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A snack from Pezzy, a mission-driven pet food startup, has just one ingredient: wild-caught silver carp from the Mississippi River. Carp are an invasive species in the river and incredibly destructive. Pezzy is one of a handful of brands now using it as a healthy ingredient in pet snacksso your dog or cat can help fight against the environmental problem. In theory, its possible to create a robust industry around invasive species, says Mike Mitchell, the founder of Pezzy Pets, which also makes treats from other invasive species like the devil fish (armored catfish) and lionfish. [Photo: Keith Arnold/WWF-US] The problem with carp Asian carp were intentionally introduced to the U.S. in the 1970s to help clean aquaculture ponds. The idea almost immediately went awry when the carp escaped into rivers during the first heavy rainstorm. Without any natural predators, their population exploded. They outcompete native fish for food and have broken the larger food chain. Theyre really decimating native species populations, as well as water quality, says Julia Kurnik, senior director of innovation startups at the nonprofit World Wildlife Fund’s Markets Institute. In June, the environmental group published a report looking at the potential for the pet food industry to help mitigate the challenge. In some parts of the Mississippi River, carp now make up 95% of the biomass. The fish are largeup to 100 poundsand can jump out of the water and hit people in boats. That, along with the fact that Americans dont eat carp, means that fewer people want to fish in Midwestern riversso the species is also impacting the regions $10 billion sport fishing industry. Why most carp go unfished in the U.S. [Photo: Keith Arnold/WWF-US] Some states have attempted to get more people to eat the fish. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources tried to rebrand the fish as “copi” (short for copious”) and talk up its nutritional profile. Carp are extremely high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, have a long list of vitamins and essential minerals, and are low in toxins. The flavor is mild. But the fish is also bony, so it can’t easily be made into a filet like American consumers expect. It’s also hard to get consumers to eat new types of fish. Pezzy initially tried making snacks for humans. “The story resonated with peoplethe environmental angle and what we were doing with the communities,” Mitchell says. “But it’s difficult to get people to eat what I would call ‘weird fish.” Some carp are also used to make fertilizer, but because the profit margins are low, there aren’t many fisheries focused on it. There’s more potential for its use in pet food. [Photo: Keith Arnold/WWF-US] Carp in pet food Right now, most pet food is made from byproducts of processing meat for humans. That’s a good thing, since it’s making use of food that might otherwise be wasted. Still, the number of pets is growing in the U.S., and manufacturers need more supply. “The growth in pet food demand is really outpacing the availability of those byproducts,” WWF’s Kurnik says. A growing number of pet owners also want human-grade food for their dogs or cats, which means producing more meat, and a bigger environmental footprint. “Instead of sourcing beef directly for one’s dog, perhaps carp could fill in there and be a much more environmentally friendly alternative while still being the fresh, nutritious, produced-in-the-U.S. product that I think those pet owners are looking for,” she says. [Photo: Pezzy] The fish doesn’t easily fit into the pet food industry’s current supply chain, which isn’t set up to process it. The supply is limited at the moment. Small brands like Pezzy, along with others like Archway, Chippin, and Wilder Harrier, have been able to source carp for relatively small production runs. But it would still be a challenge for larger producers to use it as an ingredient. “There’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg prblem in that it’s hard to invest, go get funds, and invest in large-scale processing for pet food if you don’t see demand from the pet food industry. But the pet food industry doesn’t typically engage before there’s a consistent quality supply that they can judge and then look at and decide,” Kurnik says. WWF has been working to bring together all of the industry players to help move the idea forward. “I am optimistic that we’ll see continued scale on the processing side, and that we’ll then be able to reach these bigger pet food companies,” she adds. Four species of Asian carp are so widespread in U.S. rivers that it really isn’t feasible to eradicate them. “You could suppress density, though, which would then lead to increased biodiversity,” Kurnik says. “You can’t eradicate carp, but [you could] lower its population down to a level that native species have a chance and can begin to bounce back and be healthier.” The project could be a model for other invasive species, such as Japanese kelp or apple snails.
