How These Green Business Owners

Became Successful

– And How You Can, Too!

Discover The Secrets of

Successful Green Businesses

In 18 One-Hour Interviews

Dear Fellow Green Business Owner,

As you work to grow your business, do you ever wonder how well a green, socially responsible business model can work for you?

I’m a business coach with a special focus on helping with green business owners work through the daily challenges in running and growing a business.

I decided to interview these people on my live Be Real Revolution program to share the knowledge and inspiration they have to offer people like you, who want to run a profitable enterprise that also has a positive impact on your community and the world. A business that respects and values its employees and makes sustained efforts to reduce and minimize its environmental footprint.

If you’re like most green business owners, you have a deep passion for people and our planet, yet sometimes feel despair that you can ever make your business succeed the way you know it can.

Now you can tap into the experience and wisdom of 18 successful green business leaders.

Secrets of Successful Green Businesses contains 18 interviews with successful green business leaders. Some you’ve probably heard of like Organic Valley and Honest Tea, others aren’t as visible, yet are still very successful, like South Mountain, a worker-owned design/build company on the island of Martha’s Vineyard that’s been going for over 30 years.

In these unedited interviews, you’ll hear direct from the business founders and managers. They had a great idea, rolled up their sleeves and toughed it out in the trenches for years to create their successful businesses.

You’ll discover how they did it and what they are doing now to stay competitive and green.

Put these interviews on your .mp3 player and listen while you drive, while you work out, or while you travel to your next business meeting.

The interviewees reveal:

In Secrets of Successful Green Businesses you’ll hear:

• Cecil Wright, Director of Operations of Organic Valley , shares his years of experience and answers "why organic and why cooperative?" Starting in 1988, Organic Valley has grown to over 700 family farm members all over the country! Today, consumers cannot get enough organic dairy products and supply struggles to keep up with demand. The challenges for farmers are many. Join us to explore the rise of organic and the benefits of the cooperative model.

• John Roulac, Founder and CEO of Nutiva, an innovative leader in the health food industry industry since 1999, talks about how his company has operated as a values-driven company dedicated to nourishing people and planet, with a special focus on deliciously healthy hemp and coconut foods.

• Jeff Mendelsohn, CEO of New Leaf Paper, discusses how his company leads the paper industry in the development and distribution of environmentally superior printing and office papers. New Leaf focuses on producing paper using high post-consumer recycled content and most of their papers are whitened without chlorine or chlorine compounds. The mission of New Leaf Paper is to be the leading national source for environmentally responsible, economically sound paper

• Terry Phelan, Living Shelter Design Architects a leader in the Pacific Northwest green building movement, shares how she bootstrapped her way into architecture and how her business has grown beyond what she could have imagined 14 years ago.

• Kim Jordan, co-founder and CEO of New Belgium Brewing Company  discusses the ups and downs of starting one of the countries leading socially responsible breweries, founded in 1991. New Belgium is employee-owned and is on the cutting edge of many sustainable practices. Kim believes that givingployees ownerp and opening the books encourages a community of ust and mutual responsibility.

• Al Rich, CEO of  SolarRoofs.com, is a veteran in the solar water heating industry. His company manufactures and sells systems for homeowners, dealers and commercial operations. Al shares his nearly 30 years of business experience, including several patents and awards.

• Robert Ahern, COO of Drainbo discusses what is different about Drainbo and how they are growing the business, which is owned by Sanact, Inc., third generation drain and plumbing specialist, in business since 1947. President Rodney Wrey wanted to come up with an alternative to the chemical drain cleaners that are among the most hazardous class of consumer products available. Drainbo was born seven years ago and is in the process of going national. Robert is a seasoned business man formerly CEO of a national corporation, who has been charged up by the Drainbo mission.

