Part 3 of the “Plastic Bags Kill” discussion. The facts of the matter is that people honestly don’t know about plastic bag pollution. It’s my hope that these discussions will have educated you and lead to you making better decisions when going to the store and not consuming plastic bags, opting to bring your own reusable bags. Thanks for watching. And please remember that your everyday actions really DO make a difference and have an impact on our environment. Every person counts. And every person can make a difference.
Plastic bags are one of the most deadliest weapons of pollution in the world. Killing over 1 million birds per year and over 100,000 marine animals such as turtles, seals, and dolphins, plastic bag consumption at your local stores is one of the worst things that you can do for the environment. Please make the connection of the death and pollution when walking out of the store with a plastic bag.
In this “Plastic Bags Kill” series, I discuss the history of plastic bags, leading into the pollution, and offer solutions on how you can decrease your consumption / completely stop depending on plastic bags.
GIAS is the philosophy behind Mind Petals, our driving force. It’s the culmination of having compassion for all living things, including all animals and our environment; inspiring the world by planting as many ideas (seeds) as possible into the minds of others to bring about positive change; standing up and taking action for what you believe in; recognizing your true and infinite powers and harnessing that power for the greater good. This is GIAS.
Real learning takes place outside of the classroom. The greatest teacher in the world is the Universe. As Khalik said in this clip, “the universe is your university.” I think that’s so true. I’ve learned more in my life in the past 2 years “after” graduating from college, than, seriously, over a decade in the school system. How is that? Well, in nature/universe there are no boundaries, no limits, and no authority figures. So of course, naturally, your journey of learning and absorbing and building a relationship with the world is going to flow more effortlessly than ever before. How amazing.
Khalik Allah and I speak about the effects of plants and drugs on your body and share real experiences with you.
Drugs — synthetic and naturally derived from plants — have various impacts on your mind, body, and spirit. Most prescription drugs serve to only alleviate and subdue the symptoms and have little to no effect on actually getting to the source of the problem. Khalik will argue that all the healing you need is already provided in your own bodily powers. David states: “Plants that haven’t been altered can provide your body and spirit with a certain intelligence.”
The destruction of the rain forest and the ancient redwoods of Northern California. The aggressive and careless consumption of animals. The poor and clumsy usage of technology without respect for the environment. The greed to attain material riches at the expense of natural resources. The blind burning of fossil fuels to increase our corporate bottom-lines. This is truly Man vs Nature. Man vs Himself.
Most people have no idea what REAL chocolate is — raw cacao. Vanessa Barg, the “Chocolate Girl” and alternative health expert / consultant, educates us on what chocolate, and raw food, is all about. If you’ve ever wondered about the magical benefits and experience of eating chocolate in its natural form, then watch this video and learn. Enjoy and Much Love to you.
Is money, cars, homes, and fancy titles your cocaine — your joy and high? Is making a difference and having a positive impact on the world your source of joy? Is is both? Is it just one? Are you heading in the right direction? Are you in control of what you’ve set out to do with your life? Or is society driving the car for you? Ask yourself these questions…
Those that do something when they see something wrong. Those that take action for what they believe in. Those that do things to benefit others. Those that share their love and kindness with the world. Those are the Saviors
When you tap into yourself, you’re basking in an awareness of true understanding, where you see things for what they truly are. You transcend logic, language, and concepts and enter a realm of experience — a place where you are truly naked and free from the societal constrains that you’ve come so accustomed to.
Certain individuals in this world are mutants — people who, through their ideas, actions, and behaviors — bring about a change in the consciousness of others. People who recognize the imbalances and seek to bring about a balance, a reduction of the lies, deception, pollution, politicizing, what have you.
Everything that you can see, feel, touch, smell, hear, and sense is a part of Nature. Part of the mega frequency that envelops everything in the world. Your job is to tap into this frequency and explore your true potential — your infinite potential. I love you.
Understanding the various games of society is essential to understanding what’s really going on — figuring it all out and deciding if you’d like to stay in and play or pack up the pieces and start your own game. In this discussion I answer the following questions of:
What if someone is really passionate about making money — isn’t that okay?
How do you balance yourself knowing that you have to be a part of the system in order to get things done?
What about the parents, professors, and priests who are really passionate and care about you — are they still wrong?
In this segment I wrap up with my closing remarks and we enter into a question / answer / feedback forum — which is always really fun! What I really love about discussions such as these is that they can never really end… they can just keep on going because the possibilities of talking about life are endless — they really are. Please enjoy.
