Living Large and BOLD

The purpose of this blog is to highlight people who are doing things on their own terms, regardless of what the rest of the world might do, say or think. The name is BOLD Business TV, but sometimes “business” is itself a misnomer. Here you might meet someone sharing their business of living, their business of making a living, their business of changing the world, or their business of just being.  To more aptly reflect our focus on the BOLD Person rather than the “business” itself, I’m considering changing the name and URL to BOLD People TV. No official change has been made, yet, and I’ll be interested in your thoughts.

I’d also like your ideas on a person or people who fit the bill. It doesn’t have to be anyone famous, rich, funny or loud; just BOLD. Let me know who you think is living large and marching to their own drummer. Who do you know that is making the most of their individuality and would be an inspiration to the rest of us?

Leave a comment here or send me an email to: Info at BOLDBusiness dot TV

This segment of BOLDBusiness.tv is a special one. Many of us don’t connect great music with “business”. But believe me – it is business; and one not for the faint-of-heart.

Jonathan Edwards has followed his heart and stayed true to his passion since beginning his career as a singer/songwriter 40+ years ago. He first picked up the guitar at 15 years old – had is first hit, Sunshine, in 1971 and has stayed true to his words – “I promise you I’ll still be singing.” 

And singing he is – his way. Please meet my friend, Jonathan Edwards.

Christie Corns & Matt McDonald on set

It’s not about the great ideas and plans you have that make you BOLD; it’s what you do with them. When’s the last time you thought of doing something but then ‘realized’:

• “It’s too expensive.
• “I wouldn’t know where to start.”
• “I could never find the time.”

Not Matt McDonald. His day job (his REAL job, as we joked) is owner and chief counsel at Cumberland Title in Maine. In other words, he’s a real estate lawyer. He’s also a funny, creative guy and while the lawyer gig was rewarding and paid the bills he wanted a a way to let his creative side out. So naturally – he started a TV show.

Meet BOLD Business person Matt McDonald, creator, executive producer and host of The Brand New TV Show.

Art All Around Celebrates completion of the 1st tank - November, 2009

How many times have you seen or heard something – a story, a movie, a million dollar idea that changes the landscape – and thought “I could have done that.”? We all have. Very few of us, however, actually do it.

Driving up and down I295 my friend Jean Maginnis – as well as thousands of others – passed by the Sprague Oil tank “farm”. Economic, environmental and political issues aside – an oil tank farm is… well, not necessarily a pleasing view. How cool would it be to have the tanks take on the dual role of canvas for a huge public art display? Not only would it make the landscape more asthetically pleasing, such a project would 1) bring national – if not global recognition to Maine (economic development) and 2) be a major collaboration between art and industry – the critical key to success in the new economic environment.

Jean walked away from her advertising position to make it happen. Meet Jean Maginnis, Founder and Executive Director of the Maine Center for Creativity.

Fred Abaroa - The Marketing Imagnineer

I met Fred a few years ago, and if I ever me anyone more suited to networking I don’t know who that could be. At least at the time I THOUGHT Fred was a natural networker; a real extravert. Come to find out, it was something he had to learn – like most of the rest of us. He just learned really fast and really well.

In less than a year Fred developed a strong personal brand and loyal following on Twitter for his ‘out-there’ green glasses and unabashed self-promotion. It’s hard to imagine that personality didn’t come naturally.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Fred.

Seaweed. Farming. Two words you probably wouldn’t associate with each other.

Seaweed. Dinner. Two more words you probably wouldn’t associate with each other.

Meet Tollef Olson and Paul Dobbins of Portland, Maine’s Ocean Approved, the only commercial kelp farm in the United States, farming on underwater acreage leased from Maine’s Department of Marine Resources.

Paul and Tollef were inspired by mega-aquaculture sites in Asia, and a $7-billion global seaweed industry, and started cultivating last year. The kelp is different from other kelp you find in stores because Ocean Approved kelp is sold fresh frozen, not dried. (You can find Ocean Approved in the frozen food sections of a few Whole Foods Markets and other high-end natural food stores in Boston, Los Angeles and here in Portland, ME.) You can use kelp on its own or mix it with coleslaw, regular pasta and other foods. I tried it mixed in with regular pasta and a garlic/olive oil sauce. It was nice, actually. The fresh frozen Ocean Approved kelp tastes somewhat tangy and crunchy and is much less pungent than dried seaweed. It does not taste fishy and is extremely high in vitamins and nutrients.

Last, but not least, the process they are using to farm the kelp can literally help restore the environment. Seaweed doesn’t require arable land, fresh water or fertilizer and therefore produces no runoff or erosion. It cleanses the water of excess nutrients and absorbs carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming.

