2010 has been such an incredible year!!
I hope that everyone has a great holiday season!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
A Healthy Sustainable Lifestyle
Time and time again we have heard this saying "We are what we eat". In fact, I do not have enough fingers and toes to count the articles that start with this saying like I have. However, the statement, "We are what we eat", is very scary even if a person has only a spec of knowledge about the food industry. Because of this and recent health scares, I have decided to devote an incredible amount of time into not only helping people build a sustainable home, but now, helping people build a sustainable lifestyle.
Let's rewind time back a few decades. When I was a youngster growing up, my family was all about eating healthy back then. We didn't eat out at restaurants very much because we didn't have the money to do so. My mom prepared all of our meals from scratch and we took a steady stream of vitamins. I grew up in Montague Michigan and while I was growing up, Hooker Chemical was in full production of over 100 deadly chemicals. My mom recognized back then that the ground water could be contaminated, so we never drank one drop of the city water or well water from Montague's wells. Instead, my family would get ground water from my Grandmothers house so we wouldn't have to be subjected to potential contaminated ground water. As it stands, Hooker Chemical destroyed the area they are located in and around, and even though the Montague Plant has been closed for years, the area still is affected from the storage of those chemicals. Each time it rains heavy, over 800lbs of contamination flows into White Lake which touches the old Hooker Chemical land. When we were kids, we would go play at this "hidden lake" which was actually green or orange depending on the time of year. We saw frogs with 3 eyes in there regularly. If my mom knew that we played on that lake, which is now part of a super fund clean up site, she would have been fit to be tied. What lasting health problems could be a result of the exposure to those chemicals....I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Many of our friends parents from Montague who lived around Hooker Chemical have developed cancers that are no doubt related to the toxins that have leached into the ground water. This is horrible, but, not what this blog entry is about.
This blog is about what is in our foods or what is being used on our foods. It is not my intention to sound radical in any one direction or on any one subject, it is to report what I have been researching. This need to know recently lead me to the Acres Organic Farmers Conference in Indianapolis Indiana to learn more about the food industry. Many of us have seen the DVD Food, Inc. and other related movies and it helped us to change the way we eat. Believe it or not, even with my strong beliefs about saving the environment, I never really watched a show or read a book and immediately jumped on any band wagons. I would gather all of the pros and cons of a topic and then I would investigate issues until I formed a solid opinion about a topic. When I watched Food, Inc. I wasn't disgusted because I already knew how bad the food industry was. Food, Inc. helped me to direct my research more towards foods that lower income families were eating solely because of economics. What concerns me is that a family can get $1 double cheeseburgers at SickDonalds and that they could not get good quality foods for the same price, even at a garbage depot like WalMart.
As I mentioned above, I was raised to eat a certain way and to live a certain lifestyle. I have been a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder, and have a fair deal of training in nutrition. I have studied many areas of nutrition, including, the relation between High Fructose Corn Syrup and obesity in this Country. I have also studied about the relation between the weed killer 'Round Up' and birth defects. It's all scary, but my intention is only to report on what I have been up to, so you will have to research things for yourselves, with your own motives. You would think someone that does research like this would be healthy for their entire life, but it goes back to my first statement above, "We are what we eat". Perhaps a better statement would be, "We are what we consume". I prefer to eat Venison that I collect and fruits and vegetables from a garden or a local farm that I know produces products free of pesticides and herbicides. This doesn't always happen for me thou, so I needed to know if I could truly trust the word 'Organic'. Much like 'Green Washing' in products and materials, could there be such a thing as 'Organic Washing'?
I went to the ACRES Organic Farming Conference to seek answers about organic farming, and also to learn about growing plants naturally with no chemical fertilizers and no genetically modified anything. My motives were simple. I wanted to know how plants grow, what criteria the organic farmers had to follow, and how effective is bio-dynamics on growing plants. I did not go to Acres to jump on any band wagons or to get involved with any groups looking to change how things are done. What I found at Acres was incredibly passionate farmers and gardeners who were there for the same reasons as me. The group of people that I went to ACRES with all attended classes, as did I, to learn about the current food industry, what organic farming really was, and ways that people could be more than organic with their crops. I was at ACRES to learn more about what we, as a society, were consuming in our daily lives.
Have you ever heard of genetically modified foods? Most of us have. These are foods that are designed in laboratories where scientists manipulate the DNA of a given plant or food to resist pesticides and/or to get higher yields on their crops. The biggest problems with these "GMO's" is that the human body reacts differently to the breakdown of these foods and it causes problems for humans. Of course, there is so much more to it, but it will be something that you can research if you are curious about these foods. Can organic labeled foods be GMO's? Yes. This is why I am concerned. I have ate organic foods and drank organic milk since they first showed up on the market and most are great for us! My goal was to find out if they were safe for me, and the jury is still out on that subject.
When Team Hybrid set out to change building as everyone had known it, we were looking to change specific areas of a home to help its inhabitants live a long healthy life. We addressed areas of the home like indoor air quality, lifetime design, passive solar, and many other areas. To my delite, many of our homeowners took this even farther and have gardens, recycle their waste, and try to live every part of a sustainable life. That is awesome, I applaud that! This got me thinking about a sustainable life being more than just the home. As simple as it seems, many people continue to focus on just one or a couple of things that make for a sustainable life. If someone can't really be sure as to what they are putting into their bodies for food, than how can we really guarantee that we will all live a long healthy life? Lets look at the dictionary definition of Sustenance (food):
Definition of SUSTENANCE
1: means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living b : food, provisions; also : nourishment
2: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained b : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
3
something that gives support, endurance, or strength
I yell, WHAT?!!
Have you ever given any thought to the word 'sustenance' and then thought about the food you eat, or how often you eat? I kept the word 'sustenance' on top of my mind while at the ACRES conference because I wanted to see what went into food that I was consuming to supply myself with the necessaries of life. Should we be concerned about putting bad food into our bodies? Absolutely! Should we immediately change what we eat? It would be a great idea to, but not many people are able to. Growing a garden or buying produce from a farm market or natural food market is a better idea than buying produce from WalMart because the nutritional value of the homegrown stuff if so much better. No one can expect to change their lives or habits at any given moment. Those types of life transformations come over time and I encourage everyone to start thinking more about what they are eating.
When we set out to build homes sustainably, we never asked people to immediately change their lives, only to give thoughts to the many alternatives there were to conventional ways of building. I am saying the same thing here. Be aware that not all the food that you are eating is good for you and that there are healthy alternatives available that can help you live a longer, healthier life. Find items with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. One example is Sierra Mist that is made with sugar, this is a good alternative to other sodas out there because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or any unnatural colors or additives. Again, you don't have to be scared or throw everything away immediately, just make sure you become aware of the healthier options that are available out there. The Organic Stamp on foods are a good step in the right direction in telling if a food is better for you to consume. In our busy lives and poor economy, it is not always an option for people to buy the more expensive organic foods, especially when you can get a McGut Bomb at SickDonalds for a dollar.
