Occupy Wall Street Protesters in New York. Credit: CNBC
I knew this would happen.
The company that owns Zuccotti Park also owns the office building where I work. On Friday, about 40 protestors made their way to our front door. I’m not sure if they know the company I work for is housed there. Once they make the connection, I’m sure the protestors will be a daily occurrence at our door.
The protestors are spending a lot time and effort occupying different areas all over the country. Say “Occupy Wall Street” and every American knows what you’re talking about. The movement they have built on a shoestring is very impressive. Their digital megaphone is stretching across the globe, and here is a sad and sorry truth: banks, the target of many of these protests, hear the protestors but they aren’t really listening. They don’t have to and they won’t, at least not to conventional communication.
The only way to get through to banks is via money – it’s the only language they understand or even want to understand. Protestors, you need to talk with your wallets. Banks only respond to outcries that are framed in the form of federal regulation or an impact to their bottom line. They actually don’t care that you’re losing your home, struggling to pay your student loans, and barely scraping up funds to put food on the table. Individually, there are a lot of people within banks who care and feel paralyzed by the organizations they work for. I work for a bank and I spend a good deal of my time trying to get us to behave better. Most of the people I work with are living in fear that their job is the next on the chopping block. The banks themselves, as their own living, breathing entities, sadly are not the people who occupy the desks in their offices. They are another beast entirely.
Protestors if you want more than public sympathy and a chance to be heard, if you care more about actually creating change than you do about news coverage – and I 100% believe you do – then you’ve got two choices to change the banks’ tune toward yourmessage:
1.) Go Occupy Washington, the local offices of your representatives, and the lobbyists who get their attention by hitting them in their fundraising efforts. They can put federal legislation in place to make the banks change the way they do business. What gets regulated gets done.
2.) Stop supporting banks with your spending and savings. My sister, Weez, reminded me that Bank of America reversed the debit card fee they had planned to charge in response to the Durbin Amendment because so many people closed their accounts or threatened to do so if the fee was charged. Take your business to local credit unions, online banks like ING Direct who have more transparent practices and policies, and community financial development institutions (CFDIs). Cut the spending on your credit cards and stop buying their products and services. Your wallet is your microphone.
These two methods are the only kind of occupy movement – essentially occupying the banks’ balance sheets and strategic plans – that will truly be heard loud and clear.
From Inc Magazine - By Kimberly Weisul | Nov 17, 2011
Dear 38% of 18-34 year old American would-be entrepreneurs who are letting the recession get in the way of your start-up plans, I hear you! It’s scary to take your superficially safe day job and chuck it out the window in favor of your dream. If you’re dream fails, does that mean you fail? And if that happens, does that mean you will never get another job? Ever? Better to stick it out in a place that isn’t ideal, but could be good enough if we closed our eyes, ears, and hearts to our true calling, right? Think again.
You’ve heard about these statistics: how many great companies started in the wake of a recessions: FedEx, Microsoft, CNN, and the modern days of Apple. But here’s a stat that surprised even me – an eternal optimist about the potential of entrepreneurs: 54% of all Americans 18 – 34 want to start their own businesses. They don’t want to buy into an existing business or climb the ladder to a high position within an existing company. More people in that demographic are interested in working for themselves than are interested in working for someone else. It’s a remarkable statement and it’s cause for great enthusiasm and consumer confidence!
Now is the time to dream bigger than ever. 18 – 34-year-old entrepreneurs at heart, you’ve got loans to repay, retirement accounts to fund, and experience to build. Fine. I do, too. 38% of you aren’t beginning your entrepreneurial journey because of the bad economy. The lack of reasoning there is that the state of the economy has had very little to do with the success of the overall economy. You have no substantial reason to delay your dream.
Here’s what I really don’t want you to do: please don’t focus so much on climbing the ladder in the place you happen to be due to the Great Recession and place your entrepreneurial desires on hold. Find a way to make small steps forward:
Freelance in your spare time
Begin to lay the foundations for your own future as defined by you and you alone
Don’t use the recession as an excuse; use it as fuel to get going
Our illusion of safety inside another company exists only in our minds. You’ve got what it takes to at least give your entrepreneurial dream a shot. You owe it to yourself to try with everything you’ve got. I’ve been giving this idea a spin in my mind since seeing my friend, Rodrigo, a great pal from business school.
