It’s been a long week so you’re not going to any original thinking out of me tonight… But here’s a nugget from Paul Hawken (who wrote Blessed Unrest) via Outside magazine to tide you over:

“Our best thinking got us here, and part of that is our addiction to growth. We do need to grow, the question is, Grow what? When we’re adults, no one wants to grow physically, but we do want our wisdom, our understanding, our compassion to grow. Those same things are true of the economy. We do need to grow - we need to reimagine mobility, we need to reimagine our agriculture, we need to reimagine our cities, we need to reimagine our buildings as systems. Do we need to grow our Starbucks? No.” [my bolding]

Happy Friday. And don’t forget to take a photo for our nascent flickr pool if you see a “Responsible? Brand” in action this weekend!

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Photo credit: Oliver S. [taken @ recent art fair in NYC... artist's name is?]

Entrepreneurs in today’s market should aim for the highest possible hit-rate when seeking to connect to with customers, partners, media, investors, etc. to avoid drowning in all the noise.

This ups the ante on effective digital packaging and communication. Introductory e-mails matter. Websites matter. Linked In profiles matter. Blogs matter… Having a powerful hook matters!

Successful entrepreneurs know this and have an uncanny ability to get people’s attention when it counts.

Even so, one place many entrepreneurs routinely fall short is the now ambiguous “executive summary”, an overused term which, like “vision” and “mission statement”, don’t mean much no more.

An effective executive summary is brief (1-2 pages, max), provides a current, compelling and balanced take on the business opportunity at hand and gets people to call you back.

Most executive summaries - at least the ones I see - fall far short of this description, meaning they fail to do the job and in fact often go unread.

To remedy this and enhance the user experience for all, wouldn’t it be nice if each business made it a priority to have a fresh, one-page executive summary on hand at all times?

Where to go for a how-to? The inimitable Guy Kawasaki offers us some insight re: crafting a powerful executive summary on his blog. An excerpt:

“The executive summary is often your initial face to a potential investor, so it is critically important that you create the right first impression. Contrary to the advice in articles on the topic, you do not need to explain the entire business plan in 250 words. You need to convey its essence, and its energy. You have about 30 seconds to grab an investor’s interest. You want to be clear and compelling.”

Btw, one page doesn’t mean less work, it means more. (I think it was Mark Twain who started a letter like this: “I’m writing you a long letter because I don’t have time to write you a short one”).

But it’s well worth the effort, because a tight executive summary will help you crystallize your pitch, streamline communications (eliminating lots of needless back-and-forth), and get people’s attention.

Entrepreneurs always have to sing for their supper, but that last bit in italics is especially important in today’s noisy marketplace…

Photo credit: Oliver S. [detail of video installation from recent art fair in NYC - can anyone name the artist?]

So we took Rauschenberg’s advice to heart and kicked off a little experiment this afternoon.

It’s called “Responsible? Brands” and it’s a still-very-embryonic-photo-group on Flickr. The welcome message reads:

“Thanks for stopping by… Are you interested in socially-responsible brands? A healthier lifestyle? If yes & yes, as you roam the streets of your city/town/hamlet (make it a project this weekend!), snap some photos of responsible(?) brands in action and submit them here so we can keep tabs on what these companies are up to… thanks!

What a tireless, enthusiastic bunch we are….

Over time, we’re hoping the photos in this group will offer a running look at the “responsible brand” marketing zeitgeist around the world and everything that entails…

We’ll also be featuring standout photographs here on Indie Breakfast Club every week or so (if any appear).

So, what are you waiting for? Grab your camera and hit the streets! Help us keep a) these brands honest and b) IBC looking spicy.

We’re gradually upping the ante here at Indie Breakfast Club, posting more often and digging deeper into what it means to be an entrepreneur or creative professional with a social conscience.

If you like what you’re reading, please spread the word to friends and contacts who might also enjoy IBC’s content, blueberry waffles and all.

Click here to sign up for our daily email (it’s tasty!). And here for our recent Malin & Goetz Q&A if you missed that.

What can an artist teach us about working across mediums, pushing boundaries, the importance of failure, enjoying the process and innovation? A great deal, it seems, based on this incisive obituary in today’s IHT by Michael Kimmelman on Robert Rauschenberg.