I ask you to consider what is happening to your health, especially if you are in the sustainability business. Do you, on your way to giving a talk about sustainability, stop and get a Heart Attack in a Sack? Most do, even I used to from time to time because it is so tough to do anything different than that. After I learned that I had some health concerns due to the lifestyle I chose to live, I completely changed the way I live and eat. I have my cheat days, but for the most part, I watch very closely what I eat to try to get myself healthier. Lifestyle is the leading cause of health problems in this country. I used to think that I could help with that by building sustainable houses, and sustainable housing does help. But there is more work to be done in this area. We can't control gas prices, contaminated foods, idiot CEO's, or lots of other bad things, but we definitely can control WHAT and HOW MUCH we use. This alone can help ensure that the statement "we are what we consume" is a part of a healthy sustainable lifestyle....
Let's rewind time back a few decades. When I was a youngster growing up, my family was all about eating healthy back then. We didn't eat out at restaurants very much because we didn't have the money to do so. My mom prepared all of our meals from scratch and we took a steady stream of vitamins. I grew up in Montague Michigan and while I was growing up, Hooker Chemical was in full production of over 100 deadly chemicals. My mom recognized back then that the ground water could be contaminated, so we never drank one drop of the city water or well water from Montague's wells. Instead, my family would get ground water from my Grandmothers house so we wouldn't have to be subjected to potential contaminated ground water. As it stands, Hooker Chemical destroyed the area they are located in and around, and even though the Montague Plant has been closed for years, the area still is affected from the storage of those chemicals. Each time it rains heavy, over 800lbs of contamination flows into White Lake which touches the old Hooker Chemical land. When we were kids, we would go play at this "hidden lake" which was actually green or orange depending on the time of year. We saw frogs with 3 eyes in there regularly. If my mom knew that we played on that lake, which is now part of a super fund clean up site, she would have been fit to be tied. What lasting health problems could be a result of the exposure to those chemicals....I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Many of our friends parents from Montague who lived around Hooker Chemical have developed cancers that are no doubt related to the toxins that have leached into the ground water. This is horrible, but, not what this blog entry is about.
This blog is about what is in our foods or what is being used on our foods. It is not my intention to sound radical in any one direction or on any one subject, it is to report what I have been researching. This need to know recently lead me to the Acres Organic Farmers Conference in Indianapolis Indiana to learn more about the food industry. Many of us have seen the DVD Food, Inc. and other related movies and it helped us to change the way we eat. Believe it or not, even with my strong beliefs about saving the environment, I never really watched a show or read a book and immediately jumped on any band wagons. I would gather all of the pros and cons of a topic and then I would investigate issues until I formed a solid opinion about a topic. When I watched Food, Inc. I wasn't disgusted because I already knew how bad the food industry was. Food, Inc. helped me to direct my research more towards foods that lower income families were eating solely because of economics. What concerns me is that a family can get $1 double cheeseburgers at SickDonalds and that they could not get good quality foods for the same price, even at a garbage depot like WalMart.
As I mentioned above, I was raised to eat a certain way and to live a certain lifestyle. I have been a certified personal trainer, natural bodybuilder, and have a fair deal of training in nutrition. I have studied many areas of nutrition, including, the relation between High Fructose Corn Syrup and obesity in this Country. I have also studied about the relation between the weed killer 'Round Up' and birth defects. It's all scary, but my intention is only to report on what I have been up to, so you will have to research things for yourselves, with your own motives. You would think someone that does research like this would be healthy for their entire life, but it goes back to my first statement above, "We are what we eat". Perhaps a better statement would be, "We are what we consume". I prefer to eat Venison that I collect and fruits and vegetables from a garden or a local farm that I know produces products free of pesticides and herbicides. This doesn't always happen for me thou, so I needed to know if I could truly trust the word 'Organic'. Much like 'Green Washing' in products and materials, could there be such a thing as 'Organic Washing'?
I went to the ACRES Organic Farming Conference to seek answers about organic farming, and also to learn about growing plants naturally with no chemical fertilizers and no genetically modified anything. My motives were simple. I wanted to know how plants grow, what criteria the organic farmers had to follow, and how effective is bio-dynamics on growing plants. I did not go to Acres to jump on any band wagons or to get involved with any groups looking to change how things are done. What I found at Acres was incredibly passionate farmers and gardeners who were there for the same reasons as me. The group of people that I went to ACRES with all attended classes, as did I, to learn about the current food industry, what organic farming really was, and ways that people could be more than organic with their crops. I was at ACRES to learn more about what we, as a society, were consuming in our daily lives.
Have you ever heard of genetically modified foods? Most of us have. These are foods that are designed in laboratories where scientists manipulate the DNA of a given plant or food to resist pesticides and/or to get higher yields on their crops. The biggest problems with these "GMO's" is that the human body reacts differently to the breakdown of these foods and it causes problems for humans. Of course, there is so much more to it, but it will be something that you can research if you are curious about these foods. Can organic labeled foods be GMO's? Yes. This is why I am concerned. I have ate organic foods and drank organic milk since they first showed up on the market and most are great for us! My goal was to find out if they were safe for me, and the jury is still out on that subject.
When Team Hybrid set out to change building as everyone had known it, we were looking to change specific areas of a home to help its inhabitants live a long healthy life. We addressed areas of the home like indoor air quality, lifetime design, passive solar, and many other areas. To my delite, many of our homeowners took this even farther and have gardens, recycle their waste, and try to live every part of a sustainable life. That is awesome, I applaud that! This got me thinking about a sustainable life being more than just the home. As simple as it seems, many people continue to focus on just one or a couple of things that make for a sustainable life. If someone can't really be sure as to what they are putting into their bodies for food, than how can we really guarantee that we will all live a long healthy life? Lets look at the dictionary definition of Sustenance (food):
Definition of SUSTENANCE
1: means of support, maintenance, or subsistence : living b : food, provisions; also : nourishment
2: the act of sustaining : the state of being sustained b : a supplying or being supplied with the necessaries of life
3
something that gives support, endurance, or strength
I yell, WHAT?!!
Have you ever given any thought to the word 'sustenance' and then thought about the food you eat, or how often you eat? I kept the word 'sustenance' on top of my mind while at the ACRES conference because I wanted to see what went into food that I was consuming to supply myself with the necessaries of life. Should we be concerned about putting bad food into our bodies? Absolutely! Should we immediately change what we eat? It would be a great idea to, but not many people are able to. Growing a garden or buying produce from a farm market or natural food market is a better idea than buying produce from WalMart because the nutritional value of the homegrown stuff if so much better. No one can expect to change their lives or habits at any given moment. Those types of life transformations come over time and I encourage everyone to start thinking more about what they are eating.
