I Like It Rough And Slow

Written by Jeffrey J Kingman, CEO of Chalkboarder

Yes, you read the title right. I like it rough and slow. I’m a little different that way. Perhaps hardcore might be another descriptive term. Or.. someone might say “he has an appreciation for the unusual”.

You see, I find opportunities where others might discount none to be. I look for the little clues that signal these potentialities. I’m willing to venture through unusual circumstance, that others would shudder at, to perhaps find that rare gem of an opportunity.

Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m not talking about sex. Yes, I was leading you on; intentionally.

Rough Riders

I’ve always been a traveler – a bit of a nomad. I grew up that way and it in large part defines me. I feel trapped, or better, caged and bound, if I am unable to experience new vistas and experiences. I meet interesting folk this way. Sometimes, the people I meet have ability to transform and positively impact not only me, but the opportunities before Chalkboarder.

As I write this, I am up all night, at Boston South Station, waiting for the final leg of a six day journey across the USA. I boarded Amtrak Empire Builder in Oregon five and half days ago. We were almost a full day late into Chicago. Let’s look at the results from enduring lack of showers, lack of beds and lack of sleep this week.

• Amtrak Regional Operations Director – Pacific Northwest. I bumped into this gentleman at the hotel they provided me for a half day in Chicago, between trains. An excellent representative of great customer service; honestly inquiring to my welfare and comfort. We’ll have coffee sometime later this summer.
• Amtrak Empire Builder Cafe Car Attendant – Actually, someone I have had twice before using Amtrak between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest. We remembered each other’s names and chitchatted at length. He owns a restaurant in Milwaukee, WI and I gave him pointers on his social media.
• Harvard Behaviorial Health Professor – my seatmate from Chicago to Boston; one heck of a conversation, culminating in contact info trade and the possibility of reconnecting for coffee on Harvard’s campus.
• Al Jazerra English Senior Technical Producer, London UK – this young gentleman and I had an outstanding conversation in Chicago, and have already traded tweets. I’m a big news junkie and he was grilling my opinions on the political landscape of the USA. Perhaps the most solid connection of this trip, and my introductory relationship to the Arab World.
• Brooklyn Latino – this father and daughter made the trip with me across the country. His daughter, same age as my littlest, and I shared quite a few giggles. The father, while not fluent in English, and I got to know each other and have made plans to hang in Brooklyn sometime soon, where he will introduce me to his ethnic neighborhood.

I met others, such as the young gentleman who shared the very early morning hours with me here in South Station, who is from Worcester (pronounced Wooster in these parts) and just transformed a layoff from National Grid into an excellent new opportunity. He checked out Chalkboarder’s website and immediately referred four local Boston/Worcester businesses to me.

This is why I like it rough and slow. I am most definitely in need of a shower (I stink!). I need to do laundry. I’m coffee’d out. My ass hurts from sitting. My right knee is killing me with an arthritic dullness from not walking. I took a nap on the marble floor of South Station just before writing this..

Travel by airline, as the majority of travelers do, simply does not provide you with these opportunities to connect. It simply can’t. Why?

• Everyone is stressed out.
• You hurry through the system in lines.
• Time is rushed. Get here, get there, don’t talk to others – such a isolating experience and yet so ironically, all together.
• You can’t move about and randomly get into conversations with your other travelers.

So… how do you like it? Fast quickies with strangers? Or taking the time to get to know people?

Early Adopters (Restaurants) Sprint Ahead in Social Media Marketing

A majority of restaurants face serious risk as consumers increasingly shop for dining via mobile devices. A majority of restaurants risk ignoring the opportunity to drive sales by not adopting proven strategies that embrace this societal shift. They run the risk that society will view their late-game entry into social media as non-compelling, boring, or worse, spammy.

Are you using the tools of the social web yet? Even more important, are you doing so with effective and well designed strategies? Are you chatting up your fans/followers about your community, about their interests or about shared passions? Are you sharing local news from your community, such as local events outside your operation?

Brand owners and managers have to consider how entry into the social web is viewed by the broader community. In the last year, effective social web strategies for driving business have shifted. In the early days, simply broadcasting (or “shouting”) daily specials sufficed. Today, that’s considered spam. Jumping on Foursquare and rewarding “mayors” was fairly simple and effective during the newness of their web-launch, but today, if a restaurant simply jumps in without strategy, they’re behind the times.

