The Detroit Zoo: Making a Good Business Decision
We often think a “good business decision” makes us money. But let’s revisit that word, good.
Making difficult decision for the right reasons, making a positive difference–that’s a good business decision.
Today, the Detroit Free Press posted an article about the Detroit Zoo‘s decision to phase out the selling of bottled water at concession stands–a decision that will cost the zoo $240,000 in annual sales–in an effort to decrease their contribution of plastic waste.
(+read more about the Detroit Zoo’s Greenprint initiatives)
It’s a bold move, and one that all of us should inspire to do: make a good business decision; not only profitable one.
I love this music video by Ann Arbor’s Abigail Stauffer:
One Youtube commenter named farmerchio pointed out, “This should have WAY more clicks.” While I agree with the commenter, worrying about clicks could miss the power already achieved. (I was changed by the video! I’m remembering I need to go to the farmer’s market.)
It’s not about the current number of views breaking 6000. It’s about how many Ann Arbor residents were compelled to visit the A2 Farmer’s Market because of Abigail’s video’s setting? How many choose to eat a healthy meal one day? I bet quite a few!
The number of people in my town inspired to eat healthier because they watched this video is more meaningful than how many “clicks” it got.
The last decade has been a chase for clicks. We clicked on that link; but did it change us?
I think it’s time for us to reframe our expectations of the power of the Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, the Internet in general. To stop counting clicks, and ask, “How is our art impacting others?”
It’s nice to go viral; but it might mean more to go local.
Yesterday, I did something my friends wouldn’t expect from me; I attended the Justin Timberlake/Jay Z concert in Detroit.
I won’t go into length about how my wife and her sister Brianna tricked Corey, my brother-in-law, and I into joining them–They were sneaky and bought four tickets–but I will admit that I had a nice time.
I will also admit that I haven’t attended a large, arena concert in years, and when I took my seat, I gazed in awe at the massive amount of people inside Ford Field, the gigantic stage housing towers of screens, the stacks of speakers…
The JT/Jay-Z stage at Ford Field
Concerts in stadiums are spectacular extravaganzas.
But what if you could attend a concert where you could actually see the notes played by the guitar player; where you didn’t have to pay the equivalent of your month’s grocery budget to attend; where you didn’t have to wait in traffic jams to park and leave; where you spend $8 to bring a six-pack, not one domestic beer?
Would you enjoy that more?
Yes, these things exist. They are call house concerts…
Yesterday many people enjoyed the celebration (with $8 beer prices to match), yet I wonder, how many of these people might equally enjoy attending a show at the legendary Ark. Or a fee-free show hosted by Fusion Shows. Or a house concert like Craig Carrick’s series.
And I sadly wondered how many of them will never know what they are missing?
If only there was someone to tell them about those types of shows, too.
Procrastination, creativity’s biggest enemy
Yesterday, my cousin Kirk told me his father David requested in lieu of flowers that family and friends make a donation to Michigan Radio.
(Read yesterday’s blog about Senator David Plawecki and the power of positive political spirit here.)
I instantly realized how I’ve procrastinated giving a donation to an NPR station for eight years. Leave it to David to be still making a difference after he’s left us.
As a teacher and musician, I’ve learned early in my career that creativity’s biggest enemy is probably procrastination.
David Plawecki was elected to the Michigan Senate at the age of 22. The same age I was speaking in front of my first classroom, David was taking the floor of the senate.
This reminds me of the column Natalie wrote for the Bridge in June about how the youth today aren’t actually politically indifferent, but that their engagement doesn’t look the same as our parents’. But that our involvement in direct politics is disturbingly low.
Procrastination, not only an enemy to creativity but an enemy to change. How many times this year have our Michigan politicians kicked the can down the the road for later? I criticize, but I’m guilty of it too.
I’ll be making a donation to Michigan Radio finally, but more importantly, I’ll be reminding myself to fight the urge to say, “I’ll do that next year, next month, next week, tomorrow.”
We all have the right to have positive spirit. (A dedication to David Plawecki.)
When I got my first job as a teenager, serving hot dogs at Greenfield Village’s Oscar Mayer Wiener Mobile, I discovered a cool family fact of great pride…
The day I got hired, I came home and read over the employee handbook. (I’m know. I’m still a dork.) To my surprise, I noticed my mom’s last name mentioned in a paragraph about my rights as a worker.
“Hey mom, your last name’s here. What’s this?”
“Oh!” she said, “that’s the bill our cousin David sponsored when he was Michigan Senator! The Bullard-Plawecki Employee Right to Know Bill…Didn’t you know your cousin David was the youngest Michigan senator elected?
To be 16, starting my first job, and to see how politics made change that impacted me, let alone from a family member’s involvement, was one of the coolest things ever. It’s the type of introduction to politics I wish more could experience, one that gives hope, pride, and spirit. (Things we don’t normally feel when we hear about politics, right?) It’s continually guided my optimism about Michigan, about local government, and a lot more.
My mom’s cousin David died, from cancer, last night. He was only 65, and he was an inspiring person to know. (Obituary, funeral info here.)
It seems just like yesterday that I was at the Storti/Sherrard family wedding and sharing a drink with David. The country was in the heart of the recession; a recession that Michigan had felt for most of my adulthood.
I asked David, “What do you think about the state of our state?” I also shared that I was leaving teaching in a month to pursue music. “Am I crazy to do this?” I joked.
David smiled and shared one of the most positive predictions I’ve heard about our beloved Mitten. How Michigan was going to continue to be a great place to live.
He then added, “You are going to do great with music. Don’t worry about the economy. Worry about your love of music. The rest will follow.”
It’s one of the most important things I learned from him while growing up: How important it is to keep a positive spirit about home (Michigan), about the democratic system, about dreams; it’s that attitude that is the first step to great change.
It’s an attitude we all have the right to have.
* * * Funeral info * * *
Visitation is Wednesday, Aug. 7 at Santeiu Funeral Home in Garden City, MI 3-8 PM
Funeral is Thursday, Aug 8 at Divine Child, with a visitation starting at 9 AM and mass at 9:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, David requested friends and family make a donation to Catholic Relief Services or Michigan Radio.
* * * News Updates * * *
David’s last request in the news:
Channel 4 News
Senator David Plawecki speaking on the Michigan Senate floor.
