Dear Universe,
Please help me to find this wonderful person or people to be a part of Matter.
Her or his qualities:
Please be a unique, inspiring, and intelligent individual who has skills different than mine while also having a heart and making decisions with that heart (not solely focused on large growth and profit). Skills and attributes such as being a financial maistro, an equity partner, and well connected to help Matter wisely & sustainably grow. Also, this person would be passionate about Matter’s mission to significantly create positive impact for our world’s most pressing problems and dedicated to triple bottom line business - Business for good.
I would also love to find a unique, lovely, and whip-smart person to thoughtfully and skillfully run Matter along in the day to day of the business. Most often this would include: Replying to emails, shipping orders, ordering and researching materials, and managing the books, all with care and thoughtfulness to details pretty please.
These two people would create such significant positive change for Matter and would also allow me to do what I do best most frequently, the creative thinking, research, and concept development. This would also allow me to be able to grow the consulting side of Matter, which would be a wonderful thing. I'd love for us to all to feel inspired, gratified, and enjoy working on Matter Projects.
Thank you for your help dear universe, I’m grateful for all that you have shared with me thus far, and I appreciate you.
With all my best and biggest thanks, Tippy Tippens, Chief Eternal Optimist, Matter Inc.
Â
Â
Excited for travels coming up next week! First I will be traveling to give talks to students in design & entrepreneurship at Syracuse University! So excited to visit & meet these students Oct. 3,4. And also for an added bonus of getting a little peek of fall!
Directly following that will be heading to my old/always hood NYC for a few days to attend the Feast for Social Innovation Week. And I am so honored for Matter's Goods to be for sale at the Pavilion on October 5, 6! Come on by, be so glad to see you!
Also** October 5, host a dinner for Social Good around the world, be a part of the Feast wherever you are! Details here.
I couldn't sleep this evening, actually I did hit the hay early and then woke up at 3 am, a head full of thoughts. Nonetheless, I've spent the last 3.5 hours thinking about my business, next products, and the next big steps ahead. I am at a point where I need to expand and grow to the next level.
The thoughts rolling through my mind are: should I take a loan, seek impact investment, another Kickstarter campaign, all of the above, getting the next social good products running smoothly, finding the next member for the Board of Directors now that I'm a B-Corp [yay!], who could I hire and wouldn't that be thrilling, along with a multitude of personal things at hand. Sometimes being an entrepreneur is hard... Sometimes being a person is hard and that level of difficulty is unique all around the world. Sometimes things can be overwhelming or too many decisions to resolve. These words rang clear in my mind this morning, 'Try Again.'
I find real comfort and inspiration in these words while the beautiful old cathedral in my neighborhood's bells are slowly ringing in through the banana trees and the sun is beginning to rise. In the opportunity to always try again, no matter how difficult the problem. Things rarely resolve perfectly the first time, no matter what the scale of the issue. We must always try something again.
A friend posted on facebook the other day 'Bravery is essential for optimism' or something like that.. I like that too. Good night, or good morning, whichever it is for you.
Â
In my book this is better than Christmas morning! Yesterday, August 1, 2012 - Matter joined five other companies to field trip over to Baton Rouge with two representatives from B-Lab [visiting from Philly & NYC, thank you!], Propeller, & the New Orleans Business Alliance!
Congrats to Rouler, Unicorn Booty,Future Proof, & Casa Borrega for being the first Benefit Corporations in the state of Louisiana - Matter is honored to be in your company!
We hit the highway early in the morning in order to be part of a press conference at the capital with Walt Leger & Tom Schedler, Secretary of State. I met up w/ my amigos Wes & Brian of Rouler to carpool in the new roulermobile, it was a real treat to hang with them & our fellow B-Corp buddies yesterday : )
Louisiana is the 9th state to pass Benefit Corporations in the nation! I am so energized by the new and good things ahead. Check the article here by Silicon Bayou News on B-Corps & impact investors. And here on the Benefit Corporation website to learn more about why they matter!
And the biggest thanks to Propeller, New Orleans Business Alliance w/ a special shout out to Joe Luchenta who instigated this great idea, B-LAB, House Representative Walt Leger, Mayor Landrieu, Tom Schedler secretary of state & to all of the law firms who made this possible! Thank you Baker Donelson & Fishman Haygood of New Orleans, very honored to be a part of this!
If you're curious, here are the major reasons that I wanted Matter to become a B-Corp: Â 1.Will help us best define and report on our environmental and social impacts, 2. Reinforce and protect our triple bottom line efforts, 3. Stand out in a dense marketplace as a sustainably & socially driven company, and 4. Be more attractive to impact investors.
Laissez le BON temps roulez : )
Today I had the pleasure of attending the World Cultural Economic Forum in New Orleans at the lovely Ritz Carlton on Canal St. - note to self, go hang on the rooftop lounge someday...
