Can a leopard change its spots?

As I sit here wrapping up my first quarter of grad school at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, I’m almost at a loss for works.  I’m having difficulty putting my thoughts down because my head feels like a tornado has been unleashed and my thoughts are flying around waiting to land at the first sign of peace.  This quarter has taken me on many journeys and I’m proud to say that I finished this quarter with a new outlook on life.  My expectations for the quarter have been far surpassed and the inspiration I’m feeling has become contagious.  I’ve surrendered to the unique experience that is BGI and I am committed to making this experience more than just getting a master’s degree.  

So what has me so jazzed? One of the core principles BGI embodies is the need for change. I've always been an advocate for change and I've always felt this world could be better if change was more readily accepted.  Despite the stereotypes around my chosen professions, I thrive in change.  I love the feeling of trying something new or challenging the habits and beliefs we hold as sacred.  Why do so many people struggle with change even when it’s desperately needed? To me it all comes down to the desired feeling of security.  There’s a fear of the unknown when it comes to change and that puts people outside of their comfort zone.  BGI has taught me to be comfortable with the ambiguity that change can sometimes create.  Sacrificing the desire to always feel secure is a small expense in making this world a better place.  

The beauty of each BGI intensive is the opportunity for multiple types of learning.  One of my favorite parts of the intensives is the Change Agent in Residence (CAIRs) talks.  The personal stories, heartfelt passion and knowledge these individuals impart on us in amazing.  Michael Kanter taught me that staying true to your core values is an invaluable asset.  Steve Butcher showed me that for-profit businesses can have compassion as a mission.  Mirran Raphael reminded me mentorship is incredibly powerful and a lifelong journey.  Jeff Mendelsohn encouraged me to live in a world of possibilities and not one of limitations.  Seeing change in action and hearing of its success creates an environment in which we are set up for nothing but success.  

This quarter has opened my eyes and made me see what assumptions I've made about the business world.  I wasn't expecting to be so inspired by all the negativity that our current economic system has created.  I know that sounds a bit bizarre but I feel like a fire has been lit under me.  For a while I've felt a bit of hopelessness about the world we've been living in but I failed to be able to put words to it.  Through the readings, videos, and lectures I've been partaking in, I now have a voice for these feelings.  This world is destined for change and to be part of this paradigm shift we so desperately need is an opportunity I feel nothing but gratitude towards.  This hopelessness is no longer feeling as such but feeling more like empowerment instead. 

Another key learning opportunity for me this quarter was the work with the Chicken Sweaters on our group project.  Working with Julia, Liz, Maren and Brittany has taught me to value those tough moments and difficult conversations that need to be had.  The process of team work is just as valuable as the product that is created.   The complexity and dynamics of human relationships are fundamental to understanding our potential within this world and enacting change.  BGI enables us to co-create an educational process that will keep us on a path of lifelong learning and having the skills to work in teams is essential.  

I have a deep appreciation for BGI and how it forces me to reflect.  I don’t often reflect on my actions, learnings and experiences and I've really come to value the opportunities for it.  Working with faculty, guest speakers and my cohort is a transformational process and it’s important to me to get the most out of this experience.  Our cohort is amazing and when I think of the possibilities ahead of us all, I can't help but be excited.  We have several CAIRS with in our group already and the passion we all share for changing this world is nothing short of inspirational.  They say a leopard cannot change its spots but are we sure?   

The Song of the Grasshopper

money

noun, often attributive \ˈmə-nē\
: something (such as coins or bills) used as a way to pay for goods and services and to pay people for their work

“Today we associate money with the profane, and for good reason. If anything is sacred in this world, it is surely not money. Money seems to be the enemy of our better instincts, as is clear every time the thought “I can’t afford to” blocks an impulse toward kindness or generosity. Money seems to be the enemy of beauty, as the disparaging term “a sellout” demonstrates. Money seems to be the enemy of every worthy social and political reform, as corporate power steers legislation toward the aggrandizement of its own profits. Money seems to be destroying the earth, as we pillage the oceans, the forests, the soil, and every species to feed a greed that knows no end.” –Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics

 

It’s no surprise that as a CPA and a Banker, my life is riddled with money.  I measure it, report on it, forecast it, budget it, and spend it.  Yield curves, present values, bond prices, and interest rates rule my world.  What do all these things really mean?  Why do we value money the way they do? How do our views and assumptions of money affect our behaviors? These questions and more have been flowing through my mind a lot lately.  My BGI experience has given me a new outlook on the meaning and purpose of money and I dare say a rug has been pulled out from underneath me.   

