by Troy Eustice, Provender Board Member
This time of year, a time of transition, with the change of seasons upon us and the New Year quickly approaching, is an excellent time to reflect on where we are, where we have been, and where we are going. Last week I was pondering this as I read the cover story in WholeFoods Magazine, in which Jeff Bezos—CEO of Amazon.com—was named the magazine’s Person of the Year. This was a controversial pick for a natural products publication, to say the least,. But as I read on I found myself neither frightened nor disgusted, but inspired!
Right now, we all are living in a time of great transition, and the roots of the Natural Foods Movement so many of us were born from have now grown into a great tree, large enough to support the heavy fruit of big business. This changing marketplace has presented great challenges to many of us, but now it is time to realize the even greater opportunities. Today I offer you a short list of things I took away from this article, which can give us all a little perspective coming into this new season.
Ideas to inspire, taken from Jeff Bezos, the newly anointed richest man in the world:
1) Efficiency is crucial-Efficiency is customer service and it also serves your employees.
2) Employ a Customer-centered approach to business-“Those who fail are focused on the competition.”
3) Experience matters-That is customer experience! What kind of experience do your customers have when dealing with your business?
4) Be convenient-This is the not-so secret of Amazon’s success. While we can’t be Amazon.com, we can make little changes which contribute to a stress free experience for our customers.
5) Innovate-Always look for ways to do better. Try new things, don’t be afraid to fail.
6) Think long term-Change is happening- don’t be reactive, be proactive.
7) Sleep is important!-So is family time, personal time, vacationing, exercising, recreating…. Take care of yourself and you can better take care of business.
8) Be (and stay) involved in what is happening in your business and in the world-Be the passionate, inspirational leader in your field that you are!
The roots of the Natural Foods Movement are strong and as relevant today as ever. And, contrary to what we might think, we are still the leaders in this great cause—we must remember and reinforce this idea in our businesses. May the new season bear the fruit of your passion and dedication!