the way there.

Post 1: A State of Transition

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Transportation Riders United (TRU), Detroit's transit advocacy group, is celebrating our tenth anniversary next week. This has gotten me thinking a lot about just how much the greater Detroit region has changed over the past decade and what it will be like ten or more years from now.

TRU, along with Metromode and others, has been discussing transit for several years now. You've probably heard about the great economic benefits and cost savings that transit investment can bring. Maybe you've seen the various transit plans and maps.

But what will more and better Detroit area transit really mean for your daily life? That's what we all really want to know, isn't it? So I'll start my blog series by taking a stab at it.

Imagine being able to take your kids (or grandkids or nieces) to the zoo, the Science Center, and the Riverwalk carousel all in one day without once worrying about parking or traffic, just hopping on and off the Woodward streetcar whenever you want.

Imagine heading to the ballgame (be it Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, or even Wolverines) with a group of friends and never having to worry about parking or who will be the designated driver, because you can all party safely on the train.

Imagine not having to drive your 15-year old to the mall, or soccer practice, or a friend's house, since they can use the safe, convenient and reliable bus system to get there. Imagine saving thousands of dollars in gas, parking, insurance, and car repair bills because you can leave your car at home on your commute to work, or even get rid of a car altogether. Imagine an attractive new condo just steps away from the streetcar stop where you can ride, walk, or bike to lots of new restaurants, markets, shops, coffee shops, schools, theaters, and other businesses that also popped up along the streetcar line.

Imagine a business trip to Chicago that doesn't involve either five hours of monotonous driving or taking off your shoes to go through an airport security line. Instead you hop on a high speed train and spend three hours polishing your presentation or relaxing with a coffee and a paperback.

Or just imagine fewer people crowding your highway on your drive to work, more young professionals and new technology businesses moving into the region, increased property values and a higher tax-base throughout the region.

That's all to say nothing about helping cut global warming pollution, decreasing asthma attacks, minimizing obesity by increasing walkability, focusing development, reversing Detroit's population decline, decreasing sprawl pressure on rural farms and open spaces, and much, much more.

Sold yet?

Hope so, because the greater Detroit area is truly on the cusp of making this vision a reality. In the next few blogs, I'll explain how far we've had to come to get this close, the tough steps we still need to take, and how you can help make it all happen.

Post 5: Transitions

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's a sad day here in Clawson. After what seems like only a week as a guest blogger for Metromode, I'm being let go. I'd really like to thank both of you for reading these blogs, but they've only allowed me one phone call.

Hello, I'm Paul Nielsen from Wunderground Magic, Inc., and today we're going to be talking about moving on. Transitions in our lives are the moments we remember. They are the most difficult to accomplish, but potentially the most rewarding too. It is easy to go with what you already know, keep performing the same tasks, and hope that one day you can retire with a good pension. That's not going to work in today's economy.

There's a little town in southwestern Michigan called Colon, which bills itself as "The Magic Capital of the World." In a town hidden by cornfields, that's less than one mile square, there are three magic shops. In August of every year magicians from all over the world descend on Colon in an extravagant Get-Together where there is magic in the streets, at the restaurants, and in the schools. Famous celebrities rub elbows with aspiring stars scaling cards across the street to try to land them on top of the tallest building in town, which towers over Main Street at three stories. Colon was the summer home of Blackstone as he prepared his magical show of wonders to travel across the country.

Now, Colon is in danger of losing its title as the Magic Capital of the World. There is no reigning king of magicians who calls it a summer home. The theater where magicians would rehearse burned to the ground and was not replaced. The large magic companies that sold equipment through catalogs rivaling anything Sears ever published are being overtaken by dealers with flashier websites. Each year the attendance at the Get-Together grows smaller and smaller. The industry is moving out of state and overseas. Like metro Detroit, the town is in crisis, and in that crisis opportunities lie.

If you wanted to launch yourself as a magic performer, what better place to start than in Colon? Use the existing prestige of "From the World's Magic Capital" as publicity to help your career grow. Gain access to the insights of the greatest minds in the industry. Discover long forgotten libraries filled with the wisdom of generations. Build a better web site to replace the catalog sales. Invest in cheap real estate and build a theater. Create a tourist destination with quaint shops, museums, chicken dinners, and maybe a magic show. People come to see a show, and they leave disappointed. They need a place to go.

The opportunities in Colon could make you millions. The opportunities in metro Detroit could make you billions. We have the greatest labor force in the world, the best engineers, outstanding manufacturing facilities, shipping lanes, raw materials, fresh water, great universities, and bargain real estate. What we lack is an individual with the vision to create the magic to transform this nexus of opportunity into a financial beacon of the world. Business consultants like Fulcrum Edge can take your vision and create the plan you need to make it a reality. Who will be the next Henry Ford? Is it you?

Post 4: The Clown Index

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

There are a number of indices that purport to track our economic health, such as the "underwear index," which is based on the belief that when times are tough people tend to make intimate items last longer. Personally though, I still have underwear from grad school that I have to keep rescuing from the garbage whenever my girlfriend does my laundry. I'm guessing the indicator is based on the patterns of the holes, kind of like reading tea leaves.

Hello, I'm Paul Nielsen from Wunderground Magic, Inc. in Clawson, Michigan, the economic hub of the known universe. (Please make checks out to "Clawson is America's Sales Hub" and slide them under the door at 16 S. Main Street. It's okay to abbreviate the name.)

One of the saddest indices I read about recently is the "clown index." NPR carried the story titled "Clowns Want to Get Paid Too" about poor Mandy Dalton who was not being paid for a gig because the company who hired her filed for bankruptcy. There's nothing sadder than a clown, battered hat in hand, driving to the bankruptcy in her clown car with two or three dozen of her closest clown friends, banging her squeaker fist on the table for emphasis as the drooping flowers squirt water like a rain of tears. You know, come to think of it, there are quite a few things sadder than that, but I digress.

In my line of business I've worked with a number of clowns. (The ones involved in government contracting tend not to wear as much makeup, but they also tend to be a whole lot sillier.) Clowns are hurting. I know one clown who just lost his clown house. He had to pack up all his clown furniture, deflate his balloon dogs, and pack everything in his clown car for the long trip to a clown apartment. Another clown is working three jobs, driving cross-state for low paying gigs, and wants to train to be a police officer. ("Stop, or I�ll unfurl a banner that says 'Bang' from the nozzle of my gun.")

When times are good, clowns tend to upgrade their props. They like bright flashy colors and tend to be hard on their equipment, with a lot of physical comedy. (Have you ever tried getting meringue pie out of a twelve-foot silk streamer?) The last clown prop I sold was a sponge brick, which I assume, the clown was going to try to throw through a plate glass window to abscond with the size 30 shoes that provide the only lasting relief a clown can have after a high speed chase from a band of bungling cops unfurling their 'Bang' guns.

When times are tough, clowns are one of the first entertainers to be let go. No one needs to have a clown when Uncle Harry can cover his face in magic marker and wear that old shirt his girlfriend keeps trying to throw away whenever she does his laundry. Okay, so maybe that's not a good example, and if you met Uncle Harry you'd probably keep him away from your kids too.

Another thing I see is that even when clowns are hired, it is only for the bare minimum show. There are no upgrades for candy or balloons or actual entertainment. People hire the clown to show up, tell a joke, and go. (And don't get me started on the market for joke writers. Can you believe Metromode still hasn't paid me for this comedy gold?)

Post 3: Wunderground Magic's Answer to the Economic Situation

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In case you haven't heard, Southeast Michigan is going through a bit of an economic setback. I know, it came as a surprise to me when I heard it too. (I almost spilled caviar down my new tux.) All I know is I'm not getting any bailout money from the government and neither are you.

While I can't give away free cash, like the people in Washington, I can help you find ways to save money, assuming you have any of it to begin with.

My favorite method is purchasing the inventories of the stores that are collapsing all around me. I've gotten stock, furniture, signage, and even half a dozen rabbit suits, which you'll see put to good use as part of the "great rabbit picket line" in a previous episode of Metromode. (It helps if you have a spark of creativity too.)