This event gathered mayors from around the wold to discuss culture, economy, quality of life, bringing change, providing benefits to citizens... it was interesting to hear perspectives from varied countires & locales from Guatemala to Hungary to Ohio to Pennsylvania, St. Paul, and France, etc. Great to hear how mayors are finding that culture and the arts are the way to lead change, create connections from people of different backgrounds, and create small victories in their towns that make their citizens feel happy and good. Really good people spoke today.
I had two very distinct experiences today, my day started by walking my doggie through my neighborhood. I didn't have any coffee before heading out and moving a little slowly noticed some broken car glass on the sidewalk. I processed this quickly as a car break-in as you do and continued on. It was pretty hot this morning and as I was running late I didn't go very far, turning around on the same street instead of continuing on finding a new path as we typically would.
In doing so I bumped into my neighbor who had a broom and dustpan tidying up her urban square of green. I asked her how she was and she had a odd look on her face, she told me that at 8.30 the previous evening a man got shot in the leg on her little plot of grass here. Then I noticed that 3 cars were missing their glass windows - a beetle across the street without a rear windshield, a sedan right next to her plot of grass missing a side window and having a spider webbed front windshield and another sedan further down the street missing a rear windshield, all from being shot. There were 5 cars up and down the street that were shot out.
Evidently someone with a semi-automatic weapon unelashed rounds of rambo style bullets on this little street, usually filled with people walking along. The police showed up eventually, I hear, not asking any neighbors for their statements of what happened, only telling everyone to stay inside and not to enter the crime scene. No one has been questioned thus far. My neighbor is still picking up bullet casings from her front yard.
I read last week of a school bus in the Irish Channel, also very close by, being shot at - 2pm in the afternoon. What the hell?
Why are guns allowed in places where people live? NO ONE deserves to live with violence in their neighborhoods. And why should ANYONE own a semi-automatic weapon? If people can't give up their weapons - I propose there are zones where weapons are allowed & I think that permissable zone should be about 1' x 1' and they can all pile up in a nice pile never to be used again.
How do we end these ubiquitous weapons, shootings, and killings - how can we use our creativity and knowledge to end the extreme violence in our country? Who wants to work on this together? If you are working on this, I want to help. Let's draw a line and stop accepting this as our reality.
In developing Matter's pitch & presentation for the Big Idea event this Friday (come on out to support Matter!!), recommendations from a pitch coach included writing down Matter's process for product development and business. Please find this below, it was an enjoyable task : )
1. Identify social need.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Must be relevant both locally and globally. This ensures the product is pertinent in more than one place and helps to solve shared issues, creating larger impact. Â In requiring this, we expand our addressable market and brand reach.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Must be relevant to many people in scale, a BIG problem.
2. Find the poetic connection in the solution. This creates an enduring and substantive emotional connection between a person and a product.
Spend the time here - don’t rush it and don’t do anything close to anyone else’s products. Research, model, play, try & try again, test it with people, repeat if needed. Choose the sustainable technologies, materials, and collaborations that combine to create the most meaningful solution that clicks and makes real sense for the social need, product, and group.
3. Use only sustainable methods to create this solution.
4. Carry sustainability and ethics through ALL parts of the product. EXP: Work with local suppliers and manufacturers, use green materials, pay fair wages. Treat people well in business as you would treat people in your personal life. Matter embraces and holds this as inherent to and equally important as the actual product.
5. Be open in your process: blog, facebook, twitter
The path of each product is shared in goals, data, and processes as it progresses.
6. Enjoy the work. Collaborate, create and enrich community, and grow.
7. Partner with correlating, well researched group to donate % of net profits to & raise awareness, understanding, & exposure for the cause.
8. Create win-win-win collaborations, work hard, enjoy life, & sleep well.
Triple bottom line is where it’s at.
9. Communicate personally with customers, treat people as you like to be treated.
Create and build relationships with those who support Matter and its causes.
10. Spread the love of your work/products & share your news & learnings openly.
please read this food manifesto by mark bittman - i wish these changes could all start and be underway tomorrow! why wait? why not today!!
i wholeheartedly and stomachly agree, this is incredibly important to our health and the good of the world.
Dear Universe,
Please help me to find this wonderful person or people to be a part of Matter.
Her or his qualities:
Please be a unique, inspiring, and intelligent individual who has skills different than mine while also having a heart and making decisions with that heart (not solely focused on large growth and profit). Skills and attributes such as being a financial maistro, an equity partner, and well connected to help Matter wisely & sustainably grow. Also, this person would be passionate about Matter’s mission to significantly create positive impact for our world’s most pressing problems and dedicated to triple bottom line business - Business for good.
I would also love to find a unique, lovely, and whip-smart person to thoughtfully and skillfully run Matter along in the day to day of the business. Most often this would include: Replying to emails, shipping orders, ordering and researching materials, and managing the books, all with care and thoughtfulness to details pretty please.
