My tip of the day is a little unorthodox and late but it’s a suggestion to care. We all need to do our part and work to make this world a place that will be around for the generations that follow. It’s not too late to do the right thing, it all matters.
I attended the Southeast Florida Climate Summit in Key West last week and gathered up a lot of interesting information. I have a great appreciation for the effort being put in by some, especially our local governments. Being educated on where we currently sit in our environment as it stands today was beyond interesting. The report can look grim but it’s up to us to educate and do the right thing no matter where we are.
We need to care about the environment. There are many studies out there showing coastal cities (including the Florida Keys) underwater in our lifetimes or our children’s lifetimes. It will make the homes un-insurable and banks will no longer lend 30-year mortgages, if any. The sustainable practices being implemented by many in the government is so encouraging and will be a tremendous help in the fight for change.
I really enjoyed being a part of and educating the 500+ attendees on sustainable practices in the print industry. It’s an industry that many don’t even notice even though it is everywhere. We had the opportunity of printing everything for the event using sustainable and eco-friendly products. We produced a swag bag full of contents that people will actually want to use and the products, including the bag, will stand the test of time. Many don’t realize the impact that buying better products can actually have on our environment.
In addition to the swag bag, we produced and distributed t-shirts that are comprised of 6 plastic bottles with our partners at Allmade. These shirts stole the show. People really enjoyed learning about the options that are out there when it comes to t-shirts and promotional products. It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality. Something that we heard ourselves saying often was, “less, but better.” It also helped that t-shirts made of plastic can be seen as a much lighter topic than discussing thawing permafrost (which is pretty scary).
I had many great conversations with attendees that were willing to offer suggestions on things that we can do better in the print industry. It was really enlightening and a tremendous experience to be surrounded by so many like-minded individuals.
I recommend doing some research on climate change and see what you can do to help. In my opinion, being educated is more than half the battle.
There will be videos on this topic, including interviews from the conference to follow.
I encourage everyone to get into reading, it can be life changing. Here is a small reading list of some that I’ve enjoyed to get you started: https://www.promotionsguy.com/ryan-s-favorite-reads
I’m writing tips each week for people aspiring to improve. These are not industry related but they generally have something to do with growing as a person or growing a business. My intention is to help others grow while growing myself.
My book recommendation this week is “Let My People Go Surfing” by Yvon Chouinard. This is about the birth of Patagonia. They believe strongly in sustainable products and absolutely practice what they preach.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss something, feel free to shoot me an email at ryan@promotionsguy.com.