Excerpts:

A painter, photographer, printmaker, choreographer, onstage performer, set designer and, in later years, even a composer, Rauschenberg defied the traditional idea that an artist stick to one medium or style. He pushed, prodded and sometimes reconceived all the mediums in which he worked.

The process — an improvisatory, counterintuitive way of doing things — was always what mattered most to him. “Screwing things up is a virtue,” he said when he was 74. “Being correct is never the point… Being right can stop all the momentum of a very interesting idea.”

Wait, there’s more…

“… John Cage said that fear in life is the fear of change. If I may add to that: nothing can avoid changing. It’s the only thing you can count on. Because life doesn’t have any other possibility, everyone can be measured by his adaptability to change.”

… “I usually work in a direction until I know how to do it, then I stop,” he said in an interview in the giant studio on Captiva in 2000. “At the time that I am bored or understand — I use those words interchangeably — another appetite has formed. A lot of people try to think up ideas. I’m not one. I’d rather accept the irresistible possibilities of what I can’t ignore.”

… “Anything you do will be an abuse of somebody else’s aesthetics. I think you’re born an artist or not. I couldn’t have learned it. And I hope I never do because knowing more only encourages your limitations.”

A friend of mine likens himself a “cultural entrepreneur”. Robert Rauschenberg, it seems, was one.

Photo credit.

* p.s. IBC’s email feed has not been functioning for a few days (we’re looking into it) so check out this Q&A with one of the two boys from Malin & Goetz in case you missed it.

News flash: moments ago a friend (with a slacker schedule, it seems) e-mailed me this picture from his iPhone in Soho. Behold, a freshly-painted bike lane on Prince Street!

I rode my Amsterdam cruiser down this same block earlier today, returning from an early breakfast meeting no less, and I don’t remember seeing this painted bike lane.

So NYC is finally getting serious about biking… To add more sauce to this riveting anecdote, just yesterday a friend asked how it was to bike around in the city, and I responded: “we need some paint on the bike lanes to make the lanes more visible to drivers”.

Sometimes in life you get what you ask for…

I’m delighted to run a little Q&A with one of my favorite emerging brands, Malin+Goetz. I first met the founders at a Women’s Wear Daily conference in Miami three or four years ago… we shared notes on PR firms, suppliers and industry trends. And then they kindly offered me a ride back to the airport. Be sure to check out the promo for IBC readers at the end of the Q&A!

Q. Hello, Matthew. So I guess we only got 1/2 of the “M&G” combo today? Never mind, let’s dig in. In essence, what’s M&G all about?

Making skin care uncomplicated and modern, starting with sensitive skin first.

Q. You make it sound so easy! Take us back to the genesis, that moment you both decided to commit your lives to this “project”.

There are two starting points: first, when Kiehl’s was sold to L’Oreal in ‘99 during my six-year tenure there overseeing global sales (as Nars was sold to Shiseido, Stila to Estee Lauder, Bliss to LVMH, etc). Then, two years later, after lots of research and planning (which was a rewarding process), we took the plunge. We wanted to establish a family business with a soul.

Q. You mentioned you were profitable out of the gate. How did you pull that off?

Profitable about a year into it. We are self-funded and focused. We wrote a thorough business plan, based on a friend’s success, that has served us well. Strategic planning for all aspects of our business without the pressure of investors was helpful, no doubt. We pooled our backgrounds in beauty and design to leverage PR, design (architect, graphics, packaging), product development (formulations), manufacturing, marketing, global distribution, our own retail store in NYC and an e-com website. Our team is a talented pool colleagues that are the best in their respective fields. We are lucky and proud to work with such individuals.

