The Green Suits Further Reduces Carbon Footprint With LED Lighting

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Happy Earth Week, everyone!

The Green Suits, LLC is happy to report that our resource sustainability improvements continue. In First Quarter 2013, we further reduced printer paper usage (from 500 sheets/6 weeks to 500 sheets/7 weeks). And replaced more burned out bulbs with LEDs. From our Sustainability Page:

Here are some of the sustainability practices we currently follow (updated April, 2013):

• We dramatically reduced paper consumption from 500 sheets/1.5 weeks (First Quarter, 2010) to 500 sheets/7 weeks (First Quarter, 2013). One continuing factor in the improvement: setting our network printer to automatic double-sided printing. Practically all of our written correspondence is electronic; contracts and other documents that we once faxed are now scanned and transmitted as PDF files. We no longer have a fax line. And we surface mail business correspondence only when it is absolutely necessary to do so;
• The old computer we replaced was “wiped clean” of data, then donated to an authorized computer recycling center;
• We consume filtered tap water. And (not so fresh) dog-bowl water is poured onto the drip lines of thirsty outdoor plants instead of down the drain. Further, we make sure toilet pumps are properly set and toilet flappers are not leaking (if they are we replace them, immediately);
• Our computers are turned off when not in use. To further increase efficiency, we employ power management hardware;
• Because they are fragile and contain mercury, our compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs)–which replaced our energy-robbing incandescent bulbs in 2008–are on the way out; now, we replace our burned out CFLs with LED lighting. Unit costs of LEDs remain high but prices are dropping fast–the screw-in bulbs we recently bought at Costco range in price from $17-$25 each–but they remain cool to the touch and do not require much energy to operate. Plus, they will last 20-25 years. A key consideration in purchasing LED lighting is the “lumens” value of the bulbs (the intensity of the light) as well as the light projection pattern produced. Not all LED bulbs are the same. Nevertheless, we are very pleased with the ones we have;
• In the winter our automatic thermostats drop to 65 degrees.  We wear layers! Summers in the Washington D.C. area have been some of the hottest-on-record so we must use air conditioning. But we set our automatic thermostats at 78 degrees. To provide further cooling we have planted some fast-growing shade trees at our southern exposure;
• Our experiments with composting continue. For instance, we spread used coffee grounds around the drip lines of our acid-loving outdoor plants. A tumbling composter is on our wish-list of future purchases;
• We have surpassed our goal of recycling 50 percent of our post-consumer waste (plastic, newsprint, glass, and metals);
• We promote  virtual office capabilities, mass transit stipends, and other environmentally friendly practices;
• And, we utilize best-in-class telepresence services, including video-conferencing (e.g. Skype, Apple FaceTime) and interviewing that save thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket travel and entertainment expenses annually. As a result, our company has yielded a substantial carbon footprint reduction.

We are not perfect, but we do take our environmental stewardship quite seriously!

Baby American Robins photo ©2005 Dan Smolen

The Career Coach: A Trusted Advisor Invested in Your On-The-Job Success

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

Paul Courtemanche has enjoyed a storied career in direct/interactive marketing and product management. In 2012, he became a “corporate escapee” when he co-founded Cincinnati-based KDL Alliance, a business accelerator that helps entrepreneurs scale their businesses. We recently caught up with Paul to discuss his new endeavor:

TGS: What events in your life and career got you to career coaching? What did you do previous to this?

PC: I have been fortunate to work in direct/interactive marketing leadership roles for great companies such as P&G, Pepsico, and Alliance Data. These companies gave me career paths that led me to manage individuals and teams across various situations, from launching new products internationally to building brands in highly competitive categories. Given these unique set of experiences, I realized that helping others–mentoring–was an integral part of my success. Moreover, I determined that coaching would provide me with the greatest satisfaction in helping others build successful careers.

Paul Courtemanche is co-founder of business accelerator KDL Alliance.

TGS: What exactly is a career coach and what kinds of services/value do you provide clientele?

PC: At KDL Alliance, we support a mixture of business owners and corporate executives looking to grow both their business and individual effectiveness. A successful career coach is one that understands business fundamentals and can provide an unbiased and thoughtful perspective on business challenges. We work to unlock a person’s potential in the context of their own business environment. We help them focus, break down tasks, and clarify success triggers.

TGS: You are a dyed-in-the-wool marketing pro. What role does marketing have in your coaching practice?