We've opened a new, special area in our store selling previously owned props and equipment. Our creative division (Marie) was considering calling this the "flee market," but I kind of wanted people to actually, you know, come into the store, not run away. Then we tried a "garage sale," but Ron bought the garage and hauled it off (which was a problem because it was attached.) "Fire sale" had obvious problems with the neighbors, once the smoke cleared. "Bargain basement" seemed close, but not quite there. So after extensive consultation we dug up (literally) the name "Discount Dungeon."

We've stocked the Discount Dungeon with rare, collectable, and bizarre treasures that would be worth at least a dollar eighty-six if bought new. It's an enormous lot of stuff, including illusions, stage props, close-up apparatus, and everything in between; and with prices so low they'd almost have to lend themselves to some kind of lame joke if this writer didn't go out of his way to avoid bad puns like that. There's almost as much stuff below ground as there is above in the main store. I would name a few, but almost all are one-of-a-kind, and unless you're in the store right now, anything I'd name would be gone by the time you arrive.

The Discount Dungeon gives shoppers a way to save on purchases while still getting quality apparatus, because let's face it, if it hasn't fallen apart by now, it's unlikely to in the near future. Anyone who has been to see a Whitesnake concert knows the importance of buying good quality special effects.

Magic lends itself to offbeat and unusual treasures. Magicians love the bizarre, unique, and ancient.(That's why we never get tired of the joke about the magician who was walking down the street and turned into a bar.) Businesses like produce stores, probably not so much so. Look for ways you can reuse and repurpose items to enrich the lives of those around you.

Post 2: Houdini, Halloween, and the Importance of Wonder

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It's Halloween. I was going to regale you with scary stories about ghosts and monsters, but I decided to creep you out even more by discussing the Southeast Michigan region and its economic future. Sorry about that.

Today we're going to delve into Southeast Michigan's past. We have a case study of one man who began with nothing, then went on to die, of course. In between that time, though, he became the most famous name in magic and in show business � Harry Houdini.

Harry Houdini's rise to fame graphically demonstrated that nothing could hold us down and no restraints were too confining. No obstacles, even solid walls, could hold us back; nothing was impossible, even the production of a live elephant. At 5'5", he was bigger than life, a superhero, if you will, that nothing on earth could hold prisoner.

Houdini was a master of marketing and promoted himself through spectacular publicity stunts, like escaping from a strait jacket while hanging upside down over a crowd of people. More recently, local magician Jasen Magic has recreated this stunt with equally spectacular results, but in an entirely different way. You�ll have to see the video for yourself. Such publicity stunts are a great way to draw massive crowds to your establishment. Everyone wants to see some idiot risk their life for your entertainment.

During one such stunt Houdini was bound in chains and lowered by a rope from the Belle Isle Bridge into the Detroit River. To hear him tell the story, the river was frozen over that day, so they had to cut a hole in the ice to lower him through. Even though he managed to free himself from his chains, the swift current carried him far downriver away from his hole in the ice and the only chance of escape. He survived for hours by breathing air trapped in the small gaps between the water and the ice until he could find his safety rope that lead to the hole to free himself. Of course, the Detroit News, which covered the story that day, reported the weather was above freezing. Houdini wasn't above using embellishment to market his ability.

The reason I'm telling you this is that Houdini died right here in Detroit at Grace Hospital. He died on Halloween, October 31, 1926, from peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix. This may or may not have been aggravated by a blow to the stomach he received from a student, but don't let the truth stand in the way of a good story.

Every year on October 31 séances are conducted to try to contact the spirit of Houdini. His wife, Bess, was given a secret code, and Houdini said that if it were possible he would send a message to her from beyond.

What are you doing to create a sense of wonder? Will people still remember you long after you are gone? How can you ignite that excitement and sense of empowerment that inspires those around you to believe all things are possible and that together we will turn these tough times in Detroit around?

Post 1: Out of Desperation Comes Magic

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Hi, I'm Paul Nielsen from Wunderground Magic, Inc. When the good people at Metromode asked me to comment about the southeast Michigan region and its economic future, I thought, "Great, I'll just give them a blank sheet of paper," because, let's face it, right now the future here seems pretty bleak. That should just about cover everything. I've got a mortgage to pay, a son to put through college, a car that's dying, no real job, and I own a magic shop - not really an economic powerhouse there. Then they told me it was an electronic submission, and my scanner got confused when I tried to scan a blank piece of paper, so I colored it black. That just made it dark and bleak and it still wouldn't scan. But hey, they're paying me in free copies of the magazine, so life is looking up!

This week we'll be digging through our bag of tricks to try to produce a miracle that will save metro Detroit. And who better to turn to for miracles than a magic dealer? Alright, don't answer that, there are probably a thousand people out there who are better qualified, but they all took an early buyout and moved to Florida, so you're stuck here with me. I'll try to keep this short so you can read it while you're waiting for the next flight.

If I were a real magician, I could just spend my days plucking money out of the air, which I often do, but then consider, "What would a real magician want with money anyway?" The answer: "All the stuff I�m too lazy to conjure from the air" because it's easier for me to make money that it is to make food out of the air, and unless it comes out of a chip bag, I'm a lousy cook.

On the upside, the magic business is almost recession proof. We don't make money in a bad economy or a good economy, and in a mixed economy we're still the ones standing out on the street corners, hat in hand, doing tricks for change. (Hey, buddy, can you spare $25,000 for the tuition at Michigan?)

Some of the best magical effects rose from desperate situations.

For example, the most famous magical trick (despite the fact that no magician actually performs it anymore) arose at a time when traveling magicians, and other undesirables, would often catch small animals for a meal if the day's donations didn't pan out. On this particular day, the local equivalent of the ASPCA stepped in and said, "You're not going to hurt that rabbit, are you?" Being a magician, the performer lied through his teeth and said "Of course not. It's part of the act." He pulled out the hat that was obviously empty after asking for spare change, and the rest is history.

Of course there are rare exceptions, like David Copperfield, who just bought an island in the Bahamas to store all the money he makes. David Blaine, despite not having any actual personality, is able to win over network executives to give him a special almost every year. Criss Angel does even better by putting together an entirely new show every week. And then there's that masked guy who is on entirely too often.

When finances are tight, magic is a great way to earn extra income. Performers earn several hundred dollars an hour and can do several shows a day, primarily on evenings and weekends. Learning the props isn't as difficult as learning to sing or dance, and let's face it, if it took a lot of talent would they let me do it?

Post 3 - Playing in the Sandbox: Facing the Challenges of Collaboration

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Collaboration sounds like a great way to achieve organizational goals
when resources are limited or going it alone is not an option, but it is
very hard work every step of the way. The process of collaborating
challenges organizations and individuals in a multitude of ways, not
least of which is the balancing of competing interests.

In my last blog, I outlined five basic elements of successful
collaboration: participation and engagement; developing common purposes,
mission and vision; leadership; linking mechanisms; and dispute
resolution mechanisms. Each must be in place to facilitate the doing of
collaboration, but the form they take and level of attention paid to
each varies depending on the stage of collaboration in its life cycle.

For example, the time spent on soliciting participation and true
engagement along with the development of a common purpose for the
collaborative venture is much greater in the early stages, while the
type of leadership exhibited evolves from inspirational at the early
stages to strategic and shared in the middle to later stages. Linking
and dispute resolution mechanisms may initially be flexible, but evolve
to be more formalized over time and experience. As noted before,
however, there is never a greater risk for failure than in the early
stages of collaboration where challenges are greatest and experience is
limited.

The greatest challenges come from perceived threats of autonomy,
identity, competition, and value. What does it mean to share a project
with another organization? What will my stakeholders think of our
collaboration with these new partners, and how will they see the
benefits? What will we have to give up, and is it worth it? Will staff
continue to discern differences between us and partners? And the
questions go on.

