The New Economies of Scale

Last night, I resumed reading Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a book I had shelved for some time because I became so overwhelmed with guilt about my current eating habits and knew I was not in a place to change them. The problem with eating disorders-even those that remain dormant 90% of the time--is that just thinking about food can lead to anxiety. So, when you're in a place of forcing yourself to eat--even if that means your fifth bowl of Cheerios--contemplating food sources and the economics of the food industry are not really priorities.

But I recently started seeing a nutritionist and feel like I'm in a place where I can start to make better choices not just about what I eat, but the types of things I choose to consume and the people I support in making those choices.

I've never been a fan of chain restaurants--in fact, I remember being appalled last year when my consulting firm recommended that a small, rural county we were working with pursue chain restaurants like Chili's and Huddle House to improve its local economy. What about encouraging local entrepreneurs to start new businesses and better yet--ones that are less likely to pull out and leave the podunk town behind in order to save a couple bucks in this uncertain economic climate?

So, while I've always had the philosophy that local is better in terms of dining out, that hasn't really translated as much to other aspects of my life--at least in Atlanta. Growing up, we always patronized businesses owned by family friends--the pharmacy, the dry cleaner, the gift shop. But as big businesses swooped in and bought up these establishments, and as I moved on to bigger and bigger cities, the concept of local was pushed further and further from my consciousness.

But now, as an entrepreneur myself, I see how well my creative friends are doing with their own endeavors, and how important word of mouth and customer loyalty are to our businesses. And I'm beginning to think that part of the solution to the current economic crisis is to start shopping locally again. Not just for food, but for banking, clothing, professional services and more. Why should our dollars pay for the shipping of out of season foods cross country and exacerbate the current fuel crisis, when they could benefit the local farmer in our own backyard? And why not support people who are producing great services right here in Atlanta, without fancy Midtown offices, massive corporate headquarters and other unnecessary overhead?

Not that I anticipate meeting 100 percent of my needs through local businesses, but I can at least start by making better choices about where I spend my limited dollars.

To Your Health

One of the joys of being self-employed is navigating the travesty that is the American health care system. When I started on this enterpreneurial journey, I had the luxury of another person's salary and perhaps even more importantly--his benefits. Never underestimate the power and beauty that is corporate health care coverage, because life on the other side ain't pretty.

While I did manage to find a health insurance plan with a premium similar to what I've shelled out at other jobs, the benefits--well, I've yet to find any, short of being assured admittance to a hospital should I be involved in a car accident or random shooting. Other than that, I pay. And pay. For everything. Medication that used to cost an average of $100-$150/month averages $400. Gone are the days of that nifty $10 co-pay. Routine doctor's visit? $100. Annual physicial? $300. Stress fracture--well, I haven't seen that bill yet, but I'm betting I got close my annual deductible in just one visit.

And unfortunately, this type of non-coverage coverage is pretty much my only option, and the only option for thousands of other creative, enterprising people like myself. And we're the lucky ones, the ones with middle and upper middle class backgrounds, advanced degrees, with all the opportunities in the world. If access to quality health care is this bad for those of us supposedly with the money and means to "buy" our way into the system, how bleak is it for those who lack those resources and opportunities?

And what disheartens me even more is that during an election year in which this and any other host of issues are deserving of our attention, political discourse in our country has become the stuff of tabloids and tawdry gossip, which is a complete betrayal of those whose very livelihoods will be affected--for better or for worse--by the policies of the next administration. Don't we owe it to ourselves to ditch the dirt?

Big Dreams

Today, I received a copy for my father's first book (available on amazon.com--check it out here). He called it one of his "Big Hair Audacious Goals," and in the signed copy he sent to me today, he wrote "never give up on your dreams."

It's kind of ironic, because writing a book has always been one of my dreams--mostly unspoken--since I was a little kid. And whereas I have always been the family's stellar writer--winning praise from employers to professors to peers alike--my father was the consummate businessman, the pragmatist who once made a "D" in English and used to argue with me if I suggested even the slightest correction to correspondence or collateral.

And how times have changed. My dad trusted me enough to help with the writing and editing of his book and was accepted my comments and suggestions graciously, one professional to another--something that is many years in the making. And I was awed by his insight into the working world, his ability to so clearly articulate what is wrong with so many businesses today and the respect he's gained from his clients and peers.

And it also reminded me of my own dream to write, and how that dream's been put on hold by the business and bustle that is life. How I've squandered writing time by surfing the internet or watching mindless television, when I should be honing my craft. Hell, I haven't even been blogging on a regular basis.

Here's hoping my father's triumph serves as a reminder of the rewards reaped from hard work, perseverance and dedication.