How One Age-Old Principle has Defined Our Success

Whether you’ve seen this, heard of it, or have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, The Secret is incredibly powerful. The Secret to success, happiness, and prosperity pivots on the time-honored new age notion of the Laws of Attraction: That is, think positively, and positive things will come to you.

Rhonda Byrne’s discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth of life within a 100-year old book. She went back through the centuries, tracing and uncovering The Secret that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.

What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has changed millions of people’s lives across the planet. No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you can change your life.

This is The Secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is The Secret to life.

It’s helped us be better entrepreneurs, go-givers, and members of society in general.

Check it out:

Congressional Decision Sparks “Tomato Paste” Debate

If you’ve been following the national headlines recently, you’re probably aware of the “pizza vegetable” controversy.

Does Pizza Grow on Trees?

To be clear, Congress is not saying that pizza in itself is a vegetable. In fact, pizza was already considered a vegetable according to the federally-funded school lunch program. The issue here is what goes into the pizza. Currently, two tablespoons of tomato paste on a piece of pizza is enough for it to pass through the legal loophole as a serving of vegetables. Even so, how can two tablespoons of tomato paste be considered a serving of vegetables?

That’s the question all of us want to know.

This debate has stemmed from a larger issue regarding a change in school lunch program guidelines. The USDA is in charge of making sure that American dietary guidelines (updated every five years) apply to the roughly $11-billion school lunch program, which provides free or reduced lunches to more than 31 million students. The uproar was set off by certain members of Congress who inserted language into the annual agriculture appropriations bill that undercut the USDA’s ability to amend the school lunch program.

The Pizza Vegetable Backstory

According to the LA Times, “the current nutrition standards for school lunches are based on federal dietary guidelines from 1989. After the guidelines were updated in 2005, the USDA asked the Institute of Medicine to evaluate how the school lunch program could be brought in line with them. The institute’s report came out in 2009, and the USDA used it to develop a plan that includes cutting back on ingredients like salt and potatoes, reducing saturated fats and total calories, and boosting fresh fruits and vegetables. The goal was to improve nutrition and help stem the tide of childhood obesity. The USDA published its proposed recommendations in the Federal Register in January, and invited members of the public to comment on them.”

One of the USDA’s concerns was that school lunches weren’t providing enough variety. Not enough fruits and vegetables were being served, so USDA officials proposed separating fruits and vegetable into different categories in order to increase the variety offered to children. They also specified that once a week, lunches were to offer at least one half-cup serving of each of the following:

- Dark green vegetables (such as spinach or broccoli)
-- Orange vegetables (carrots, squash)
-- Legumes (chickpeas, kidney beans)
-- Starchy vegetables (white potatoes, corn)
-- “Other” vegetables, including tomatoes (The USDA’s definition of a “vegetable” is in line with how people use and think of them, not according to the fact that “vegetables” like tomatoes are actually fruits)

The Tomato Paste Debacle

“Under current regulations, an eighth of a cup of tomato paste is considered the nutritional equivalent of a half-cup serving of vegetables, since that’s how much tomato it takes to make it. But the USDA noted in its proposal that other pastes and purees don’t get the same treatment — they get credit only for the ‘actual volume as served,‘” wrote the LA Times.

That “loophole” is what makes it possible for a slice of pizza to count as a serving of vegetables, says Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an advocacy group based in Washington, D.C.

The USDA’s new new rules would have brought tomato paste in line with other foods. But Congress adjusted the agricultural appropriations bill to preserve the paste’s special treatment, and President Obama signed the bill this month.

Critics say legislators acted at the request of giant food companies looking for an inexpensive way to deliver meals that count as having a serving of vegetables. In other words, it was a way to save money while meeting these nutritional requirements for school lunches. The loophole as it stands allows this to happen.

Is child nutrition expendable at the sight of dollar signs from these corporate lobbyists?

Senators from the home states of big-time frozen food players like Schwan’s Food Service Inc. (which supplies frozen pizzas to 75% of U.S. schools) are against the USDA’s proposal to close the tomato paste loophole. The USDA also proposed limits on the amounts of starchy vegetables (e.g. white potatoes used to make French Fries), in which senators from big potato-producing states like Idaho vehemently opposed.

What Does This Mean for the Childhood Obesity Epidemic?

This whole pizza/tomato paste situation has benefitted the makers of frozen pizza who have exclusive deals with the government’s public school system. Because the changes were shot down, ConAgra Foods Inc. and Schwan’s Food Services Inc. will not have to make any changes to their products. This means that they can watch the money continue to roll in while children continue to eat unhealthy frozen pizza as a way to get their “vegetable intake” for the day.

If we want our children to make healthful choices, those choices needed to be provided to them from the institutions that promote health in the first place.

What’s your take on the “pizza vegetable” debate? Leave us a comment to let us know.

The Buzz Around Town

Here’s what Ed Bruske posted on Ann Cooper’s (The Renegade Lunch Lady) blog regarding this issue:

“There’s a fascinating subtext to this story, and it has to do with our attitude toward the schools themselves and their role in feeding children more healthfully. The nation’s 14,000 school district are hardly innocent bystanders in this dispute. They do not have to serve industrial pizza and french fries to children every day. But many do. They pander to kids’ terrible eating habits and look the other way. As I’ve mentioned here before, pizza doesn’t have to be junk food. Ann Cooper, the nation’s premier cafeteria reformer, serves it twice-weekly in her menu schemes. But she aims for whole grain crusts, topped with a homemade sauce containing real vegetables besides tomatoes. She does not count the sauce as a “vegetable.” In Ann Cooper’s world, pizza only passes as a grain.”

To Take Action

Although the bill was passed on November 17, Jamie Oliver still encourages you to join his plea to Congress.