When we set out to build homes sustainably, we never asked people to immediately change their lives, only to give thoughts to the many alternatives there were to conventional ways of building. I am saying the same thing here. Be aware that not all the food that you are eating is good for you and that there are healthy alternatives available that can help you live a longer, healthier life. Find items with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. One example is Sierra Mist that is made with sugar, this is a good alternative to other sodas out there because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup or any unnatural colors or additives. Again, you don't have to be scared or throw everything away immediately, just make sure you become aware of the healthier options that are available out there. The Organic Stamp on foods are a good step in the right direction in telling if a food is better for you to consume. In our busy lives and poor economy, it is not always an option for people to buy the more expensive organic foods, especially when you can get a McGut Bomb at SickDonalds for a dollar.
I ask you to consider what is happening to your health, especially if you are in the sustainability business. Do you, on your way to giving a talk about sustainability, stop and get a Heart Attack in a Sack? Most do, even I used to from time to time because it is so tough to do anything different than that. After I learned that I had some health concerns due to the lifestyle I chose to live, I completely changed the way I live and eat. I have my cheat days, but for the most part, I watch very closely what I eat to try to get myself healthier. Lifestyle is the leading cause of health problems in this country. I used to think that I could help with that by building sustainable houses, and sustainable housing does help. But there is more work to be done in this area. We can't control gas prices, contaminated foods, idiot CEO's, or lots of other bad things, but we definitely can control WHAT and HOW MUCH we use. This alone can help ensure that the statement "we are what we consume" is a part of a healthy sustainable lifestyle....
Friday, November 12, 2010
Andersen Windows Sustainability Video
The following is a sneak peak at a segment on sustainability that will be part of the Earth Shelter documentary (which will air on television in 2011). This video was shot recently at Andersen Windows' Bayport Plant in Minnesota. This video is intended to show the viewer how a company can be sustainable and why this Team picks the products that it picks.
I want to give a huge thank you out to Ric Mixter of Airworthy Productions for putting this video together and producing this video. He acted as producer and videographer while on location and coached me through my lines as I worked off of a script. The video shoot was 3 days long and it is amazing how much work it is to set up shots and read lines from a script without making it look on video like you are reading off of a script!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Remember when?
I remember the Fall of 2007, do you? I found myself smack dab in the middle of a huge debate over a wind generator with very little help. I remember locals stopping by the job site to get in my face, I remember going into Frans Market and having people turn their backs on me, and I remember how everyone back home said good luck and went about their lives.
I mention this, because time flies and the moments in time that define a person are often times forgotten or overlooked. I remember laying awake at night in our rented, run down cottage and thinking about the possibility of losing my company over a matter that I had very little control over. I remember building, piece by piece, a home that helped reshape the building industry in this state. I remember the grinder accident I had before a big public hearing on the wind generator, and how I didn't go to the Emergency Room (even though Mary Bigelow did all she could to get me to go), so that I could give my rebuttal at the hearing. The carpet in Onekama Township Hall has the stains from my bleeding finger and a day doesn't pass that I don't think about how incredible that experience was. I carry scars on my hands from the work we did on that home and those scars help to remind me of the amazing experience that I had building it.
I remember when the final meeting for the wind generator issue was and I remember the emotions that were running wild in that room. I salute those people in the world who stepped up when times got tough and helped generations move forward. I salute those who didn't just say good luck, but rather, rolled up there sleeves and fought shoulder to shoulder with me on a very tough issue. Onekama will always hold a place in my heart, because it help shaped the person that I have longed for so long to become. I learned many valuable lessons on that project, but the most valuable lesson of all, was that I learned to never give up on my dreams. I learned that no matter what happend, I would always see a problem through and have the guts to take care of a problem no matter what it costs. I learned that not many people shared that same value, and that it was a defining value that has helped me become who I am today.
I am excited to have built the homes that I have built. Back in 2007, I did all I could to get other builders to build sustainably. Now, much to my delight, builders have stepped up to take on jobs with ICFs, SIPs, and advanced framing. I have continued to pick jobs to build solely on their impact on the industry. I am consulting more than ever on everything from schools to Earth Shelter projects and everything in between. Next up for me, once we complete the Earth Shelter Project and I finish the nation wide tour to promote the documentary, I will start another project. That project will be one of many that I am considering. I am most interested in another Earth Shelter project or a straw bale home. I will keep you all posted. For now, life is good and I am so excited to be living the life I am living..
I mention this, because time flies and the moments in time that define a person are often times forgotten or overlooked. I remember laying awake at night in our rented, run down cottage and thinking about the possibility of losing my company over a matter that I had very little control over. I remember building, piece by piece, a home that helped reshape the building industry in this state. I remember the grinder accident I had before a big public hearing on the wind generator, and how I didn't go to the Emergency Room (even though Mary Bigelow did all she could to get me to go), so that I could give my rebuttal at the hearing. The carpet in Onekama Township Hall has the stains from my bleeding finger and a day doesn't pass that I don't think about how incredible that experience was. I carry scars on my hands from the work we did on that home and those scars help to remind me of the amazing experience that I had building it.
I remember when the final meeting for the wind generator issue was and I remember the emotions that were running wild in that room. I salute those people in the world who stepped up when times got tough and helped generations move forward. I salute those who didn't just say good luck, but rather, rolled up there sleeves and fought shoulder to shoulder with me on a very tough issue. Onekama will always hold a place in my heart, because it help shaped the person that I have longed for so long to become. I learned many valuable lessons on that project, but the most valuable lesson of all, was that I learned to never give up on my dreams. I learned that no matter what happend, I would always see a problem through and have the guts to take care of a problem no matter what it costs. I learned that not many people shared that same value, and that it was a defining value that has helped me become who I am today.
I am excited to have built the homes that I have built. Back in 2007, I did all I could to get other builders to build sustainably. Now, much to my delight, builders have stepped up to take on jobs with ICFs, SIPs, and advanced framing. I have continued to pick jobs to build solely on their impact on the industry. I am consulting more than ever on everything from schools to Earth Shelter projects and everything in between. Next up for me, once we complete the Earth Shelter Project and I finish the nation wide tour to promote the documentary, I will start another project. That project will be one of many that I am considering. I am most interested in another Earth Shelter project or a straw bale home. I will keep you all posted. For now, life is good and I am so excited to be living the life I am living..
Saturday, October 2, 2010
My experience teaching
I just finished teaching the first 2 and a half day class that I have ever taught. For anyone who has ever taught, then you know how difficult teaching for that long can be. I hear it gets easier as you teach more, but going into that first day, I had no idea how much material I would need to teach for 6 or 7 hours. The first day was a new subject, that I just wrote, The History of Building from Earliest Recorded History to Present and Consumer Motivation in this Green Economy. Wow! Well, I made it through the first day, but I struggled towards the end and was forced to "leak" some of the pictures and info for day 2. After the first day of class, I went to the Instructor only dinner to rub elbows with everyone. I was nervous, because, once again, I was the "Green Horn" in something and dinners like this can go several ways. I am happy to say, that everyone was very nice and welcomed me into their rhelm. I asked for advice for day 2 and they all gave me some great suggestions. After thanking everyone for their input, I raced backed to my computer to adjust my approach and content for day 2.