• Tom Boucher, President and CEO of NativeEnergy, gives you an inside look at one of the country's most successful renewable energy companies. NativeEnergy's clients include Ben & Jerry's, Stonyfield Farm, Aveda, Coop America, Timberland, Warner Brothers, ClifBar, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters and many other companies and individuals. Learn about renewable energy credits, the latest developments in this exciting industry, and how you can participate and make a difference.

•  Barry Nalebuff, Cofounder and Chairman of Honest Tea the best-selling brand of bottled tea in the natural foods industry explores how Honest Tea has ranked two years on Inc.'s magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in the U.S. The company was the first to market a certified organic bottled tea, and also has the first and only Fair Trade bottled tea. Barry talks about how they capitalized the business, what's "honest" about Honest Tea, and much more.

•  Laury Hammel, CEO of the Longfellow Clubs, discusses his over 25 years experience running four socially responsible, successful racquet and fitness clubs in the Boston area, plus several related organizations. Laury also founded New England Businesses for Social Responsibility, and in 1991 he founded the national organization Business for Social Responsibility. More recently, he co-founded the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies with Judy Wicks, to promote environmentally sustainable and socially responsible business practices, with a special focus on creating strong local "living economies."

• Priya Haji, CEO of World of Good discusses how she started and is growing the company, which brings beautiful handcrafted products from cooperatives, NGOs and nonprofits in developing countries to the US market with the aim of promoting fair trade and reinvesting the profits to better the communities from which they come.

• Natalie Marquis, General Manager of Habitat Suites, Austin TX's award winning green hotel, shares the environmental practices that are entrenched in every aspect of their business. Programs in air quality, land use, energy efficiency, waste reduction and management, recycling, resource conservation, water quality and conservation, human health, and public education make Habitat Suites a pleasant place to stay for guests and a more profitable business!

•  David Zutler, CEO and founder of BIOTA Spring Water talks about  his revolutionary product - the first bottled water in a biodegradable/ compostable bottle made from corn. David's passion is starting a world-wide movement to use bio-based plastics, to replace the devastating effects of burning oil-based plastic products.

• John Abrams, CEO of South Mountain and author of The Company We Keep: Reinventing Small Business for People, Community, and Place  (one of the most exciting business books I have ever read!) shares his 30 year experience as founder and co-owner of South Mountain Company, a successful design/build company on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. John explains the eight cornerstone principles that define and guide South Mountain Co. and answers questions about an employee-owned business.

• Ahmed and Reem Rahim, the brother and sister team founded Numi Tea in 1999, in Oakland, California, and have been transforming the tea industry ever since. After observing that competing brands in the U.S. tea market differed little from one another in quality, consistency, and selection, they created a company whose hallmark is super premium, organic full leaf teas and herbal teasans, all made without the use of any oils, flavorings or tea dust. This is a fascinating discussion of how they started and grew their business.

• Patrick Clark and Linsi Deyo started Carolina Morning Designs

20 years ago, producing simple furniture for meditation and back care, based on the age old principle of body dynamics. They challenge mainstream thinking on back care with their revolutionary concept of the New Ergonomics and have pioneered using earth-friendly materials and methods in their manufacturing processes. Here’s an inside look at a small but successfull socially responsible green business.

•  Dick McLeester, owner of VisionWorks, shares his nearly 20 years of experience as a wholesaler of books, cards, calendars, bumper stickers and more. He discusses dealing with the changing marketplace with the advent of corporate bookstores, how he has grown as a business owner and what's next for socially responsible businesses.

• For the past 17 years, Joseph Cincotta, owner of LineSync Architecture, and his team have been designing and building award-winning institutional, commercial and residential projects, with a special focus on sustainable, "green" principles. He and co-owner Julie Lineberger use socially responsible principles in their management practices as well, creating a highly motivated, creative and loyal staff.

  Click here to download your audios now!

If you have any questions, contact Anne here.

Learn more about business coach Anne Alexander.

Authentic Alternatives, Inc.

Business Breakthroughs Coaching

(970) 672-4946

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