True believers

Yeah, you are committed to fresh produce. But are you so committed to fresh produce to run 10 marathons in 10 days? I didn’t think so…. Me neither.
So I caught the tail end of an All Things Organic workshop where Steve Shriver, an organic marketer of Eco Lips lip balm (“The best lip balm for the world”- the product is made out of organic beeswax) described how he set out to run 10 marathons in 10 days across the state of Iowa over Earth Day week because, well, … here is how he put it in his company’s Web site (www.ecolips.com) on Jan. 26:

It's not a typo. I'm going to attempt to run 10 Marathons in 10 days over Earth Day week to promote organics! The idea came about last year as I transitioned to a mostly organic diet. The following things occurred: I had more energy, I wasn’t catching as many colds. My after workout muscle soreness decreased. My joints felt better after long runs. I could keep going, but I think you get the point. I believe that a run of this magnitude would not be possible (or would be a lot harder) without an organic diet. Organic food has changed my life for the better, and my hope is to prove just how much better an organic diet is for you, and for the earth.

Leaving on his quest April 10, he was able to get five marathons in five days before his Achilles swelled and sidelined him. He did manage to squeeze marathon number 6 on Day 10, he told the workshop audience.
Another panelist at the organic seminar was Seth Goldman, president of Honest T (an organic tea company). Goldman has been nominated for the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year. During the workshop, Goldman shuddered at the recollection that his son and others on a youth soccer team were drinking Capri Sun drinks after a game. So motivated to change this sad reality, Goldman created a new line of organic drinks for kids, Honest Kids drink pouches.
His reaction reminds me of an exchange I had with Lance Jungmeyer about Sunny D in the United exhibitor lounge. We were practically high-fiving each other that Sunny D was available, and not so much concerned about the juice content, much less the organic status of the beverage.
Listening to Shriver and Goldman of Honest T (organic tea) at the All Things Organic seminar, I was struck with the thought that the organics industry would lose its essential swagger without true believers like those two.
The moderator of the session put it this way:
“That passion to effect change, to heal people, is more important to most of you over making a dollar,” she said to the general audience.


At one point, Shriver lamented that the company of an independent drink brand was bought by Coke for $250 million. The guy that created that drink line, Shriver noted, has given up control of his vision. He will miss out on the process of delivering on the mission.
I'm thinking maybe $250 million helps ease the pain.