Author: Shel Horowitz—Green/Ethical Business Expert

A lifelong activist, profitability and marketing specialist Shel Horowitz’s mission is to fix crises like hunger, poverty, racism, war, and catastrophic climate change—by showing the business world how fixing them can make a profit. An author, international speaker, and TEDx Talker, his award-winning 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, lays out a blueprint for creating and MARKETING those profitable change-making products and services. He is happy to help you craft your messaging and develop profit strategies. Learn more (and download excerpts from the book) at http://goingbeyondsustainability.com

By Posted on Posted in language, People Helping People Tagged with , , , , , ,

Along with a similar campaign around business ethics, I’ve long been on a campaign to reclaim “family values” as a value that progressives can rally around. And to me, that means seeing the family as inclusive. I am not concerned about whether a family has two parents, whether it has different genders or where/how/if that family chooses to worship–and much more concerned that a family be a place of peace, love, support, and very deep connection. And the Left needs to take a firm position in favor of these true family values-to say unequivocally that the so-called Defense of Marriage Act, domestic violence, and the ludicrous don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy are NOT in keeping with our family values.

And therefore I was delighted today to get a bulk email from none other than Michelle Obama, touting a 2-minute video of Barack Obama (and another father with four children) celebrating “responsible fatherhood”. Barack Obama noted once again that his father was largely absent in his life, and because of this, he’s made an intense commitment to be there for Sasha and Malia. Of course, Obama is a master marketer, and this video is an example of his marketing prowess. It shows him as not only charismatic but enormously likable.

Oddly enough, I just finished re-reading the complete Harry Potter series. Harry’s parents are killed when he’s a year old, and late in the series he castigates another character for wanting to stay and defend Harry rather than being there for his newborn child. Harry tells him that if he can be his child, that’s where he should be.

Anyway, the video is very sweet.

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By Posted on Posted in Abundance and Prosperity, Energy & Sustainability Tagged with , , , ,

Triple Pundit’s been getting lots of comments on a post questioning whether nuclear power plant decommissioning schemes can work in today’s economic climate, and stating that this is a reason NOT to build more nukes.

It’s shocking to see how many nuclear defenders have commented. Back in 1979, I wrote my first book about why nuclear power was a terrible idea, and I remain convinced that it is a terrible path. Decommissioning is only one of dozens of serious problems. Just to name a few:

  • Waste disposal that requires secure storage for a quarter of a million years
  • Enormous consequences in event of accident, and insurance coverage that won’t even begin to cover claims (thanks to a very dubious US law called the Price-
    Anderson Act, which both subsidizes the insurance premium and sets wildly unrealistic caps on liability    )
  • Poor safety record to date
  • Net power loss over the entire fuel cycle from mining through waste disposal (and transmission to end-users)
  • Susceptibility to terrorist attacks all along the fuel cycle (not just the heavily protected plants themselves)
  • Loss of liberty due to centralization of police-state force to protect the plants
  • Thermal pollution
  • Radiation leakage
  • Health effects…

    To those who say nonpolluting renewables are just as if not more expensive… 1. Take a look at the work of people like Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, who demonstrates over and over again that when you take a whole-systems approach to locally-grown solar and wind power, economies show up that conventional design and engineering miss completely–like the ability to eliminate a furnace. 2. Count the true costs of nuclear, without all the subsidies and hiding costs by moving them into other budget streams, and the picture is different.

    I put solar hot water on the roof of my 260-year-old farmhouse in cloudy Massachusetts and the system paid for itself in about five years. I admit that the pv system we put in a couple of years later has not performed as well, but I suspect some poor siting choices have much to do with that.

    But even so, solar is widely applicable, environmentally inoffensive, and, coupled with an aggressive program of conservation, could remove the “need” for many nuclear and coal plants. The days of centralized power generation and remote transmission to user sites are probably coming to a close; far too much energy is wasted in transmission.