As the use of social media by American restaurants has progressed, a clear trend has emerged. Those that embraced social media (less than 10%) in the past two years are sprinting ahead in diverse and sophisticated tactics and strategies, while those that held back run a risk of appearing unknowledgeable, un-savvy and “soo” Web 1.0.

Early adopters such as AJ Bombers, a popular restaurant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, increased their sales by nearly 100% in the last year by effectively using social media. Two of the best food trucks in Portland, Oregon (Whiffies and KoiFusion), attribute 80% of their growth in the last year to effective social media. Success stories like these demonstrate the power and allure of social media strategies for foodservice operators.

In a study published last fall, Chalkboarder analyzed the “virtual ease of entry” (how easy it is for a new or existing customer to enter your restaurant virtually) into 2200 popular restaurants in fourteen major markets. One year ago, less than 10% had adopted Facebook, less than 6% had adopted Twitter and less than 2% were blogging. Of the 2200, less than 65% even had active websites. The base information of Chalkboarder’s study was confirmed a few months ago by Fast Casual Alliance, who hired Forrester Research to do a similar assessment. The numbers haven’t changed in a year.

Statistics from Socialnomics paint a vivid picture of the opportunity the social web offers this industry. Fifty percent of the world’s population is under the age of thirty; ninety-six percent (96%) of these millenials have joined a social network. One out of eight USA married couples met through social media. Eighty percent of companies use social media for recruitment. The fastest growing segment on Facebook is females aged 55-65 (household decision makers). Fifty percent (50%) of mobile social web traffic in the UK is on Facebook. Youtube is the second largest search engine in the world.

There is still massive opportunity to reap the benefits of social media. Fundamental strategies of talking online with fans/followers, publishing community news and sharing features on your distinctive brand proposition — apart from the food and beverage — are the main drivers. Build on these fundamentals and sustainable community happens.

For restaurants that have not adopted social media, caution and research is in order. Avoid the risk of bumbling your foray into social media by seeking consult with a reputable social media strategist (perhaps over a few dinners in trade). As with any new-course business strategy, observing and researching a definable course takes a little time, but the return is measurable.

 

Cadenced Company Run – All The Way

On July 13, 1987, I reported to boot camp at United States Army Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. At 22, I was older than 95% of my fellow recruits, and with a few years of college, that meant squad leadership instantly.

Fort Leonard Wood, or more affectionately known as Fort Lost In The Woods, is very hot in late summer, averaging 100 or more degrees daily. Nine weeks of training, not sleeping, designed and intentional harrassment and running. We ran everywhere. In full gear. When we weren’t in standing sleep or front and leaning rest positions.

Two significant experiences from boot camp have marked the rest of my life. First, when the Drill Sergeant came into our bay and told us, just prior to our first General Officer inspection, that “every damned human puts their pants on the same f^#@ing way”. Since then, I’ve been able to talk to anyone, from the Certified Master Chef/VP Operations of Smith Meats, to the homeless elderly lady begging for a sleeping bag. It doesn’t matter who you are – we’ve got conversation to have.

The second experience was more profound. Running. Day in and day out. In formation. While singing at the top of your lungs. Pushing through mile after mile in the Missouri heat.

When I contemplated this post, I spent some time searching for an old cadence – “I’m a steamroller, baby”. I’ve been thinking a lot about the last three summers and how this summer feels different. The past three summers were difficult, partly from personal struggles with a 2007 divorce, but mostly from the lack of economy we all experienced. It seems that by mid-July for 2007 to 2009, everyone stopped working. Or at least stopped making decisions of significance.

I understand it. August is the time when you want to squeeze the lemonade drops of warmth of life, before it gets cold again. School for families is just around the corner. It’s a busy time of year, filled with fun and adventure and things to get done around home.

I believe though, that through these weeks, business leaders are contemplating. They’re processing in the back burner those significant decisions they know they need to execute come September.

Here at Chalkboarder, we’ve taken a different stride to round out the rest of summer. I have to give thanks to two individuals for this – Amanda Hite and Libby Tucker. Amanda is CEO of Talent Revolution – and her 30 Day Bucket List has impacted me at just the right moment. Libby is CEO of Beer2Buds – and a conversation with her this week, comparing entrepreneurs to lions, also struck the tenor of my thoughts perfectly.