In this segment I continue my discussion on the sticky web of society and how to avoid being trapped. As you’ll gather from my discussion, the way out is to simply love — to dig — what truly makes you happy and do that just for that… not for anything or anyone else. To come to this realization it may be immediately or it may be years, perhaps never. But we all have the potential, the opportunity. Please enjoy.
Someone once commented to me, vehemently, calling me an anarchist, to which I hastily responded “no.” But to a degree, I was wrong. And through some meditating on the matter, yes, in many ways, I am a proponent of anarchism. When the system is fucked, step outside of it. Build your own system. If people really knew what anarchism was all about, they would have a beautiful appreciation for it. Nature, being the biggest anarchist of all, teaches us so much about how to get rid of the waste, how to rejuvenate stagnated growth, how to regenerate a way of living that has been severed by society’s razor of mind control, fear, and aggressive –misguided– capitalism. These subjects and life experiences are of great interest to me. Please enjoy (or not…). Like I say in the discussion: “either is okay!”
One of the most profound realizations that one can attain is that “you are going to die one day.” Shocked? Don’t be. This isn’t something to be depressed about or to let control your life. Embrace death. Knowing this makes life lively and you are able to see the spice in everything that you do, touch, see, and feel. You are not marginalized in any way, shape, or form. You are powerful and mighty. Right now is the best time of your life. Now. You are the center of the universe. You are everything. Randy Pausch inspires us to remember this. Enjoy.
Avi Flombaum [co-founder of Designer Pages] is definitely one cool dude. I always laugh when I talk to people about Avi, because there’s always one common demoninator when someone speaks about him — how smart and chill he is. And that’s exactly what makes Avi such a down-to-earth and enlightening entrepreneur. So glad to have him a part of Mind Petals Organization. In this discussion of “Naked Functionality,” Avi breaks down and juxtaposes two schools of thought when it comes to web applications — the bare and “naked” applications and the applications with “purpose and context” that separate themselves from the pack because they provide unique, niche, value. If you’re at all involved with web development, online applications, and/or simply have a love for the Internet, then sit back, relax, light up, drink up, whatever, and listen to Avi flow… Ha, I should start calling him “Avi Flow..” I like the ring of that.
Samadhi is a non-dualistic consciousness where the experiencing subject becomes one with the experiencing object. Meaning, you become ONE with anything that you are doing, i.e., riding a bike, playing a game, playing an instrument, whatever it may be. You fall into a trance where you are totally aware, yet not thinking of anything. Totally concentrated, but not trying to control the situation at all. In this discussion, I relate samadhi to personal experiences and observations that I have made. Please enjoy and may you be inspired.
Orian continues his presentation on building and maintaining a founding team for your business. His principles for building a team can be applied to many situations, not just your business. The book mentioned in the presentation,The Partnership Charter , may be of interest to you and your team.
Orian is co-founder and CEO of Eluciv Knowledge: an upcoming RSS / feed filtering service that’s going to revolutionize the entire process of how people receive, store, and review the content from all the blogs you read. We’ll definitely be talking more about their disruptive service in the upcoming months. Oh, and Orian also knows how to throw an awesome party! hehe…
Topics discussed in presentation:
Set clear expectations for your team members
Be prepared to explain “why” you want to go in a certain direction
Don’t be scared to talk to your team about ANYTHING
Be open and honest with your team
Never let a team member hold you back from pushing forward
If it comes down to it, give your team member an ultimatum
Catch up on our other Mind Petal-icious Presentations over at MP TV.
The follow-up of the “Never Settle on ‘The Authority’” (part 1) talk, going into certain individuals in history who simply weren’t happy settling for the answers they were receiving — they just weren’t having it. So they went out to answer their own questions.
Never settle for something to be true, right, and correct simply because an “Authority” figure has deemed it so. Always venture within and ask yourself as well. You know more than you think.
Though I’ve only just begun my journey into learning about the philosopher and profound intellectual, Alan Watts, I am truly inspired by his videos and presentations, namely his discussions on the nature of the human being — the self. His messages inspire me to think in new ways and and challenge deeply embedded notions and concepts. Below is the first part of a four part series entitled “A Conversation with Myself”. I hope that it inspires you as much as it inspired me. Enjoy and please share your thoughts.
Please, think about others and do everything in your power to give to those less fortunate than us. Use your business as a tool to shine light onto others. Give and you shall receive.
Please consider Toms Shoes the next time you purchase a pair.
Today I was invited to speak to the honors students at Marta Valle Secondary School, located on the Lower East Side section of Manhattan. Fellow college buddy, now teacher, Josh Fifer asked me to come speak to his students and teach them that they can do anything with their lives.