    On the conservation side, I happen to have written a short, inexpensive ($9.95) e-book called Painless Green: 111 Tips to Help the Environment, Lower Your Carbon Footprint, Cut Your Budget, and Improve Your Quality of Life—With No Negative Impact on Your Lifestyle: – this is stuff you can put into practice immediately, and most of the tips cost nothing or almost nothing.

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    By Posted on Posted in Copywriting, Energy & Sustainability, language, Uncategorized Tagged with , , , ,

    From a Starbucks press release–the second sentence in the first paragraph, and within the quote, I’ve linked to the full press release:

    With the goal of prioritization and agreement on criteria for a comprehensive recyclable cup solution, discussions will address obstacles and opportunities.

    Who writes this crap? I’m sorry, but that’s not English. Will someone please tell Starbucks that the purpose of a press release is to communicate, not to obfuscate? Especially when there actually is real news buried under the blather: First, that the chain is committing to 100% recyclable cups within three years, and second, that systems theorist Peter Senge will moderate a summit on the topic.

    So why not say so without making people dig for it? If it had been my assignment to write this press release, you can bet it would have gotten right to the point and been understandable by ordinary people.

    Starbucks of course is not the only offender. But a press release like this is useless. You want to tell the story, not hide it.

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    By Posted on Posted in Abundance and Prosperity, Ethics-International, Marketing Techniques and Philosophies, Social and Economic Justice

    Answer: I just read provocative articles on BNET on these two topics.

    First, Stacy Blackman, while supporting cause marketing, notes that these products are often more expensive, because the company has to cover the cost of the donation. However, I commented that a successful campaign would bring in enough extra sales volume that this shouldn’t be an issue.

    Second, Jeffrey Pfeffer makes a fascinating case for lowering healthcare costs by improving US workplace conditions and decreasing job stress caused by anticipated layoffs and other factors. He notes lower stress levels AND better working conditions for many European businesses.

    Plenty of footnotes for those who want to check his sources and assumptions.

    Of course, there are many other factors–not the least of which is that most other industrialized countries have shifted healthcare from a privilege of the wealthy to a right for all, using a single-payer system that in many cases pays doctors on salary rather than fee-for-service. HR 676 in the US would bring this sensible system to our shores as well, and by some estimates slash health costs around 30 percent.

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    By Posted on Posted in Marketing Techniques and Philosophies, Web 2.0/Social Media Tagged with , , ,

    Of course,there are a hundred ways to run a great social media campaign–but when I received this e-mail, I thought it was such a good blueprint for running a social media campaign that I’d like to share it with all of you. Yes, I’ve seen others just as good; this one happened to strike my fancy, and when I wrote for permission, it was granted.

    Model this in your own campaigns, and your success chances will be high:

    Dear Shel,

    Thanks again for supporting what is turning out to be an incredible book campaign. Because of you the Ask and You Will Succeed Campaign has turned out to be one of the largest internet campaigns to date. Our goal is to have over 125 affiliates sending 12 million opt in emails on June 16th, along with a Blog strategy, Social Media Plan, Contests, Internet Radio, Internet TV, Press and much more.

    Below you will find several suggestions on what to say to your friends, associates and family on Facebook and Twitter. Our Facebook expert Debra Simpson put these posts together to send to your data bases. You may want to model the strategy here for your next product launch.

    Please start posting these immediately to your Facebook and Twitter Sites. 