Our stride this summer has lengthened. We’re in the power phase of the “company run” of our year in 2010. Instead of weathering the windless doldrums of late summer, we’re on a full force company run, replete with throaty voices singing cadence and a full leg stride knocking out the miles. Our objectives?

• Take full care of our existing relationships, nurturing them to our full ability.
• Seek as many opportunities for excellence as we can.
• Build as many new relationships as we can without focusing on selling ourselves.

We’re on the move. We’re shaking it. We’re sweating in the heat. And we’re singing all the way..

All the way..

How are you spending your summer?

Jeffrey J Kingman, former Sergeant USARNG-OR, now CEO/Founder of Chalkboarder

Nurturing Village

Cross posted on Kitchen Dances.

Zulu Tribal Dance

Lately I’ve been thinking quite a bit about Paul Barron’s Tribe concept. Paul spoke about this at People Report’s Summer Camp in Dallas this past June. Here’s a small recap of what he said:

“What will your tribe mean to your brand, to your industry and to your future. Learn why now is so important to build your tribe why others will try to do it before you.”

And here’s a quick video from Paul that outlines what “Tribe” meant to us there at #PRSCamp (the hashtag you can find our tribe on in Twitter).

I’ve been talking with Paul about One Tribe since late in 2009. I’d like to share the evolution of what One Tribe means to me – that it is all about nurturing villages.

Maalula Village

We, as humans, live in diverse villages. There’s the village of our family and friends, the village of our peers, the village of our customers/clients and the broader villages of our associations, churches, charitable organizations, towns, cities and regions.

My thoughts have centered on nurturing my villages. Taking time to care for and nurture my connections; giving what I am able of my resources to further the dreams, goals and objectives of villagers in my communities.

Village Interconnectedness

I figure by doing so, I’m strengthening and developing to greater sustainability and stability all of the people and organizations in my communities, in my world. By focusing on this, I’m helping to develop strong and healthy communities and relationships.

Further, by focusing on nurturing my villages, I bring people together, weaving deeper connections and relationships between my villages, creating community.

Flower of Life

This theory is not new in human experience. Theologists and spiritualists have talked about this for generations.

Nicaraguan Village

This.. focusing on my villages as my One Tribe, is responsibility.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this..  Jeff

Chalkboarder’s New Look..

We launched a new look to Chalkboarder yesterday, reformatting our main site (here) and re-launching another site Chalkboarder News.

Chalkboarder News is our company and client newswire service. We’re sharing everything we post for our clients (and for us) there as it happens. We’d love for you to check it out and if you wish to stay abreast of current developments, please subscribe or RSS feed.

We’re using our main site here to discuss relationship engineering, social media, the evolution of the social web, customer service, organizational sustainability, brand concept and development and my favorite topic – building and nurturing organizational villages.

Our relationship engineering team includes Bill Bridgmon (VP Sales), Matthew Vitorla (NE Reg Sales), Jennifer Collins (SE Reg Sales), Judith Smith (Editor) and myself. I anticipate you’ll see an noticeable uptick in activity here at Chalkboarder.

Jeffrey

Year Two: Chalkboarder’s Course

From the beginning, I’ve had a vision for Chalkboarder, to be an extremely creative, very personal and highly effective relational networking and social media services firm.

Comparatively, I see Chalkboarder as the “Orange County Choppers” of brand development agencies – creative, fun, selective, a little crazy and a little “bad”. We’ve been moving in that direction since the beginning.

As we begin year two, this vision has solidified. We’ve got great clients:
Coffee Fest
Dessert Professional Magazine
Rewarding Feedback
Oak Grove Coffeehouse
Jenee Halstead Music
Nicky USA

While we’re hospitality/gastronomic centric, our client diversity is wonderful. We’ve got proposals out to companies in even more diverse industries:
Event/Tradeshow/Conference Management
Premium Cattle Ranching
Chocolate
Manufacturing
Social Web Applications

We’ve expanded at our one year anniversary to establishing field sales representation in New York City and Los Angeles, something we’re deeply excited about. In year two I’m intent to put together a shop in Portland that has permanent staff capable of video/audio production, animation and effective brand content production for clients. I seek to expand our proprietary networks of contacts internationally, leveraging our ability to put brands together to clients and effectively engineering successful relationships for them.