Day 2 was "Green Building". I was prepared for this day! It appeared that the class members had never seen what was on my pictures and videos and everyone sat forward in their seats and said "wow" off and on throughout the day. Day 2 was a great day and put a smile on my face as I finally got to see people's reactions in person to the work I have completed. I had a meeting in Grand Rapids after the class that lasted into the evening. I got back to my computer to revamp day 3 and had an even greater respect for those who teach as their profession!
Day 3 was a breeze. For those that have taught, you know that by day 3 things are much more relaxed. We had great conversations and lots of questions. Handing out their certificates was a great experience and at the end of the class, everyone seemed satisfied with the class.
On the class evaluation sheets, there are a few comments that I will use to improve my approach. Yes, I need work and practice at teaching, but this is something I really enjoy doing and have wanted to do for many years. I will improve in areas that need improving and polish areas that need polishing. I was asked to teach again for them and I am happy to say that my teaching schedule is filling up in 2011.
2010 has been a great year of learning and realizing my dreams. I can only imagine what the future holds. No one brought me an apple in class thou....
Day 2 was "Green Building". I was prepared for this day! It appeared that the class members had never seen what was on my pictures and videos and everyone sat forward in their seats and said "wow" off and on throughout the day. Day 2 was a great day and put a smile on my face as I finally got to see people's reactions in person to the work I have completed. I had a meeting in Grand Rapids after the class that lasted into the evening. I got back to my computer to revamp day 3 and had an even greater respect for those who teach as their profession!
Day 3 was a breeze. For those that have taught, you know that by day 3 things are much more relaxed. We had great conversations and lots of questions. Handing out their certificates was a great experience and at the end of the class, everyone seemed satisfied with the class.
On the class evaluation sheets, there are a few comments that I will use to improve my approach. Yes, I need work and practice at teaching, but this is something I really enjoy doing and have wanted to do for many years. I will improve in areas that need improving and polish areas that need polishing. I was asked to teach again for them and I am happy to say that my teaching schedule is filling up in 2011.
2010 has been a great year of learning and realizing my dreams. I can only imagine what the future holds. No one brought me an apple in class thou....
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Earth Shelter's first award entry
Thank you to Team Elmers, the Earth Shelter Project is in the running for an International Sustainable Building Award. Check this link out: http://ascribehq.com/greensite/awards/residential/oct2010/P5258
I see on the commercial side 1 World Trade Center-Freedom Tower is an entrant. I did not know about these awards, Team Elmers entered this project and it looks like we are in a group of incredible mainstream projects. What an honor.
I see on the commercial side 1 World Trade Center-Freedom Tower is an entrant. I did not know about these awards, Team Elmers entered this project and it looks like we are in a group of incredible mainstream projects. What an honor.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Earth Shelter makes the nightly news up north
As I have decided to readjust my goals in 2010, the path is clear to where it is that I feel I need to go. Although the last 5 years of my life have been incredible, I never envisioned myself as a production builder who needed several projects going at once to feel successful. As I have written about in the past, my goal was always to build, to learn, and then to educate others on what I learned. That is why I chose to handle projects the way I did. Also, the Earth Shelter Project is large enough to equal building 5 homes at once, so I guess, my work load is similar to what it was before, but it feels good for a change to not have to drive all over Michigan to manage projects.
I led a team that built the most energy efficient home ever built in Michigan. Although it was a nice design on paper, the performance of that house was the result of team members at the sight who paid incredible attention to detail with regards to mechanical performance and air infiltration. Since the design was very similar to the Onekama house, I knew from the journals I kept that we needed to pay attention to specific areas of the home to try to get it 'tighter'. This seems like a waste of time, as the Onekama home was one of the tightest homes ever built at the time, but my goal was always to improve on everything that we did. The design of the home is very important, but I make sure when I teach and speak, that I mention that the performance of the home has a lot to do with variables and features that the architect doesn't have anything to do with. Examples of this are: site stewardship, recycling, air infiltration, mechanical systems, and the list is endless. Believe it or not, but the gas fireplace in Onekama was one of the differences between the two homes, any fireplace is a good way to leak air in or out of the home.
My point in all of these ramblings, is that the Earth Shelter Project is seen as a culmination of all of my research, work, and passions. Recently, a northern Michigan tv station requested time on site to do a story on the project. Before access was granted to them, I drilled the reporter about what the angle of the story was going to be. She was hinting at putting a doomsday twist on the story, at which point I denied her access to the site. Being on tv is cool and all, but contractors have an ethical responsibility to protect their homeowners on high profile projects. Proper presentation of key sustainable projects and safety is why proper news coverage is essential. We spent a week developing a different angle, which, I felt, it should have been since the beginning. Although the segment is short, it states things pretty well. As I say during the interview, I never had to think about housing for animals before (besides dogs and cats of course..i.e. dog showers, cat playgrounds). I had to research Scottish Highlander cows and their horn width so the stalls in the barn were big enough to handle these "critters".
See what you think, here is the link to the story from 9 and 10 news story: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254130&cID=1
Thank you to all who continue to pay attention and support what I do. I am very happy with life and soon you may see me on your tv, shhh....
I led a team that built the most energy efficient home ever built in Michigan. Although it was a nice design on paper, the performance of that house was the result of team members at the sight who paid incredible attention to detail with regards to mechanical performance and air infiltration. Since the design was very similar to the Onekama house, I knew from the journals I kept that we needed to pay attention to specific areas of the home to try to get it 'tighter'. This seems like a waste of time, as the Onekama home was one of the tightest homes ever built at the time, but my goal was always to improve on everything that we did. The design of the home is very important, but I make sure when I teach and speak, that I mention that the performance of the home has a lot to do with variables and features that the architect doesn't have anything to do with. Examples of this are: site stewardship, recycling, air infiltration, mechanical systems, and the list is endless. Believe it or not, but the gas fireplace in Onekama was one of the differences between the two homes, any fireplace is a good way to leak air in or out of the home.
My point in all of these ramblings, is that the Earth Shelter Project is seen as a culmination of all of my research, work, and passions. Recently, a northern Michigan tv station requested time on site to do a story on the project. Before access was granted to them, I drilled the reporter about what the angle of the story was going to be. She was hinting at putting a doomsday twist on the story, at which point I denied her access to the site. Being on tv is cool and all, but contractors have an ethical responsibility to protect their homeowners on high profile projects. Proper presentation of key sustainable projects and safety is why proper news coverage is essential. We spent a week developing a different angle, which, I felt, it should have been since the beginning. Although the segment is short, it states things pretty well. As I say during the interview, I never had to think about housing for animals before (besides dogs and cats of course..i.e. dog showers, cat playgrounds). I had to research Scottish Highlander cows and their horn width so the stalls in the barn were big enough to handle these "critters".