-Text “JAMIE” to 90975
-Submit an online letter via our friends at CSPI

Really? Pizza Vegetable Debate Featured on Saturday Night Live

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HUMANs Helping Out

HUMAN Team Member Gives Back to Community

Eli Owens and Brittany Allan Volunteering Over the Thanksgiving Holiday

This past week, HUMAN team member Eli Owens exhibited the true spirit of Thanksgiving by participating in the Basket Brigade. He led a group of volunteers who put together food and gift baskets, which they then took around Santa Monica and Venice and passed them out to low-income famillies who were low on food.

Giving back is cool!

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How to Transcend from a “Good” Leader to a “Great” Leader

Becoming a great leader isn’t easy. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said,  ”A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”

That’s the one thing that sets a good leader apart from a great leader. Worse, it isn’t always clear how to achieve that status.

Some say people are born leaders, while others are born followers. Others say you’re born with a blank slate and can be made into a leader with the proper training. Whatever you believe, learning from already-successful leaders is the best way to improve your leadership skills.

Here are Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 10 Secrets of Successful Leaders:

1. Assemble a Dedicated Team

A business is only as strong as its weakest link. That being said, your team is the most important thing in your business. Hiring a team of passionate employees who get your mission, share your passion, and blend in seamlessly with your culture is key. That way, they will go above and beyond with everything they do. The best leaders hire the best people and are selective. Never sacrifice quality for quantity if you’re looking to hire more people as your business grows.

2. Overcommunicate 

This one sounds scary, but don’t fret quite yet. Normally, keeping communication to a minimum is most effective. Being bombarded with emails that only 5% of people need to see is completely unoptimized.

This isn’t what we mean by overcommunicating. Overcommunicate company happenings so everyone has up-to-date information. Recently featured in a press release? Make sure everyone on your team knows. Overcommunicate your goals and make sure people set goals for themselves. This not only creates accountability, but people are always in the know with what’s going on.

This can be done through a weekly newsletter, blog, or even social media. Trust us…it works!

3. Don’t Assume

This one is a biggie. When you run a small business, you might assume that everyone in your team knows your mission, goals, and what you envision the future to be. Don’t assume anything! Hammer home your mission. Remind them why you hired them. Let them know your goals for the company.

It’s important to paint a picture of your company’s future, and where they fit in. Also, ask your team where they see themselves in a year, five years, ten years. Your team will feel excited as they become a part of your growth and reap the rewards.

4. Be Authentic

Great leaders instill their personality and beliefs into the fabric of their organization. Be yourself. Don’t try to act like someone else, and surround yourself with people who are aligned with your values. Just by doing that, your business is more likely to succeed. We all know those people who assume a certain personality because they think that’s what people expect, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. Your team will be much more attracted to a company whose personality reflects your personality.

5. Know Your Obstacles

Most entrepreneurs are optimistic and certain that they’re driving toward their goals. But, a short-sighted leader doesn’t take the time to understand his or her obstacles. That mindset is a recipe for disaster. You need to know what you’re up against, that way you can plan around it.

6. Create a “Team Charter”

Too many new teams race down the road before they even figure out who they are, where they’re going, and what will guide their journey, says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager (William Morrow & Co., 1982). Just calling together a team and giving them a clear charge does not mean the team will succeed.

“It’s important to create a set of agreements that clearly states what the team is to accomplish, why it is important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired results,” says Blanchard. “The charter provides a record of common agreements and can be modified as the business grows and the team’s needs change.”

This charter can be something as simple as a sales chart with each salesperson’s name, a shared/personal goals spreadsheet, etc. Setting personal and shared goals is essential to a successful growing business.

7. Believe in Your People

Entrepreneurial leaders must help their people develop confidence, especially during tough times. That confidence comes in part from believing in your team.  If you think of your people as 10s and treat them like 10s, they perform like 10s.  But believing in people alone isn’t enough. You have to help them win. Make sure you are there to guide them to success. Share your knowledge. Make sure they are learning something new every day.

8. Dole Out Credit

We all know that phrase, “give credit where credit is due.” The same goes for your team members. Pay attention to their accomplishments and let them know you noticed. This will bring a smile to their face every time. It’s always nice to be recognized for something you did right.

Don’t be an entrepreneur who is too in love with his own ideas to dole out credit to those who have better ideas. You’re a team, not a bureaucracy. You really know a successful organization when other employees can do a better job at what they do than the CEO could.

9. Keep Your Team Engaged

Great leaders give their teams challenges and get them excited about them. It’s important to keep the passion alive. Set challenging yet reasonable goals. Give your team autonomy to learn and grow within your company.

10. Stay Calm

An entrepreneur has to backstop the team from overreacting to short-term situations, such as the current economic crisis. The best leaders thrive in tough times. Some of the most successful companies were created in economic crises, including Apple, FedEx, and GE.

15 Tips for Awakening Creativity and Innovation

It’s not easy being creative.

Whether it be overcoming writer’s block, designing a new website, or attracting new clients, figuring out the best way to be creative is a challenge. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve stared at the wall, hoping the next big thing will pop into my head.

So, instead of waiting for your “Eureka!” moment to come to you, be proactive. Awaken creativity from within to get ideas flowing. There are more way to do this than you might think.

Here are the Top 15 Tips for Awakening Creativity and Innovation:

1. Expand Your Schemata

In psychology, a schema is a mental structure that represents some aspect of the world. Within that structure, you have pre-conceived ideas of what belongs and what doesn’t. Take an office for example. You would expect to see certain things: desks, chairs, telephones, people…but seeing a giant clown in the room would violate that schema.

That’s a pretty extreme example, but here’s the point: think outside the box. If no one expanded their schemata, there would be no innovation. Before, a schema of an office would have included landline phones and typewriters. Now, offices have fax machines, computers, and cordless phones. Someone had to think of new possibilities instead of just accepting their existing schemata for these innovations to occur.