Q. Can you talk about your business model and your plans for growth? Give us a taste…

The model is unorthodox and focused, based on a modern, niche concept of specialty, ground-floor service and product inspired by the traditional apothecaries and chemists from 100 years ago. The five-year plan included our own Manhattan apothecary to serve as our international retail and wholesale showroom, office, and global shipping (with some warehousing in a basement) keeping costs at a minimum. Distribution focused on NY, LA and London and also included our own e-com website, four Barneys New York locations, Liberty in London and Fred Segal in LA. These eight, diversified venues launched our original idea to simplify skincare from “head-to-toe” with 11 items for Face, Body and Hair. Distribution continues to stay focused with a network of 250 non-competitive venues to support one another in each market. Our packaging tells our story and was “designed” to stand out editorially and merchandise beautifully at retail by the cutting-edge team at 2×4. Formulas were made for and owned by us for the contract manufacturers of our choice, allowing for quality control. The unisex concept offered exclusive editorial for mens, womens, beauty, design, architecture, home, fashion, and even food (Andrew Goetz is a gourmet cook!) publications. New York is an international destination related closely to LA and London. We often joke that our business model would not be possible from Ohio. Developing the (MALIN+GOETZ) directly-owned store network is the future, along with building our existing business partnerships while keeping an open mind for alternative venues and interesting channels of distribution.

Q. Thanks for that comprehensive answer… a taste, indeed. What’s really working for you/the business right now and what isn’t?

Our store and website are each 10% of our company’s biz. They WORK. We plan more own-stores and are in the process of re-launching our successful site. As we grow, we need to consider a broader audience and addressing their more specific needs.

Q. How would you rate M&G when it comes to social responsibility and sustainability? Are either part of the M&G story?

Each is part of our story and important. We continue to seek out opportunities to incorporate environmentally-conscious products and packaging into our line. From day one we’ve emphasized recycling and used minimal packaging and natural-based formulas. We also stand firmly to avoid false claims and hyperbole around these issues.

Q. I think style-driven emerging brands can have an outsize influence on the market at large so I hope M&G and other charismatic indies keep raising the bar on issues of social responsibility. Anyway, please tell us about your first store/office. How has it shaped what you do, the M&G brand?

As an integral part of the original business model, it has greatly shaped the business. The store has provided a platform for our business and products, setting the image, generating revenue, supplying office and shipping space, and offering our customers insight into our back office operation via our store. We have since moved our office from the store to a larger space, allowing us to expand our retail operation and take advantage of its sales potential.

Q. How do you manage the omni-present “integrity vs. growth” tension?

Hopefully, well. Placing integrity first allows for measured growth. As a self-funded business, it’s tempting to take short cuts and go for revenue opportunities. But learning to say “no” is critical - managing our core business must remain our focus. We do not have to be everything to everyone, but simply the best for our market and consumer.

Q. Yes, it takes discipline to say no to off-strategy revenue when you’re a cash-hungry start-up. Well done! Switching gears, can you describe the creative process at M&G?

It is important to know that Malin and Goetz have had a successful personal relationship for 15 years. So, there is a lot of common ground as a start. However, M&G is about pairing opposites for balance, literally. It goes like this: Malin & Goetz, beauty & design, dry & oily, cleanser & moisturizer, men & women, etc. Needless to say, it is a tug-of-war with the end result being balance. Perfect (MALIN+GOETZ) every time.

Q. As two partners, how do you divide and conquer without stepping on each other’s toes?

Oh, we step. I say this playfully; however, as previously mentioned, we are truly opposite. Therefore, we bring divergent ideas and expertise to the table. I focus energy on sales and product development and Andrew’s interests are suited to design, creatives, and manufacturing, since he is more detailed in many ways.

Q. Seminal moments/major milestones since your launch?

All of the amazing, positive customer feedback and loyalty. Watching our store and web’s growth with double digit increases annually. Moving into a real office to include shipping and warehousing last August and then expanding our store to twice its original size to include a “perfumery”. Having a full-time staff today of 12 people.

Q. Love it… there’s nothing like seeing the lil’ monster wiggle to life. Biggest challenge you’ve faced along the way? How did you overcome it?

Learning to integrate a 10-year personal relationship to a professional one. Clarifying boundaries took time. It was, initially, a difficult balance–no pun–that has now leveled to a beautiful hum. As with all of our previous endeavors, it has worked well, I am happy to say.