I recently was tasked with reading a powerful book, Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein, which traced the history of money from ancient economies to modern day capitalism.  Money has had a profound impact on our civilization and shaped us in more negative ways then we care to admit.Reading this book left me feeling depressed but hopeful for the future.  Without fundamentally changing our assumptions around money and the pedestal we place money on, economic turmoil is bound to happen again.  

One of the most profound points within this book, and one that I've also heard from many of my classmates, is the idea of bringing back gifting and bartering.  When you give a gift with no strings attached or trade goods and services, trust within our fellow human beings flourishes.  This trust binds communities and strengthens relationships.  Einstein states that “Community is not some add-on to our other needs, not a separate ingredient for happiness along with food, shelter, music, touch, intellectual stimulation and other forms of physical and spiritual nourishment.  Community arises from the meeting of these needs.”  Why is it that each house in our neighborhood owns a lawn mower that is only used for 10 hours each summer?  Why has it become so normal to value the goods we purchase just as much (if not more than) as the relationships we value?  We've become a society that focuses more and more on our individual needs and not the needs of our communities.  Imagine a world where community evolves naturally from our actions and supports and values its members equally.  Imagine the feelings you have when you spend time with loved ones during the holidays and the joy you feel from their care, love and support.  What if you could feel that more often?

Trust is the crux of our relationships with friends, family, doctors, co-workers, political leaders and everyone we interact with.  Without trust the true purpose of relationships ceases to exist and we truly can’t get to where we’re trying to go.   An absence of trust creates dysfunction and enables an environment in which productivity and happiness cannot prosper.  No matter how you slice it, trust plays a fundamental role within our lives and money can damage that trust.    

The great thing about Eisenstein’s book was that he makes suggestions for alternative practices that will “fix” our broken economy, help to redeploy the community spirit and invigorate the respect that is needed for the well-being of our planet.   Although some of the concepts were hard to wrap my head around, such as negative-interest, I was truly inspired by his ideas.   He helped me to envision a different type of economy where life is a bit more simplistic and relationships are more meaningful and less superficial.

The underlying theme of Sacred Economics is very similar to other articles, videos and books I've been exposed to at BGI.  My eyes and ears are awaiting more.  I have a new view of the negative effects our money system has and seeing things more in this light has given me clarity I wouldn't have expected.  This student grasshopper is changing and the chirps I make will be much more meaningful going forward.

Baaahhhhhhhhhhh said the sheep

In 2012 I have the opportunity to spend several weeks in Ireland.  The beautiful scenery, abundant and humbling history and the chatty and welcoming people made this trip better than I could have ever imagined.  Of all the places I explored, one of my absolute favorites was the Kissane Sheep Farm.  This farm has been in the family of John Kissane for over 150 years and is home to over 1,000 sheep.  I fell in love with the farm and upon talking more with John, I found myself captivated by his story.  

Ireland’s sheep farms are heavily subsidized by the European Union.  The income of average sheep farmer in Ireland is approximately €12,000 annually and for most farms, subsidies account for more than 50% of that income.  Due to changing European regulations, increasing food and medical costs, and declining prices of lambs and wool, it is less economically viable to raise sheep in the traditional way – but why? 

