Hello Earthlings!
Happy Earth Day! It's a time for reconnecting with the planet. I did my part last month snowboarding some marvelously steep bumps on "Ambush" at Eldora Mountain. Reconnecting with Mother Earth at that speed—how shall I say? It left an impression. Doc stitched it up and I'll be back next season.My typing fingers survived the accident in fine form and have been flying lately. In this newsletter you'll find details on the new book (hot off the presses), five new magazine articles, podcasts, a "bloggiversary," and three new short films. Many thanks to the folks who've trusted me with these assignments: your support is immortalized in the gleaming new threads holding my Achilles together. Lest you think I'm too busy for new assignments, think again. I won't be biking, golfing, or hiking for a while: Load me up! Thanks for reading. Cheers,
New Articles Published
Points of Difference
For the University of Colorado's Buisness School, I profiled Dick Knowlton, the longtime CEO of Hormel Foods. A product of humble beginnings, Knowlton was raised with six siblings in a tiny house near the railroad tracks—the ones that serve Hormel's flagship factory. Years later he would return to that same factory, bringing his business savvy and an unwavering respect for the community.
"Competitors have posed as repairmen to sneak peeks at the proprietary SPAM® machines. They are so efficient that it's cheaper to manufacture in Minnesota than in China." *Click for the story behind this photo!
The Food Financier
For the latest issue of the Leeds School's Portfolio magazine, I profiled board member Caryn Ellison who is best known for her time as the CFO of Crocs during the largest footwear IPO in history. But her resume is more about food and beverages than shoes—and her list of friends reads like a Who's Who in natural products.
"You don’t need to be a jerk to make money," said Ellison's boss at Celestial Seasonings, Barney Feinblum. He says Ellison "was probably my best hire."
The Thin Line of Good Taste
When Portfolio chose the food and beverage industry as its theme for the next issue, I was bound to get hungry. Researching a Denver cracker company named 34° inspired my impromptu recipe for Australian tuckerbag salad. Expecting they were gourmands, I couldn't resist dropping aerosol cheese into my interview questions.
"Some of their fans' praise extends to the company's packaging, which surprises me—as someone who has never raved about cracker boxes."
Disciplined Creativity? Hello Oxymoron?
For my feature article on Boulder's Sterling Rice Group, I had the pleasure of a guided tour through the agency's downtown offices. GM and Leeds School alum Buddy Ketchner shared enough F&B industry insights for an in-depth article plus
an extended Q&A with audio podcasts."Ketchner speaks briskly with a youthful exuberance that belies decades in the agency world."
Indie Grocers Get a Fighting Chance
Al Plamann's Unified Grocers does $4 billion in sales annually. And they represent the little guy. I got acquainted and learned how Plamann's using a very old business concept in quite modern ways.
"Unified Grocers is in a unique position to address 'food deserts' where fast food is predominant and healthy options are slim."
Our Book is Published!
Just arrived: A limited number of advance copies of Living Richly: Seizing the Potential of Inherited Wealth. This book is the fruit of four years collaboration with Myra Salzer of The Wealth Conservancy. Her sage wisdom in the field of wealth coaching derives from 26 years helping heirs achieve their potential as human beings. 
If you're interested in writing a review, please get in touch. It will release to the public later this year.
An Avalanche of Films
My assignment to script last fall's show on the making of Warren Miller's Dynasty has triggered three more upcoming short film scripts. One is a film for the 60th anniversary of Sugarloaf Resort, currently in post-production. Another exciting short film should be announced soon (for a hint, visit MakeAHero.org where you can support adaptive sports). And I'll be scripting a new documentary behind the scenes of the next Warren Miller film.
Wisdom Works Blog
Turns One Year Old
In their first year blogging, the writers I coach and consult have covered 26 different topics facing leaders, including:
- getting your hands dirty
- neuroscience of kneejerks
- what burning platforms?
- playground time for execs
Happy Bloggiversary!
Beer vs. Bread
If you've been reading Greg's entries, you've learned how to:
Now doesn't that make you want to sign up?Steamboat Digs
When there are only a few weekends available all winter for us to use our rental condo, that's a good problem. Guests had a great time and that's our goal. As always, readers who make it this far in my newsletter qualify for 25% off our usual rates. Head up soon for fishing, biking, and good mountain living.
Official website: GIHamilton.com. Blog: Beer vs. Bread. Get your Tweet on.
©2010 G.I. Hamilton, Inc.