In my research of colleges and universities that collaborated to promote
new programs, courses, or even new campuses, there was a big difference
in the relative ease of collaborating when the collaborative venture
created something wholly new versus when each was asked to give
something up to share a collective resource.

For example, a group of five colleges in close proximity to each other
all have a hard time continuing to support their individual German
language programs. The outcome is likely to be that they all will have
to shutter these programs except for one. For the greater benefit of the
community, the presidents decide to collaborate by pooling their
resources and creating a common German program. Faculty members are less
thrilled because over the course of this collaborative venture, they
will no longer be able to keep their full-time positions on their own
campuses � it is a loss for them. Surviving the early stages, the
faculty members discover over time that they find the sharing of a
greater number of students from other campuses to be exciting, and the
collegial support across the institutions is an added benefit. They begin
to promote and become engaged in the collaborative venture and are
better equipped to handle the changes and challenges they face along the
way.

To use a playground analogy, it is much easier for us to play in the
sandbox with others and build a big castle together when we each come
with a full set of tools than it is when we each come with only a few
tools and have to share a shovel and bucket between us. When
organizations and individuals are asked to give something up, it is so
much harder for us to collaborate even when the end result is a big,
beautiful sand castle.

But like the faculty, time paves the way with experience and the
development of trust with our partners to forge an interest of the group.
So in the sandbox, we make small talk with the
other kids, we show off our skills at making turrets and moats, we have
a laugh at ourselves for being a mess, and we begin to trust that
the other isn't going to make off with our coveted shovel. We have
experience throughout the effort arguing over the placement of a tower
and the dragon, who will place the flag at the top, and who gets credit
for the overall design with our parents so that as each new dispute
arises, we are more skilled at resolving them on our own.

So what do we do, in addition to developing and maintaining the five
elements outlined above and in the last blog, in the early stages
when we find ourselves outside our comfort zone and unsure whether we
want to give something up or how to communicate our effort with our key
stakeholders? We keep our eyes on the prize, recognize this isn't easy,
prepare ourselves for the onslaught of messy details and daily
challenges to our sense of identity and purpose, open up to consider new
and different ways of solving problems and reaching objectives,
establish a healthy distance from crises that threaten to break the
effort, and maintain a boundless sense of humor.

It's the same thing our parents and experience taught us long ago in the sandbox.

Post 2: The Behaviors and Mechanisms that Promote and Sustain Successful Collaboration

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

It has taken organizations and people in the Metro Detroit community,
as well as across the state, a long time to merely talk about
collaborating. This dialogue and openness to working across
organizations set in motion the development and launch of several
collaborative endeavors targeting some of our biggest problems. This
achievement, however, is only the beginning, signaling the long, hard
road to actually doing collaboration � a difficult and risky venture
for all types of efforts and organizations.

In the doing, we can learn from successful inter-organizational
collaborations working at varying life cycle stages. My research, based
on higher education organizations and informed by the organizational
literature, identified five basic elements that are common across
collaborative ventures: engagement and participation; developing common
purposes, mission and vision; leadership; linking mechanisms; and
dispute resolutions. This first three are behaviors, while the remaining
two are mechanisms. A deeper look into each of these will help to
provide a better understanding of the complexities associated with collaboration.

It is only a first step when organizations decide to collaborate. The
act of doing collaboration is done by individuals. Rank and file
administrators and staff need to decide that it is important
enough to invest their personal resources and engage the collaborative
process as change champions. These individuals must work not only within
their own organizations, but also with their external counterparts.

Common to these individuals is the difficult balancing act between
loyalty to their own organizations and the additional dedication to
collaboration that offers potential opportunities to support
organizational objectives. The bottom line is that people make
collaboration happen, but at a great deal of personal risk both within
and outside their organizations.

Usually organizations are on the same page in terms of achieving a
particular objective when they come to collaboration, but this is not a
done deal once the contract is signed. Partners must develop a common
purpose, mission and vision for their collaboration as its own endeavor.
Finding common ground, unfortunately, is limited because there will
always be competing interests or values. Only patience, time, and
experience enable greater congruencies and pathways to finding the
common ground. In other words, this behavior is particularly challenging
for new collaborative efforts and therefore is of critical importance.

Leadership is an important element of managing alliances, and it can
and must originate from multiple levels in an organization. Positional
leaders (e.g., presidents, CEOs, VPs) set the direction of an
organization to collaborate, and the rank and file leaders (e.g.,
directors, managers, coordinators) enact collaborative activities �
both are essential to the overall success of a collaborative effort.
These leaders also exhibit several common characteristics � ability to
build support and consent across partners, and high levels of
self-monitoring, which is the ability to fit into multiple situations
and environments as needed. In other words, collaborative leaders have
to be chameleon coalition builders.

The glue for collaborating is the same as the glue for families and
organizations � personal relationships. And the sharing of information
and trust is critical to building and maintaining relationships. To
facilitate the flow of information and conveyance of trust, many
collaborative endeavors develop linking mechanisms.

Linking mechanisms can include an informal ad hoc team of change agents charged with doing the collaboration across the member partners to a formal,
institutionalized separate entity that serves all the members for the
exclusive purpose of facilitating collaboration. Regardless of the type,
collaboration succeeds when there is some form of mechanism that links
partners and promotes and supports the collaborative endeavor.

Finally, collaborations demand a mechanism for resolving disputes.
Conflict is a universal reality for organizations and individuals
engaged in collaboration. Disputes will regularly arise because tension
is constant between partners as the values and objectives of each
partner compete for attention and resource allocations. Successful
collaborations find mechanisms � both formal and informal � for
resolving these issues. These include the more institutionalized method
of outlining a process within a collaborative contract to relying on
individuals to share information as transparently as possible to
communicate the reasons and purpose behind decisions and actions as a
foundation to finding the win-win.

These five elements � engagement and participation; developing common
purposes, missions, and visions; leadership; linking mechanisms; and
dispute resolution mechanisms � are ingredients to successful
collaboration. They are the behaviors and mechanisms that enable us to
recommit ourselves to collaboration beyond the initial agreement to
partner up, and lead us to achieving together what we cannot do alone.
And yes, collaboration does sound a lot like marriage, for which it
shares many similar principles for success. It also shares a similar
failure rate.

The bottom line is that it is not enough to talk about collaboration � we
must also recognize the work in doing collaboration.

Post 1: Talking Collaboration, Singing Kum-Ba-Yah... And Now the Work Begins

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Recently I was asked what was my biggest lesson learned over the past
year, and I responded that it was my surprise at how much closer we in
Michigan are to truly collaborating. In past blogs, (writers) were
calling for leaders and organizations to consider collaboration, to
seriously talk about regionalism, and to align and leverage the many
assets across independent organizations for a common goal � to
transform southeast Michigan and the state as a whole. And then this
dialogue took root and our esteemed organizations and their leaders
began to initiate collaborative ventures to address the problems of
economic development, research, education, and talent retention.

Intern In Michigan falls into the latter category and involves a large
and ever-expanding network of collaborators across Detroit and Michigan.
Everywhere our team goes, we hear people's excitement and willingness
to participate. It gives us all a tangible satisfaction to have a
program to address a common problem, and an opportunity to work outside
the lines of our individual organizations for a greater good � for the
possibility that we could collectively make a difference.

We realize that we cannot work in isolation, and we recognize the
contributions of other efforts to launch internship tools to serve
students and Michigan. We operate with the understanding that so many
organizations and individuals have been working towards the same
objective � to retain and attract talent � all of whom should be
welcomed into a collective effort. In the development of a smart
resource for connecting talent and employers through internships and an
interest for ease of use for users, we are actively seeking engagement
of organizations across the state to utilize a single database and
matching tool. The win-win is that each participating organization will
receive recognition as an individual organization promoting internships
and talent. As one might imagine, much of our time and effort is devoted
to developing relationships and building collaboration across the
state.

The bottom line is that never before have leading organizations been
willing to consider, discuss and initiate collaboration as a means of
transforming Detroit and the state � a critical first step in doing
collaboration and realizing transformational change. The implication,
however, is that there is much hard work to come in doing collaboration.
In other words, saying it ain't doing it.

