7gen Bloc
Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Fri, Oct. 31, 2008
Recently, I came across a book that advises marketers to push past their demographic research and trends analyses, and start focusing on how best to create solutions to customers' real-world problems.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Wed, Oct. 29, 2008
Downsizing is a game that consumer packaged-goods companies have been playing on shoppers for decades. One day you go to the grocery store and that roll of bathroom tissue you bought last week -- the one that had 400 sheets -- now has just 380 sheets. Next year, it will be slimmed down to 320 sheets. At some point, there are so few sheets on the roll they discontinue the item and start all over again, hoping no one notices.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Mon, Oct. 27, 2008
A few weeks ago, Seventh Generation celebrated its 20th anniversary. I'd like to share a few things I've learned over the past two decades.
The mission matters.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Thu, Oct. 23, 2008
A few weeks ago, our entire company took two days away from the office to retreat, reflect, design, explore, and hang out. In Vermont’s Mad River Valley, at the base of the Sugarbush Resort, we spent two exhilarating and tough days designing Seventh Generation’s future.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Wed, Oct. 22, 2008
The Economist recently reported that from the early 1980's to the peak last year, the financial services industry's share of total American corporate profits rose from 10% to 40%. In other words, 40 cents out of every dollar earned by every company in the entire country came from banks, brokers, venture capitalists, and private equity investors.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Tue, Oct. 21, 2008
A few nights ago, I reunited with a tribe that has shaped much of my life over the past 25 years. A tribe committed to making the world a better place through community and commitment, joy and love, passion and possibility, business and politics. At the center of the tribe is its chief, its foreman, its court jester, and its visionary leader—Josh Mailman.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Mon, Oct. 20, 2008
Occasionally you discover a really cool organization that you can't believe you've never heard of before. You think, Wow they seem to be talking about us—and most of what we do is aligned with what they seem to be about.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Fri, Oct. 17, 2008
In a February article in Fortune, reporter Betsy Morris sang the praises of Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo's sophomore CEO. The piece described PepsiCo's new motto under Nooyi, "Performance with Purpose," which strives to balance "the profit motive with making healthier snacks, striving for a net-zero impact on the environment, and taking care of your workforce."
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Thu, Oct. 9, 2008
Know Your Source is an exciting start-up with national ambitions. It aspires to be the leading provider of natural, holistic medical products that are targeted to health professionals (massage therapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, and allopathic doctors) and the businesses that employ them, including spas, destination retreats, and wellness clinics.
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Posted by Inspired Protagonist | Mon, Oct. 6, 2008
I’ve sometimes said that hell would freeze over before Seventh Generation would ever do business with Wal-Mart. In fact, at times I’ve made even more strongly worded statements. Now I’ve got to concede that I was wrong. For the first time ever, the Seventh Generation logo is appearing in a handful of stores that are owned by Wal-Mart.
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