The globalization of Ireland’s economy has played a major role in the deviation from traditional farming.  Sheep farming was once a highly honored tradition and occupation but is now viewed as a risky and unprofitable endeavor. Sweaters, socks and blankets were the most commonly produced woolen goods and since locals were only able to make enough for themselves, an export industry was virtually non-existent at one time. However, in the 1890s, the British government pushed to improve local industries in Ireland by encouraging large scale textile production.  Because of this the wool industry grew dramatically but deteriorated in the first half of the 19th century when the linen industry outpaced its growth and demand for exports dramatically decreased. 

Today a majority of the wool from John’s flock is shipping off to France where it isn’t used to make clothing, rugs or other household goods.  The wool is actually worth more to many other countries for its lanolin that is used in many cosmetic and skin care products.  What was remarkable to me about my conversation with John is that I had been in the market for a handmade Irish wool sweater.  As he was telling me about how his wool is exported, all I could picture were the dozens of sweaters I had pondered purchasing over the last few days that had tags detailing that the wool came from some other place besides Ireland.  

Ireland is one of the most globalized economies in the world and was once referred to as the Celtic Tiger.  During this Celtic Tiger boom, Ireland went from being one of the poorest countries in the EU to one of the richest.  As Ireland offers one of the world’s lowest corporate tax rates, it has attracted many large multinational corporations such as Google, Amazon, and Pfizer to set up shop and helped to create many jobs.  That led to prosperity and caused a housing boom similar to the U.S. that eventually blew up, taking down the housing market and the banking system.

In 2008, it became apparent that the Celtic Tiger was dead and recession was setting in.   GDP was falling, unemployment was increasing and real estate prices were falling at an alarming rate.  In 2010, Ireland was forced to seek multi-billion dollar loans from the IMF and EU and in 2011, Ireland’s bonds were downgraded by Moody’s and labeled as junk bonds.  Ack!

The story of the Celtic Tiger is complicated but fascinating.  Whenever I walked into a pub or restaurant, the locals were always quick to discover that I was a tourist and not just any tourist but an American tourist.  The Irish have such a profound history and when you couple that with their gift for gab, you find yourself in deep conversations with a community that accepts your presence with open arms.  Just like in the U.S., banks and politicians were blamed for the Irish recession but one key learning emerged for me – the Irish were dealing with the economic turmoil in it a much different way than we were.  Community and culture preservation are a daily focus for the Irish and because of that, they are a phenomenally resilient group of people.  For hundreds of years, Ireland has been plagued with war, family and disease and at one time, Ireland’s largest export was its people.  These key events have made the Irish who they are and after my trip, I had a whole new outlook on the global economy and the importance of local living economies.  

John is diversifying his business to keep it alive. At Kissane Sheep Farm, you can Adopt-A-Sheep and help preserve the more classic Irish heritage of family farming or you can simply stop by for a tour that includes a sheep herding demonstration and shearing demonstration.  If you’re ever in the Ring of Kerry, I highly suggest making the stop and having a conversation that will be deep and meaningful with John and his family.  You won’t regret it!  

The Economics Behind a Painting Bulldog

Merriam-Webster defines economics as "a social science concerned chiefly with the description and analysis of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services." This flat and one-dimensional definition does not touch on the personal side of economics. Economics pervasively affects systems and people at all levels and because of that, human emotions play a large role in the economy. You can throw a bunch of graphs at me and tell me what today’s GDP totals are but don’t expect me to draw my conclusions of what's happening based solely on that. As emotional beings, we’re largely affected by what’s going on around us and directly in front of us. You can tell me things are getting better and today’s recession has ended but until I see it, I won’t change my current habits and behaviors. 

Our country has been shaped through strong capitalist leaders such as the Cornelius Vanderbilt, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. Our quality of life has grown exponentially over the last two centuries and growth within the economy has enabled that to take place and because of that, we've been taught that economic growth = good. 