Category:
E-Commerce
At some point in your professional life, you will be asked to do something that makes you scowl, Are they serious? A 6 p.m. brainstorming session. An important client dinner on the night of your kids recital. A weekend retreat that promises team bonding but really means you will miss your kids birthday and end up sharing a bunk bed with Carl from compliance. You want to say, Im not available, but what comes out instead is an overly apologetic word salad: I am so sorry. My kid has this thing . . . I mean, Ill figure it out. I can join from the parking lot. Or the bathroom. Ill mute! Lets just stop right there. Sorry I cant. I will be attending my daughters play is not a weak excuse. Its a sentence. Its a boundary. Its a full stop on the guilt spiral and research backs it up. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/erikaaslogo.png","headline":"Girl, Listen: A Guide to What Really Matters","description":"Ericka dives into the heat of modern motherhood, challenging the notion that personal identity must be sacrificed at the altar of parenting. ","substackDomain":"https:\/\/erickasouter.substack.com\/","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}} The Science of Saying No A 2022 report by McKinsey & LeanIn.org revealed that 42% of working mothers were often or always burned out, compared to 32% of working fathers. And one of the major contributors? Lack of boundaries and unrealistic workplace expectations. Women, especially moms, are more likely to feel they need to do it all, which often means dealing with invisible labor at home and being endlessly available at work. Even worse is when they do set limits, they fear being penalized. During interviews, many women told me that when they requested flexible work arrangements, they were seen as less committed and less likely to be promoted even if they were top performers. Let that sink in. The system isnt just biased, its allergic to boundaries. But heres the twist: employees who have boundaries are actually more productive. According to research from Harvard Business School, employees who detach from work during nonwork hours report higher job satisfaction and lower burnout, which leads to better performance over time. So no, you are not derailing your career by opting out of that 7 p.m. status meeting. You are preserving your energy, so you dont melt down during your 9 a.m. presentation. A Cultural Shift Has Begun For decades, parenting at work has been treated like an embarrassing rash. You know, something to conceal and apologize for. But the tide is turning. Post-pandemic, weve seen a rise in what organizational psychologists call boundary management, and companies are finally starting to get it. Policies like flexible scheduling and no meeting Fridays are gaining traction. In short, boundaries are the new black. Still, the social pressure is there. When a parent leaves early for a kid event, some colleagues still view them as just not committed enough. To that I say, let them think what they want. Your job is to be committed to your prioritiesnot to someone elses broken expectations. Scripts for the Modern Parent (or who I like to call the Professional Boundary Badass) You dont owe anyone a 10-minute monologue. Try these instead: Im unavailable that evening due to family obligations. Happy to contribute ahead of time, but I wont be able to attend live. That time doesnt work for me. Can we find another slot? Notice whats missing? Overexplaining. Apologies. A promise to clone yourself. We really must stop treating parenting like a professional liability. Its a masterclass in multitasking, crisis management, and emotional regulation. Honestly, parents should be running most things. (Well, except silent meditation. I cant remember the last time I sat in silence.) So, the next time someone raises an eyebrow when you decline after-hours obligations or say no to a third Zoom call that couldve been an email, hold your ground. Because Sorry I cant. Im a parent isnt about what you wont do. Its about what you refuse to sacrifice. That not weakness. Thats leadership in a minivan. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2015\/08\/erikaaslogo.png","headline":"Girl, Listen: A Guide to What Really Matters","description":"Ericka dives into the heat of modern motherhood, challenging the notion that personal identity must be sacrificed at the altar of parenting. ","substackDomain":"https:\/\/erickasouter.substack.com\/","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
Katherine, a talented up-and-coming leader at a high-growth technology company, was eager to be promoted, but specific development areas were getting in her way. Sarah conducted a 360 review that yielded largely expected results. Unanticipated and surprising, however, were the comments about Katherines technical prowess and that people viewed her as visionary and strategic. For many, blind spots represent a failure to recognize the weaknesses or biases that get in the way of performance. In an effort to improve, they may hyper-focus on those areas for development. In Katherines case, she had a blind spot for her strengths. The skills not in the job description Like many leaders, Katherine was aware of the skills that were closely tied to her job description, but didnt have the full picture of the value she was bringing to the organization. Her sole focus had been on developing the areas that were impeding a potential promotion. In our work with leadersbrand development (Rebecca) and executive coaching (Sarah)weve noticed parallels between business owners and organizational leaders. Regardless of their field, both groups can fail to recognize the very traits that others deeply appreciate. When a talent comes naturally, without deliberate effort, we often dont recognize it as a strength. Skills like critical thinking, problem solving, or strategic insight can feel so effortless that we dont notice them in ourselves. Or sometimes, we assume others are equally adept at the same skills, and dismiss their value. Self-perception is only one piece of the puzzle though. Its equally important to understand how colleagues or clients see you, and what they value most. Uncovering the true essence of your unique contribution can be an illuminating