The Scum that Could Save the World

From The Pundit Master

There's a new hero on the horizon in the war on terror. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's....pond scum.

Actually it's genetically engineered algae from a company called Sapphire Energy. Sapphire is developing the capacity to produce 91 octane gasoline that is fully compatible with existing infrastructure and vehicles, using algae, sunlight and CO2.

Unlike other bio fuels, Sapphire's product does not displace food crops. In fact, because its main components are CO2, sunlight and water that can be very low quality, dirty water, production facilities can be located on some of the most un-sought after real estate on the planet. Also, unlike other alternative fuels, the production is infinitely scalable. That is it can be ramped up to meet demand without limitations based on available land or location of raw materials. One could conceivable build multi-story complexes, even where space is tight.

How does this relate to the war on terror? The jihad is fueled by petrol. We currently send about 600 billion dollars a year overseas to accommodate our energy needs and that doesn't include the money we spend defending our global pipeline. Much of this money winds up in the hands of our enemies. We're financing the war against ourselves. A reliable, renewable, mass produce-able alternative to crude could put an end to all of that.

Sapphire is still in its infancy, but they're moving fast. They have attracted some major venture capital and hope to have their product on the market within 3 years. If they are successful, it wont take that long for their technology to have an impact. If oil's days are numbered, how do you think OPEC will react to a realization that their "100 year supply" of proven oil reserves will only have value for less than a decade?

That brings up the one defense the traditional oil market has: lower prices. Oil producers have shown the capacity to produce and sell their product at $20/barrel or lower. If they were to rapidly adjust prices in a defensive maneuver, they could put a damper on enthusiasm for and investment in alternatives. However, if technologies like Sapphire's are commercially developed before that, they will be able to match such price drops.

The key to the changing landscape has been a trend quietly developing in the scientific and industrial world toward recognizing that microbes are far more efficient than machinery at refining raw materials into usable commodities. With some genetic tweaking by some brilliant human beings, this technology will be applied to fields far beyond energy. It's already being used to produce medicines and the possibilities are immense for other products and commodities.

Best Things I’ve Learned from My Business

From Laura Benjamin

Long ago and not so far away, this single Mom with 3 kids to feed quit her corporate job. There were many dark and stormy nights ahead, but looking back I learned a great many lessons from running this business. I’ll share a few here and ask if you’d like to comment and submit your own list of ”lessons learned”!

Lesson #1: Better to build a community than to “network”

Networking is touted as the best way to build a business or career, but networking has gotten a bad reputation. Why? Because not everyone knows how to network effectively. You’ll watch them swap business cards, spend less than 2 minutes listening to the other person, then move on to the next one. Follow up is rare, sincerity even rarer.

Indeed, “speed networking” is promoted as the ultimate in efficiency. That’s where you spend less than 2 minutes with a person, then when the whistle blows, you move to the next one. It’s a takeoff on “speed dating”. To me that seems like gulping down a glass of rare wine in order to get to the bottom of the bottle!

A better use of time is to take the time to build a community. A Community is a high-trust, familiar group of folks who you’ve built relationships with. You may not see them very often, but you keep up with them from a distance. You respect one another. You appreciate the work they do, their level of commitment and their contributions. You know the struggles they’ve overcome and you never worry about putting your reputation at risk when you refer folks their way.

Lesson #2: There’s a big difference between gross and profit

I learned this one the hard way the last time I wanted to buy a new home. High gross income is one thing, but after all those deductions to keep your tax rate low, it’s good to show a profit. Looking back, I should have hired a CPA and bookkeeper much sooner rather than the “clueless” accounting method I used through my first five years in business. They could have helped me see which deductions to focus on, how to set up a system where I’d learn from year to year the most profitable use of my time and resources. Thank goodness I now have experts to help me see the light!

Lesson #3: Break out of inbred benchmarking circles

Most of us start out hanging with the people who do the same things we do. Perhaps it’s an industry association or professional group of like-minded people. Nothing wrong with “birds of a feather flock together” up to a point. But there’s value in breaking out to see what the rest of the world is up to. You can learn a lot from people in industries and occupations that don’t use the same acronyms. Yet too many of us remain stuck in worlds and social circles that are safe and familiar. Innovation comes by crawling out from behind the four walls and applying concepts from other fields to your particular product or service.

Lesson #4: Leverage the top 5% and create a “Blue Ocean”

There are certain traits, talents and skills you possess that, if leveraged properly, are going to take you further - faster. Sure, you can do the other 95% in a competent manner but those accomplishments will keep you stuck in mediocrity. Better to hone in on the one or two things you do with such style, grace, ease and excellence that you blow the competition away. In fact, you make the competition irrelevant! (Read the book, Blue Ocean Strategy for more on this concept).

You may wonder, “But how do I figure out what my top 5% talents and skills really are?”

Well, you do the work. You make lists, take assessments, ask people who know you well. Dig deep into the personal and professional experiences you’ve had along the way that made you feel accomplished, energized and certain that you made a difference in some small way. Focus in on the top 3-5 things that are the “best of the best” and you’ll be on your way. Then build your work, a business, a career around those 3-5 things. Promote them, find ways to fit them into your daily activities whether you get paid for it or not. Pretty soon you’ll find that just like putting the right kind of “seed” in the birdfeeder, the right kind of “birds” are coming your way!

Lesson #5: Avoid the Expert Myth and Build Self Confidence

The Expert Myth is thinking you have to be an Expert with a Capital “E” in order to pursue a new career, go for that promotion, launch a business, etc. Ask any professor or instructor who is given a new class to teach - you just need to be one chapter ahead of your class. You don’t have to know everything, you just have to know enough to help someone else. The more you put yourself out there, the more you learn, and the more you’re able to help others with something new. To paraphrase Pablo Picasso, “I try to do the things I cannot do so I may learn how to do them.”

As usual, I could go on and on. It seems like I learn something beneficial each day from running this small business. And you know the funny thing? I’m learning more about myself and other people than I am about business and that once again reinforces my favorite saying, “It’s never just business - it’s always personal!”

Now, let the day begin!

Laura Benjamin, writing from 6711 ft. above sea level in warm and sunny Colorado

Laugh and Get Rich

From Bliss Sawyers Marketing Blog

I had the great opportunity to be on the same stage as Darren LaCroix last week. A great speaker, Darren is also the author of Laugh & Get Rich, a fabulous book on How to Profit from Humor in any Business. I read it in two days. Would have finished it in one, but had to get my kids cheerios for dinner. Again.

I've always said it isn't the numbers that motivate borrowers to make application with a certain originator, it's the emotion behind the numbers and the connection they feel. LaCroix summed it up nicely when he said: "We don't live in a rational world and we don't deal with rational people. It's emotions that move decisions."

If work is fun... you perform better at your job. If you make it fun for your referral partners, clients and prospects to work with you, the business will just naturally follow. This book will give you some great ideas to build stronger relationships, differentiate yourself from the competition (who doesn't want to do that!) and SELL MORE. Hmmm.... seems to me like everyone needs this book.

We spend a tremendous amount of time working. Hours and hours and hours. More than we spend with our loved ones and more than we spend biking. Or golfing. Or any of the other things we like to do. So I wonder why more people don't have fun at work. Maybe they just don't want to be rich.