Towards the end of my undergraduate years, where I got the bulk knowledge of economics, our economy was growing fast. I had just taken my first big job and was excited for the possibilities the future would hold. Many of my friends were buying $350,000+ homes in anticipation of continuing to “make it big.” Our emotions tied us to building our futures on the assumption that there was no end to this bright side. We were too young to remember the prior recessions that our parents were more than willing to quickly forget. Then in early 2007, a different reality started to hit…

Right now I can’t think of one person I've come across who hasn't been affected negatively by the current recession. It’s hard to think about the “good economic times” when you see an abundance of unemployment, foreclosures, closing businesses and increasing debt all around you. Since people are emotional beings we can often feel a form of resentment when we think about the exponential growth that got us here. How could <insert name, company, government entity here> have allowed these events to unfold? How could we have been so blind to not have seen these bursting bubbles? How? Why? 

As a banker, I've seen my fair share of despicable behavior over the few years. I’ve worked on several projects involving failed banks and the things I’ve seen and heard have struck me to my core. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely more good guys out there than bad guys; but again, our emotions come into play and make it easy to forget there is good out there! (If you think the concept of a good banker is an oxymoron, let’s talk!) 

This recession has been rough but there’s still an upside to a growing economy. Economic growth provides a strong base for research and development. Without research and development, we wouldn't have things such as new medications and breakthroughs in technology. Economic growth can also provide for higher employment and can entice employers to pay greater wages and/or pay for benefits such as 401k contribution matching or disability insurance. This growth also allows for opportunities and confidence for new players to enter the market. Take for instance Piper, the one-eyed painting bulldog. Piper has her own business selling custom artwork. Piper is capitalizing off of her cuteness and talents. She has found a niche in the market. The income she's producing is perhaps paying for her vet bills, food, and toys. It also may be paying back the initial capital supplied by her human parents and therefore allowing them to invest in other arenas (perhaps a new home for the cat? ha). Economic prosperity (as well an economic downturn) is an interconnected cycle that acts like a tornado in swooping up many of us along its way.

So what does this all mean? If I were to write this blog in another week, I’d most likely have a completely different story to write up. As I continue to process and reflect (I’m a “go, go, go” type of person and because of that, I don’t stop and reflect as much as I should) my thoughts and patterns are ever changing. I will say for sure that I do believe a new wave of economic thought is forming. Maybe it’s more apparent to me because of the core values my generation owns but I don’t think that’s all of it. I believe we are entering a “new” normal. The many assumptions held in economic models is mind boggling enough to make one feel like they are reading an ancient Latin text on Mars. With the internet and concept of instant knowledge at our finger tips, our world is forever changed. Knowledge is power and it’s that knowledge that gives us the ability to affect change. Let's go out there and make history C12s!




-Emily
www.facebook.com/emywoo
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-olson/21/292/b49

Chicken Sweaters

Have you ever had an experience that left you speechless? Or maybe an experience that caused so much excitement within you that you felt you were going to burst? Both those statements sum up my second weekend in October!  Over the last few days, I was at Islandwood on Bainbridge Island going through my first “intensive” while enrolled at Bainbridge Graduate Institute.   This fast-paced experience left me exhausted but hungry for more. 

The BGI intensive started right on the cusp of quarter end (aka my “work intensive”) and I went into this weekend a bit worried that I wouldn’t be able to be fully present.  That worry was thrown right out the window as soon as I met the rest of my cohort, C12. 

C12 is a group of phenomenal individuals.  The intelligence, skill set and compassion of this group is nothing short of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!  I immediately felt excitement at the possibilities of what’s to come.  There is no doubt that this group is destined for great things! 

One of the first exercises we did involved mapping out some of the major milestones within sustainability.  Trends that emerged over each decade in the last 60 years became apparent.  2000-2009, the decade I was paired with, can be summed up by saying it was the age for furthering the self-reporting movement.  Entities such as corporations and governments began voluntarily reporting on areas such as social responsibility and environmental impact in the last decade of the 20^th century.   This practice became more refined during the first decade of the 21^st century.  I had the opportunity to report on the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change. Authored in 2006, the 700-page review states that “if we don’t act, the overall costs and risks of climate change will be equivalent to losing at least 5% of global GDP each year, now and forever.”  One of Stern’s biggest conclusions in the report is that “the benefits of strong, early action on climate change outweigh the costs.”   Because of my analytical mindset, this report was quite fascinating to me.  Quantifying issues with dollar figures is quite powerful and coupling the fact that this report was commissioned by the United Kingdom government has allowed its impact to reach deep.