See what you think, here is the link to the story from 9 and 10 news story: http://www.9and10news.com/Category/Story/?id=254130&cID=1
Thank you to all who continue to pay attention and support what I do. I am very happy with life and soon you may see me on your tv, shhh....
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The history of building
Currently, I am studying and researching for a class that I am teaching in Grand Rapids. A major focus of this class is the history of building, back to the earliest records of mankind. In this research, I am looking for similarities in construction and technology across the generations. Digging kind of deep, one would find that the Ancient Romans used several techniques that would be cutting edge even for our present times. For instance, the Ancient Romans used cavity walls, hypocausts, and even primitive forms of insulation back around the time of Jesus, give or take a few hundred years. Cavity walls are used presently in masonry and is basically an air space between the walls that make up the exterior shell of a dwelling. Hypocausts is a form of radiant heat, where channels were made in the floors and walls of homes, in which, hot air and smoke from a wood or coal burning furnace, would pass through these channels to heat the floor and walls of a home. Ancient Rome and the Roman Empire had the money and resources to use these techniques, but were not the first to use this technology.
Extensive research into this topic shows that the Ancient Romans used these cutting edge techniques because they learned of them from those who traveled to the remote areas of what they knew as their world. The first known use of a radiant heat design has been traced back to what is now Korea. Thousands of years before the wide spread use of hypocausts in Ancient Rome, ondols were used in houses through out what is now Korea and Southern Asia. Ondols are a series of pipes that run under floors in houses that had hot air and smoke from wood fired furnaces pushed through them to heat a home. Ondols are still used in Korea, Japan, and other areas of the world. Frank Lloyd Wright was shown this technology when he was working on a hotel in Japan. F L W, came up with an idea to run hot water through pipes instead of hot air or smoke. At this point, I am not prepared to call F L W the father of modern day hot water radiant heat systems, but it does warrant more research into the matter.\
Ancient Rome used many technologies that the Greeks were already using, including using doors. The greeks are credited with being the first recorded people to use doors on their homes. It is not known where most of this technology first originated. The cavity wall design has been traced back thousands of years before the use in Ancient Rome. A recent discovery in Syria of one of the oldest cities ever found, shows the use of cavity walls. Cavity walls in this area of the world were used to cool homes by passing cool air through the cavity between what made up the exterior walls of the home. This city is reported to be over 7,000 years old!
So, my research continues, as now I am fascinated with who or what is credited with these technologies that we are using thousands of years after they were first used. I am researching societies all over the globe, as the Aztec, Hopi, and several other tribes of the ancient world used techniques used still today. An example would be passive solar design and masonry.
This information will eventually be in a book that I am writing, so stay tuned if this stuff interests you......
Extensive research into this topic shows that the Ancient Romans used these cutting edge techniques because they learned of them from those who traveled to the remote areas of what they knew as their world. The first known use of a radiant heat design has been traced back to what is now Korea. Thousands of years before the wide spread use of hypocausts in Ancient Rome, ondols were used in houses through out what is now Korea and Southern Asia. Ondols are a series of pipes that run under floors in houses that had hot air and smoke from wood fired furnaces pushed through them to heat a home. Ondols are still used in Korea, Japan, and other areas of the world. Frank Lloyd Wright was shown this technology when he was working on a hotel in Japan. F L W, came up with an idea to run hot water through pipes instead of hot air or smoke. At this point, I am not prepared to call F L W the father of modern day hot water radiant heat systems, but it does warrant more research into the matter.\
Ancient Rome used many technologies that the Greeks were already using, including using doors. The greeks are credited with being the first recorded people to use doors on their homes. It is not known where most of this technology first originated. The cavity wall design has been traced back thousands of years before the use in Ancient Rome. A recent discovery in Syria of one of the oldest cities ever found, shows the use of cavity walls. Cavity walls in this area of the world were used to cool homes by passing cool air through the cavity between what made up the exterior walls of the home. This city is reported to be over 7,000 years old!
So, my research continues, as now I am fascinated with who or what is credited with these technologies that we are using thousands of years after they were first used. I am researching societies all over the globe, as the Aztec, Hopi, and several other tribes of the ancient world used techniques used still today. An example would be passive solar design and masonry.
This information will eventually be in a book that I am writing, so stay tuned if this stuff interests you......
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Earth Shelter Project earns USDA grant.
The Earth Shelter Project Michigan recently recieved a very generous grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This grant encompasses everything that takes the green house dome and the barn dome off-the-grid.
I will post more later about this, and what it is like to work with the USDA. The project team is very excited about this grant, and very thankful to the USDA for being so generous. Thank you to my fellow grant writers for putting in so much time on this grant.
Also, I would like to welcome VELUX aboard this project. We recently purchased 33 sun tunnels from them and I am currently working with their corporate marketers to bring them up to speed on what we stand for and what the project is about. We have used VELUX products in the past, we just never had the opportunity to get corporate involved. Stay tuned for this exciting news also.
I will post more later about this, and what it is like to work with the USDA. The project team is very excited about this grant, and very thankful to the USDA for being so generous. Thank you to my fellow grant writers for putting in so much time on this grant.
Also, I would like to welcome VELUX aboard this project. We recently purchased 33 sun tunnels from them and I am currently working with their corporate marketers to bring them up to speed on what we stand for and what the project is about. We have used VELUX products in the past, we just never had the opportunity to get corporate involved. Stay tuned for this exciting news also.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Earth Shelter Documentary
When I decided to take on the Earth Shelter Project, I was at a tough point in my career. I was terribly burned out from fixing other people's problems, dealing with difficult people, and from building so many houses. I had to dig deep within myself to see what I was really on this planet to do.
The idea to take on the Earth Shelter Project and to film every step of the project in HD video came to me one evening while in deep thought. My idea then, was to film the process of building the World's largest Earth Shelter project and let the story unfold as it was told. Recently, I sat down with a production team to discuss the real possiblility of getting this documentary on TV. For those of you who have seen the short videos that get posted on vimeo.com about this project have had a chance to see some of what the documentary will show. A goal with this documentary is to showcase a sustainable project in a positive manner, although, we will incorporate a number of moments where we were fit to be tied with the manufacturer of the Earth Shelter system we used for the project.
We have started to pick up sponsors to cover the costs of production, editing, and graphics that we will need to put this two part documentary together. We have been traveling around and filming segments that will be part of the documentary. In a month, we have a two week filming schedule that will take us to Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, and talks are in the works now to get us to Bayport Minnesota for a two-day shoot.