For example, earlier this year I decided to run a half-marathon. It
would be my first, and it took much time and lots of thinking to
determine whether or not this should be something I invested time and
effort into doing. Once the decision was made, my friends congratulated
me, I got excited, and I wrote up a lofty training plan. Weeks went by
and I did not execute that plan, but felt confident that given my background as an athlete and coach, I could skate through it. My husband, an
experienced marathoner, challenged me (okay, bugged me) about not being
serious about achieving my goal. Finally, I started seriously running.
Some of these runs were euphoric while others were humbling (to say the
least).

I found that regularly I had to recommit myself to my goal �
it wasn't enough to have made the commitment when I registered for the
race, but to make the decision to run a half-marathon every time I got
out of my comfort zone or it interfered with my other plans. I found out
that saying it ain't doing it.

This is true of all inter-organizational collaborations, including
Intern In Michigan, where we struggle nearly daily to recommit ourselves
to the collaborative process that challenges our identity, leadership,
expertise, and purpose.

It is true that people would not engage in collaboration unless they have
no other options. The reasons for this barrier relate to the incredible
investments of limited resources (e.g., time, money, autonomy) and the
relative risk incurred. Inter-organizational collaborations are high risk
joint ventures where the failure rate is estimated to be between 30 and
60 percent.

There is an entire body of research out there that looks at why
organizations collaborate and what the positive and negative impacts are
of collaboration. There is less known about the how to collaborate � a
process-based inquiry that is challenging to track and study; but it is
the how that can provide organizations with a road map through an
uncomfortable, challenging, and anxiety-laden process for which most
organizations have no prior experience.

Utilizing the blogs of others (e.g., Kurt Metzger, Roger Gullickson,
Kyle Caldwell) who laid the foundation for a collective dialogue about
collaboration as a regional strategy for addressing the challenges that
we face, I will lay out five basic ingredients to the collaborative
process that are common across successful inter-organizational
collaborations: engagement and participation; development of common
purposes, mission, and vision; leadership; linking mechanisms; and
dispute resolution mechanisms.

In the next blog, we will look at these ingredients. The third blog will
look at fitting it all together and developing a takeaway. It is my intention to illuminate the difficulties and challenges inherent in actually doing inter-organizational collaboration and provide greater understanding of the five
basic elementsthat are common across successful collaborations. These
are certainly not the only five, but provide a start to our immersion in
collaboration.

Post 2 - Beyond Turfs and Towers: The "Ego Free Zone"

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Q: What is the "Ego Free Zone"?

The world is comprised of groups, cliques, and individual achievement. Groups and cliques constantly vie for attention and individuals strive for achievement against others. These actions are all ego-driven and are based on the premise that something or someone is better than the other.

Through the layers of every such drama twinkles a space built upon trust, comfort, support, and mutual success. Enter the "Ego Free Zone". In the Ego Free Zone (EFZ), the burden of one-upping another is lifted off shoulders, the scrutiny of physical form rendered irrelevant, and unity is completely uplifted by common ground. The EFZ is an environment where human beings feel safe, energetic, equal and light (both from the outer form layers lifted off them and from the illumination from deep within self). The EFZ unleashes energy within and around, creating kinetic results for individuals, organizations and communities.
I learned about the concept of being without ego from Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, and came up with the term "Ego Free Zone" after a student, who also reads Tolle, described Bollyfit classes as being "without ego".

Q: How does BollyFit create an EFZ?

While Bollywood movies glamorize the unattainable, the aesthetic, and the young in a highly ego-centric representation, the magnificent music and artistry in these movies weaves a thread of pure peace, love, and joy that does exist within each of us. BollyFit harnesses this idealism, the best of Bollywood, into the fabric of the EFZ. The rest is neither natural nor relevant.

BollyFit's EFZ unravels knots and students sweat gracefully and laugh and learn together loudly. Choreography synthesizes music and dance styles while, in the sweat of the dancers, simmers a marvelous Michigan Magic � all ages and backgrounds connect and unleash energy beyond the confines of color or age of skin, transcending political, religious, and economic assertions. Strangers sweat similarly.

No one has more clout because she has more dance training, grew up in India, or is as thin as a rail. Culture and dance are important but what we're doing really is peeling back the layers of the outer form, realizing the dancer within, and connecting her with the dancers in the room and the dance of the universe. Individuals genuinely care about each other, develop trusted friendships, and become a respectful team that dissolves drama and dances delightfully.

Q: How can BollyFit's EFZ be applied to Michigan?

BollyFit is fitness through dance � Indian dance with Bollywood music. Given the cultural slant, one might expect long-term BollyFit students to be only young, Indo-centric people. Or for diverse people to come in and out of class chatting casually and then go their own way without much in common. One might also expect that outspoken opinions (from choreography to costumes) undermine teamwork. However, these experiences seem to be more the exception rather than the rule. I believe that this is because we have removed particular interests and stereotypes from the equation and relate to one another at the core of our being. Whether it's festivals we perform at or friendships we foster, this this thread weaves seemingly disparate interests together, dissipates knots, and a purposeful collective energy unfolds.

I personally believe that Michigan can learn something from this phenomenon and enter the EFZ. Michigan has been hard hit by the recession and its "matka" has broken. Now is the perfect time to reassess where we are and where we want to be as we move forward as a state. Let's change our focus from individual 'End Zones' to a collective EFZ.

We are a richly diverse state in culture, religion, and ethnicity. We may all be different on the outside. And yes, we all have different life experiences and backgrounds. Whether it's the UAW or the automotive companies, the Republicans or Democrats or the cities or the suburbs, each of these groups might seem inherently different on the surface, but at the core, we are all connected as people and have a unified purpose to better our state.

When we see the world in this light, and know we all have the same light within, it helps us to listen to, and integrate, each other's ideas in an open way, without ego, and produce powerful and unexpected results. Connecting at this level evokes passion and unites people coming together through self-organization. How about if we all just take a deep breath, break the matka of the egos, and dance in the Greatness of our Lakes?

Post 1: Spawning an "Intimate Movement"

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm choreographing and teaching a high energy BollyFit dance in which participants of all ages and backgrounds fill an imaginary matka (clay pot) with water, the essence of life. Then, each dancer breaks the matka over her head and is drenched. On purpose and with joy. The conscious choreography elicits physical and spiritual fitness. Whether an individual or community situation, when a so-called matka, or comforting shell of reality as we know it, breaks, it's so we can dance in the resulting rain. As someone wise once said, "Nothing is good or bad, it's thinking that makes it so." And a broken pot is less a loss of clay form and more a release of pent up life essence that twinkles and touches new opportunities.

This blog entry includes two personal cases of 'dancing in the rain' when my matkas broke. I know there are millions of "Michigan Matka Moments" and hope you'll share yours in the comments.

Case 1:

My dear 27-year-old older sister, Rachana, was tragically killed in a car accident almost twelve years ago. Within 12 hours of the news, I left a dream corporate job with American Power Conversion in W. Kingston, Rhode Island, where I was promoted three times in 18 months, to grieve the untimely loss. Anguished, I channeled grief into gratitude for time shared with Rachana. Acceptance of the reality that Rachana's reason for form on earth was realized helped foster relief to be without regret about our interactions together. She always knew what she meant to me.

I decided to sprinkle Rachana's energy across our hometown by moving back with my parents and starting a business in Rachana's memory in Okemos. I cherished helping the community enjoy friends and family in a beautiful space that emanated Rachana's effervescence. Moon-baked Creations fulfilled its purpose, and it was great to be an entrepreneur and participate in the Michigan economy. But as my passion for retail business waned, I struggled with the prospect of 'leaving Rachana behind' should I decide to move on personally and professionally.

Conclusion:

I had an epiphany that Rachana's energy flows beyond the confines of Moon-baked Creations and, two and a half years after starting the company, I sold the business to two Michigan sisters, married my dream man and, without 'shelter within a matka,' followed my new husband to grad school in Durham, North Carolina.

