I know I've mentioned Seth Godin before, and his words have been on my mind much as of late. He's a hard person to put in a box, but I might classify him as a wise man, author, and business guru....you could also describe him as a practical philosopher, revolutionary marketer, and badass. Long story short, you should check out his work.
I first heard an interview with him on the life-changing podcast 'On Being', (seriously my best new find in the past couple of years) and have since bought several of his books and signed up for his daily blog posts. Hell, I even wrote to him to thank him for his words of inspiration and he wrote back! Super cool.
In any case, the below blog post landed in my email inbox a few days ago, though I only opened it just now. I've been thinking about the status quo a lot recently, as when I describe my mocktail project to people, they look at me like I have 5 heads, then warm to the idea and get really excited when they hear more detail. Part of it is that I'm still refining the language around it (it's not easy to explain a very new, strange idea in the time allotted to a standard greeting) but each interaction makes me realize that no one has dedicated the time and effort to make mocktails relevant, and hence, it challenges the status quo.
As a related aside, I taught my second class at Audrey Claire Cook yesterday and both times I was struck that they write checks for their guest instructors on the spot. In almost 20 years working in the hospitality and beverage industry, I've never seen that- it's always weeks to months to receive a check- and got me thinking of principles that are important to me as I build my own business. In an industry that operates on credit and often on shoestring budgets, it is so refreshing to see a business model that rises above the rest.
I have still to announce my major plans on expanding my business because it is way too early to share, (I have to build it first) but when the time comes, I am certain that not only is it possible to run a business where all employees are respected and compensated appropriately, but in fact it is, as Godin suggests below, building a foundation upon which people can flourish and grow. Maybe it's 'anti-business' but to me, it's a worthy idea of real value.
(The following post is copied and pasted from Seth Godin's blog on April 16th, 2015)
I am 'anti-business', you might be too
A hundred and fifty years ago, when people finally began organizing to eliminate child labor in American factories, they were called anti-business. There was no way, the owners complained, that they could make a living if they couldn’t employ ultra-cheap labor. In retrospect, I think businesses are glad that kids go to school--educated workers make better consumers (and citizens).
Fifty years ago, when people realized how much damage was being done by factories poisoning our rivers, those supporting the regulations to clean up the water supply were called anti-business. Companies argued that they’d never be able to efficiently produce while reducing their effluent. Today, I think most capitalists would agree that the benefits of having clean air and water more than make up for what it costs to create a place people want to live—the places that haven't cleaned up are rushing to catch up, because what destroys health also destroys productivity and markets. (And it's a good idea).
When the bars and restaurants went non-smoking in New York a decade ago, angry trade organizations predicted the death knell of their industry. It turns out the opposite happened.
The term anti-business actually seems to mean, “against short-term waste, harmful side effects and selfish shortcuts.” Direct marketers were aghast when people started speaking out against spam, but of course, in the long run, ethical direct marketers came out ahead.
If anti-business means supporting a structure that builds a foundation where more people can flourish over time, then sign me up.
A more interesting conversation, given how thoroughly intertwined business and social issues are, is whether someone is short-term or long-term. Not all long-term ideas are good ones, not all of them work, but it makes no sense to confuse them with the label of anti-business.
Successful businesses tend to be in favor of the status quo (they are, after all, successful and change is a threat) perhaps with a few fewer regulations just for kicks. But almost no serious businessperson is suggesting that we roll back the 'anti-business' improvements to the status quo of 1890.
It often seems like standing up for dignity, humanity and respect for those without as much power is called anti-business. And yet it turns out that the long-term benefit for businesses is that they are able to operate in a more stable, civilized, sophisticated marketplace.
It’s pretty easy to go back to a completely self-regulated, selfishly focused, Ayn-Randian cut-throat short-term world. But I don’t think you’d want to live there.