This documentary will be used to get our feet in the door, as the production team is discussing a weekly television show to start filming in the Spring of 2011. I wanted TV more than actual building for many years now. My point of getting into building in the first place, was because no one else was doing it. Now, there are companies that are stepping up to the plate and getting better at sustainable building. I am teaching builders and architects now how to build more sustainably and the majority of my schedule is filled with consulting, teaching, and filming for TV.
Why the transition so quickly? Well, when you get a chance to do something, you can't lose any momentum. Using television as a medium to put out my message is so much more powerful than what I have done in the past. The past few years have been so rewarding and educational. For those of you who have a Hybrid Home, enjoy it, and know that you have a home that helped change a generation. Those homes are so well built and for such a low price, that never again will anyone see such a generous offer to help lead a change. I made the decision recently to take on only a select number of hand picked projects for the sake of my continued desire to research cutting edge, progressive building techniques. I made that decision for no other reason, than to get back on track with my original goal of building for the sake of research so that I could teach others what I learned.
I am pleased to see more organizations stepping up and properly representing themselves in this green movement. For me, I need to always grow and improve. That is one reason why I have decided to lean more on consulting and building projects that continue to push the envelope.
The documentary is going to be incredible. Test marketing of the video content has gone over with rave reviews, and that is exciting! We will be offering the documentary to the networks later this year with the help of some connections that we have in the business.
I mentioned this before in this blog, but I challenged my self to not get caught up in one moment of life, but rather, to focus on an entire career. I feel strongly that those that ride certain waves are destined to reach the break, and that can be a very difficult thing to overcome. Living life all over the country during the past five years has connected me with so many amazing people. I have many mentors now, and they agree, living for a moment is fine for some, but for those who want to sustain in their personal and business lives, building a career rich in excitement and dignity is a sure fired way to check out with a smile on one's face.
I hope all is well with everyone, for me, I am smiling and living life to the fullest.
The idea to take on the Earth Shelter Project and to film every step of the project in HD video came to me one evening while in deep thought. My idea then, was to film the process of building the World's largest Earth Shelter project and let the story unfold as it was told. Recently, I sat down with a production team to discuss the real possiblility of getting this documentary on TV. For those of you who have seen the short videos that get posted on vimeo.com about this project have had a chance to see some of what the documentary will show. A goal with this documentary is to showcase a sustainable project in a positive manner, although, we will incorporate a number of moments where we were fit to be tied with the manufacturer of the Earth Shelter system we used for the project.
We have started to pick up sponsors to cover the costs of production, editing, and graphics that we will need to put this two part documentary together. We have been traveling around and filming segments that will be part of the documentary. In a month, we have a two week filming schedule that will take us to Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, and talks are in the works now to get us to Bayport Minnesota for a two-day shoot.
This documentary will be used to get our feet in the door, as the production team is discussing a weekly television show to start filming in the Spring of 2011. I wanted TV more than actual building for many years now. My point of getting into building in the first place, was because no one else was doing it. Now, there are companies that are stepping up to the plate and getting better at sustainable building. I am teaching builders and architects now how to build more sustainably and the majority of my schedule is filled with consulting, teaching, and filming for TV.
Why the transition so quickly? Well, when you get a chance to do something, you can't lose any momentum. Using television as a medium to put out my message is so much more powerful than what I have done in the past. The past few years have been so rewarding and educational. For those of you who have a Hybrid Home, enjoy it, and know that you have a home that helped change a generation. Those homes are so well built and for such a low price, that never again will anyone see such a generous offer to help lead a change. I made the decision recently to take on only a select number of hand picked projects for the sake of my continued desire to research cutting edge, progressive building techniques. I made that decision for no other reason, than to get back on track with my original goal of building for the sake of research so that I could teach others what I learned.
I am pleased to see more organizations stepping up and properly representing themselves in this green movement. For me, I need to always grow and improve. That is one reason why I have decided to lean more on consulting and building projects that continue to push the envelope.
The documentary is going to be incredible. Test marketing of the video content has gone over with rave reviews, and that is exciting! We will be offering the documentary to the networks later this year with the help of some connections that we have in the business.
I mentioned this before in this blog, but I challenged my self to not get caught up in one moment of life, but rather, to focus on an entire career. I feel strongly that those that ride certain waves are destined to reach the break, and that can be a very difficult thing to overcome. Living life all over the country during the past five years has connected me with so many amazing people. I have many mentors now, and they agree, living for a moment is fine for some, but for those who want to sustain in their personal and business lives, building a career rich in excitement and dignity is a sure fired way to check out with a smile on one's face.
I hope all is well with everyone, for me, I am smiling and living life to the fullest.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
New Hybrid Home Guy trading card.
Here is the new Hybrid Home Guy trading card! This card was designed to compliment my 2010 speaking and educaton tour.
The trading card idea is part of a series of trading cards that will be releasd during 2010. The increase in elementary school appearances prompted the trading card idea.
Thank you all for your support!
Friday, April 2, 2010
www.adambearup.com
www.adambearup.com is now up and viewable. This website will have my speaking schedule on it, links to all sorts of media appearances, and also give information on emceeing, consulting, and so much more!
The last 7 years of being a leader has prepared me for this next step in my life. I will continue to build hybrid homes on a selective basis, and my newly acquired free time will be spent spreading the word and teaching all who will listen about what I have learned over the past 7 years.
For the latest news on my projects or personal appearances, check out www.adambearup.com.
The last 7 years of being a leader has prepared me for this next step in my life. I will continue to build hybrid homes on a selective basis, and my newly acquired free time will be spent spreading the word and teaching all who will listen about what I have learned over the past 7 years.
For the latest news on my projects or personal appearances, check out www.adambearup.com.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Earth Day Event
We are currently working out the details on an Earth Day Event. Because of the popularity of our video series, "Earth Shelter Project Michigan", we have been contacted about being a part of a big event planned for Earth Day. Stay tuned for the details.....
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Here is a link to my recent radio interview
Click the following link if you want to listen to my recent interview on wgvu.
http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/index.cfm?id=tmsdetail&sty=5513
http://www.wgvu.org/wgvunews/index.cfm?id=tmsdetail&sty=5513
Sunday, January 3, 2010
From the desk of Adam Bearup-An official statement
Before you hear it from anyone else, I will explain my recent decision to resign from the board of the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability or AES as many call it. To explain, I must go back a year or two, back to when I was considering the board position.