I think their biggest challenge is going to be people’s “ICK” factor. But keep in mind that we – all of us – are already consuming kelp every day. Processed kelp is used in additives that make toothpaste thick, yogurt creamy, beer foamy and skin moisturizers moist, among countless other uses.

Tollef founded Ocean Approved his kelp farm after working as a treasure hunter, commercial fisherman and mussel grower. Paul was general manager of a bio-tech company before he heard Olson pitch kelp at a local supermarket.

Tollef and Paul, the “aqua-farmers”, go to work year-round in Maine in a 41-year-old lobster boat, wearing wet suits and scuba gear. You add to that, it’s healthy, it’s ecologically strong and it tastes good. That’s pretty BOLD in my book.

Fan Ocean Approved on Facebook. (They will have a web cam set up so you can keep track of their water adventures from the warmth and dryness of your own office. When I get that link, I’ll put it up here. )

As with most new things, I’m trying to figure out some of this technology. I’m posting a “do-over” of Barb’s video as I couldn’t get the viewer size to control itself. It’s worth another look anyway, don’t you think? Watch for the next issue on Monday, 1/25. In the meantime… Be BOLD!

Reposted from 01/11/10
It’s finally here – Launch date for BOLDBusiness.tv, an internet series of interviews with people NOT doing business as usual. Why am I doing this? Read my previous post for the best answer I could come up with so far.

Every two weeks I’ll introduce someone who is or is doing something big, BOLD and on purpose, not because it’s expected or “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” The interviews are a brief 3 to 4 minutes; concentrated BOLDness. If you know someone who fits the bill, send them my way.

Enjoy Episode 1 – Barbara Hart, founder of HIre Well and Author of HartsAtSea.com.  Follow her on Twitter at @BarbAtSea

It’s finally here – Launch date for BOLDBusiness.tv, an internet series of interviews with people NOT doing business as usual. Why am I doing this? Read my previous post for the best answer I could come up with so far.

Every two weeks I’ll introduce someone who is or is doing something big, BOLD and on purpose, not because it’s expected or “that’s the way we’ve always done it.” The interviews are a brief 3 to 4 minutes; concentrated BOLDness. If you know someone who fits the bill, send them my way.

People have been asking me “Why BOLDBusinessTV”? Why am I doing this? Is it going to be an ongoing, long-term project? Is it a revenue generating project? What’s the purpose?

All good questions. Great questions, in fact.

Some people make decisions based on hours of analysis, facts, numbers, and advice. Others fly by the seat of their pants and go on gut. I’m the latter. To be fair to myself, I’m not a total flake. However, most of where and what I am today is due to a ‘knowing’ rather than detailed research or planning. The same is true for BOLDBusiness.TV.

I’ve spent the past three years+ working in the social media sphere, both with clients and for myself. From everything I’ve seen and heard and, yes, studied… 2010 is the year of the online video for business. If I’m going to stay up with social media I better understand online video. What better way than to jump in and see for myself?

So – HOW to jump in?

One thing that has always bothered me is stories of overnight success, financial windfalls and individuals who have reached iconic status are our ‘heros’ of the day. We are also continually inundated with stories of despair, disaster and impending doom.

Stories of those of us who have walked away from something safe, financially secure and accepted, to ‘walk our talk’ aren’t typically told. It’s not ‘news’ (as if Kate’s new hairdo is…).

My business, my life and how I came to be in this place is nothing, if not BOLD. I didn’t take the traditional – the ‘expected’ and ‘accepted’ path, the easy path and certainly not the safe path. I am not alone.

BOLDBusiness.TV is my effort to:

1. Stay on top of an ever changing field of social media and make sure I understand the things I write and speak about. and
   

   @BarbAtSea

2. Highlight some creative, intelligent and BOLD people doing things because of passion and value rather than ‘because this is the way we’ve always done it’.

I hope you’ll tune in from time to time and check it out. Beginning Monday, 01-11-10, a short 3 to 4 minute interview will be released twice a month. The first interview is with my good friend Barbara Hart. Barbara is the owner of Hire Well, a hiring consultancy for small businesses without an HR department. She also has a wonderful blog, HartsAtSea.com where she relays the trials, tribulations and joys of living and working aboard a sail boat, year-round, in Maine. That is why she’s my first BOLD interview.

Living aboard – Working aboard – A sailboat – Year-round – In Maine.

Please join me in saying to Barb, “Now that’s BOLD!”

BOLDBusiness.TV is a semi-monthly interview series – bringing you 2.5 to 3 minute visits with people NOT doing business as usual.

Today, when it can be easier to do the ‘safe’ thing, there are many who are doing the ‘right’ thing. Join them as they tell their stories, 3 minutes at a time.

Have any BOLD people in your sphere? Send them my way!

Be BOLD.