The Alpha Dogs Blog

I just returned from Bellingham, WA where I had the privilege of speaking at the Sustainable Connections 3rd Annual Spring Business Conference. Sustainable Connections is an alliance of more than 500 businesses in Northwest Washington whose goal is "sustainable business practices that lead to a healthy environment, meaningful employment, strong communities and buying local first as commonplace in our region and a model for the rest of the world." Lofty stuff! But the group's programs are so effective that many of them have been replicated nationwide through its affiliation with BALLE (Business Alliance for a Living Economy), a national network of small business alliances. And what amazing CEOs I met! Here are just a few: Atul Deshmane, who has a biodiesel company called Whole Energy BioDiesel Fuels; Trudy and Joe Scherting of Moka Joe (great coffee!); Greg Aanes, who makes stunning furniture; Rud Browne whose company, Ryzex, is involved in recycling handheld electronic devices; Pete Nelson of Bellingham Business EView; and Inc. 500 CEO Anne Marie Faiola, whose company, Bramble Berry, sells soap making supplies. Last of all, I was honored to share the podium with Zingerman's honcho Paul Saginaw, who opened the conference by telling us all about the incredible company he founded with Ari Weinzweig. Zingerman's started out as a humble deli in Ann Arbor, MI and is now a $28 million company with 450 employees, 15 partners and seven businesses! If Inc. magazine pal Bo Burlingham hadn't claimed the company for his new book, Small Giants, Zingerman's would have been an Alpha Dog company, for sure. In fact, Paul and Ari, consider yourselves honorary Alpha dogs!