Case 2:

Two years later, back in Michigan as a full-time MBA student at the Ross School of Business in Ann Arbor, I optimized opportunities to explore, participate, and lead. Unique experiences included work with Professor C.K. Prahalad, co-authoring a chapter of the renowned book Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid, leading the Global Blue organization, co-chairing the National Business School's Food Fight ( a food drive raising foods and funds for needy shelters nationwide), and speaking at the MBA commencement. I dabbled in the corporate world again working at Lehman Brothers during my summer internships in New York City and Chicago, but knew I eventually wanted to start a socially responsible business in Michigan.

While the world was my oyster after graduation, I happily bore two sons in two years and became a devoted mother. I struggled with conflicting choices of professional and personal alignment. For me, my children were the priority and I elected to be a stay-at-home mother from the start. Through it all though, I was (and am) immensely appreciative that my husband's job with Ford Motor Company extends me the option, unlike many Michigan women today. However, I lamented that I'd never figure out 'what I'm really going to do with my life' and what my peers thought of me 'wasting my education.' Unlike my typical day at library story-time or play date at the park, peers were starting 'important' companies and solving real-world issues.

My old matka was that I needed figure out something 'big' to do. In the interim, I decided to reawaken an old passion of mine, dance, and created a class for the Ann Arbor YMCA. Although I loved every moment teaching in the studio, my ego struggled with it when I was outside. The truth is, when people used to suggest I be a teacher, or God forbid, dance teacher, I cringed. My matka was bigger than that and I viewed dance as simply a pastime until something 'real' came up. I remember realizing I was actually losing money between parking and paying my babysitter, and wondering when I would have a positive NPV!

Conclusion:

I recognized magic in the studio when I taught�maybe even more for me than for students�I was consistent, present, alive and vibrant in a way I wasn't outside. I let go of the relentless fear of figuring out 'my purpose' and embraced my current existence.

--The matka broke and life spiraled skyward.

--My YMCA class grew into the business now called BollyFit, which turns the traditional view of exercise on its head. Unlike dreaded, lonely workouts, my students crave the spa-like classes and emerge energized, exercised, connected, and peaceful. My energetic spirit and gift for bringing people to their feet are growing BollyFit to an "intimate movement" of strangers-turned-friends dancing together throughout Southeast Michigan.

--Two and a half years later, I am a BollyGirl, joyfully dripping with the water from a broken matka. Together with students, BollyFit Guides (certified instructors who teach classes using my content and choreography), Givers (a BollyFit costume, print and design team comprised of BollyFit students who happen to be Michigan residents, professionals in their own right and devoted mothers), I am dancing "Rooftop to Rooftop!"

Michigan's Matka

Many claim we Michiganders 'broke our own matka' by relying too heavily on the auto industry and being complacent about the health of the state and citizens. Perhaps. But the old matka needed to break. Today, we have space for growth and resurgence - within and beyond the auto industry, within and beyond ourselves in Michigan. Pain occurs when there is resistance to reality. Crying about the broken pot or trying to glue it back as it was isn't the solution. We have more to offer than the old confines. Acceptance that pots break as they should reveals rain showers unlimited by form and drought is drenched.

--BollyFit is launching in its newest location, Clarkston, with a 6-week class at the Bella Pointe Dance & Performing Arts center. Click here for registration details.

Torya Blanchard - Post 2: The Food Personalities of Eastern Market

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In 1997, my parents emphatically told me "We're moving, you're not," and moved to Belleville the year I came back from school in the UP to go to Wayne State. I don't get a chance to see them as often as I'd like and when we do see each other, we bond at Meijer. Really. Specifically, I come over to their house; we sit around for a bit and someone finds a reason to go to Meijer. "Hey Toy, I got an 80% coupon for the jewelry section" or "Hey Donald, we need more salad dressing." Usually, we walk around Meijer and comment on everything as if we were from a small town in a foreign country, just in wonderment at how much stuff one person can buy at one store. The Meijer on Belleville Road never gets old for my parents and me.

Hopefully, sometime soon we'll get to have our own Meijer in Detroit. Although I probably won't spend hours shopping there, I am very happy all the same, because why should the folks in Belleville have all the fun?

Last week, my mother visited me at Eastern Market, where I set up a mobile crepe station every Saturday at Shed 2. It wasn't too long before she felt the urge to explore and she was in amazement at how wonderful Eastern Market looks and how it's changed in the past year or so. I feel the same way. Eastern Market now reminds me of the marchés in Paris. It feels so fresh and vibrant, and you have a chance to get to know the merchants.

There is the mushroom guy, the pork people, the popcorn guy, the wine guy at Cost Plus Wine, Dave at R. Hirt, Dave at Supino Pizzeria, the gladiola guy, the Amish lady that makes miniature breads, the maple syrup guy, the Zen Center guy, the flower lady with the bouffant and the amazingly long nails, the lady in Shed Three who always has a "heavy date" and is trying to quickly move her vegetable of the day, the Asian vegetable "$2 a flat" people, the red trolley coffee people, the spice lady, the organic vegetable lady that has the most amazing wildflowers in the summer, The Gabriel Imports olives guy, Hans the soup guy from Russell Street and the "Fresh blueberries"/"Fresh Apples" guy who looks like Ernest Hemingway with his family. They are all there, usually every week without fail. There also is another cast of characters that come out during the week, when most local restaurants buy wholesale for their shops.

I had to step back and take a look at Eastern Market through the eyes of the many families I come in contact with on Saturdays. They're just like my family. Lots of families bond going to the market. It just goes to show that the common denominator of food, whether it be at a mega super market or at a colorful outdoor urban market, is the ultimate bonding agent and it gets families to take time out and spend it with each other.

Greg Lenhoff - Post 2: Survival of the Smallest

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In the last post, prompted by the multitude of questions about why I chose to open in Detroit, I addressed the issue of place and the role it plays in the conception of my business. This time, I'm going to tackle the other question that comes up when I tell people what I do for a living: How does a small bookstore survive?

This question, of course, touches on the broader issue of how any small retailer can survive in an era where big box stores and malls dominate the landscape. Walking into one of these rectangular palaces, one feels intuitively that this place will have every book (or cooking utensil, cleaning supply, or whatever else it sells) one has ever heard of. How could a little spot like mine ever hope to compete?

The solution can be found in the sacrifices these places make in order to maintain their warehouse-like collections. Let's look at my business, bookselling, for insight into what I mean. Gigantic bookstores, in my opinion, are some of the worst places to browse. They are very good at having exactly the book you came in looking for, which is why they're designed with library-like efficiency. If you've got a title or author in mind before you even walk through the doors, you can make a beeline straight for the right section and you�ll be checking out in no time.

But they are not very good at encouraging exploration or discovery, nor is there any way one could reasonably expect the employees to know about every book in the store. I've tried to take advantage of these deficiencies in my comparatively small space. Instead of attempting an exhaustive approach toward inventory, I've chosen to curate a smaller sample of things. I emphasize discovery and novelty, displaying as many books as possible with their covers facing out and stocking a sizeable collection of things that people would not see elsewhere in the area. I want people to come in without any idea of what they're looking for and walk out with something entirely foreign to them.

This is a strategy all small retailers can use to combat their giant, wealthy competitors. We can afford to be specialist experts, whereas they must be conforming generalists. We can talk to our customers confidently because we know and love what we're selling. People come to us because they have grown tired with shopping, eating, and living in anyplace; because they want to be a part of this place.

Detroit is filling up with specialists and we're always looking for more. So long as your passion is true, you'll always outshine the sameness that surrounds us.

Torya Blanchard - Post 1: 'Fight Club' Inspires a French Creperie

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

2008 became what I called my experimental Fight Club ("Only after you've lost everything, you're free to do anything�.") year. I decided at the time to take the film literally to see what would happen if I followed some of the fictional character Tyler Durden's advice. Do real people actually do this? I loved my job as a French teacher, but I wanted to really push my limits, let go, and do something a little crazy.