2. Attack from a Different Angle

If you think you’ve exhausted all your options, you’re wrong. There is more than one angle when it comes to anything, so challenge yourself to think differently. For example, if you’re given a bunch of tasks due by the end of the week, instead of thinking “How will I get all this done in 5 days?” think “How can I best divide these next 5 days to finish what needs to be done?”

The 80/20 rule is key here. 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In business, the rule of thumb is that 80% of the sales come from 20% of the clients. Focusing on the highest-leverage tasks at hand will help you attack from a different angle.

3. Dig Deeper 

This one piggy-backs off Tip #2. Don’t ask “what,” ask ‘why.” When you ask yourself why, you are forced to think about what you’re doing on a deeper level. If you’re writing a book and are trying to figure out who your main antagonist will be, don’t ask “what will this character be like?” Ask, “why will this character act like she does?”

4. Either/Or

We don’t often realize that we are stuck in this mode of thinking. This is a simplistic example, but let’s say you have two clients for your business, and you only have time to do the job for one. If you are stuck in the either/or mode, you would pick the highest paying one and that’s that. The solution is simple if you think about it – take on both clients and sub-contract one out. You’ll get less money for the subcontracted work, but it’s better than nothing.

5. Turn It Around

Stating your problem in the opposite can give you new ideas. “How can I make Billy buy my product?” can be turned into “How can Billy make me sell my product?”

Now that’s a different perspective! Instead of wondering how Billy can give you money to buy your product, it puts the ball in your court.

6. Walk in Their Shoes

This one is great for every business, as well as life in general. Empathy…it’s something we all need and give. Put yourself in Billy’s shoes. Why doesn’t he want to buy your product? He might have a valid reason, so ease his doubts and understand everything from his point of view. A lot of salespeople completely miss this, and that means a lost customer.

By relating to somebody and understanding their needs, wants, desires, and fears, you establish trust AND make better sales.

7. A Silver Lining

It sounds cliche, but there really is a silver lining in every cloud. Recognize that failure will happen, and it doesn’t mean there is no way up. As long as you fail smart (and cheap), you can be more successful than you think. Also, learning from your mistakes is crucial. Didn’t get that marketing job in New York City? Hey, you gained interviewing skills. Didn’t reach your sales goals for the quarter? At least you have the opportunity to evaluate the sales process and optimize it.

8. Don’t Re-Invent the Wheel

There is no need to create something new if there is already something that exists (but can be optimized). Starting from scratch usually results in throwing in the towel. Too much time is spent researching the market trends, testing the idea, creating it, and then figuring out how to make people buy it. If you don’t need to re-invent the wheel, don’t.

The most successful innovations are just that--innovations. Improving and optimizing an already-existing idea.

9. Spork It

The spork is an ingenious innovation in itself…it is the combination of a spoon AND a fork! How can you modify a bunch of different solutions to make a unique one? Spork it!  This also puts you in the “and” mentality compared to the “either/or” mentality.

10. Fresh Perspectives

It always helps to have a pair of fresh eyes take a look at what you’re doing. A fresh perspective can tell you what you’re doing wrong and how to change it. Seem to be at a dead-end with the project you’re doing? Ask a coworker, friend, or family member your problem and chances are they can offer a new perspective you never thought of.

11. Fresh Stimulation

This one is pretty straightforward. Feel like you’re in a deadlock? Take a walk outside and get some fresh air. Do something else and then come back to it. Stimulate your senses and you’ll be rejuvenated.

12. Give It a Break

Similar to the previous one, take a break from what you’re doing and work on something else. Walk away from a brainstorming session and wait a couple days to let it sink in. If you try to hash out a project in 8 hours straight, chances are you’ll miss something and there will be errors along the way.

13. Get on My Level

If you are trying to get in the head of someone, ask someone similar for their solution. Get on their level. If you’re marketing a product to teenagers, actually ask teenagers what they want, what they like, what makes them do the things they do. It’s always important to develop a “customer avatar.” Actually create an avatar that would be the image of your customer. Give him a name, a job, who he lives with, what his tastes are, what he likes to do for fun. By knowing this, you can effectively develop a product out of an idea.

14. Always a Higher Mountain

After getting through all the creativity stuff here, it’s tempting to just sit back and enjoy. Sometimes you have to, if you’re a designer working under deadlines. But what if you are coming up with ideas for your business or your life’s work, you don’t ever have to stop. Ideas can constantly be improved on. There is always something that can be improved. That’s why the most successful companies don’t stop at just one product…they expand.

15. Record It for the Ages

Ever heard of writing your dreams in a diary the moment you wake up…or else you forget? The same goes for ideas. If you ever get a spark of imagination, write it down. That way, you won’t forget it. How many times have you said to yourself, “I’ll write it down later?” I bet you never write it down.

Carry around a notepad or a voice recorder. This may seem like a hassle, but losing a million dollar idea is far worse.

Now get to thinking and ideating!

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Taking One Giant Leap Forward By Taking a Step Back

Schools Support “Back to Scratch” Movement with Fresh Cooking in the Cafeteria

Greeley, CO School Cafeteria Staff Preparing Made-from-Scratch Lunches

In the wake of the obesity epidemic, the idea of making school lunches healthier has gained momentum, but not every child has had a chance to enjoy this concept. School districts with money and involved parents moved ahead, while struggling schools with less money did not.

According to The New York Times, this isn’t the case in Greeley, Colorado. 60% of the 19,500 students qualify for the government’s free or reduced lunch program, but schools here are taking a great leap forward, while also taking a step back. Ironically, they are moving backward to something that was commonplace 25 years ago--making meals in the cafeteria from scratch.

Most schools across the country don’t have made-from-scratch food being served in their cafeteria. Factory food took over, replacing home-cooked meals with frozen chicken nuggets, cheese sticks, and pre-prepped everything. It’s not a coincidence obesity rates have skyrocketed since a generation ago.

Now, real ingredients and spices — and in a modern twist, fiber-laden carrots snuck in where children do not expect them, like pasta sauce — are making their return to the cafeteria tray.