I absolutely love speaking to students, especially the ones who think that they have no options in life because there is no one around to motivate them and set an example. It breaks my heart when I see young children who think that they can’t accomplish something in life because it’s “too hard” or “they aren’t smart enough.”
Today I was given the opportunity to speak to an amazing group of students who all had a good head on their shoulders (well, most). Most of these students were ambitious and just needed a little extra boost of confidence — so that’s where I came in and really reinforced what their teacher has been stressing all semester — fight for your passions, don’t be scared, and stay motivated and dedicated to your dreams.
Here are some shots:
I was truly impressed by the dreams that these students had. Such as: becoming a doctor, teacher, model, software engineer, musician, fragrance designer, dancer, professional baseball player, etc. It put a big smile on my face to learn that these kids were thinking BIG. They are the next generation of young entrepreneurs to go off and change the world. My aim today was to keep them thinking big and to push them in the right direction. Hopefully, I’ve accomplished that.
Here’s a few minutes of the end of the speech (taken with a digital camera…)
Want a watch a movie that’ll change the way you think? That’ll help you to realize your true potential? Watch What the Bleep Do We Know and get ready for an awakening of the mind. This movie changed the way I think and helped me to understand that my potential — that all of our potential — is unlimited.
According to Elon successful entrepreneur come in all sizes, shapes and flavors! Some things that are important are an obsessive nature with respect to the quality of the product, and really liking what you do.
PayPal is a perfect case of viral marketing where one customer acts as a sales person by sending money to a friend and hence recruiting another customer. By the end of year 2 PayPal had a million customers with no sales force and no advertising budget.
Jerry Kaplan elaborates on the 5 biggest mistakes that entrepreneurs make:
Having unclear goals and an unclear mission.
Trying to prove that you are smart - very common in young entrepreneurs.
Greed - doing it for money, not raising enough money and not distributing the equity and widely as possible.
Hiring people that they like rather than people that they need “A company is not a social club.”
Not knowing when to let go. “If you are a great start up CEO does not mean that you are a good CEO of a billion dollar company!” Have a realistic self assessment to know when to step aside.
hong-Moon Lee believes that leadership and dynamic managerial style are two important skills that every successful entrepreneur must have. He goes on to discuss the necessary skill set that make a successful entrepreneur.
You have to keep changing yourself constantly to be successful. Chong-Moon Lee explains that the more you know the world, the more informed decisions you will be able to make.
Just came across this motivational and inspiring video over at the awesome Signal vs. Noise blog, originally posted here. This 17 year-old kid truly defines what entrepreneurship is all about: helping others and brining about positive change.
Roizen talks about the importance of bootstrapping, and maintaining control of the company in the early stages. Not only do entrepreneurs have to work for a living but they also have to make the money raised last for a longer time. When capital became easily available people stopped making the money the old fashion way, by working. If you create profit, shareholder value will definitely follow. If you make profits you don’t need other people to invest in your company. This is a great advantage.
What are the numbers that VCs look for when they invest? In the VC business most things fail therefore the successes have to be BIG. Often you hear 10X, i.e. you should see 10 times your capital coming back. It is also dollars in, dollars out, IRR. Mobius fund today has an IRR of 90%. The more time you can play with the money and the bigger it grows, as a GP you get back the money and the LP can invest the money somewhere else. You will almost never hear a VC use IRR.
Tips for the pitch: focus on getting to the next step. The day you come in for an hour-long meeting, plan on a 20 min. presentation (no more); get to the value proposition in 5 minutes; be articulate; manage the meeting; show experience and establish credibility.
Joe talks about why entrepreneurship is something everyone needs to do in their career. You will go from the highest highs to the lowest lows in a matter of minutes but it is the time that is the best and the worst of your life. He advices starting a business when you are an undergraduate student because you do not have a whole lot to lose.
What are examples of other companies that are good examples with strong customer service, organizational culture and business models? I often wonder what the people in Troy, Michigan thought when they first heard about WalMart.
Sam figured out that knowledge in distribution, price points, and that little human touch would revolutionize retail. Dell Computer is another example–computers are a really bad industry right now, but Dell manages to offer low prices, and offers great customer service and personalization. Nucor steel has been successful in the steel industry. JetBlue aspires to model the successes of these companies.
In 2002, we received negative feedback from employees regarding the leadership within the company. We realized that there was not a leadership training program–we weren’t training the managers to be the conduit for the company culture as we brought on new people. So we implemented a leadership program, with 5 principles of leadership.
David Neeleman shares an experience he received by asking for feedback about of the Airlines business from a class of business students. He emphasizes the importance of a customer’s experience.
