About the author
I have been a college professor for the past 25 years teaching supply chain and, sustainability management courses at public universities in the northeastern US., the Rockies and for the past 18 at a large public university in the Midwestern US. I am also a long time consultant and have been a board member for a number of not for profit organizations. I have infused my practice with the concept of the triple bottom line as a management strategy and have inspired thousands of students and worked with many businesses to expand their lens beyond solely the short term money chase. We look for a longer term world view mission, no matter the business. It is this vision that enables the day to day decision making to be done, knowing that we are factoring in the total cost, including that of all our partners in the chain. Thankfully, technology is making this vision easier to achieve and not just be an idealistic journey on a bridge to nowhere.
Along the way I got married, raised three sons, all of whom are working hard to make their mark in the world, ironically, all in healthcare, which I suspect is a result of their mother being a nurse (and caring mom) and a number of their aunts, uncles and grandparents being in healthcare. Raising a family gives one a link to the future and it has undoubtedly played a large role in why I developed sustainability programs early on in my teaching career. I picked up an MBA and spent a number of years working for two large food corporations in logistics. Little did I know that it would define the rest of my career. Working in what is now called the supply chain came naturally, since it is the link between suppliers, operations and customers, in other words, the circle of life for a firm, not unlike the natural world, albeit with no waste.
Along the way I formed a couple of consulting partnerships in supply chain and sustainability strategy, I also co-developed the Life After Hockey program with Dale that eventually came under the Professional Athlete Transition Institute. We ran a number of successful programs to help athletes develop a second career for when they were finally ‘out of the game’. This experience convinced me that people sometimes need a roadmap. My newest venture is Eggheadprofs, developed with my good friend and business partner, Dale. It is designed with the idea that there is a right way to do business and it involves conscious improvement. Our vision is to change the way business is done, starting with a mindset embedded in our students, current business connections and future entrepreneurs. This is where the journey has led, and I am thankful that I have had so many friends and colleagues along the way. For example, the idea of Conscious Improvement stems from a number of rambling discussions with a dear friend and former student of mine from Germany. We kept hitting at the idea that firms don’t always think through the impact of their actions on their employees and stakeholders, continuous improvement yes, but with an eye towards people and planet. I am indebted to her for helping me expand this line of thinking and for continuing to inspire me. Note that I have been lucky to teach so many fine people over the years, and I am confident that they are each in their own way making a difference in how business is done.
The journey has taken me a long way from my humble roots in San Diego. I am inspired by the William James quote “An idea, to be suggestive, must come to the individual with the force of revelation.” And revelation only comes after much reflection, education, travel and life. I have been fortunate to have been on such a journey, meeting people that inspired me to think differently and to view the world as a living system. I have taught and consulted around the world, finally seeing the planet as one big home, inhabited by people with similar dreams and aspirations. It is what has led me to this moment: to inspire others to Do Business the Right Way.