To prep for this massive change, Greeley schools provided cooks with a weeklong kitchen bootcamp. There, they brushed up on ingredient multiplication (i.e. knowing how to take a recipe and create 300 pans out of it) and safe cooking practices.

“Colorado, which has been the least obese state in the nation since federal health measurements of American girth began, is a leader in the back-to-scratch movement. Of the 100 or so districts nationally that have worked with Cook for America, a group that trains school cooks in healthier lunch-ways and ran Greeley’s boot camp, more than half are in Colorado, including schools in the largest districts in Denver, Colorado Springs and Boulder” wrote Kirk Johnson of The New York Times.

Although the back to scratch movement is heating up, nutrition experts say that many school systems around the nation have been profoundly distracted by years of budget cuts and constriction. Many face structural problems, too. Some newer schools have tiny kitchens designed for only reheating premade meals, while some older schools have outdated electrical wiring that cannot handle modern equipment.

However, cooking from scratch actually SAVES schools money. Consider a factory-made burrito with 35 ingredients, including preservatives added to it. Now, take a fresh burrito with 12 ingredients. Less money needs to be spent on ingredients.

“The biggest myth is that it costs more money,” said Kate Adamick, a food consultant based in New York and co-founder of Cook for America. “Federal reimbursement rules could actually give poorer school systems some advantages in shifting back to scratch, especially for meat, which many districts buy with deep discounts.”

Greeley is setting a great example for schools across the nation, no matter what resources are available. Greeley schools will start out by cooking 75% of meals from scratch, and plan to cook 100% of its meals from scratch by this time next year. Along with healthy vending, serving students made from scratch meals offers them the best and healthiest choices, day in and day out.

Do you know any other schools involved in the back to scratch movement? Let us know!

Global Obesity Rates Have Doubled in the Past 30 Years

The headline says it all. Scary stuff that shows obesity isn’t just an American epidemic, it’s a global epidemic.

Everywhere you look, you hear about the world’s economic crisis. People are losing their jobs, no one can seem to sell their homes, certain industries are plummeting; from the news across the world, you would think that we are heading in a downward spiral into a black hole of debt.

But what about another BIG problem, the one that no one seems to mention? It’s one of the biggest elephants in the room, yet it seems like it’s not on the top of anyone’s mind. The obesity epidemic is hitting the world hard. Three recent studies published in The Lancet (a British medical journal) and reported in The New York Times found that worldwide obesity rates have doubled in the last three decades, even as cholesterol and blood pressure levels have fallen.

If this all happened in the last 30 years, what is in store for the future? If people continue their habits as they are now, things will only get worst, and FAST.

“Being obese is no longer a Western problem,” commented Majid Ezzati, a professor of public health at Imperial College London and an author of one of the studies.

People in the Pacific Islands, like American Samoa, are the heaviest, one of the studies found. In developed countries, Americans are the fattest and Japanese are the slimmest.

In 2008, 5% of men and 8% of women worldwide were obese. In 2008, that number had climbed to 10% of men and 14% of women. That’s 205 million obese men and 297 million obese women in 2008 alone. That’s not including the additional 1.5 billion adults who were overweight.

In America alone, the costs of obesity are surprising. The economic costs of being obese can be as much as $4,879 per year for women and $2,646 for men.

Check out the video to see the other costs you may not think of:

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HUMAN Hosts 2nd Business Building Bootcamp (HB3)

New Healthy Vending Operators Learn, Bond, and Crush It!

This past weekend, HUMAN Healthy Vending hosted its second HUMAN Business Building Bootcamp, or HB3 for short. It was a blast!

The HUMAN Team Before the Tiki Cruise

21 different operators from across the country came together in Santa Monica for some intense machine training, bonding, and fun. You could feel the positive energy building as the days progressed. Everyone, from the operators to the Santa Monica based team, was pumped up.

The event started on Thursday with an integral question: “Why are you HUMAN?” Like we always say at HUMAN, the “why” is the most important question you could ask. Every operator is HUMAN because they believe in our cause and want to help the community, and that in itself is invigorating.

All day Thursday and Friday, the new operators crushed it with machine training. Saturday was devoted to location acquisition, the other huge part of machine campaigns.

Of course, we don’t just work hard at HUMAN…we PLAY hard too. We bonded over dinner on Thursday night, got our blood pumping on a morning Friday run, set sail on a tropical Tiki cruise Friday eventing, and embarked on a leisurely Santa Monica bike ride Saturday morning.

Thanks for making HB3 Round 2 such an amazing experience. Stay tuned for the next one coming in the next 4-6 weeks!

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Creating Healthier Communities, One Child at a Time

How NutritionWise is Helping in the Fight Against Obesity

We all know how important it is to eat healthy, but not everyone lives by such advice. Being healthy isn’t just about eating right, it’s knowing why you need to eat right. Also, physical activity and a healthy mind are all part of being healthy.

Knowledge is power, but it’s powerless until it’s used. It’s one thing to put healthy food in front of someone and expect them to eat it. It’s another thing to educate them as to why they should eat it.

Nicole Meadow of NutritionWise

One LA-based company, NutritionWise, is helping educate children about healthy lifestyles. NutritionWise is a private nutrition consulting practice of Nicole Meadow, MPN, RD, that provides a lot of different services. NutritionWise’s main purpose is simple, yet so powerful: For children and families to know how and why to make healthy choices.

We were able to talk to Nicole about her experience as a registered dietician and founder of NutritionWise. Check it out:

What are some of the services NutritionWise offers?

Being an independent nutritional consulting firm, we do a LOT of different things. We provide 1-on-1 private nutrition consulting for children who are underweight and overweight. We also give lectures in schools, work in day cares, etc.

What got you involved in nutrition?

My father and stepfather had two different health scares--heart disease and cancer. They weren’t given much time to live, and they changed their nutritional habits 180 degrees. They outlived their life expectancies by a long shot, and it really got me motivated in nutrition. I was Pre-Med and switched my focus to becoming a dietician.