Rodrigo asked me how my yoga was going, what the business model is, and why I’m so passionate about Compass Yoga’s mission to help people with physical and mental health challenges. He could easily see my dedication to the idea.
And then I told him how much I care about our healthcare system and why I feel such an allegiance to his company, GE Healthcare. You see, GE Healthcare saved my mother’s life. Their imaging machines detected her breast cancer when it was smaller than a grain of sand. Her scans have been clean for 5 years. I’ll be forever grateful for the extra time they’ve given my mom and I. There’s no way to put a price tag on that kind of gratitude.
“If yoga doesn’t work out, give me a call, Christa,” Rodrigo said. “GE will want you.” I laughed and then he said, “I’m serious. Call me.”
And I knew in that moment that even if I jump tomorrow, out of corporate life with two feet into Compass Yoga, I’ll be just fine. The whole idea could go bust and I’ll still be okay because I’m skilled and I can tell an authentic story.
Rodrigo showed up with just the right message, at just the right time: now’s the time to give my dream a whirl and see what I can do. The worst that will happen is failure and I’d rather fail trying than wonder what I could have done if I’d had more guts.
Last week, I wrote a post about the point of all teaching – to help others rise. That statement can be taken literally and figuratively, as I recently found out through a cupcake baking class at Butter Lane Bakery. Joe, our teacher and cupcake baker (and frosting!) extraordinaire, helped me recognize a very important business principle that we should learn from: we all have something to teach and should make it a part of our business model. (Yes, thoughts that profound can be found in the depths of a cupcake.)
Joe counseled us on the proper techniques to cream butter and sugar, why we need to add in the dry ingredients with a minimal amount of mixing, and the short window in which we have to add the dairy. With our fluffy cakes baked, he taught us the “pat down” frosting technique which produces a cute little wisp worthy of a Real Simple Magazine cover. (Okay, mine weren’t that good but they were damn close!)
The result: little pillows of sugar-sweet happiness, and more importantly, confidence in the kitchen. I can whip up a delicious dinner in not time; my baking skills are less-than-adequate, but this class helped me understand baking on a more intellectual level. The nerd in me needed that boost of knowledge, and I got it thanks to Joe.
Butter Lane Bakery could just keep churning out these sinfully sweet little indulgences and keeping its customers in the dark on how the magic happens. Instead, they invite people into the bakery for a small class fee, and share everything they know about their specialty. And it’s working – their class schedule is sold out months in advance. Follow their lead.
Get creative with your business model – there are more revenue streams in there than you think there are.
It really is true that we can learn something from everyone, Herman Cain included.
He certainly has gotten himself into a good deal of hot sauce this last week. (So much so, that the man known for his 9-9-9 plan needs a PR 9-1-1 plan in a hurry!) The self-proclaimed Godfather of Pizza has been tossing out catch-phrases to make him a memorable candidate. No doubt this is due to his early training creating marketing messages on cardboard boxes filled with cheesy, saucy goodness. His 9-9-9 plan is another recipe for disaster that we don’t need, but there’s something valuable in his approach: to embrace a plan of any size, it’s got to be so simple that we can walk around repeating it to ourselves. It doesn’t need a 30 page memo and a matrix process plan to understand the basic architecture.
I recently had lunch with my pal, Jeff, a marketing whiz, comedian, and constant seeker of improvement. He wanted some answers – how do I maintain my productivity and my sanity? I’ve got a plan for productivity that’s similar in structure to Herman Cain’s plan for the economy, but mine’s been tested and approved.
I call it 1-1-1: For my three main goals for the year, I make a pact every weekend to do one thing to further each of those goals. This past weekend, I wanted to write 1 chapter of the book I’m working on, send out 1 letter of introduction for Compass Yoga‘s business development, and take 1 yoga class. If I could tick off those 3 boxes, then the weekend would be a triple win. In reality, if felt so good to get these 3 wins that I actually did more than I promised myself I would do. And then that felt even better, even more productive. Warning: productivity is addictive.
Success is all about context. We need to work hard and get a lot done – that’s true for any business owner. To-do items will compete for our attention and beg for priority in the queue. They’re needy, but don’t let them charm you. Stay focused:
1.) What are your top 3 goals for the year? Make those your structure of productivity, the frame you’ll hang your actions on.