To our existing and future clients – we’re definitely excited about being in community with you!

We’ve Failed: Increasing Revenue

Have we failed as a society that values entrepreneurship, out-of-the-box thinking, business savvy-ness and capitalism?

Today I “beat the street”. No, not Wall Street. I hoofed a significant number of blocks in my local community visiting small businesses to introduce myself. One of the questions I posed to each business asked if the owners would be interested in increasing their revenue.

When I asked this question of front-line staff at businesses the owner wasn’t present – invariably there was a confused look, a stammer and an “uhh, I don’t know”.

Have we failed as a society, or an industry (a number of these businesses were foodservice), when our most significant asset, our front-line employees, do not know what “increasing revenue” means?

Twittering a Berkshires Dinner at the James Beard House

Yesterday we noticed that a team of talented chefs were driving down from the Berkshires to put a dinner featuring local resources on at the venerable James Beard House in New York City. On a whim, we offered to semi-live, and from 3000 miles away, share the experience with over 1000 followers in Twitter.

Put together over two hours by cell phone and Facebook, Brian Butterworth – Director of Sales for The Red Lion Inn, arranged for iPhone photography from Bruce Finn, General Manager of The Red Lion Inn. As the main courses were presented to the dining room, Bruce snapped photos and emailed them to Chalkboarder.com. We then posted to Flickr and micro-blogged them into Twitter. You can see the micro-blog stream by visiting Twitter and searching the hashtag #berkshirechef.

The James Beard House in NYC is a testament to the vision of American cuisine and one of America’s best known and loved chefs, James Beard. As a former chef, I have a vast admiration not only for James Beard, but for the organization that bears his name. It is a distinct honor to be invited to cook at the James Beard House.

The Berkshire Team, led by Chef Brian Alberg (his seventh event at JBH), was joined by Joseph Carr Wine of Calistoga, California. The culinary crew included:

Chef Brian Alberg The Red Lion Inn/ Stockbridge, MA
Chef Peter Platt The Old Inn on the Green/ New Marlborough, MA
Chef Daire Rooney Brix Wine Bar/ Pittsfield, MA
Chef Joji Sumi Mezze Bistro + Bar/ Williamstown, MA
Chef/Owner Adam Zieminski Cafe Adam/ Great Barrington, MA
Chocolatier Joshua Needleman Chocolate Springs Café/ Lenox, MA
Director Joseph Carr Joseph Carr Wine/ Calistoga, CA

We’ll share more information on the menu in a bit – we wish to describe our experience in providing semi-live, long-distance coverage of the event.

While we feel that this was a successful micro-enterprise, we’ve learned some things that we at Chalkboarder.com would do differently in the future.

• First, we needed better planning. Finding a mobile camera that could transmit was done at the last minute.
• A logistical step could have been eliminated by posting the pictures directly into a web-based photo sharing site (Flickr). We experienced a delay of several hours waiting for the pictures to arrive through email.
• Finally, a much more intriguing story could have occurred with photography of the chef team transporting down to NYC, unloading and preparing the dinner. Action shots of these activities would have engaged a much broader audience in Twitter, especially pictures of the chefs actually preparing the meals. And of course – the chefs, staff and diners eating and drinking! Images of Joseph Carr talking about his wine with the diners, the chefs interacting with serving staff and the after-meal salute would have rounded out a deeper integration of social media and live culinary event at the nation’s top dining room.

We think it would have been extremely intriguing to involve the staff of The James Beard House and the diners present. How much fun would it have been to see tweets from diners “oooh-ing and aaahh-ing” as they munched on the appetizers and courses? How much interest would there have been by fans of Joseph Carr Wines in Twitter-land had they known of this fantastic dinner being given? Would there have been a few hundred Twitter-people suddenly following and expressing jealousy about not being there? Would there be Twitter-people clueing their friends into the online and real-time dialogue about the event? Would this lead to increased interest in not only Joseph Carr Wines, but the Chefs on the Berkshire Team, their establishments and the James Beard House?

This is cutting edge social media for hospitality – involving people in the fun and exciting things we in hospitality do. Sharing our stories and lives with current customers and potential customers on a real-time basis. The days of marketing through a mega-phone in a blanket distribution and static message are waning. Daily engagement is the standard and norm that will be best-practice. What can your restaurant or hotel use social media for?

