Letting go of my car

It was time. I was ready.

After owning or leasing an automobile continuously since graduating from college, I decided to go car-less for the foreseeable future. The time had come to walk the talk.

I had no prior experience selling or buying via craigslist when I posted my 1999 Audi for sale late last week. That's my excuse for being totally unprepared for what followed.

Within an hour, two interested parties were at the house inspecting the car. Meanwhile, four others called to inquire and four others emailed to register their interest. The two parties, who had arrived at the house at the same time, both wanted the car. A coin flip was suggested as a way to resolve the situation; heads it was and the buyer was determined.

My experience testifies to the power of the Web and the effectiveness of craigslist when it comes to selling vehicles. I have to wonder why anyone with access to a computer would bother with a classified ad in a print newspaper.

The realities of being car-free set in almost immediately. I had a meeting at 9:00 the following morning on the other side of downtown; during the night, 6 inches of snow blanketed the city. But hey, through the cold and blowing snow, I was walking my talk.

Buying domestic - by way of China

I shopped at Harry and David prior to the holidays to put together a grilling-themed gift for the give-and-get pile that has become a family tradition. I selected cedar grilling planks and a variety of marinades and sauces.

The planks were cut from American-grown cedar. The planks were then shipped to China where they were sorted and wrapped with a printed label in clear plastic. Finished packages were shipped back to the US for distribution to Harry and David stores throughout the country.

Think about it. Harry and David found it to be cost-effective to ship American goods to China just for the sake of packaging.

Raising the Bar

I just finished a great read - Raising the Bar. I was drawn to this book while reading Small Giants, a book that showcases 14 companies that made the decision to focus on quality and remain independent.

Raising the Bar tells the story of Clif Bar & Company. from the perspective of one of the founders - Gary Erickson. In a nutshell, Gary got the idea for a good tasting, healthy bar during an epiphany at the end of a long bike ride. After months of development in his Mom's kitchen, the first Clif Bar was introduced by Gary and his partner. Tapping into natural demand for their products, the company grew quickly. After turning down $120M for the company, Gary bought out his partner and refocused the company on a foundation of five aspirations:

1. Sustain the brands
2. Sustain the company
3. Sustain the people
4. Sustain the community
5. Sustain the planet

This is a useful model, predicated on commitment, for creating a sense of shared understanding about the company, for setting goals, and for guiding decision making. At the end of each year, Clif Bar & Company reflects on performance against each of these aspirations.

I encourage you to read Raising the Bar for the details, and to understand why Clif Bar & Company chose to become what Gary metaphorically calls a white road company rather than a red road company.