PC: Marketing has a big role. I believe that marketing is the most misunderstood side of business; it rests on the fundamental understanding of a product’s and/or a service’s competitive advantage. And our marketing expertise helps us make the right decisions and choices–such as what opportunities to go after–and then and only then it allows for a good understanding of what offer and channel we must employ to deliver a compelling and actionable message. What I find more and more is that business leaders are dazzled by the latest communication technology, but they don’t have a good understanding of which marketing channels are most effective and efficient for them to use. We align the marketing direction and then help owners and leaders align their talent to deliver solid business results. This unique view is giving us a tremendous amount of credibility when we meet client prospects. Partner Donna Buschle and I combine our efforts to get alignment and accountability for owners who often are still looking at their role as a job not an investment–or they lack the business acumen and skills to make success happen.

TGS: So much of a professional’s work day involves [situational] dynamics, that is, how we handle—or—mishandle the daily barrage of decisions, obstacles, and opportunities we encounter at work. What role do you play in coaching talent through situations like these?

PC: At KDL Alliance, we offer personal effectiveness coaching to help business owners and their managers develop skills that help support business growth and productivity while creating a work environment people will enjoy. We focus on leadership development, high performance team effectiveness, organizational dynamics–all key to the overall health of the business. We work with business leaders to create and customize a holistic people strategy to support the business’ overall strategy, vision and goals.

TGS: What kinds of skill gaps do you help fill with your clients?

PC: We help business owners see the big picture–the strategic vision for their business. We ask: what are you trying to build? How can you concentrate on the right things if you don’t have a clear and well communicated business plan with goals and accountabilities for all? That is what we bring to the table. Further, we help create clarity for owners, teams, and everyone that touches the business and its success. That skill to create the vision, to understand what it takes and the relentless pursuit of making it happen is what we bring to our clients.

TGS: What worries your clientele most? Is it getting recognized and rewarded? If not, what keeps them up at night?

PC: We find the top three concerns of employees are:

1. Being able to do what they do best in a job suited to their unique skills and experiences
2. Working for a good manager who cares about them and encourages their development, and
3. Seeing a future for themselves.

We know that these factors all contribute to an employee’s overall engagement or willingness to “give it their all” to support the company. This in turn increases overall productivity which directly relates to better or improved business results.

TGS: How do talent work with you? Do you work by the hour, and if so, how do they compensate you? And, do you take credit cards?

PC: Before we even engage with someone we have a preliminary assessment of the situation, we jointly determine the challenges and provide an honest point of view if we can be part of the solution. It is a mutual agreement that must be built on trust and a clear understanding of the deliverables. We offer our clients a one-on-one coaching engagement that covers weekly face to face meetings. Also, we can tailor our engagement on a project basis. What is more, group coaching options allow owners to benefit from the exchanges with other owners in a series of monitored and topical subjects.

And yes, we do accept credit cards, PayPal, and we invoice monthly.

TGS: Certainly you have enjoyed a stellar marketing career and worked for some great “blue chip” companies. How has work changed for people in the corporate ranks?

PC: I see two distinct changes: the first is around their growing reliance on short-term results at the expense of long-term growth while the second is around the nature of the work force and changing employee expectations. These two forces often lead to poor decisions, employee dissatisfaction, and business downturns.

TGS: Paul, we wish you and KDL Alliance the greatest success. How would careerists like The Green Suits contact you to learn more about your services?

PC: The fastest and easiest way is to contact me directly by phone at (513) 415-7801, or, to complete the contact-us form on our website.

A coach may just be the ticket for your continued success on-the-job. Do reach out to Paul Courtemanche, to learn how KDL Alliance may empower you and your career. 

Is Pope Francis Making Sustainability and Social Responsibility Cool Again?

Cross-posted from The Green Suits:

“Anything from the minibar, Your Holiness?” Give the new pope credit for paying his own tab at the Vatican Hotel–he is making sustainability, social responsibility, and humility cool again. Photo h/t ©March 15, 2013 REUTERS/Osservatore Romano

Is Pope Francis making sustainability and social responsibility cool again?

It appears the answer is yes.

Elevated less than 10 days ago, Pope Francis–the former Archibishop of Buenos Ares Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio–is leading the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. But he is also leading the dialog for people and the planet.

No one can say for sure how far his influence will reach. But we do appreciate how he’s framed the issue. And we hope he will inspire the world to follow his lead.

Peace.