2.) Now in any given day, week, or month, what is the one thing you’ll do to advance each of those goals? Those are your resolutions, and ultimately your accomplishments.
That’s how I stay productive, limit distractions, and keep my confidence up. What works for you?
For the past few years, my daily posts have revolved around a specific theme. In 2009, I wrote about my quest to have more hope. In 2010, I chronicled my steps toward building an extraordinary life. This year, I’ve taken up the challenge to become an expert beginner. As of late, I’ve found myself preoccupied, in writing and in living, with raising a call to action. In 2009, I learned the very painful and abundantly helpful truth that we are here on borrowed time. My apartment building fire cost me almost all of my belongings and nearly cost me my life. We don’t get to choose how long we’re here, and so if we’re waiting to do what we really want to do then we’re just wasting time.
I’ve been thinking a lot about how my content will evolve in 2012. What should my theme be? Who am I trying to help? What’s the biggest challenge I’m trying to overcome? I started to panic. No lightbulb moment seemed to find me. And then I remember the one simple question that starts every new product development project – “What gives you pain?”
By the end of 2012, I want to control how I spend all of my time. So my next journey is toward the goal of being my own boss and you’re invited to join me on this wild ride. To this end, my posts are going to take on a decidedly different direction. They’ll be a little punchier, a little more opinionated. I’ll let you in on what I’m reading, using, and doing to turn this idea into a reality. And it will all be related to the idea of “making business make sense.” Hence, this site’s new tagline. “Curating a Creative Life” served me well for 4. 5 years and I learned so much from it. Now it’s time to move on and embrace a new frontier that combines my love for business, creativity, and simplicity.
Taking my own advice, I decided not to wait until 2012 to kick off this new content strategy. Waiting never got anyone anywhere. The only way to move forward is to take a step in that direction, so here I go. Compass Yoga is taking off quickly, and I need to respond to this stroke of good fortune.
The greatest thing I learned in my year of beginnings is that NOW is the best time for a new beginning. Don’t wait for the calendar to turn to make a resolution, to dive into a new project, to seize the lucky moment. And in this moment, the world is asking for the business world to be simpler and more straight-forward. I can serve that mission; this moment was made for me.
As an editorial aside, taking control of all of my time means that I’ll be doing a considerable amount of other writing projects and business development work, particularly because Compass Yoga’s incorporation status moved much faster than I expected. To give myself that space and time, I’ll publish on this site 5 times per week – Monday to Friday, excluding major holidays – effective immediately.
A few of my friends are in the midst of starting to craft their own businesses, either as incremental income streams or as a replacement for their full-time jobs working for someone else. The companies vary from an online stationery store to career coaching to senior care, and some have mentioned that they’re worried about the originality of their ideas. Differentiation is important. A wholly original idea is not.
Facebook was not the first social network. The iPod was not the first MP3 player. Amazon was not the first online retailer nor the first online bookseller. These founders saw an idea in the market that met a need and then they used their own spin on the idea to delight customers. It’s that delight factor that truly made the difference.
There are a lot of yoga teachers in the world. There are a number of them who are interested in working on the healthcare industry. I know Compass Yoga isn’t unique in that pursuit but we’ve got a few surprising insights, and a few plans to set us apart and help more people in the process. And that’s really all anyone needs to get going on a new venture. Just be your best version of you.
Rob, Michael, and I trekked downtown to see our rock star attorneys to review our by-laws. They surprised with the wonderful news that in record time the Department of State has granted incorporation status to Compass Yoga. We are official, moving us one more step down the road to getting more yoga and wellness programming to more people who need it to improve their health.
Up next:
Approve the by-laws
Vote in the board members
Open a bank account
Apply for our EIN (Employer Identification Number)
File for nonprofit 501(c)3 status
As we wind our way through this exciting and complicated process to establish a nonprofit, I continue to pinch myself. I am so grateful to the incredible board, our amazing and generous attorneys, and for the many people who keep encouraging our mission. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it’s falling into place so well. By putting our very best out into the world we are receiving so much good fortune in return.
It’s amazing how much magic we find when we have the courage to begin.
My friend, Amy, sent me a link to a The 99% Declaration put together by the members of Occupy Wall Street. After reading through it carefully, I understand what they’re looking for as well as their goal. And now I know for certain that I am not a part of their 99%. I’m not a part of the 1% either. I guess I am on my own, which is where I’d prefer to be.
