Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Economy of Smallness: Making Economic Exchange a Loving Human Interaction
from YES! Magazine:
The Economy of Smallness: Making Economic Exchange a Loving Human Interaction
Philadelphia restauranteur and local economies movement leader Judy Wicks on making good and doing good.
by Abby Quillen
posted Oct 25, 2013
A few years after Judy Wicks opened the White Dog Cafe in West Philadelphia, she hung a sign in her bedroom closet as a daily reminder of what her business could be if she gave it creativity and care. Two decades after its humble beginnings, Wicks restaurant had become a model for socially responsible business, and Wicks herself was a national leader of the movement for local, living economies.
The message on that sign, Good morning, beautiful business, is also the title of Wicks memoir, the story of a woman driven by a love of community, a strong sense of justice, and a taste for adventure.
Wicks worked for VISTA in a remote native village in Alaska, laid down in front of a bulldozer to stop the demolition of a historic building, grew one of the most socially responsible businesses in the nation, and co-founded several sustainable business organizations. She also threw some fabulous parties. The courage, creativity, and sense of fun in her story are contagious.
Growing up in the 1950s, Wicks shunned the stereotypes of how girls should behave and longed to play baseball with the boys. But when, almost by accident, she became a businesswoman and entrepreneur, she recognized that her feminine desire to nurture was an asset in bringing collaboration to business and creating a more caring economy.
In the early days of the White Dog Cafe, located in the downstairs of Wicks Victorian brownstone, she couldnt afford to build a commercial kitchen or hire a chef. She cooked the restaurants meals in her own kitchen while she watched her young son and daughter, and customers tromped upstairs to use the familys bathroom. Eventually the restaurant filled three row houses, a companion retail store filled two more, and her businesses were grossing $5 million annually. ......................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://www.yesmagazine.org/issues/the-human-cost-of-stuff/good-morning-beautiful-business
InfoView thread info, including edit history
TrashPut this thread in your Trash Can (My DU » Trash Can)
BookmarkAdd this thread to your Bookmarks (My DU » Bookmarks)
2 replies, 849 views
ShareGet links to this post and/or share on social media
AlertAlert this post for a rule violation
PowersThere are no powers you can use on this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
ReplyReply to this post
EditCannot edit other people's posts
Rec (6)
ReplyReply to this post
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
The Economy of Smallness: Making Economic Exchange a Loving Human Interaction (Original Post)
marmar
Oct 2013
OP
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)1. I am always drawn to posts like this,
because what we need is not mere change in policy. We need a change of priorities and values.
Thanks.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)2. K&R