Q. How do you manage your growing team? Any “best practices” to share (management 101)?

We place emphasis on initiative, autonomy, creativity and achievement. We value and hire a great team first, and, hopefully, we do not take them for granted. When I began my career in the Executive Training Program at Saks, I had a great boss and later a horrible boss. Andrew had a similar experience during his ten years with Vitra. We learned what we did not want from a job and what we valued. We strive to foster an environment for the things we valued as employees and to avoid becoming the boss we both hated.

Q. Horrible bosses can make life so miserable! Good riddance. Your website has consistently been one of your strongest channels. What specifically is driving the success there?

Press. Simplicity. A loyal customer base. It is not a typical web success story and small by most standards. But, it is amazing for us. We love it.

Q. To sign off, I would like to run a little promo for my readers (this is the first time we’ve tried something like this) - anything you can offer up so IBC readers can give M&G a whirl (e.g. web promo)?

Yes - type in the word “indie” at check-out and receive 20% off purchases of (MALIN+GOETZ) via our web store, www.malinandgoetz.com.

Thank you for this insightful, candid Q&A, Matthew. Wishing you and your team continued success… btw, did I mention that I dig your soap bars and amenity set/travel sizes?

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The Wall Street Journal ran a piece today about social responsibility asking, ‘Does being ethical pay?‘ (subscription required). There are a couple of bits worth repeating here. The first is a succinct definition of “ethically produced” goods:

“For our purposes, “ethically produced” goods are those manufactured under three conditions. First, the company is considered to have progressive stakeholder relations, such as a commitment to diversity in hiring and consumer safety. Second, it must follow progressive environmental practices, such as using eco-friendly technology. Finally, it must be seen to demonstrate respect for human rights — no child labor or forced labor in overseas factories, for instance.”

This definition underpins a broader shift towards a more conscious/benevolent capitalism here in America, which comes as a welcome change after a long, myopic focus on profit only…

The second interesting bit in the WSJ article relates to the findings of a study conducted by the authors which looks the impact of a company’s perceived social responsibility on its relative pricing power:

“In all of our tests, consumers were willing to pay a slight premium for the ethically made goods. But they went much further in the other direction: they would buy unethically made products only at a steep discount.

What’s more, consumer attitudes played a big part in shaping those results. People with high standards for corporate behavior rewarded the ethical companies with bigger premiums and punished the unethical ones with bigger discounts.

Finally, we discovered that companies don’t necessarily need to go all-out with social responsibility to win over consumers. If a company invests in even a small degree of ethical production, buyers will reward it just as much as a company that goes much further in its efforts.”

For the time being, it seems, just taking an earnest step towards socially responsibility is enough for brands to win over fickle, ethically-minded consumers (ignoring social responsibility altogether is a risky proposition).

However my sense is that the “ethics bar” keeps rising each year, driven largely by widespread adoption of Lohas-type values among numerous influential consumer groups (even in a recession), suggesting that affordable, “ethically produced” goods will become the price of entry in most sectors, soon enough.

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Here’s an illuminating snippet from today’s IHT about the importance of forging new habits to foster personal growth and innovation:

“… Brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks.

Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try — the more we step outside our comfort zone — the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.”

Most of us find it hard to shake old habits, let alone create new ones, even if we grudgingly realize the steep cost of inaction in today’s fast-moving world: a degree of personal and professional stagnation.

The alternative - finding challenging work, moving overseas for a year, signing up for continuing education - though daunting (can I do it? should I do it? is it the right time to make a change?), holds more promise.

If nothing else, the fear of atrophy should be enough motivation to take a different route home tonight…

Here’s the full article (’Can you become a creature of habit?’ by Janet Rae-Dupree) - it’s a good read.

Photo credit: Oliver S. (blackboard in lobby of Pompei AD’s former office)

Manhattan bridge 2 - Originally uploaded by Oliver Sweatman

I spent the afternoon poking around Flickr, checking out other power Flickr users and Flickr groups to see how IBC might partake in the magic.

I started by cleaning up my personal Flickr “photostream”, including creating several “sets” to aid navigation (Vermont, NYC, etc). This took some time, but served as a good Flickr immersion session.

Next, I’m thinking about how Indie Breakfast Club (this riveting blog) might benefit from having a Flickr pool. For example, it might be fun to see images of emerging brands from around the world… stay tuned.