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Hi,

Thanks to the 1440 for the above quote, reminding me of the importance of making ripples if you can’t make waves.

I hope your October going well. Mine certainly is! I had hip surgery early this month and am already walking without assistance. The wonders of modern medical technology and awesome medical professionals. Zero pain, just a little discomfort, nothing more than Tylenol needed.… Can you imagine?

So I’m back and as you can imagine, I have had a lot of time to read and absorb great content that I want to share with you, the compassionate people who are leading businesses in new directions through alignment with purpose for you and your teams. It isn’t always easy, I know, but the intention really paves the way to great outcomes.

So here are a few investments in your time that I hope are winners for you:

  • Did you know there’s a generation between the baby boomers and Gen X? I didn’t until I read through this, IMHO, spot-on piece about “Generation Jones”.
  • Spoooky for October…here are the probabilities of buying a haunted house by state.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 New Jersey Future 🌟

We have to think smart when it comes to land and people. New Jersey Future works to use land sustainably to benefit people now and in the future. They conduct research, develop policies, advocate, and assist to keep communities healthy and nature protected. Honestly, they do so many things, you might want to read more for yourself here: New Jersey Future.

Noteworthy 🖋
Spare Food

On the sustainability note, I was introduced to a phenomenal company, Spare Food, thanks to one of The Connective members, Tim Daniels, and I couldn’t wait to include them here. What they do is work with farmers and other food producers to take what we would call by-products and to turn them into healthy ingredients in foods. It boosts sustainability and creates regional upcycle markets, plus with a chef as one of the founding partners, man, does everything taste great! They’re just getting started and have distribution through Whole Foods, Fresh Direct, and other markets in the tri-state area, with a concentration in Manhattan right now. They’re expanding into NJ and Virginia and up into the Boston metro area, too. What I love about this company, and why I wanted to share, is they are all about pioneering great tasting, healthy food that is grown and processed sustainably. For a quick connection, think yogurt. For centuries, when yogurt is made, whey is a “by-product” that is thrown out. Spare Food partners with White Mustache so when the latter makes yogurt, Spare Food purchases the whey to make their healthy, probiotic tonics. So no “by-product” now the whey is a co-product. Awe-some!!! You can learn more about Spare Food, their story, why to buy from them and more, here.

  • This could be stretched to be about sustainability too: the rise of McBasements in McMansions (and bigger homes) via The Wall Street Journal.
  • I’ve returned to this podcast many times. While I was in the throes of the healing process, once again, I listened to the compilation of interviews with Maya Angelou on Oprah Winfrey’s Master Class. Was there a more compassionate, intuitive, educated woman to ever walk this earth? She’s one in a billion and I’m so glad we have not only her wisdom but her own words in her own voice to help us navigate the challenges of living and leading companies compassionately when it’s a relatively new concept with lots of resistance from the old guard.
  • This is great: keyboard shortcuts (for Mac, PC, and websites)! Thanks to The Connective’s newsletter for sharing with the members—and now I’m sharing with you.
  • Fast Company features Brian Chesky of AirBNB in their story of why more F500 companies should be run by “creatives.” What do you think?
  • If you haven’t heard of the social platform Be Real, you may want to check it out. But first read this piece by a marketing exec, fellow Chief, and mom, Valerie Moizel, who didn’t “get it” until her teens explained it’s actually kinda’ the antidote to staged social posts.

There were so many other stories to share, I think I’ll save them for next week. Please let me know what you think of these, please continue to suggest not for profits for us to feature (and donate to), and if you are running a company or have a suggestion for a company to feature in the Noteworthy section, shout it out. In the meantime, stay strong, stay focused, and keep bringing your best self to all that you do. Don’t strive for excellence, just strive for the best you can do each day. Remember, ripples count!

Niki’s Notes for Better Workplaces

Weekly news and insights on the compassionate workplace movement with commentary, spotlights on innovative companies, and not-for-profits that deserve extra love! Edited by A Better Paradigm Founder, Niki.