What is your main motivation behind NutritionWise?

I am extremely passionate about working with underprivileged children, and I’m passionate about nutrition. Those two things combined are my driving force behind what I do.

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NutritionWise is helping in the fight against obesity by educating children and families about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition isn’t just about the here and now, it’s a lifelong commitment. Just like HUMAN Healthy Vending, we know how important it is to educate and increase access to healthy food. Healthy vending is one way to bring health and nutrition to people, but it isn’t the only way. Consulting firms like NutritionWise are essential to making sure everyone realizes the importance of health and wellness.

Here’s to good health and happiness!

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How Imitation Can Lead to the Next Best Innovation

Let me ask you this: What constitutes something as an “innovation?” What sets an innovation apart from an invention?

For most people, there really isn’t a clear-cut answer. Of course, an innovation improves an existing product. For example, mp3 players were around long before Apple introduced the iPod. However, many people believe Apple invented the mp3 player. What Apple did do, though, was take an existing idea and innovated it into the mp3 player we know today. Practically everyone has an iPod, and it is something people love. 

Like Apple, successful innovations do not necessarily need to be something people have never seen before. Some of the best innovations aren’t straight-up inventions. The most influential companies in the world--Google, Facebook, you name it--allowed their predecessors to establish a market first. Then, they swooped in with improved technology and business models and dominated the market.

That being said, if you’re looking to create the latest and greatest thing to hit the consumer market since sliced bread, you don’t need to look as far as you think. Imitation is a great way to innovate. Look around. Think about what it is in your life that could be optimized and made more efficient.

Here are 9 Reasons Why It Pays to Imitate (according to Inc. Magazine)

1. Refining is easier

Whenever you learn something completely new, there is always a learning curve. Imagine trying to create a new innovation from scratch. So much time and energy goes into researching the market trends, and after awhile, your new innovation doesn’t get implemented. It just takes too much effort!

By imitating a current product and refining it, you can skip all of that. The learning curve is not nearly as steep.

2. Benchmark your progress

It’s hard to know your progress if you don’t know where you should be by a certain point. Starting points are necessary for any business, but you have no way to compare where you are at with where you should be. Imitating allows you to analyze where other have succeeded. Also, you know your decisions aren’t arbitrary. It gives you insights into the success of other companies, but more importantly, their failures.

3. Spend your money better

If one thing is for certain when it comes to launching a new product, it’s that is costs money…and lots of it. Some of the biggest costs come from educating consumers. You need to convince people to buy your new product. It’s way easier to convince someone to buy your product if they are already familiar with the concept behind the product. Going back to Apple, people already had mp3 players, but the iPod offered so much more. It was easier for people to buy an iPod knowing the function behind it.

Simply put, let someone else spend the money on educating consumers. That way, you can spend your money improving on what your predecessors did.

4. Learn from their mistakes

A new innovation is bound to have its flaws. Imitation let’s you cut to the front of the line and create something with these flaws in mind. It let’s you fix any bugs that were found in the initial plan. You can then offer an upgraded product.

5. Remain nimble

Sometimes, the “leaders” of a current market you’re aiming to innovate are so big and bureaucratic that quick change is almost impossible. They have so much red tape to go through that they lag on innovation. This is where you come in. By being nimble, you always have the ability to change and innovate when need be.

6. Research better

Consumer research is easier if consumers are already familiar with your product or services. When you create an entirely new product from scratch, it is hard to conduct focus groups. When there are already first-movers in the market you want to enter, you are able to sit down with people and hear what they have to say. What is the market doing right? What is it doing wrong?

7. Make yours better

Why is “New and Improved” such a popular marketing tool? People love things that are the same but with small differences. This fact alone is a reason why it pays to imitate. The majority of people buy products they are already familiar with.

8. Learn marketing tips

Pay attention to the marketing of an existing product in your potential market. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and every other social media site they’re on. Read any publications they are featured in. Read consumer reviews. Doing all of this allows you to figure out your marketing strategies.

9. Get funded

According to John Paul Engel of Knowledge Capital Consulting, ”It’s much easier to get funding if an idea is already proven in the market. After the initial success of MySpace, for example, investors were more willing to open their check books for companies like Facebook.”

Especially in this economy, lenders want to know that you have a good chance of succeeding in your venture. Imitating shows lenders that there is already something out there, and you can make it better.

How we do it

At HUMAN, we used a lot of these tips to create our healthy vending business. We didn’t invent the vending machine. We imitated much of the machine’s components and upgraded it. We gave it a face lift, stocked it with 100% healthy options, and installed the most innovative technology.

HUMAN machines look nothing like traditional vending machines, but they are vending machines. It’s all about how we improved them that made the difference.

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Is Fast Food Really Cheaper than Healthy Food?

Busting the Common Myth Once and For All

We all know the excuses for eating fast food.:

“It’s so much easier”

“I’m always in a rush and don’t have time to cook at home”

“It’s cheaper…I can’t afford healthy food”

As true as this may sound, it isn’t necessarily true. Sure, you can go through a fast food drive thru and get served a meal in less than 5 minutes. A lot of fast food places even offer “family meal deals,” where you can feed your whole family for less than $20. You can get a lot of things cheaper in life if you trade off value. Only focusing on the cheap cost of fast food ignores the value you get for your money with healthy food.

A recent article in The Huffington Post sought out to take a closer look at the fast food vs. healthy food cost debate.

One example that comes to my mind is KFC’s $14 Bucket Deal, which consists of a bucket of fried chicken, a couple sides, and biscuits. This may sound like an amazing deal (even though it is extremely unhealthy), but let’s take a second look.

Fourteen dollars. This actually can go a long way when feeding a family. Fourteen dollars will buy you two pounds of lean ground turkey, a package of whole wheat buns, and some lettuce and low-fat salad dressing. That’s a complete balanced meal.

