Friday we turned in a design for an elementary school in Dallas ISD. The goal of the project was to create an outdoor learning environment that would be low-maintenance, low-water consuming. What evolved is truly a restoration project: plants native to our area will be the backbone of the garden, and adaptable vegetable/fruit/herb specimens will be incorporated to represent our economic and agricultural history here on the Blackland Prairie. There will be plentiful opportunities for learning about organic gardening, natural history, even sitting areas for contemplation and reflection. We invested our souls in this project. But instead of feeling spent when it was done, we felt rejuvenated. A few days have passed and still we are floating on fulfillment.
Yesterday I spoke to Collin College's advertising class about branding a green business. Starting a green business would be another great topic to explore, but given the timeframe (50 minutes) I focused on advertising outlets, logos and marketing techniques specific to green businesses. I don't think I inspired an entire class to take a leap into green entrepreneurialship. But I think I presented them with other ideas about business, and I hope intrigued them enough to seek more information about this topic. Whatever the result, it felt terrific to talk about the business side of Nativedave. I've never done that before; until now all our presentations have been about native plants, sustainability, or environmental issues. Talking shop with advertising students was good, though. The experience challenged me, and encouraged me to accept speaking engagements on a variety of topics.
My point is, closing a huge landscaping deal isn't what motivates us. Sure, we have to eat and keep bringing in revenue so we can continue to get out our message. But these opportunities to share our knowledge and expertise -- and many years of experience -- remind us what truly matters to us.
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