When this entire Hybrid Homes thing blew up, there were several people and organizations that not only helped me to grow the company, but also, hopped on for a ride. I trusted several people enough to tell them my entire game plan for Hybrid Homes, thinking that they were people that would continue to help me grow my business. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. A few of these people actually took what I told them and gave that information to a budding start up company that then tried all they could do to crush Hybrid Homes. I naturally saw this as a threat and had to take a defensive posture. It was tough to see these couple of people who I trusted and loved as family, jump ship and side with these two idiots, who would heckle me at many of the events that I would show up to. I decided, at the time, that I would just keep doing what I was doing and, even thou people I trusted joined forces with that company, I would not stop believing in my core beliefs. I never thought that being a leader was so political, but it is, believe me, it is! This was a tough time for me, I saw someone I trusted so much join forces with them, and that hurt me really bad. I decided to confront the two guys who started the company to tell them a few secrets I knew, because I could see that they were heading for a fall. Well, to save ink, they did fail, but after wiping out their bank accounts and that of their investors. They were two very crafty, bad people. One of whom is in a leadership position now with a very important organization in West Michigan. I could not believe my eyes and ears when I learned that this person got the position that he did. But, that is for another blog.
OK, moving on. As their company failed, the people who jumped ship to help the 'titanic' out (that is what I call that other company that failed), started telling others that they were experts in different fields that related to what I was a part of. I saw them showing up everywhere, and speaking about topics that I used to speak about. Instantly, I saw this as bad, so I started excepting different positions around the State to keep them from getting the positions. I felt that I created these monsters, and now, I had to do whatever I had to do to keep them out of leadership positions.
Stop for a moment! Can you see what was happening? I lost focus of being a leader, and switched gears to being a defender. This gear change would set the stage for a year and a half time frame, where I was focused on defending myself and a few others from people who didn't even matter. Around that time, I also became focused on keeping the sub-contractors I was using busy because they made me feel so good. They let me know daily how important I was and also that my efforts were feeding 22 families. Stop! I did it again. Do you see any talk of being a sustainable builder in there? Me neither!
Make no mistake, I learned about the building science during that time frame, so much so, that I built the most energy efficient house ever tested in Michigan. I also, along with the team, turned out some incredibly energy efficient homes that will be around for generations to come. I learned so much, and continue to do so, that I am excited to do what I do....sometimes. As I mentioned above, I have been talking about these issues with my core group trying to decide what went wrong, and more importantly, how do I make sure I do not lose focus again.
The AES approached me a few years ago about sitting on their board, and I turned them down after repeated requests. Finally, early in 2009, I accepted the nomination and joined the board of the AES. I discussed how I wanted that position so that I could reach more people with my message. We discussed speaking opportunities, building groups, and other 'neat' things that I was fired up to be a part of. I told the board that I was busy and that my passion was being on the front lines, leading the change and that there were going to be meetings that I would not be able to make it to. I made it to a few months worth of meetings before I recognized that Hybrid Homes was in dire straits.
If I was going to salvage Hybrid Homes, I was going to have to get back out onto the front lines. Because I was so focused on getting those sub-contractors work, before I went back out onto the job, I took every job I could. This turned out to be a bad idea, as I did not weed out the projects that would cause the company to lose money or get itself into a bad position. Over the last 9 months, it has been one battle after another. I, along with my core group, have been able to keep moving forward, all while I am refocusing on my true passions in life. I have hand selected jobs for the future that coincide with my vision and my passion with regards to sustainable building. All other jobs, I feel in my heart that the homeowners will be able to find builders now who can help them with their green projects.
As the end of 2009 approached, I presented a number of scenarios to my core group that all had to do with the growth of Hybrid Homes and the continued presentation of my overall message. You will notice the introduction of the HD video that we have been shooting and posting on Vimeo and Facebook. This was the result of one of the scenarios we came up with. As a group, we determined that video would reach more people than talking to 5 or 6 people here and there. Although the grass roots approach is very important to me and the cause, we felt video would be a better avenue, and it has turned out to be a hit. We have had nearly 10,000 views each on most of our videos and the numbers grow by the day.
Another decision that the group had to make, was what I was to do with my time. I told them that I was making people upset because I could not make it to their meetings. That is when one of them yelled 'STOP!'. I was doing it again, I was focusing on making people happy instead of my passion in life. I have been told by many, that I need to delegate more, so that I can make it to their meetings. This statement looks weird when I write it out. I need to change the way I do things to make them happy? Gosh, that just doesn't sound right. Luckily, I have my core group now. Together, we decided that I was going to take all of 2010 to refocus on my passions, my schedule, and to get things back on track with Hybrid Homes. Don't take this the wrong way, Hybrid Homes was never close to going out of business, but, if we would not have pulled the plug when we did on a few things, things would have been even trickier to deal with. As part of my refocusing, we decided that I needed to resign any duties that were not part of Hybrid Homes. This included the board position at the AES. While this was a good opportunity, I need to find my passion again and grow my company before I can help another organization grow theirs. That is the main reason why I resigned my board position at the AES. When I write my book, I will seek to explain my decision more then.
I see greatness coming out of this entire episode in my life. I see things so clear now! Part of the decision to refocus, includes me starting a speaking tour to work in accordance with the videos of the Earth Shelter project and living a sustainable life. The speaking tour starts in Mt. Pleasant at Central Michigan University within the next month. After that, we are focusing on colleges and universities and will develop a training program for other builders to follow. I will post more later of when and where the speaking tour will take place. If you are connected with a University or college in any way, and can help us get into that school to speak, please email me at adam_bearup@yahoo.com to discuss this more.
To further my refocusing period, we have decided to not participate in any home shows in 2010, unless it is to speak or present. We have had great success at the different events that we had booths in. I loved being in the atrium at the DeVos Place this past Spring! I spoke with a mentor of mine who stated that a company usually will get a booth to show their potential customers that they are still in business. This is why we were in the Atrium at the DeVos Place, to show everyone that we weathered this Economic Storm and, although we took on some water, we were still solid and moving forward. The decision to not have a booth at any home shows in 2010 is not based on money, it is based on refocusing. A home show is a good way to put your name out there as a potential option to a probable customer. My experience has been, that the truly passionate 'probables' will find us. This is not a statement from the ego, it is just how things work. The Earth Shelter Project was the result of a homeowner who heard about us and tracked me down.
For those people who pay close attention to what I do, do not be alarmed, be happy! By some grace, I recognized that I needed to refocus, I have made steps towards that, and I am so happy to see things as clear as I do now. I have put serious effort into closing the lose ends that are left from our past projects and things are looking up for 2010. I will begin assembling the information for a book that will cover building science and comparing the differences between several building styles. This information will be available to anyone and will seek to answer the main questions I get asked, "Which form of building is better or more energy efficient? Which way of building gives the best return for the money invested?" and so much more!
Please see my decisions as a way for me to refocus. I am excited about these decisions and for the future. The fire is once again running through my veins and I could not be happier with how things are unfolding for 2010.
