Reasons I go "Green"

Let's set one thing straight. I am not a tree hugger. I believe man was given dominance over the land, and that he can do with it as he sees fit. On the other hand though, I respect all life and don't believe in wasting things foolishly. Yes it's kind of a weird pairing, but it works.

For me, trying to "go green" has mainly one benefit for me-$$$. I am a tightwad. I drive a 2000 Saturn with no power steering, manual transmission, and power nothing. I chose it because there is less to break down, and it gets great mileage (almost hybrid territory). I garden because it keeps me from having to go to the store. I want to build rain barrels because I don't want to pay to water the garden. CFL's fill all my lights because that means I pay the utility company less. None of it has to do with protecting the Earth.

The Earth can take care of itself. It has been here a lot longer then our puny race. And I'm sure it will continue that way once we are gone.

Networking is like a garden.

Nothing beats the smell of working with the earth. A deep breath of freshly dug clay has a nice calming effect. This is why I became interested in gardening. I still consider myself a beginner even though I'm in my third season. Gardening has made me realize something though. It's a lot like building a network.

Gardening is a process that requires time and effort to get results. The ratios of those components vary, but some level of both is required. Some plants require constant attention, like a high maintenance girlfriend for example. Other plants do just fine on their own. These could resemble the aspects of a best friend. At the end of the day, both kinds of plants require effort to succeed.

This is how I've started to few my networking. I'm trying to sow as many seeds as I can. This helps me make more contacts. Then I try to develop each relationship. I'll make it a point to reach out to my contacts every month, sometimes just to say "hi". I've come to realize that if I don't tend to my contacts, I don't get the desired results.

So far my efforts seem to being doing well. Only time will tell what fruit will bear.

Starting a business

Starting a business is a full time job. I'm helping my wife develop her business. I love every minute because each day I develop or learn new skills. Although we have several disagreements about what business decisions, this whole process is making us much closer.

I highly recommend starting a small business. It can be as complicated as you want to make it. There's a lot of truth in the saying, "Choose a job you love, and you'll never work a day in your life."