Aside from the question "What's your favorite crêpe?" many people ask how did a Detroit girl like me get into, of all things, the crêpe business? I tell anyone who asks that it's easy to start a business if you are willing to give up being comfortable. Meaning you can sleep at night if your idea fails and you lose every penny to your name pursuing it. I took what money I saved, cashed out my 401K (gasp!), and started with that and, of all things, that $1,000 stimulus money that Bush gave us back in 2008! That's it.

Loans, unless they can't be avoided, I feel should be avoided at all cost in small businesses. Getting a loan somewhere throughout this small business journey probably would have made my life a lot easier, although there is something about working for every dollar that you get and knowing where every dollar comes from and where it's going and being on a cash basis with ever vendor you use. Many people are used to the instant gratification credit/loan, but there is something to be said about saving for your business � and saving while you do business � that makes you value your company and see money in a different light.

I'm a Detroit girl through and through. I grew up here, lived here, went to school here, and worked here. My goal in opening a business here was not to make any kind of statement. Rather, it's where my home is and where I feel very comfortable. Whether it be in Detroit or the suburbs, people have to be comfortable where they set up their businesses and there is nothing wrong with either choice of location.

While some people have left Detroit for dead, I know that there are people that still work, attend school, and carry their business on in the city, because I'm one of those people. That's where I and others come in and fill in the gap. Rent tends to be cheaper and especially in the Midtown/University area you have such broad access to many people from all over the metro area. There is room for more restaurants and shops in those areas. The audience is there.

I am every bit the film buff and in the end, a movie changed my life.

Greg Lenhoff - Post 1: "You're Gonna Sell What? Where?!"

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I'm pretty certain that anyone who has opened a small business has faced down the specters of cynicism and doubt, the lingering shades hiding in every daydream fantasy of what things might be like. The images of empty storefronts and zeroes in the books, I think, are natural and frequently productive. How else, after all, are you going to prepare for the worst?

But when I started talking to people about my plan to open a bookstore in Detroit, those ghosts took on flesh. Nervous, caring faces wondered how I was going to compete � with the Internet, with the huge retail chains, with the economy. And why Detroit? How was I ever going to sell books in a place that can't find a corporate grocer to sell fresh produce? These were serious concerns, deserving serious attention, and I found it hard to explain my passion and my plans.

But a partial response can be found at the front of my shop. The construction of my space involved tearing down the faux wood paneling that had been slapped on the walls sometime in the past, probably right around the time that the corporate grocers started moving in (Side note: It's a small wonder to me that I now own a shop only a few blocks from where my great-grandparents, escaping from Lebanon near the beginning of the last century, opened a little grocery store. Their building is no longer there.). Once the cheap façade had been removed, we found ceramic tiles bumping up against bright little paintings of sailboats. Pulling down the drop-grid ceiling exposed seven feet of height accentuated by setbacks and moldings. Much of this was in bad shape and, sadly, had to be covered up again. But the ceiling remains exposed and the richly colored tiles write their patterns near my windows. These remnants are part of my argument.

I have no way of directly competing with digital media or giant bookselling chains, just as they have no way of competing with me. I own a place with a particular past. I sell objects and all the sensations associated with them. The internet still hasn't figured out how to offer the aura of object-hood, that space between seeing pictures of Diego Rivera's "Detroit Industry" and actually being there, craning your neck back for minutes and having to look at something else because you're starting to hurt. The retail chains, by definition, can't offer a unique experience. This sense of place is where my store holds part of its advantage.

This same sense is what still distinguishes Detroit. Wandering down Woodward or through Capitol Park is an experience completely unique to this place. If you find yourself alone on Belle Isle, you can be sure that you are the only person in the world watching that stretch of water. This is why we stay here. This is why it's so hard to watch our buildings go down. I believe my store can compete because it has a sense of place. It's important that we think of our city in that way.

Post 5: Diversity and Sustainability on the Community Level

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Have you ever considered the possibility of investing in and owning your own renewable energy project? I am not referring to putting up a wind turbine or solar panels at your house, although that could make sense for some.   What I am referring to is Community Based Energy, where people in a particular community decide to co-develop their property, their farms, or common property within the community into a renewable energy project; a project that they invest in, own, and profit from.

Let's take wind, for example. You have probably heard of farmers, or large property owners, or groups of property owners leasing their land to developers who invest in installing large utility scale wind turbines to sell the energy they produce back to a utility in a long term contract called a power purchase agreement (PPA).

The concept of Community Wind does not focus on an outside developer owning and developing the wind farm for the developer's benefit, but rather the community, or members of the community, coming together to invest in a project that serves its own needs and provides a financial and energy benefit. The distinction is that the community owns at least a portion of the development.

Community Wind projects stimulate the local economy by keeping energy investments local, creating new jobs, and broadening the tax base. It is likely that support for wind energy will increase, as local people become deeply involved.

In Michigan, there are several examples of people committed to exploring community renewable energy projects on small and large scales. The DEQ state facility in Bay City just installed a 50 KW wind turbine to power its facilities. Wyandotte Municipal Services, a community owned municipal utility, is far down the path of creating a community wind project. It expects to have two to five 1.5 to 2.5MW turbines on line in the fall of 2010. Groups within the communities of Empire and Northport have formed to explore the possibility of attaining 100% of energy from renewable sources. And the list goes on!

There are things to take into account when considering a Community Wind project, such as:

•    Wind � without an average wind speed of at least 5.6 meters/second (12.5 miles per hour), the economics just don't make sense. With continued technology enhancements, this may change over time, but for now, the better the wind, the better the financial payoff.

•    Access and proximity to transmission lines that can accept the power the project will provide.

•    Land � the planned land use has to be consistent with a wind project development.

•    Be in an area where environmental conditions like wetlands, protected species, and sensitive areas can be protected or mitigated.

•    Local ordinances that are favorable to wind project development and a community educated on wind is critical.

•    Determine how best to take advantage of the various tax incentives and legislation currently available.

•    If all of the conditions are right, you'll need to have a buyer, like a utility, for the power you generate.

Why would you want to take on the additional risk and responsibility of owning a complex, capital intensive investment like a wind farm, when you can lease your land to a developer? Some sources say that owning a wind farm can double or triple the income to landowners, compared to receiving lease payments¹.

There are complexities that will need to be considered, and you should engage professionals with industry experience, credibility, and success with similar projects. Finding and using such experience will help create a significant contribution to sustainability at the community level by enhancing the triple bottom line of people, planet, and profit.

¹United States Government Accountability Office. Renewable energy: wind power's contribution to electric power generation and impact on farms and rural communities.

Post 4: Environment and Energy Epprentice: Creating Sustainability and Diversity in Leadership

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Perhaps it's because my kids are in college or recently graduated that I am more sensitive to the stories I hear regarding the exodus of our educated youth. Recently, I talked to one graduate from a local business school who said that not one classmate that she knew who landed a job was able to stay in-state. Whether this is true or not, in order for Michigan to thrive and grow, we need to create opportunities for our next generation of future leaders and support them in their development.

It was on this premise that I became involved in a unique approach to leadership development. On October 15, Next Energy of Detroit will host the first Environment and Energy Epprentice. This innovative program challenges emerging executives to solve real world problems while developing their leadership skills. Participants are split into teams and create proposals for energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability and energy as an economic driver. The winning proposal will be used to benefit the non-profit sponsors of Warm Training, Michigan Municipal League, Global Wind Systems, and Michigan Wind Institute.

To support these emerging leaders, some of the region's top executives from the energy and environment sectors will be judging the proposal submissions, such as Gilbert Borman, Executive Director, Michigan Wind Institute; Liesl Clark, Deputy Director, Michigan DELEG; and Nick Flores, Capital Access Program Manager, Green For All to name a few. I also am excited to be joining the Epprentice as a judge.

In an effort to bring hope, passion, and excitement to our future generation of leaders, graduate and undergraduate students from all of our state's major universities will be participating. In addition, a group of eight students from local high schools will be joining, sponsored by regional energy leaders such as ITC Holdings, Lakefront Capital, and the Wixom Energy Park.