We realized that people where the whole aspect of our business. Herb Kelleher of Southwest had a strange saying: I don’t care about my shareholders, I only worry about my employees. Because if my employees are taken care of, my customers will be taken care of, and then my shareholders will be taken care of.
Casey Serin is a very interesting 24 year-old entrepreneur who isn’t scared to take on big risks for the potential of BIG rewards. He’s currently in 2 Million dollars of debt and still going with his real estate business. This dude isn’t taking failure as an option. Check out this video of him recently speaking to college students about his life.
This is, by far, one of the most inspirational and motivational speeches that I have ever heard. Steve Jobs really opens up as he tells us never to give up, always think of your day on Earth as if it’s the last, do things that make you happy, and most importantly….drop out of school if you find that it’s wasting your time.
Here are some awesome, awesome, awesome quotes from the movie “The Secret”. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but by the looks of these quotes, I definitely will. Wow, these messages got my mind thinking and I hope they do the same for you.
I build companies, it’s what I love to do. I’m in a different stage of my life–it is no longer the build and sell. I want to build a legacy–something that will last for a long time. We came up with a simple model of bringing humanity back to air travel, and making a difference. Becoming a better company, being the best in a really bad industry.
Sometimes things happen in your career, and your life. You wonder how you can recover or turn things around. A lot of times, it’s not really what happens to you in life, but how you rebound. Neeleman tells the story of his first startup failure during college, and the airline partner he was working went out of business.
He shortly thereafter received a call from June Morris, who encouraged him to come and build Morris Air. Morris Air grew and prospered, and was sold to Southwest for 130 million and I was the second largest shareholder at the time. I learned a lot in that process. I learned about capitalization and being beholden to someone.
Second story– Shortly after selling to Southwest, I was miserable. I’d sold my baby, I didn’t fit in, and I was laid off. I had signed a noncompete clause for five years, and I was in my early 30s. I took the time to really think about what this company should be, and how we should build it slowly. Looking back, it was the single best thing that could have happened. We had, and spent the time thinking about recruiting, hiring training, motivating people, providing compensation and setting company culture.
Neeleman tries to fly at least once a week, and makes a point to let the customers and crew know that he’s aboard and ready to work and hear feedback. He describes a full day of traveling, listening to customers, asking questions, and learning from customers and crew members. JetBlue defines all employees as crew members, and all passengers as customers.
Jeff Hawkins response to “Is there anything you wish you had learned in college?” includes desired knowledge about basic corporate, structural, and employee issues that entrepreneurs often don’t learn in class.
Jeff Hawkins discusses the balance between work and personal life. He mentions how different people will have differing balances throughout the various stages of ones life. In this clip, Jeff shares a personal anecdote about this balance in his own life.
Hawkins questions: What is my philosophy for designing a product that is successful in the marketplace? I start with thinking about what is the right thing to build, but can I make a difference? It isn’t about getting 5 great people together and figuring out a cool project. The goal in our case has been to bring the benefits of personal computing to a much broader audience.
Hawkins talks about the complicated negotiations with 3COM for the spin off of Palm. Discussions lasted 5 months and involved investment bankers and board members. Five different proposals on how to do this were presented to the CEO, and they even proposed spinning off 2 years in the future. However, the final decision involved no doors banging, and no storming out of offices. All said and done Jeff Hawkins did not want to start a company.
Hawkins believes that you have to be conscious and methodological about your company culture. The culture starts at the top and permeates to the bottom. The culture at palm is a product culture. High integrity is not just internal, but integrity with vendors, suppliers and customers. A lot of companies keep secrets, but the transparency has been very good for Palm. A good, solid culture can help a company go through the hard times.
Down the road when you ask yourself: What did I accomplish in my life?, how will you answer: According to Hawkins, no one remembers the 14 hours at work or the time missed with their kids. What people remember is if they changed the world in a slight way, or if they had a good time in the process, or if they promoted a positive culture.He talks about the balance in his life - about wanting a great product AND a normal life. In a nutshell he says - Hawkins believes that you can do it all and live a normal life!
Most people have no idea what REAL chocolate is — raw cacao. Vanessa Barg, the “Chocolate Girl” and alternative health expert / consultant, educates us on what chocolate, and raw food, is all about. If you’ve ever wondered about the magical benefits and experience of eating chocolate in its natural form, then watch this video and learn. Enjoy and Much Love to you.
Avi Flombaum [co-founder of 
, may be of interest to you and your team. 
Though I’ve only just begun my journey into learning about the philosopher and profound intellectual,