So why is it we get so hung up on the cost of fast food if we can spend the exact same amount of money on healthy food? The answer leads the way to another common belief: fast food is faster and more convenient than cooking healthy food.

Again, not necessarily! Putting a chicken in the oven takes 5 minutes to prepare. Making a salad with chopped veggies takes about 10 minutes to prepare. That’s a total of 15 minutes. How long would it take you to get in the car, drive to the fast food restaurant, get your food, and drive back? I would bet it takes longer than 15 minutes.

There are thousands of healthy recipes available online that are quick, easy, and inexpensive. And, you save so much money just from cooking at home.

When it comes down to it, the “eating fast food is cheaper than healthy food myth” is just that: a myth.

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New Jersey Nets Coach Avery Johnson Shares Lessons by Which to Lead, Learn, and Live

In every high school, there are motivational posters scattered along the walls to remind us to live by certain core values. We all know them well--the poster with the words “LEADERSHIP” with an image of a four star general and an inspirational quote underneath.

However, great leaders do not have to be decorated soldiers in the military or the President of the United States. Great leaders are everywhere you look.

But here comes the great debate: Are people born leaders, or can leaders be “made?” The old “nature” vs. “nurture” debate has been around for centuries and still hasn’t been resolved.

I think it’s safe to say that perhaps becoming a leader requires a little bit of both. You can never have too much advice from an already-established leader.

In a recent article in Inc., NBA Coach Avery Johnson provided us with his Top 7 Leadership Lessons. Coach Johnson won “NBA Coach of the Year” after his first full season (2005-2006) as head coach. Even before he became a coach and was still a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he was nicknamed “Little General” for his leadership skills.

“Bringing a unique perspective as a leader has been important for Johnson throughout his career, and particularly when he took over for a Nets team that had won only 12 games in the previous season” said Inc. “He considers the qualities of being a good leader in the NBA very similar to those necessary for succeeding in the business world.”

Whether you’re leading an NBA team or a small business, these 7 Leadership Lessons will always make the cut:

1. Cultivate Relationships to Build a Winning Culture

2. Know When to Push Your Employees

3. Respect is Key

This one is true for anything. People have to respect you before you can lead them. Respect is built from your background as well as how you manage situations. Being too lenient could mean your employees don’t take you seriously. Being too harsh could mean your employees begin to resent you and don’t put in 100%. There is a fine line between these two, but once it’s established, you’re golden.

4. Discover Your Different Voices

According to Coach Johnson, you need “a teaching voice, a disciplinary voice, an angry voice, a loving voice, and an incensed voice [...] Having those different voices that you have to have and knowing when to apply which one at what time, and with which employee, is so important.”

This piece of advice couldn’t be closer to the truth. Leadership is all about balance. Every employee is different, so it’s a difficult skill to determine which voice to use on which employee at which time. You have to know when to be angry, supportive, disciplinary, etc. Master that and you are already way ahead of the game.

5. Address Challenges Before They Arise

Preparing yourself, as well as your team, for future challenges is key to success. Forward thinking is a necessity in any successful sports team, business, or anything else! You can’t just jump into things without thinking them through. Know every angle of your business and everything that could go wrong.

Uncertainty does not always have to be feared if you prepare for the good and the bad.

6. The Six C’s of Good Leaders

• Great Communication

• Strong Character

• Competitive Drive

• Consistency in the Way You Lead

• Compassion

• Confidence

What you do on the court parallels what you do off of it. Having those 6 C’s is fundamental to solid leadership. Keep the lines of communication open, but to a minimum to maintain efficiency. Have character and show an example to others. Always have the competitive advantage and be on a mission to win it. Always be consistent in the way you lead, that way others know what to expect and mixed messages aren’t sent. Have compassion for others, especially your employees and customers, because it will build trust. And lastly, have confidence. Confidence is key and can make or break any leader.

7. Focus on Small Victories, Not Just Big Wins

Make it a point to focus on details and small victories. If you don’t recognize any achievement until you’ve won the championship, something’s off. Recognize your employees for their hard work. Let them know you noticed. It will make them feel appreciated and they will always go above and beyond when completing tasks.

A little goes a long way.

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The Lunch Line, Revolutionized

How One Company is Innovating School Lunches and Attacking the Obesity Epidemic

I can remember the meals offered in my school lunch program. The gems that come to mind are unappealing lasagna, frozen chicken nuggets, and cheese sticks with a pouch of sugary juice.

Just thinking about it makes me shudder!

One socially responsible company is revolutionizing schools by innovating their lunch programs. Oakland, California based Revolution Foods provides low-income schools and students with access to nutritious and delicious foods. According to an article in Inc., the company has already served over 400 schools across California and has expanded to Washington D.C., Newark, and Houston.

Health aides: Revolution Foods Co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond

Too many schools cannot afford healthy school lunches, so Revolution Foods co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond lent a helping hand. Both have a passion for food, and recognized a huge disconnect between nutritional education and the foods kids eat.

The National School Lunch Program’s reimbursement rate is a challenge, since Revolution Foods only has $3 to work with to put together a nutritionally balanced meal. There is now greater momentum bringing higher reimbursement levels to low-income kids, but it’s not enough to make health and nutrition universally accessible.

Just like Revolution Foods, that’s our mission to the core: to make healthy foods universally accessible by offering healthy snacks and drinks and nutritional information along the way.

Way to go Revolution Foods! Thanks to you, we are all one step closer to eliminating childhood obesity.

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How Utilizing This One Approach Will Prioritize Your Time and Energy

We all know time management is important. However, no matter how well we plan, it seems like there are always things that slip through the cracks.

Consider your daily workload. You have various tasks that need to be completed, and some are more important than others. Often times, we spend so much time and energy completing smaller, low-value tasks, that the big tasks get pushed further and further back. Each day that passes by, the stress of knowing we still need to complete these important tasks builds up. Before you know it, we are frantically scrambling to get everything done at the last minute.