The main theme throughout the weekend was systems analysis.  Donella Meadows defines a system as “a set of things – people, cells, molecules, or whatever – interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior overtime.” Several examples were called out and we worked through them in teams.   An incredible amount of information was disseminated (almost to the point I couldn’t fathom hearing “reinforcing loop” one more time); however two key lessons emerged for me.    

Lesson 1: The behavior of a system cannot be determined just by knowing what the elements of the system are.  When diagramming out the system it becomes easier to see what’s happening and the why behind it becomes more apparent.  This was a pivotal point within the exercises for me because it tended to make things less complex then I initially thought they were. 

Lesson 2: A good way to determine a system’s purpose is to watch to see how the system behaves.  This “purpose” of the system is not always in line with quantified goals.  How often does a problem arise within a system that wasn’t expected? I’ve spent a lot of my professional career testing changes by running simulations in order to make sure things are performing as expected.  Dissecting the parts of the system to better understand the interconnectedness of parts is a valuable tool.

Systems are everywhere.  EVERYWHERE.  Systems thinking is a powerful concept that allows one to deduce the fundamental attributes of a system.   Applying these skills and principles in school and professionally will come naturally now.   

Towards the end of the weekend, we were able to work more closely with our project teams in setting clear expectations with one another and further defining the project topic we want to explore.  I’m fortunate enough to be on a team with a diverse skill set and an inherent passion for food.   We informally deemed our team name to be “Chicken Sweaters,” so you can imagine how much I’m looking forward to this experience!

This weekend left me thinking that there’s not an adjective in the dictionary that I couldn’t use to describe my first intensive.  This weekend was a time for discovery – both personally and professionally.  I never thought of myself as a visual learner but quickly realized I had been wrong in that assumption.  I never thought pure exhaustion would equate to peace and bliss.   I never thought that I could meet so many new people and yet still feel like I’ve known them all for years.  BGI is truly a transformative school that builds its foundation on a sense of community, the importance of being dynamic and the power of creativity.   I mean I’m writing a blog right now and not a paper! How progressive is that?!   

XOXOXO

Emily
www.facebook.com/emywoo
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-olson/21/292/b49

Hello!

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Olson and I've recently started on the path of obtaining an MBA in Sustainable Systems from Bainbridge Graduate Institute (BGI).   Although it will be a challenge to balance work and school, I'm excited to be on this journey.  For the past couple years, I've been looking to define what it is I want out of life and how my passion for continual education intersects that goal. 

I received my undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and majored in Business Administration with concentrations in Accounting and Finance. I have spent a majority of my career in banking as I started as a teller when I was 16 years old; however, after college I went to work for a public accounting firm.  I learned lots in my financial statement auditor role but became burned out fairly quickly. I found myself  constantly home sick because I was traveling 80% of the time to not-so-exciting destinations.  Currently I find myself working at Kitsap Bank as the Controller.  I get asked constantly what being a Controller means and although I usually have trouble defining it, I tend to sum it up by saying that I focus on overall accounting policies and financial statement preparation. Needless to say, this makes me a banker who's really good with numbers but I want to be known for more than that.  I find myself at BGI looking to expand my business knowledge and delve more into my personal passion for sustainability. 

On a more personal note - I'm the proud mom to four furry children and love to craft things with my hands. 

 

I'm a proud auntie to Cailin (10) and Teagan (7). 

I spent a lot of time cheer leading for the welfare of animals and children. My significant other, Doug, has been very patient with me over the last few years as I've dabbled in many different arenas.  My family is super supportive.  I'm a very lucky person and hope to never take that for granted!

This blog will follow me throughout my journey and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I will enjoy writing it!


XOXOXO

Emily
www.facebook.com/emywoo
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/emily-olson/21/292/b49