What I see in this program is an innovative way to get our future leaders collaborating on big issues while they learn and grow their own skills in leadership. And I am pleased to see the outpouring of support from our current leaders in the environment and energy fields. I am hopeful that this program, and other programs like this one, can create the catalyst needed to attract and keep young talent in our region.

Post 3: Sustainability and Diversity, Paying it Forward

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Concerns about sustainability and diversity in our national energy portfolio are not new. Discussions on the reality of Global Warming and how to curb it continue. Reliance on foreign oil continues to be at the forefront of our economy. Regionally, manufacturing that once supported a large portion of our workforce remains under pressure.

Can you imagine what the concerns will be 20, 50, even 100 years from now? Will we still be focused on the same issues...or will we have created the sustainable economic and energy portfolio of the future? I'm hopeful that our efforts today will pay it forward tomorrow.

None of us can be sure of what the future holds. What I have seen, and am inspired by, however, is how many creative resources are committed to a future where the air we breathe is clean, where the world can support food and energy needs from local sources, and where people have the opportunity to engage in meaningful work.

On June 26, 2009, the US House of Representatives passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act, House Resolution 2454. Much like Michigan�s Act 295, its intention is �to create clean energy jobs, achieve energy independence, reduce global warming pollution and transition to a clean energy economy.�

One of the components to the national bill is a Carbon Cap and Trade System. Simply put, Carbon Cap and Trade puts a national limit on how much greenhouse gas the nation is allowed to emit and creates a national trading system for greenhouse gases. Companies can "trade" allowances or "credits" between each other for the right to emit pollutants, turning these emissions into a commodity that can be bought and sold. In theory, this market will balance pollution reduction at the lowest possible cost.

Along with the Cap and Trade system, Act 2454 proposes a Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) of 20% by 2020, starting with 6% by 2012. The proposed RES goal allows for several provisions such as Energy Efficiency credits in lieu of pursuing new renewable energy. These provisions have the potential to chip away at the 6% objective in 2012, taking the overall production from renewable generation to just 4.1%, a negligible increase over current levels.

Specifically, the House RES in H.R. 2454 would require roughly 5,000 to 6,000 MW of new renewable capacity on average per year between 2010 and 2021, but renewable capacity installed in 2008 alone was over 9,000 MW. Personally, I feel that a bolder National Energy Bill with a stronger emphasis on RES is needed to support investment in technology, manufacturing, and growth in diverse, renewable energy sources.

Now is the time to understand the varying options and proposed legislation, so we can begin to resolve these issues today. Diversity and sustainability is the least we can provide for tomorrow's generation.

Post 2: Sustainability and Diversity in Michigan's Energy Portfolio

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When you hear people talk about energy, you undoubtedly hear these questions. How imperative is it to diversify our source of energy with renewable sources? And how will a diversified portfolio of energy resources help to create a sustainable future in terms of the health of both the economy and our earth?

Last October (2008), Michigan enacted Public Act 295 (PA 295). This act requires our state's utilities to generate 10% of electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, tidal, etc.) by 2015. The bill also required a Net Metering policy to be established, which allows consumers to 'spin the meter backwards'. If you generate more power from renewable sources than you use, you get credit back from the utility on your next bill. There are limits as to how much power you can generate, and different rates for various levels of power.

The purpose of Act 295 is to promote the development of clean and renewable energy and energy efficiency to diversify energy resources, provide greater security by using state generated resources of energy, encourage private investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to provide improved air quality. I think that if you ask most people these days, they would add the expectation of creating jobs in a growing industry.

Is this legislation enough to support diversity and sustainability in our economic and energy portfolio? I believe it's a start.

Since last year, there has been a lot of activity to support the intention of the Act, including putting net metering laws in place to create incentives for consumers to utilize their own renewable sources, creating an on shore and an off- shore Wind Board to study the potential for wind energy in Michigan, incentives on the state and federal level to support energy efficiency and renewable energy, stimulus funding, and green jobs initiatives.

Next week (October 6-7), the Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) Jobs and Energy Forum meets at Cobo Hall. "In order to transform the Midwest from rust to green", the MGA, including Governor Granholm, will meet to identify strategies to create the new energy economy.

Every where I turn, I see examples of companies, universities, non-profit organizations, and individuals committed to developing a clean energy economy in our state, such as Next Energy which was created in 2002 to become one of the nation's leading catalysts for alternative and renewable energy. I see architects like A3C in Ann Arbor creating an UrbEn Retreat and renovating their building with a green roof, a geothermal system, and several other sustainable changes to become LEED � CI Gold certified. I see the Monroe based IHM Sisters investing in geothermal system to reduce their heating costs, a greywater collection system to reduce water use, and an impressive renovation that reused or recycled much of the existing facility.

Just a few weeks ago, the announcement about a renewable energy park at the Ford Wixom plant came out. As you listen to what's going on in our region, look for evidence of how we are diversifying our energy sources and our economic portfolio. I see evidence that supports a distributed, diverse portfolio of several energy sources and economic drivers that will sustain us well into the future.

Post 1: Sustainability, Diversity, and Portfolios

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Sustainability, Diversity, and Portfolios

Overused words � perhaps. You hear them repeatedly and in many contexts. Sustainable living, sustainable design, sustainable environment, sustainable farming. Cultural diversity, managing diversity, importance of diversity, diversified assets. Job portfolios, renewable portfolio standards, financial portfolios.

I think of these words as concepts to consider as our state and the people who live here face uncertain and critical times. What's going to pull us out of this uncertainty? How are we going to adapt? And how can we influence a sustainable, diverse, portfolio of jobs, energy, businesses, and leadership to create an attainable future for ourselves and for our children?

I believe the only way out of the crisis we is to create a sustainable and diverse portfolio of all of these components. Whether we are talking about our own career portfolio, an energy portfolio, an economic portfolio of businesses, or our leadership portfolio, I believe that to flourish and grow, we must commit to changing the way we work and the way we live.

Let's talk first about changing the way we live.

Changing the way I live became a personal theme over the last year, after being downsized from an executive role with an automotive intelligence and marketing solutions company. I realized this was an opportunity to reevaluate what was truly important to me and make a shift where I felt my contribution was going to make a difference. I felt a strong pull to pursue something that would leave the world a better place than I found it. Altruistic? Absolutely. Unrealistic or improbable? I didn't think so.

My sister, a LEED AP Architect, and other friends inspired me to check out what was going on in the renewable energy industry. I set out to learn as much as I could, as quickly as I could. I attended conferences like the Renewable Energy Technology Conference (RETECH), the Great Lakes Renewable Energy (GLREA) educational sessions, the GLREA Michigan Wind Conference, Michigan's Energy Fair and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) National Wind Conference. I engaged with local networking groups such as EcoTuesdays and worked with Paragon Leadership, a leadership development firm sharing in my passion and vision for developing leadership in environment and energy fields. I volunteered my time in areas where I could make a contribution. I talked to anyone who allowed me the time to investigate the business, to network, and to learn how I could best serve this growing industry.

Thanks to all of those who offered me their time, their insights, their interests, and their own stories of how they embraced change, I am now enjoying my working life more than I ever have.

I love the opportunity to learn about something I feel so strongly about and to help a company grow to serve the needs of our customers in a way that so clearly impacts the future of our world.

Here's my question to you: What are you doing to create a sustainable, diverse portfolio for your own career? Regardless of where you are now, or where you have been, how have you adapted for the future? How have you diversified your assets to create your own portfolio of offerings for the marketplace of the future? And most importantly, how have you integrated what's most important to you in your job where most of us spend at least one third of our time, and have you created balance in other areas of your life that are perhaps more important than any job you will ever hold? If you are interested in renewable energy, the upcoming AWEA Small and Community Wind Conference or Environment and Energy Epprentice™ may be a place to start exploring.

As we all know, gone are the days of spending your entire career at one company. And for many, gone are the days of working in a single industry. Even though it's not easy, I am happy to say so long to the one company career, and welcome to creating a future based on a sustainable, diverse portfolio of assets and interests.