It’s time for a whole new strategy.

From now on, use the 80/20 Rule. The premise is simple: 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. 20% of your customers will account for 80% of your sales. 20% of your products or services will account for 80% of your profits.

Thus, by focusing on numerous low-value tasks, we procrastinate on the one or two tasks that will provide the most value. Those one or two tasks are the most difficult to accomplish, but once they are completed, you feel accomplished and satisfied with the results.

See what Brian Tracy has to say about the 80/20 rule:

We think about the 80/20 rule every day when it comes to managing our healthy vending machines business. For every task we tackle, the 80/20 rule is always brought up. We know that 20% of our activities will account for 80% of our results, so we focus most of our energy on completing high-value, important tasks. There will always be hundreds of things to get done at some point. Forget the low-value tasks. Focus your time and energy on things that will actually amount to results.

Today, before you sit down to work, ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20% of my activities?”

If it isn’t, DON’T DO IT!

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The Creative Product: Idea vs. Opportunity

What Distinguishes a Good Idea from an Entrepreneurial Opportunity?

“Opportunity ideas do not lie around waiting to be discovered. Such ideas need to be produced.” -- Edward de Bono, Psychologist

Ideas are everywhere, but only the best ideas are made into something real. How many times have we seen a seemingly commonsensical fad product (e.g. Silly Bands and Pokemon cards) and asked ourselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Or take Facebook. How many of us saw The Social Network and marveled at the brilliance of Mark Zuckerberg in coming up with an idea that changed the social world? Albeit, exactly who came up with the idea of Facebook is still under dispute, but the brilliance behind it is still the same. An idea sparked an opportunity, and that opportunity became a website that has now reached over 500 million people across the globe and made billions of dollars.

For an idea to become an entrepreneurial opportunity is a pretty amazing thing. To understand this process, it is important to understand research in entrepreneurial psychology.

Here are three approaches to opportunity recognition:

Approach #1: Opportunity recognition is the process (idea + action) along a continuum ranging from initial insight to starting/operating a business

It’s safe to say that an entrepreneur is not after ideas, he or she is after opportunities. However, the biggest question is as follows: Are ideas and opportunities distinct, or are opportunities simply a different form of expression of ideas in the domain of entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurial psychologist Dimo Dimov explains, “whereas ideas, once expressed, are ends in themselves—an abstract representation of an imagined (future) reality—opportunities exemplify the tension to make that reality come true.” In this way, ideas and opportunities are a process. The original idea is formed and then altered to closer resemble an opportunity. The idea is altered again and again until it becomes suitable for a business venture.

When does an idea transform to become an opportunity? This question is the most difficult to answer because it is the most subjective. Most researchers agree that the distinguishable step is the “action” of converting an idea into a profit maker. This implies that idea and opportunity are not separate entities, but rather inseparable counterparts.

Approach #2: Opportunity development is a social, learning process

Even if we accept the notion that the creative product in entrepreneurship is the continuous shaping of an idea, this is still not sufficient to complete the picture. The first theory ignores the influence of social interaction.

This theory highlights the context in which the idea is formed. If I had come upon the “wrong” website or talked to the “wrong” person, I could have decided not to further pursue my new venture. The insight itself is so fragile that we have to consider the context in which it occurs and thus appreciate its enabling or constraining influences.

We depend on our intuition as well as the interpretation of others when it comes to anything we do. This is no different when seeking to create an opportunity out of an idea.

Approach #3: The social context affects the processes of interpreting and integrating by providing information, ideas, resources that help shape individual ideas

This theory builds on the previous one regarding the importance of social context. The social influences on the opportunity development process pertain to the interpretation that new entrepreneurs gather from those around them.  They engage in discussing, selling, or defending their ideas to this social audience.

Talking with others about your idea can provide valuable pieces of information. Other people see things you wouldn’t normally see. It always helps to have a pair of fresh eyes look at your idea/proposed venture. This suggests the strength of weak ties in one’s social network. The people we know at an arm’s length provide the most benefit. They have access to resources and people to which we normally wouldn’t have access.

We don’t live in a bubble. However, we sometimes underestimate the importance of others when it comes to entrepreneurship.

Ideas and opportunities are a complicated subject. But, going from an initial insight to creating a product or service is a social, learning process. Understand that and you will understand a lot of what goes into creating a successful business venture.

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Recently, H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending‘s Chief Humanist, Sean Kelly, delivered a presentation to The Whole Grains Council on how to dominate the vending business. The “vending” industry as we know it is changing, with state-of-the-art, innovative, healthy vending machines taking over those old, clunky, junk food machines. This innovation is key to success in the new and improved “automated retail” industry. Automated retail is a gold mine for making whole grains more convenient and accessible. Goodbye traditional vending. Welcome to Vending 3.0.

Click here for the PDF version of our Whole Grains Council presentation.

Give them credit, but it's not always clear what the message is...

Many people aren’t aware, but every five years, the USDA revises their dietary guidelines for the American public and it couldn’t have come at a more critical time. Considering the childhood obesity epidemic and the current lifestyles many of us lead, the average person barely has the time and discipline to maintain a healthy weight and body mass index.

Because of this, the Child Nutrition Act and Let’s Move campaigns were created, causing people to begin being mindful of what they eat. However, since the fight for health is a steep uphill battle, the USDA has made some new suggestions to fit in with the average American’s schedule. Although there are people out there that will most likely ignore nutrition altogether, the rest of you should take heed if you want to live to see your grandkids, let alone the next generation grow into healthier adults.

Based on the most updated research, the USDA has based the guidelines over two particular concepts that emerged over these new recommendations.

Maintain Calorie Balance to Achieve and Sustain a Healthy Weight

The right caloric balance will keep you living.

