Thursday, February 27, 2014

Hail CESR: Keeping Consumer Consciousness Front and Center in Business

With a great school like the University of Colorado in my backyard, it's always a thrill to be invited to the campus.  The opportunity to engage with budding business men and women always excites me.  It's my personal way to give a little back.  But, it's even better when I get to be a part of CU's Leeds School of Business's Conscious Capitalism Conference.  Their Center for Education on Social Responsibility (CESR) Department hosts the conference annually in an attempt to encourage students to think about socially responsible principles as they venture into the business world.  This year the focus is on outdoor companies who incorporate Social and Environmental principles into their day to day values and attributes...at Grasshaven we fit the bill.

When I founded Grasshaven, I wanted to become a company that, from our inception, would be based on principles of social and environmental stewardship.  With a focus on sourcing products locally to giving a percent of our profit back in an effort to encourage youth participation in the outdoors, we strive to think about our world, on action at a time.  By keeping the world in our thoughts and putting actions in place locally, we will help everyone in the long run.

To learn more about the CESR Consciousness in Capitalism conference click here.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Inspiration from La La Land


Ready to pack my bags

It was a whirlwind trip.  Less than 30 hours to take a meeting and do some business in Los Angles, so not much time to think about glamorous camping.  Until, that is,  I stopped on route back to the airport to visit a new friend of mine Fre.  She had just returned from Thailand with pictures.  She and her husband on top of elephants in a gorgeous elephant reserve. They had been glamping Thai syle.  And it was beautiful.   It wasn't exactly a tent they slept in but an open air thatched hut seated in the jungle above a river.  Draperies wafting in the windows, deep rich colors, intricate patterns and lots of gold accents.  True luxury in a jungle setting surrounded by nature and it biggest beasts.  Fre described the food, not only beautifully prepared but presented.  She was also treated to an "eight hand message".  Four people messaging her at once. Wow.  There's a glamping trip to put on everyone's bucket list!