Berkshire Chefs at The James Beard House Menu

Hors d’Oeuvre

Maple Polenta Cakes with Cumin-Braised Pulled Pork

Roasted Beet Napoleons with Rawson Brook Farm Chèvre

Hidden Pasture Farm Chicken Liver Mousse with Bill Stinson’s Sweet Onions

Berkshire Lambs’ Tongue with Pickled Ramps and Creole Mustard

Rabbit Terrine with Berkshire Mountain Distillers Eau de Vie and Clover Town Bread

Chocolate-Covered Windy Hill Farm Blueberries

Joseph Carr Sauvignon Blanc 2008

The Last Word > Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ethereal Gin, Green Chartreuse, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and Fresh Lime

Berkshire Bitter > Berkshire Mountain Distillers Ice Glen Vodka and Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon Tonic

Dinner

Hudson Valley Foie Gras and Berkshire Chicken Ballotine with Locally Foraged Wild Mushrooms
Joseph Carr Pinot Noir 2007

Seared Lila’s Lamb with Garlic–Zucchini Flan, Equinox Farm Tomatoes, and Shallot Fondue
Josh Cellars Santa Cruz Mt. Pinot Noir 2007

Dungeness Crab with Dave’s Melon Pavé, Farm Girl Farm Heirloom Tomatoes, Lime, and Lemon Verbena Vinaigrette
Joseph Carr Chardonnay 2007

Hidden Pasture Farm Milk–Fed Veal with Peace Valley Farm Fingerling Potatoes and Mighty Food Farm Greens
Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Grilled Bacon on the Side Pork Loin with Roasted Kimbi
Carrot Purée, Roasted Farm Girl Farm Beets, and Blue Moon Shrooms Ragoût
Joseph Carr Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Lavender, Blueberry, and Chocolate Mousse Cake with Sidehill Farm Yogurt Sauce
Joseph Carr Merlot 2006

Chalkboarder.com welcomes comment, critique and dialogue with all content we publish. It’s about connecting.

Chalkboarder.com Offers Roll-Out Special on Social Media Services

August 28, 2009

Chalkboarder.com Offers Roll-Out Special on Social Media Services

First 25 Subscribers Get Three Months Social Networking Service for $200.*

Here’s the deal ~

We launched Chalkboarder.com this past summer. We are a digital community management service offering client organizations real-time content production and strategic brand management messaging into online communities.

We need clients in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, New England and the Pacific Northwest.

To introduce ourselves and the quality of our services – we’re offering a roll-out deal that we’re very excited about.

We’ll conduct social media campaigning for three months for your organization for $200. Yes, $200 US dollars, flat-fee for the entire quarter.

What you’ll get:

• Competent and rapid brand messaging into social networks
• Creative social media campaign development
• Online “buzz” about your organization and what you do

What Chalkboarder.com will get:

• The opportunity to create a long-term, sustainable relationship with your organization
• The opportunity to deeply learn your brand and story
• The opportunity to “push” your organization into online media
• And, you’ll help finance our launch

We’d love the opportunity to speak with you about this roll-out deal.

*Three months service of two distinct productions per week over Twitter, Facebook and Ning. Offer expires Tuesday, September 8, 2009.

Jeffrey Kingman

President

Chalkboarder.com

(503) 305-6397

Twitter @JeffreyJKingman

www.chalkboarder.com

SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANTS – CAN YOURS BECOME SUSTAINABLE?

Earlier this week I was fortunate to participate in the Northwest Sustainability Discovery Tour – a conference in Portland Oregon for industry leaders in hospitality, scientists and researchers, journalists and bloggers. Attended by 80-some people (and double the size of last year), the conference educated, provoked, challenged and fed us well.

Full Sail brew tasting on day two on the Sustainability Tour

So here’s a question for you, restaurateur:

What does sustainability mean to you?

The dictionary gives several definitions – let me pick a few you might agree with.

1. to support, hold, or bear up from below; bear the weight of, as a structure
2. to bear (a burden, charge, etc.)
3. to undergo, experience, or suffer (injury, loss, etc.); endure without giving way or yielding
4. to keep (a person, the mind, the spirits, etc.) from giving way
5. to keep up or keep going, as an action or process
6. to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life
7. to provide for (an institution or the like) by furnishing means or funds
8. to support (a cause or the like) by aid or approval
9. to uphold as valid, just, or correct, as a claim or the person making it

While there are numerous definitions, this one strikes me as most appropriate.