1.) I don’t like that they are suggesting that as an individual I would not be able to donate to the candidates’ campaigns whose ideals I support. I think that’s infringing upon my own individual freedoms.
2.) Many people in this country have retirement savings in 401Ks, IRAs, etc. that are made up of mutual funds and stock holdings. To say that I can’t have those savings if I or anyone in my immediate family holds public office is again infringing upon my rights to financially care for my future. Exactly what am I supposed to do with those holdings if I or someone in my immediate family decides to run for office?
3.) I am all for healthcare reform and change but single payer healthcare seems like a very scary thing to propose is such a sweeping gesture. Our healthcare system is quite complex and there are many countries with nationalized healthcare who are unhappy with their system as well. In the end, doctors actually don’t have to take insurance at all and wealthy individuals will just pay out-of-pocket for the best care, likely to the best doctors who would no longer be a part of the healthcare system because they couldn’t afford to practice in a single payer system. We’d run into the similar issue we have with public versus private education.
4.) Why should free market corporations subsidize all student loans? Individuals choose which debts to take on – I certainly did and I am responsible for those choices. There are deferment programs already in place which I have taken advantage of at times when I was not employed so I’m not sure why they think that is not an option.
5.) The recall of military personnel is based upon a great deal of top-secret information that we are not privy to for our own safety. While I do want the troops to come home, I also want to make sure that all of their efforts don’t fall apart and that our national and global security is not further jeopardized in the process.
7.) They are implying the passage of embargoes against certain nations like China who manipulate their currency. This would be disastrous for our country, particularly in this recession. Again, Tom Friedman addressed this idea in his column today.
8.) The bank regulation they are proposing around lending does not allow financial institutions to take risk into account to make good business decisions. In short, if someone has a low credit score then it is tough to justify that banks should give them loans at a very low rate. What if they again cannot repay the debt they take on? Who pays then if banks couldn’t appropriately price for risk in granting the loan? I also think they don’t fully understand how regulated the banking system has become in the last few years since the recession hit full force. Much of that regulation is a very good thing but the side effect has been that it is much harder for those in lower socioeconomic brackets to get any credit.
9.) I absolutely think that they should form their own party and run candidates in elections. YES! Their last point all but says that this is what they intend to do. I think that’s a great idea and I hope they follow through with it. This is the way to have them voice their concerns about the system and become a part of participatory government, as well as to see the complications that are inherent in running an incredibly complex political, economic, and social system.
Get in the game Occupiers and don’t wait until July 2012. Now is the time to make yourselves heard and for others to consider your proposals in the upcoming election season.
Last week New York magazine ran an article entitled “Welfare Yoga” about the current state of yoga teachers and their lack of income sources. Below is the letter to the editor I wrote in response. The points raised in this piece further confirm that I made the right decision by turning away from the traditional studio teaching route; my gut steered me toward a brighter future by seeking to integrate with the traditional healthcare system.
“Dear Editor,
Thank you for your excellent piece “Welfare Yoga” on October 2, 2011. As a yoga instructor, I’ve been disappointed to see how the value of yoga classes in New York has been deeply diminished by offers through Groupon, Living Social, and other similar sites, as well as the less-than-savvy marketing efforts of many studios.
In many ways, yoga teachers have created the trend of cheap-to-free yoga to their own detriment. Now their own efforts have put them in the bind of people expecting free yoga and the studios not being able to keep their doors open. Rather than fixing this broken business model, an increasing number of studios are compounding the problem by generating their income through teacher training programs that produce even more teachers who compete for an ever-decreasing number of paying teacher gigs. It’s a vicious cycle that yogis are feeding at a dizzying rate.
Unfortunately, “karma” has been equated with “free” in the yoga world, and some teachers and practitioners have come to believe that all yoga should be free to everyone, regardless of the means of their students. We live in a world where eventually there is a cost for everything. In the case of yoga classes in New York City, the ones truly bearing the cost are the instructors who have to work several jobs in addition to (their often free) teaching so they can meet their own basic personal expenses.
Sadly, the only people we have to blame for this situation are ourselves.
Lauren Murray is striking back against the idea that our economy has ruined all of us.
Christa Avampato 