    Social Media Verbiage for the Ask and You Will Succeed Campaign

    For Facebook:
    1.  Here are some Short URLs for your posts

    AskSucceed.com                                         https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    AskSucceed.com/partners.html https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Ask And You Will Succeed Fan Page https://tr.im/FanPage

    Facebook Posts:

    I’m a Fan of Ask and You Will Succeed. Check it out: https://tr.im/FanPage
    2. Send your contacts to the Ask and You Will Succeed book launch page:

    Ask Your Way To Success. In this life enhancing guide like no other, Kenneth Foster shows readers how to solve any problem, any time, any place by asking the right questions. Ask and You Will Succeed is based on the commanding questions that govern the creative laws of success, and shatters the myth that success is the result of the advice, hard work, or driving ambition of others. https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Human Excellence expert Kenneth Foster shows readers that asking the right questions can increase happiness, prosperity, and productivity, in work and in life. Most of us spend our lives asking the wrong questions and getting nowhere. Ask and You Will Succeed gives you a new perspective on what you can accomplish when you ask the right questions. When you change the questions you ask, there’s no limit to what you can do. https://tr.im/AskSucceed
    3. Send your contacts to the Ask and You Will Succeed affiliate sign up page:

    Be part of the largest internet book campaigns in history. Kenneth Foster’s book, Ask And You Will Succeed is being launched June 16th. Kenneth has a lot of benefits to affiliates who want to support his efforts. Check out the bonuses here: https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Kenneth Foster, author of Ask And You Will Succeed currently has commitments of over 8 million emails going out to opt in data bases with a goal of 12 million and he’s well on his way to hitting this. Another goal is to Tweet to 2 million people on Twitter and have 2 million posts about the campaign on Facebook. He also has a Blog strategy, YouTube plan and a traditional TV, Radio and Press plan. Be part of it by becoming an affiliate: https://tr.im/AskPartners

    For Twitter
    4. Please RT (retweet) any tweets you see about Kenneth Foster and my book Ask And You Will Succeed

    5. Send your contacts to the Ask and You Will Succeed book launch page:

    Learning to ask the right questions will help you achieve unlimited success and personal fulfillment. Check out: https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Solve any problem by learning to ask the right questions at the right times. https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Kenneth Foster shatters the myth that people can’t fully control their own destiny and presents questions that prove it. https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Ask and You Will Succeed gives readers the mental tools and skills they need to succeed. https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Ask and You Will Succeed is based on the commanding questions that govern the creative laws of success, Kenneth Foster https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Human Excellence expert Kenneth Foster shows how asking the right questions increases happiness, and prosperity https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Ask and You Will Succeed is packed with thought-provoking questions related to the creative laws of success https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Kenneth Foster presents life-changing questions that will help you define & attain success in every area life. https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    Ask and You Will Succeed a breath of fresh air in a marketplace crowded w/advice on what to believe & how to live https://tr.im/AskSucceed

    I’m a Fan of Ask and You Will Succeed. Check it out: https://companies.to/askandyouwillsucceed/
    6. Send your contacts to the Ask and You Will Succeed affiliate sign up page:

    Help Kenneth Foster market Ask and You Will Succeed and receive cool freebies https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Be part of the largest book launch in internet history and get some great gifts https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Want some great business and life tools? Become an affiliate of Ask and You Will Succeed https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Ask And You Will Succeed is going to be the biggest book launch in history. Be part of it, sign up now! https://tr.im/AskPartners

    Will you be one of 2 mill+ tweets helping Kenneth Foster launch Ask and You Will Succeed? Check out affiliate program https://tr.im/AskPartners

    With warmth and gratitude,

    Kenneth D. Foster
    CEO, Shared Vision Network
    Founder, Premier Coaching
    Author, Ask and You Will Succeed

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    By Posted on Posted in Advertising, Marketing Techniques and Philosophies Tagged with , ,

    Oh, this is bright! I got an e-mail from a company I’ve never heard of, about VOIP phone service. By coincidence, I’ve been researching some stuff in that space, so when they offered “The Top Ten Reasons Companies are Switching to (company name),” I actually clicked over to see it (something I normally don’t do in response to unsolicited sales messages).

    So they spent all that time and energy to get me to click, and what do I get when I reach the site?

    The Top Ten Reasons you should switch to (company name).

    Please complete the following form in order to view The Top Ten Reasons you should switch to (company name). Thank you.