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs is the key principle behind the concept of sustainability.

This conference covered way too much to address in one blog. It’s a good thing there were several bloggers present; I’m looking forward to the combined reading as a result.

Perhaps the largest example of sustainability at the conference was that of the host – Truitt Brothers, a food processor/packer headquartered in Oregon. With hundreds of employees, Truitt Bros. made a conscious decision years ago to become sustainable in all aspects:

• with its employees
• with its farmers
• with its manufacturing process
• in ecological sustainability
• in financial sustainability

If companies this size can top-down and bottom-up effect organizational change to sustainable practices that generate consistent returns – why can’t the rest of the commercial foodservice industry?

The Herb Farm (Woodinville, WA)

Located thirty miles east of Seattle, The Herb Farm Restaurant was founded on a small family farm in 1985. Their philosophy has always been on locally sourced foods. For August of 2009, Chef/Owners Ron and Carrie have created a sold-out dining experience titled 100 Mile Dinners, where all the ingredients are sourced within 100 miles. Please understand, Ron and Carrie have been at this for twenty-four years! Their staff is deeply into it with total creativity. Customers are telling all their friends! Contact: Ron Zimmerman on Twitter at @HerbGuy

The Red Lion Inn (Albany, NY)

Chef Brian Alberg has maintained a locally sourced purchasing philosophy for his entire career. Completely supported by the owner and working in a historic hotel, he’s busy training young cooks and educating customers on how a restaurant can sustainably purchase and operate – in an agricultural area that has a very short season. If Brian can do it in Albany, rural restaurants across the country can too. Contact: Chef Brian Alberg at balberg@redlioninn.com

Scotty’s Table (Missoula, MT)

Owner Scott Gill has been passionate about sustainability for some time. His Chef de Cuisine Ben Freemole, while admitting that sustainability takes a little more work (the inconvenience factor), states that the customer response is fantastic. On Friday night, August 14, 2009, Scotty’s Table hosted a Sustainability Menu for the après-theater crowd watching the movie Food Inc. Sourcing local ingredients in Montana is a definite challenge – the growing season there is measured in weeks – not months. Contact: Ben Freemole at bcfreemole@yahoo.com

Sustainable sourcing at Full Sail Brewing

You’re Neighborhood Restaurant

There’s exciting opportunity for your local restaurant to adopt sustainable practices. Let’s take a look.

Sustaining Employees

• Treating employees with respect, both inter-personally and financially
• Involve employees in sustainable planning/execution
• Listen to their creativity

Purchasing

• Purchase materials with low ecological footprint
• Purchase locally grown
• Purchase what’s ripe in season – best quality at lowest price
• Don’t over-purchase – if you do, preserve or can it before it goes bad

Customers

• Build relationships one on one – they’ll keep coming back
• Use social media to engage customers; make them feel special
• Choose customers passionate about sustainable relationship for extra attention – they’ll spread the word
• Charge fair prices; not the maximum you think you can get

Production

• Design menu to avoid packaging, use seasonality and local, and efficiency of resources (fuel, movement, etc)
• Design recipes for maximum efficiency (old rule about cross-utilization)
• Research and implement pre-consumer waste practices
• Research and implement post-consumer waste practices

Communicate

• Communicate your sustainable practices with your stake-holders
• Customers want to know you are “moving in” the direction of sustainability

The important thing is to be authentic. You don’t have to be completely sustainable to market it – just communicate the steps you are taking. Listen to your stake-holders suggestions and inquiries. Respond to them. Incorporate your most vocal stake-holders into the process.

Here at Chalkboarder.com, we’ve implemented our Statement of Sustainability into our operations. You can find that Statement on this blog.

Moving down the road of sustainability is becoming increasingly important today. Examining the sustainability of your operation through Life Cycle Assessments, employee/team driven creativity and customer feedback will not only strengthen your business – it will also grow it.

For further information and links to sustainability counselors and practioners, please feel free to contact me.

Jeffrey Kingman

President

Chalkboarder.com

www.chalkboarder.com

Twitter me: @JeffreyJKingman

(800) 409-8144