A Day in the life of an Ecopreneur March 25th, 2010

Good Morning Portland!  I step foot outside the front porch ready to brave the unpredictable weather; listening to the stories of the Radio Cab night crew about to clock out of their shift.  They seem anxiously ready to go home to their families, or go feel like men after a hard nights work sharing a beer at a local brew pub.  I walk down the steps of an old historical, Slab town home;   grinning to the new day ahead.  My morning walk I appreciate.  One mile to the office, plus or minus of course.  I get to take into account the city grid offering so many daily whimsical routes.  My free transportation, exercise, meditation, and my community connection are all completed before I even start my routine day. 

“A Day in the Life of an Ecopreneur,”  Good Day 

EcoTuesday Portland held its 2nd monthly Sustainable Business Leaders Networking Forum on February 23rd.  As an Ambassador to EcoTuesday I have to say that it has been an absolute pleasure in witnessing “regular” attendees as well as a growing base of new interest. 

 

EcoTuesday Portland Carbon Counting:

January Event:  11.7404 CO2 Tons (Metric)

February Event: 1.0187 CO2 Tons (Metric)

For February, we saw a drastic reduction in our event carbon footprint.  Most categories saw a reduction, but the major reduction came from the vendor supply chain emphasis. This reduction is based largely on one time calculations (inputted for January) for existing office equipment; tables, chairs, and couches needed to host events.

EcoTuesday Portland, February 23rd, 2010 (Based on 36 participants)

Energy Used: (based on a 5,000 sq foot commercial building)

0.0114

Attendee Travel: (UP .1724 metric tons of CO2 from January)

0.3681

Organizer Travel: (Both Ambassadors walked to the event)

0.0000

Supplier Travel (DOWN 10.8774 metric tons of CO2 from January)

0.6391

Waste: (DOWN .0002 metric town of CO2 from January)

0.0002

Total CO2 emissions (in Tons):

1.0187 (DOWN 10.6617 metric tons of CO2 from January)

 

Thank you to the attendees representing such organizations as Umpqua Bank, PDX Mindshare, Allegro Designs, EcoSwag, True Living Synergy Coaching, Courtyard by Marriott, One Green World, Canvas Dreams, From the Rooftops, Oregon Training Network, EcoNexus, SOUK, Bainbridge Island Graduate Institute, What’s Happening PDX, and Ecotrain Media Group.

EcoTuesday Portland premiered its 2010 inaugural Sustainable Business Leaders Networking Forum on January 26th at SOUK in Old town Portland. With over 25 sustainable business leaders in attendance, and a diverse variety of industry representatives; this event was a huge success for an inaugural throw. Thank you to Cooper Mountain Vineyards for supplying the local organic wine….that always helps.

Forewarning!  If you are an Entrepreneur, Existing Business, Career Transitional, or Job Seeker; read on. If you understand, and follow the guiding principles of the “Green,” aka Sustainability Movement; you have unlimited opportunity.

 

Traditional demographic marketing models are proving to be less and less useful in understanding the green audience, and psychographic marketing is the new trend. Psychographic is a focus on “thought” as opposed to demographics such as age, gender, geographic location, occupation, etc. Unlike many studies that only focus on the “green” or “environmental” aspects of the sustainability movement, the Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS), highlights the Rise of Ethical Consumerism within psychographic segmentations of sustainability based on environmental, societal values, social values, health (mind, body, and soul), fiscally, and apprehensively.

 

Due to the difficulty in understanding market psychographics, it will take economic historians over the course of the next 100 years or more too scholarly define the sustainable economic transformation we are about to adhere. This will be defined based on the efforts of today and tomorrow’s leaders, and how creatively ingenuitive these leaders strive to be while promoting their understanding of corporate sustainability.  And this is where the door of opportunity opens…Knock Knock!  

 

In 1992 I read the United Nations Agenda 21; a call to action for all governments and industry for sustainable development.  Drawing on these 17 years of sustainable development research, my personal involvement with the Solar Living Institute, years of ecopreneurial trials and tribulations, and my recent Ecotrain Green Career Guide publication; I enjoy vocalizing my holistic understanding of “sustainability,” and the economic opportunities on the horizon. 

 

Please join EcoTuesday Portland on February 23rd, when I share my understanding of sustainability while providing ecopreneurs, existing business, and job seekers with a greater “green” opportunity moving forward!

RSVP For Our Portland, Oregon Event Here!