Post 4: A Diet Guide for Automotive Road Hogs

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So if you want to make your community more bike-friendly or more walkable, where do you start? Here are some basic thoughts.

Who's in charge?

It�s important to figure out who are the decision makers that can help make your vision happen. One common mistake is to assume MDOT controls all the roads, when in fact it controls very few. Also, except for Wayne, the county roads are controlled by county road commissions that are separate from county government.

Learn the playbooks

Engineers don't have free rein when it comes to designing roads, sidewalks, and signage. They need to follow guidelines. If you know those guidelines, you can speak their language and ask for the proper facilities � and make sure they're designing things properly.

Bicycle advocates should really consider buying a copy of the AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities. Reading and understanding this guide from cover to cover will make you an expert on creating safe bike friendly streets.

Push easy-to-grasp concepts

Chances are you're passionate about biking and walking, but those you're trying to convince aren't. It's often best to use simple-to-understand phrases and ideas to help them get what you want.

Here are some useful terms to use that help frame your vision in a positive manner:

•   Complete Streets � Building streets for all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit.

•   Safe Routes to School � Making it safer and easier for kids to walk and bike to school

•   Road Diets � Reducing a road from 4 lanes to 3 with bike lanes. It's safer for all road users.

•   Livable Communities � This term is getting much traction within the Obama Administration, especially with the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood. The concept is simple: Our investments in transportation should strengthen the surrounding communities. All too often, transportation has put a priority on vehicle mobility rather than the livability of a community and its environment. There's momentum to change that.

Start early and be persistent

Public works projects take time. Plan to stick with your campaign through the ups and downs. Progress usually comes in large, irregular jumps rather than a steady flow.

And remember that even when things seem stuck in the mud, conditions can change with staff retiring or new people getting elected or even stimulus funding coming from Washington, D.C.

Be balanced, well-prepared, and likeable

The result is you'll have more people on your side, which is critical for effective grassroots advocacy. It's also more likely you'll be included in future decision making.

No, there really isn't a single roadmap for successfully advocating change. Your best bet is to be well-prepared and figure out the more effective plan of action as you move forward. Bring friends and stick with it.

As Margaret Mead once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

Post 3: 4 Camps of Thought

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So where are we headed in terms of improving non-motorized transportation options in Metro Detroit?

Just as bikeability and walkability varies across our region, so too does the direction communities are taking. But at the risk of over-generalizing, we can fit most everyone into four different camps.

Camp 1: No plan and no direction

Unfortunately, too many Metro Detroit communities fall into this group, for one reason or another. It's either going to take grassroots advocacy or elected leadership to see the need for a more livable community and start moving in that direction.

One way to do that is develop a non-motorized transportation master plan � and commit to implementing it. These plans are typically designed by professionals with input from the public.

Of course in these times, finding the money for such a planning effort will be an issue. However, keep in mind that a minimum of 1% of each city, village, and county's state road funds must be spent on non-motorized facilities � and non-motorized plans are an eligible expense.

Camp 2: Bicycles are for recreation only

Unfortunately, this too is the attitude of many. They might be willing to put a pathway through a park or on an abandoned railroad track, but they aren't thinking about their residents riding to nearby parks or to work or to the nearest transit stop.

To them, bicycle trips begin by loading them onto the car.

As in Camp 1, the burden to change lies with the residents, local leaders, and as we recently learned, the price at the gas pump. Four to five dollars a gallon certainly seemed to be a tipping point where Americans started considering other, less costly transportation modes.

Camp 3: We don't need no stinkin' guidelines

Camp 3 communities, while well intentioned, have chosen to follow only some of the national guidelines for safe and convenient bicycle facilities (as defined by the American Association for Station Highway and Transportation Officials or AASHTO.)

The most common indicator of a Camp 3 community is the "safety path". Interestingly enough, the term safety path is a local invention, perhaps because AASHTO calls them side paths and says that in most cases they should not be built for cyclists. Why? Because, like sidewalks, studies have found they are far less safe than other facilities such as bike lanes.

So why are they being built? In many cases, it's due to the county road agencies that have put a premium on the mobility of motorized vehicles. Many won't allow on-road bicycle facilities, though that's starting to change in Wayne and Macomb counties. Non-motorized advocates need continue pushing the issue. To use a car reference, safety shouldn't sit in the back seat. It should be steering.

Camp 4: We get it!

Ann Arbor, Ferndale, Detroit, Troy, and others are doing things right. They understand the value of active transportation, have a plan to foster its growth, and are making the necessary investments. They are the local role models for the region.

And the good news is Royal Oak and Novi should soon join this list as they develop non-motorized plans of their own.

It's all good, but it's still important that cyclists and pedestrians in these communities show their grassroots support and keep pushing these efforts forward. No matter how positive or productive the results may be, there will always be those in the crowd who see things differently.

Not surprisingly, opposition to efforts like these were around over 100 years ago in Detroit. Famous Detroit bicyclist Horatio "Goods Roads" Earle led the fight for paved roads, became Michigan's first State Highway Commissioner and founded MDOT.

Earle wrote about those that opposed his early efforts and those words seem relevant today. He said that there are people "who are naturally against anything and everything that is new, on the principle that, 'What was good enough for our grandparents is good enough for us,' without stopping to investigate the benefits to be derived."

Earle won the battle for good roads, and if we are smart and stick with it, so will we, by gum.

Post 2: A Bikeable Path for Metro Detroit

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 GMT

So if you're still with me on the "why", let's look at just where we stand today. But before doing that, we need to define some terms.

Just what is walkability? It's a measure of just how safe and convenient it is to access goods and services on foot within a community. That also includes accessing schools and parks.

Walkability means more than just having a sidewalk in front of your home. There's an old Steven Wright joke that everything's within walking distance if you have the time. But having good walkability means you can step out your front door after dinner, walk to a neighborhood pub to watch the Tigers and get there before the 9th inning.

This basic definition for walkability is used by WalkScore.com, which if you haven't visited yet, you should. Its web site allows you to enter an address and get a rough estimate of that location's walkability. It even has a map showing the relative walkability for the entire city of Detroit.

As for bikeability, the definition is similar except that it also includes having adequate bike parking.

Given these definitions, just how bikeable and walkable is Metro Detroit? That's difficult to answer because the region is far from homogeneous. The more vibrant neighborhoods in Detroit, along with many of the suburban downtowns, are very walkable.

Generally speaking, the further one moves away from these areas, the less walkable they become � and it's by design (or perhaps a lack of design!) Newer communities are typically built around automobile use. Adding sidewalks won't make them more any walkable if it's a three-mile hike to the nearest school, ice cream shop, or corner store.

That said, one advantage to biking is that in a given period of time, cyclists can travel roughly three times the distance that a pedestrian can. That three-mile trip might take a reasonable 15 minutes by bike. One result is that more of Metro Detroit is bikeable, or at least has the potential to be.

Some features that make communities bikeable include normal street grid patterns and streets that are comfortable to ride, either due to low traffic volumes or facilities like bike lanes or bike boulevards.

Street grids make communities bikeable because they typically provide many road options for cyclists and the car use is dispersed across the grid. Communities that have more cul-de-sacs and non-thru streets concentrate traffic on the main arterials (e.g. mile roads) which are in most cases not comfortable for most cyclists to ride. These communities could become more bikeable by investing in bike lanes or wide paved shoulders on their main roads. In Metro Detroit, the city of Troy is at the forefront and looking at options to do just that.

Unbeknownst to many, the city of Detroit is perhaps the most bikeable city in Southeast Michigan, if not the U.S., due to its very low traffic volumes and well-formed street grids, as writers for The New York Times and Time magazine have pointed out. In addition, the city is beginning implementation of a non-motorized transportation master plan which calls for 400 miles of bike lanes. Studies show that facilities such as bike lanes increase cyclist safety and encourage more people to ride.

Hopefully that provides a general idea of where we're at in terms of walking and biking in Metro Detroit. The next question: Where are we headed?