Q&A How is a product smart?

I’ve been asked this several times recently especially since I market "smart products to smart people."

Smart products are extraordinary, just like smart people. Like anything smart, they stand out. So, as I look at various product lines, I look to see what stands out- what goes beyond what has to be done- to what is done exceptionally.

I’ve looked at probably 50+ product lines and I can confidently say most products on the market are not smart. Why? Because most companies manufacture products with the primary goal of marketing cheap, passable products . It doesn’t matter to them whether their products really work because their goal is not truly the consumer’s best interest.

So what is smart? As a chemist, I have to determine that as objectively as possible, so I use a rubric, a set of strict standards, to what I accept as smart. Here’s a sampling of the standards in my product rubric:

To me, smart products must:

• Be based on good science, first and foremost (no fad products!).
• Be supported by double-blind, placebo-controlled research published in peer-reviewed journals
• Be formulated to represent the best, up-to-date science
• Use the correct form of ingredients to work with the body’s natural biochemical process
• Have proven bioavailability , so the products do what they are supposed to do, if taken as directed.
• Be completely free of contaminants (think pesticides, heavy metals, artificial colors, and sweeteners, fillers, etc) at all times, every time.
• Be manufactured using pharmaceutical levels quality control so that dosage, purity, and safety are consistent.
• Have an excellent track record.
• Be guaranteed by the manufacturer so the consumer risk is minimalized.

Guess what? Only about 5-10% of the products on the market fit those standards.

But that’s not quite the end of the story, at least in my book.

Smarter products also pay attention to the environment and to people- from sustainable harvests to green manufacturing to healthier homes. This is important to me because I want to minimize our family’s impact on the earth so I want my manufacturers to do the same.

Smartest products use ethical marketing and business practices-practices that go beyond doing what’s legal- to doing what’s right such as paying just wages, ethical selling, profit sharing, access to benefits, etc.

In my eyes, smart products are therefore, good products, and also a philosophy. What’s your opinion of smart products? Attractive? Compelling? Worth it?

Passionate- Living Gently

I am passionate about the environment. From recycling, to using and marketing inexpensive non-toxic cleaners, to living in a small space so that the whole space is utilized, I think about reducing, reusing, and recycling.

Recently, I googled and found an interesting site from Gentle Living Quarterly. Wow, a whole grassroots movement exists of people who want to tread lightly on the planet and, more importantly, each other.

Check out this website then revisit here and let us know if something catches your eye.

http://www.islandnet.com/~see/living/articles/intro.htm

Committed- Vision

So, back to the resolutions-

As I look back and see they changes our family has made to get us to this point, I realize, we get change done.

We’ve had a lot of practice, actually. I surely would not have imagined our life’s details 10 years ago, but the essence of what it is, is consistent with how we wanted our life to look like 10 years ago. I know that we are constantly evolving to a lifestyle that we desire more and more as time goes on.

You see, Paul and I have a strong vision of what we want in life. Though the visions are tailored to our individual tastes, we have our visions stuck in our skulls and we will do pretty much what it takes to get the job done. We have certain ethics, of course, so we won’t go visiting loan sharks, and have God to be accountable to, etc, so no worries there.

So, let’s see my vision... (RAM to the VISION)...
At age 70 we are as healthy as all get out. We are not missing a dime of our current income. We read, talk, joke around, take our kids and grandkids traveling, continue making a difference in the communities we live in, lie around naked on some Carribean island (still awake? ;-)) and enjoy all that the city has to offer us-whatever one we feel like visiting that month. And we're sponsoring a Habitat House or some similar project. We are not limited. But we are enjoying life very fully. Ahhhh.......

OK. got to pull myself back for a moment....
To get there, choices need to be made.

• Some choices involve risk, like starting new companies without much income.
• Some choices involve change, like rewriting my business plan in the last year.
• Some choices make us think out of the box, like exploring more then time verses money income.
• Some choices involve commitment, like growing a business until it becomes wildly successful.
• Some choices involve delayed gratification like eating foods that are healthy and good for me and taking effective supplementation now so that my body is still healthy and strong in 25 years.

So, I keep on track by going back to my vision- my mental picture of what my life “should” look like. If it isn’t on track, change must happen- out with the old, in with the new, smarter practices.

Please share your thoughts on how you keep on track, or on the obstacles that get in the way, of resolutions. Collective wisdom will get us there!