If you’ve had any experience in trying to lose or gain weight, you’re most likely familiar with the calorie equation (calories in – calories out = weight gain/loss).

For most of us, that equation usually ends up being the psychological killer of dieting. After all, you can spend 30 minutes at a gym to burn off 300 calories and end up consuming that same amount or more within a period of ten seconds.

The USDA recommends that to lower the obesity rate and improve the nation’s overall health, Americans need to cut back on the total calories consumed (i.e. eating nutrient-dense foods) and increase the calories burned through physical activity (i.e. keep moving).

Easier said than done, right? The suggestions of using the stairs instead of an elevator or to stop drinking sodas are steps in the right direction.

However, that’s only the beginning. Considering that obesity has tripled over the years, if you’re already overweight, chances are that you’ll have a hard time incorporating healthier options into your lifestyle.

Many factors determine your calorie intake range, including your age, gender, body fat composition, genetics and daily physical activity. The “average” adolescent and adult should maintain a 2,000-2,500 calorie limit for females and males respectively. Children usually need more due to their higher metabolic, or calorie burning capability, rate.
At the same time, you don’t want to starve yourself either.

Think of your body as an organic piece of technology. For it to run, it needs fuel. If you don’t get enough, the systems malfunction and you end up with more problems than you began. Not to mention the fact that if you try to exercise on empty, your body begins to burn through your lean muscle, NOT your fat storage.

The opposite is true. If you overload your body with more fuel than it needs, the system begins storing the excess as fat tissue, hence the obesity epidemic.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods and beverages

Fruits and veggies are low-calorie, but nutrient-dense.

All of these calories can be broken down into what are called “macronutrients” or “nutrients your body needs to survive;” these macronutrients are carbohydrates, proteins and fats.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates tend to make up most of the calories within food. There are two types of carbs: simple and complex.

Simple carbohydrates are natural and unprocessed, such as the lactose in milk, fructose in fruit or the fiber and starches in grains and vegetables.

Complex carbs are the added artificial ingredients such as table sugar and the infamously popular high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Most people get enough carbohydrates as is, but the problem is that they tend to overconsume them with the unnecessary added sugars within the foods they eat.

The USDA makes it clear that these added ingredients should be cut back on. Instead, try fulfilling your diet with fiber from fruits and vegetables or 100% whole wheat breads.

Reduce your sodium intake as well. Both added sugars and sodium tend to hinder your body’s ability to burn off fat as energy.

Protein

Proteins are essential to a healthy diet, but it’s rare that someone would have a deficiency. This is due to the animal-based proteins in meat, poultry, eggs and milk and the plant-based proteins in beans, peas, nuts, seeds and soy products.

In fact, proteins are necessary for rebuilding muscle fibers that are constantly being worked out. In other words, they increase a body’s healing factor.

If you take part in aerobic activity, your body will start drawing on protein stores for energy and diminish the burning of body fat. This is why you need enough protein to keep your body from eating up lean muscle. If you don’t take part in physical activity, the protein is still important, but won’t be doing you much good other than maintaining muscle.

Fats

Fats are also necessary because your body still uses it for chemical reactions. Unfortunately, this is also one of the main concerns of the general public. The USDA guidelines make it clear that fat itself isn’t the cause; it’s the types of fat that people should be concerned about.

Saturated fat is bad. It has no benefits in a healthy diet whatsoever. Cut back on those as much as possible. They’re mainly used in those thick, creamy sauces you use to give foods a cheesy, salty or velvety texture.

Mono and polyunsaturated fats are good. These occur naturally in nuts, but only the unprocessed ones.

Trans fat is the worst. Even though the USDA guidelines state that they should be consumed sparingly (2 grams maximum daily), you’d be better off avoiding it as much as possible. The problem is that even if it makes food companies happy due to cheaper processing costs, there’s nothing beneficial coming from trans fat. Its sole purpose is to clog your arteries.

Due to the FDA loophole of not claiming trans fat if there’s under 0.5 g, DON’T rely on the Nutritional Label for this statistic. Read the Ingredients List. If you see any form of the words “Hydrogenated Oil,” there’s trans fat lurking within. Not being upfront about that ingredient should question your loyalty to that brand.
The USDA guidelines also state that alcohol should be consumed sparingly, if at all. They rarely provide nutrients and end up being a source of empty calories (Hence the term “beer gut”).

USDA Guidelines Summary

Integrate the new guidelines into your lifestyle to live longer!

To control the total calorie intake and manage body weight, increase your intake of 100% whole grains, vegetables and fruit. They take up space in your stomach with natural dietary fiber and keep you full longer. Plus, they give your body the nutrients necessary for your body to function.

Reduce your intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. They provide additional calories with no nutritional benefits. Diet sodas don’t count as they still train the tongue to crave additional sugars in other foods. For best results, try the magical all-natural, weight-loss potion of water sweetened with organic fruits such as lime or apple slices.

Monitor the intake of 100% fruit juice for children and adolescents, especially those who are overweight or obese. Although there is nothing wrong with 100% juice, make sure that the juice has at least the highest volume by checking the Ingredients List which is ordered by greatest to least. It wouldn’t do much good if a product that claims 100% cranberry “juice” ends up being made with a majority of other “juices” that were added to make processing cheaper, leaving cranberries as a secondary ingredient.

Monitor calorie intake from alcoholic beverages for adults. Moderate drinking isn’t associated with weight gain, but heavy consumption is. One example is that drinking two glasses of wine has nutritional benefits, but any more than that reverse those benefits. Since alcohol tends to be consumed in mixtures with other drinks, they add extra calories with no nutritional benefits. Cut back on the alcohol and you cut back on the calories.

The USDA guidelines have more in-depth information, but the above is the main message that they want to get out to the American public. Obesity is a problem and unless people begin to take care of not only their bodies but their offspring’s, the life expectancy will keep dropping and the premature deaths will keep climbing.

Find the balance. Our future depends on it.