When this entire Hybrid Homes thing blew up, there were several people and organizations that not only helped me to grow the company, but also, hopped on for a ride. I trusted several people enough to tell them my entire game plan for Hybrid Homes, thinking that they were people that would continue to help me grow my business. Unfortunately, it did not work out that way. A few of these people actually took what I told them and gave that information to a budding start up company that then tried all they could do to crush Hybrid Homes. I naturally saw this as a threat and had to take a defensive posture. It was tough to see these couple of people who I trusted and loved as family, jump ship and side with these two idiots, who would heckle me at many of the events that I would show up to. I decided, at the time, that I would just keep doing what I was doing and, even thou people I trusted joined forces with that company, I would not stop believing in my core beliefs. I never thought that being a leader was so political, but it is, believe me, it is! This was a tough time for me, I saw someone I trusted so much join forces with them, and that hurt me really bad. I decided to confront the two guys who started the company to tell them a few secrets I knew, because I could see that they were heading for a fall. Well, to save ink, they did fail, but after wiping out their bank accounts and that of their investors. They were two very crafty, bad people. One of whom is in a leadership position now with a very important organization in West Michigan. I could not believe my eyes and ears when I learned that this person got the position that he did. But, that is for another blog.
OK, moving on. As their company failed, the people who jumped ship to help the 'titanic' out (that is what I call that other company that failed), started telling others that they were experts in different fields that related to what I was a part of. I saw them showing up everywhere, and speaking about topics that I used to speak about. Instantly, I saw this as bad, so I started excepting different positions around the State to keep them from getting the positions. I felt that I created these monsters, and now, I had to do whatever I had to do to keep them out of leadership positions.
Stop for a moment! Can you see what was happening? I lost focus of being a leader, and switched gears to being a defender. This gear change would set the stage for a year and a half time frame, where I was focused on defending myself and a few others from people who didn't even matter. Around that time, I also became focused on keeping the sub-contractors I was using busy because they made me feel so good. They let me know daily how important I was and also that my efforts were feeding 22 families. Stop! I did it again. Do you see any talk of being a sustainable builder in there? Me neither!
Make no mistake, I learned about the building science during that time frame, so much so, that I built the most energy efficient house ever tested in Michigan. I also, along with the team, turned out some incredibly energy efficient homes that will be around for generations to come. I learned so much, and continue to do so, that I am excited to do what I do....sometimes. As I mentioned above, I have been talking about these issues with my core group trying to decide what went wrong, and more importantly, how do I make sure I do not lose focus again.
The AES approached me a few years ago about sitting on their board, and I turned them down after repeated requests. Finally, early in 2009, I accepted the nomination and joined the board of the AES. I discussed how I wanted that position so that I could reach more people with my message. We discussed speaking opportunities, building groups, and other 'neat' things that I was fired up to be a part of. I told the board that I was busy and that my passion was being on the front lines, leading the change and that there were going to be meetings that I would not be able to make it to. I made it to a few months worth of meetings before I recognized that Hybrid Homes was in dire straits.
If I was going to salvage Hybrid Homes, I was going to have to get back out onto the front lines. Because I was so focused on getting those sub-contractors work, before I went back out onto the job, I took every job I could. This turned out to be a bad idea, as I did not weed out the projects that would cause the company to lose money or get itself into a bad position. Over the last 9 months, it has been one battle after another. I, along with my core group, have been able to keep moving forward, all while I am refocusing on my true passions in life. I have hand selected jobs for the future that coincide with my vision and my passion with regards to sustainable building. All other jobs, I feel in my heart that the homeowners will be able to find builders now who can help them with their green projects.
As the end of 2009 approached, I presented a number of scenarios to my core group that all had to do with the growth of Hybrid Homes and the continued presentation of my overall message. You will notice the introduction of the HD video that we have been shooting and posting on Vimeo and Facebook. This was the result of one of the scenarios we came up with. As a group, we determined that video would reach more people than talking to 5 or 6 people here and there. Although the grass roots approach is very important to me and the cause, we felt video would be a better avenue, and it has turned out to be a hit. We have had nearly 10,000 views each on most of our videos and the numbers grow by the day.
Another decision that the group had to make, was what I was to do with my time. I told them that I was making people upset because I could not make it to their meetings. That is when one of them yelled 'STOP!'. I was doing it again, I was focusing on making people happy instead of my passion in life. I have been told by many, that I need to delegate more, so that I can make it to their meetings. This statement looks weird when I write it out. I need to change the way I do things to make them happy? Gosh, that just doesn't sound right. Luckily, I have my core group now. Together, we decided that I was going to take all of 2010 to refocus on my passions, my schedule, and to get things back on track with Hybrid Homes. Don't take this the wrong way, Hybrid Homes was never close to going out of business, but, if we would not have pulled the plug when we did on a few things, things would have been even trickier to deal with. As part of my refocusing, we decided that I needed to resign any duties that were not part of Hybrid Homes. This included the board position at the AES. While this was a good opportunity, I need to find my passion again and grow my company before I can help another organization grow theirs. That is the main reason why I resigned my board position at the AES. When I write my book, I will seek to explain my decision more then.
I see greatness coming out of this entire episode in my life. I see things so clear now! Part of the decision to refocus, includes me starting a speaking tour to work in accordance with the videos of the Earth Shelter project and living a sustainable life. The speaking tour starts in Mt. Pleasant at Central Michigan University within the next month. After that, we are focusing on colleges and universities and will develop a training program for other builders to follow. I will post more later of when and where the speaking tour will take place. If you are connected with a University or college in any way, and can help us get into that school to speak, please email me at adam_bearup@yahoo.com to discuss this more.
To further my refocusing period, we have decided to not participate in any home shows in 2010, unless it is to speak or present. We have had great success at the different events that we had booths in. I loved being in the atrium at the DeVos Place this past Spring! I spoke with a mentor of mine who stated that a company usually will get a booth to show their potential customers that they are still in business. This is why we were in the Atrium at the DeVos Place, to show everyone that we weathered this Economic Storm and, although we took on some water, we were still solid and moving forward. The decision to not have a booth at any home shows in 2010 is not based on money, it is based on refocusing. A home show is a good way to put your name out there as a potential option to a probable customer. My experience has been, that the truly passionate 'probables' will find us. This is not a statement from the ego, it is just how things work. The Earth Shelter Project was the result of a homeowner who heard about us and tracked me down.
For those people who pay close attention to what I do, do not be alarmed, be happy! By some grace, I recognized that I needed to refocus, I have made steps towards that, and I am so happy to see things as clear as I do now. I have put serious effort into closing the lose ends that are left from our past projects and things are looking up for 2010. I will begin assembling the information for a book that will cover building science and comparing the differences between several building styles. This information will be available to anyone and will seek to answer the main questions I get asked, "Which form of building is better or more energy efficient? Which way of building gives the best return for the money invested?" and so much more!
Please see my decisions as a way for me to refocus. I am excited about these decisions and for the future. The fire is once again running through my veins and I could not be happier with how things are unfolding for 2010.
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