process that strengthens your personal brand and boosts your leadership effectiveness. Whether you lead a team or run a business, the principle holds: you cant act on strengths you dont recognize. Recognizing your secret strengths When you see your most intrinsic strengths clearly, everything changes. Heres what becomes possible: Personal brand differentiation: Tuning into the attributes others consistently recognize gives you clarity on what matters most to the people who influence your career or business, and how those skills differentiate you from others. That insight can help sharpen your positioning and messaging, making it easier to attract aligned opportunities with clients, projects, or promotions. Greater influence: Owning and leveraging your key strengths can increase your confidence, clarity, and credibility, making you more magnetic and influential. Faster decision-making: When you’re anchored in what you do best, you dont second-guess as much. You make decisions faster and with more conviction, because you’re not wasting energy trying to be someone you’re not. Fuel for innovation: Unearthing strengths like vision, creativity, or strategy, can give you permission and embolden you to step outside your lane, challenge the status quo, speak up with new ideas, and pursue opportunities you may have previously dismissed. If youre not sure if youre seeing your full value, there are several ways to uncover how others experience you. 360 Feedback A 360 provides feedback from multiple perspectivesusually direct or indirect reports, peers, your manager, and senior leaders. The process is typically confidential and designed to provide a well-rounded view of a leader’s performance. Two common approaches include qualitative interviews with key stakeholders and third-party quantitative assessments. Both can provide a leader with data on how they are perceived in the organization, helping to surface key strengths and pinpoint areas for growth. Client Interviews or Surveys Business owners, check in with your clients! You may know theyre happy with your service, but what about it makes them happiest? One to two-question surveys are helpful if youre merely seeking something like a Net Promoter Score, but to really uncover strengths, youll want to go deeper. Here are some of the questions Rebecca asks when she conducts interviews on behalf of her clients, adapted for your use: Why did you choose me over other [service providers]? Have you worked with other [service providers] before? / If yes, How was this experience different? Is there anything that has surprised you about this experience? What have been some of the key benefits youve gained from our work together? If a friend of yours were looking for [XYZ service], what would you want them to know about the experience? Conversational Inquiries Asking colleagues to list three to five words they would use to describe you can yield rich insights. And, when coupled with an example of that strength or trait in action, will provide you with robust data to hone in on your points of differentiation. For example: Im working on identifying my personal strengths and overall brand. When you think of me, what are the first three to five words that come to mind? When have you seen me demonstrate any of the above? What was I specifically doing or saying? This gives you real examples of how your strengths show up and helps you spot the traits others consistently associate with you. Keep a Brag Book You likely receive emails or Slack messages from colleagues or clients thanking you for work youve done. Save the notes! Better yet, copy them to an online file or go analog with a notebook. Over time, youll see themes emerge about how youre perceived and which traits others most value in you. (Added bonus: The brag book offers a confidence boost if you happen to be having a rough day.) Integrating the uncovered strengths Once weve uncovered these talents, its up to us to integrate them into our activities and positioning in a way thats intentional rather than accidental. For business owners, that may mean shifting your positioning and value proposition so that it better aligns with what your target audience values most. Consider Rebeccas brand client, Mark, a data analytics consultant serving small business owners. He had built his brand around his ability to analyze disparate stores of data to inform marketing strategy. But when Rebecca interviewed his clients, a different pattern emerged: they also praised Marks ability to see the big picture, is deep network, and his effortless ability to connect them with the right experts for their goals. These qualities hadnt even been on Marks radar as part of his value proposition, but for small business owners with lean teams, these traits turned out to be a tremendous source of value. Mark now has the opportunity to use this new knowledge as a point of differentiation in his brand: data-minded and a connector. For leaders in organizations, the integration of this new information may involve speaking up more, raising your hand for cross-functional initiatives, or mentoring others in areas where your strengths are emerging. In the case of Sarahs client Katherine, recognizing the strengths she had been overlooking shifted her mindset. Clarity on her value to the organization gave her more confidence as a leader and helped bolster the other areas she was working on. She realized that she had been emphasizing the wrong things, possibly to her detriment. With a more balanced view of how people experienced her, she began speaking up in executive meetings and reframed her development plan to include her strategic strengths. That shift in visibility and positioning led to two promotions over two years. It takes effort to see yourself in a new light. We often assume our value lies in how neatly our strengths align with our job description. But clients and colleagues may value something else entirely. If youre not asking, youre probably missing it. Taking the time to uncover those overlooked strengths can sharpen your personal brand, differentiate you in a crowded field, and accelerate your career by helping you lean into the talents that matter most.
Category:
E-Commerce
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