    They want my name, email address, company, phone, company’s approximate number of phones, number of office locations, and state before they will deign to show me their sales pitch?!? Sorry, guys. I DON’T think so! Utterly clueless!

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    By Posted on Posted in Business Ethics, Energy & Sustainability, Media Ethics, Social and Economic Justice, Transparency vs. Secrecy

    Very disturbing article on Total Health Breakthroughs about a deliberate campaign by Merck to intimidate, defund ,and otherwise make life miserable for doctors who dared to speak out about the nasty and sometimes-lethal side effects of Vioxx.

    I am not in a position to evaluate the claims this article makes, but if there’s any truth to it at all, we’ve got yet another very serious problem in our health care system.

    Isn’t it time we put actual healing in front of corporate profits? And isn’t it time that drug companies and others are held responsible for the consequences of their products–and their strategies?

    If you’re in the US, tell your representative in Congress to support HR 676, the Medicare for All bill.

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    By Posted on Posted in Customer Service as Marketing, Marketing Techniques and Philosophies, Marketing Trends/News Tagged with , , ,

    Fascinating article on BNET about how Microsoft’s much-ballyhooed Bing search engine is no Google killer–because, as I’ve been saying for years (including in my award-winning sixth book, Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First), branding is not about how much money you pour into the marketing, but about the superior service or product or experience you can deliver.

    Which is, after all, how Google achieved search dominance in the first place, as anyone who remembers searching with clunky tools of the mid-90s will attest.

    The article does have a solution for Microsoft, though: it identifies a core weakness of Google’s and gives Microsoft an exact recipe to exploit this vulnerability.

    I won’t spoil the surprise. Go read it.

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    By Posted on Posted in Web 2.0/Social Media Tagged with , , , ,

    Man, this is ironic!

    I just deleted two comments from the same post, and marked them as spam. Here are the texts:

    Things You Should Know About Gardening
    ,Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all type of gardens. A good way to take care of them is to consider that plants might have some feelings too.

    And

    Today’s cars can typically be expected to pass the 200,000 mile mark with consistent automobile maintenance. With the price of automobiles, you will want to protect that investment by performing regular maintenance. If you can do much of the work yourself, you will save a lot of money in labor. Invest in a good set of tools and choose quality parts when performing your own automobile maintenance.

    Both, incidentally, with the same anonymous Yahoo address. Both in “response” to a post called “Black-Hat Sploggers Leave a Bad Taste.”

    Just what does this yo-yo (or maybe I should say, this yahoo, in the Gulliver’s Travels sense) hope to accomplish by spamming a post about spamming bloggers? No way are those links ever going to show up on my moderated comment page. All they do is make work for me. Oh yes, and make sure I will never, ever do business with them.

    Want a better way? I recommend my fifth book, Grassroots Marketing: Getting Noticed in a Noisy World. If you buy it directly from me, it includes a nice little e-book called Web 2.0 Marketing for the 21st Century, which tells you the right ways to do social media marketing. I’ve been building my business with social media all the way back to 1995, and I have to tell you I don’t suffer these clowns easily. Oh well, it gives me a chance to mouth off. 🙂

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    By Posted on Posted in Peace and War, Politics Tagged with , , , , , , , , , ,

    It is so amazing for me to watch a major foreign policy and development speech by a sitting US president and actually agree with more than 80 percent of it–yet that was the case for Obama’s speech in Cairo, Egypt. Even under Clinton, I was lucky if I agreed with him 25 or 30 percent of the time, and the number was far lower for speeches of the other presidents in my conscious lifetime.

    As a progressive, I issue this challenge to other progressives: hold him to the grand rhetoric of peace, international cooperation, multicultural tolerance, and yes, feminism in the Arab world and at home…and to keep him maintaining his acknowledgment of the important roles of Israel and Iran as well as the Arab and Muslim countries.

    But what was that he said about being in Iraq until 2012? Waaay too long.!

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