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Gary's book, Stirring It Up: How To Make Money And Save The World will warm the hearts not only of the dedicated environmentalist but also of the most bean-counting-obsessed Chief Financial Officer as well.
In telling the story of the rise of Stonyfield Farms and especially of their yogurt, Gary relates the trials and tribulations that anyone who has ever started a business can relate to, setbacks, frustrations, victories and failures. Of course, as I have only started marketing and advertising groups, the parallels in our backgrounds only went so far - while I certainly have attended and helped clients at my share of tastings and sampling events, a Stonyfield staple, I have never had to leave to go milk a cow.
Actually, to be completely honest, I have never milked a cow - or even seen a cow milked.
But Gary has seen this, and much much more. In fact, as Gary relates the stories of companies that not only make great products but make them in environmentally sound ways and practices and actually make more money because they use these methods, it gives you more hope for our future.
The business of American business is business as the old saying goes and business has to understand and relate to the power and possibility of going green. Like so many, I try and buy green products but as Wood Turner at Climate Counts, a project started by Gary Hirshberg, has been patiently educating me, the positive impact of a single green product can, and often sadly is, far outweighed by the negative impact of the company making the product.
Gary's illustrations, however, show us how powerful and green some companies have become.
He relates how companies like Timberland, Zipcars, Patagonia and Clif Bar have made their companies powerful and successful while making them green. These stories are fascinating but the story that absolutely surprised and astounded me - and should make everyone read this book and send it to all of their Republican business freinds, one word:
Wal-Mart.
That's right, here in Gary Hirshberg's book about saving the world is the fascinating story of what Lee Scott is doing at Wal-Mart.
Now, for those of you that aren't aware, Wal-Mart is the most obsessively focused bottom line company I have ever heard and read about - which might also explain why it's the world's largest company as well, and what is Wal-Mart doing?
Well, sure Wal-mart is preserving one acre of wildlife habitat for every acre it develops, and that is all well and good, but what they are really doing is saving hundreds of millions of dollars but going green.
Doubling the efficiency of their trucks? $300 million a year.
Changing to better, more energy-efficient lightbulbs in their stores? $7 million right there.
And Gary goes on to tell more truly amazing things that the most capitalistic store in the world is doing, organic clothes? They're flying off the shelves there.
So here's what I suggest. Buy the book for yourself. Read it, enjoy it, and learn.
And then, in the spirit of the book and re-use, give it to the most successful business person you know, trust me, they'll thank you for it.
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