These two people would create such significant positive change for Matter and would also allow me to do what I do best most frequently, the creative thinking, research, and concept development. This would also allow me to be able to grow the consulting side of Matter, which would be a wonderful thing. I'd love for us to all to feel inspired, gratified, and enjoy working on Matter Projects.
Thank you for your help dear universe, I’m grateful for all that you have shared with me thus far, and I appreciate you.
With all my best and biggest thanks, Tippy Tippens, Chief Eternal Optimist, Matter Inc.
Â
Â
We hit the highway early in the morning in order to be part of a press conference at the capital with Walt Leger & Tom Schedler, Secretary of State. I met up w/ my amigos Wes & Brian of Rouler to carpool in the new roulermobile, it was a real treat to hang with them & our fellow B-Corp buddies yesterday : )
Louisiana is the 9th state to pass Benefit Corporations in the nation! I am so energized by the new and good things ahead. Check the article here by Silicon Bayou News on B-Corps & impact investors. And here on the Benefit Corporation website to learn more about why they matter!
And the biggest thanks to Propeller, New Orleans Business Alliance w/ a special shout out to Joe Luchenta who instigated this great idea, B-LAB, House Representative Walt Leger, Mayor Landrieu, Tom Schedler secretary of state & to all of the law firms who made this possible! Thank you Baker Donelson & Fishman Haygood of New Orleans, very honored to be a part of this!
If you're curious, here are the major reasons that I wanted Matter to become a B-Corp: Â 1.Will help us best define and report on our environmental and social impacts, 2. Reinforce and protect our triple bottom line efforts, 3. Stand out in a dense marketplace as a sustainably & socially driven company, and 4. Be more attractive to impact investors.
Laissez le BON temps roulez : )
In developing Matter's pitch & presentation for the Big Idea event this Friday (come on out to support Matter!!), recommendations from a pitch coach included writing down Matter's process for product development and business. Please find this below, it was an enjoyable task : )
1. Identify social need.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Must be relevant both locally and globally. This ensures the product is pertinent in more than one place and helps to solve shared issues, creating larger impact. Â In requiring this, we expand our addressable market and brand reach.
- Â Â Â Â Â Â Must be relevant to many people in scale, a BIG problem.
2. Find the poetic connection in the solution. This creates an enduring and substantive emotional connection between a person and a product.
Spend the time here - don’t rush it and don’t do anything close to anyone else’s products. Research, model, play, try & try again, test it with people, repeat if needed. Choose the sustainable technologies, materials, and collaborations that combine to create the most meaningful solution that clicks and makes real sense for the social need, product, and group.
3. Use only sustainable methods to create this solution.
4. Carry sustainability and ethics through ALL parts of the product. EXP: Work with local suppliers and manufacturers, use green materials, pay fair wages. Treat people well in business as you would treat people in your personal life. Matter embraces and holds this as inherent to and equally important as the actual product.
5. Be open in your process: blog, facebook, twitter
The path of each product is shared in goals, data, and processes as it progresses.
6. Enjoy the work. Collaborate, create and enrich community, and grow.
7. Partner with correlating, well researched group to donate % of net profits to & raise awareness, understanding, & exposure for the cause.
8. Create win-win-win collaborations, work hard, enjoy life, & sleep well.
Triple bottom line is where it’s at.
9. Communicate personally with customers, treat people as you like to be treated.
Create and build relationships with those who support Matter and its causes.
10. Spread the love of your work/products & share your news & learnings openly.
Education MATTERS: for this new product for Social Change I am working with Cécile Thalmann and Adel Kassem, friends and designers based in Milano. Recognizing the importance of children's education, upon seeing Cécile and Adel's beautiful rabbit concept, I had the idea of connecting it with the important need for raising the literacy rate in New Orleans, and thought this lovely bunny could help inspire children to read and fall in love with reading. We have been working together the past few weeks via skype and are excited to bring the Rabbkins to you!
Fusing fun and reading, Rabbits for Reading is a napkin which folds into a Rabbit Puppet, a Rabbkin! Supporting the love of reading and donating 20% of profits to STAIR, a New Orleans tutoring group helping elementary school students succeed.
Cécile's grandmother used to play with her using this napkin rabbit trick and Cécile has been sharing it with others ever since! It's such a delightful magic trick! The transformation of the napkin into the puppet helps spark a child's imagination and also becomes their reading buddy, wandering through books and lands of imagination. Currently on IndieGoGo, please back us here!
can you do it? the challenge to simply take two minutes to enjoy the digital ocean break, thank you donothing for2minutes.com!
please read this food manifesto by mark bittman - i wish these changes could all start and be underway tomorrow! why wait? why not today!!
i wholeheartedly and stomachly agree, this is incredibly important to our health and the good of the world.