What's Your Pepsi Taste Test??

Yesterday, I had an extremely insightful conversation with well-respected marketing guru (he won't label himself this out of humility, but I will, I've researched his track record) Mark Schaefer of Schaefer Marketing Solutions. Mark and I discussed many topics, and I listened with an attentive ear, hoping to absorb as much of this man's knowledge as I could in the hour conversation he had alloted in his day specifically for me. When time came for me to speak, I told him of the conception of Eco-Protective Products, our goals and core-values. I recounted to him success stories, and other stories where we faltered in our actions but learned valuable lessons. 

Courtesy: Schick

As if he were a new customer, I explained why Eco-Protective Products offers greater value to potential clients versus an established named brand paint supplier. I poured my heart into the conversation because I pour my heart into our business.


Mark was patient, allowing me finish before he finally spoke, and his message couldn't have been more of a bucket of cold water to the face kind of wake up call. No this isn't an Ad for Schick Razor's but that image (right) pretty much sums it up.


I'm paraphrasing and embellishing Mark a little here, but his message was clear to me: Where is that heart, that person behind the business in your marketing message? Why is all of what makes your company better absent from your website, blog, and Twitter account? Why are you so cookie cutter and bland -- just trying to be another sheep in the herd? Do you want to your marketing message to be a carbon copy of your competition, competition whom you've admitted is bigger and more well known? Are Green and Sustainability the only legs on which your business stands, or is Eco-Protective Products something more? Something better?


It boiled down to him asking me, "What is your Pepsi taste test"? What sets you apart from the herd? In our industry's terms, do we want to be a substitute for Sherwin Williams, PPG, or Benjamin Moore? And the answer is no. We want to be more. What about you?

• Do you want a to give your customers and partners a more fulfilling and valuable experience versus the competition? 
• Do you offer higher quality, longer lasting products and services?
• Does your company offer more cost-effective solutions?
• Do your customers know your business beyond the sale; do you know your customers? 

If you answered YES above, don't be afraid to promote those facts!

Hey that's me (left) & Richard Feis (Right) of
Greenhaven Group in Atlanta, GA
Featured product (floor & panels on wall)
Eco-Coat 1500

So What to Expect Now


Moving forward, we will not be abandoning our core message of practicing sustainability in design, construction and daily life, but we will also give you a greater opportunity to learn about what comprises Eco-Protective Products. 

1. On our website, you'll see us highlighting more what differentiates us from bigger paint companies than makes us so similar. Here is where we WANT your feedback. Where do other companies fall short? What can be done better to make your life and painting experience easier & better? You guys, our customers and friends, will help develop the future of Eco-Protective Products.
2. Featured on both this blog and on Eco-Protective Products' site, you will see new faces -- some recognizable -- some may be you!! We are going to feature our customers because nothing defines a business more than its customers.
3. We are also inviting our partners, friends, and employees to begin guest posting. This writer does not have all the answers, but I'm sure one of my far more knowledgeable colleagues may have the answer a reader is seeking. So if you're interested in guest posting, shoot me an email here.
4. More personal stories -- we are a family owned business. As a part owner, I have done everything from help unload and blend raw materials in order to produce paint, to being integral in every step of the customer relationship process (first contact all the way to product application and onto shaking hands with a happy customer/ new friend when the project is completed). I want to share with you our experiences to provide you a window into the men and women who comprise Eco-Protective Products

In closing, whether you are a small business owner, a marketing professional, or just a person in this world, Mark struck a chord with me, and I want you to think about whether we should be spending our energy comparing ourselves, both similarities and differences, with our competition and the rest of the herd, or should we concentrate on describing WHO WE ARE and what makes us unique, makes us better.

We thank you for taking the time to read this post, but we really want you to be a part of the discussion moving us forward in 2011. Please, share with us a comment below, or if you prefer, you can email me directly here or call, (888) 809-8995 Ext 102.

Thanks again and warm regards,

Jamey Burrell
VP, Marketing & Business Development
Eco-Protective Products

It's a Wonderful Business Life Part 2

Read It's a Wonderful Business Life Part 1 here.


Eco-Protective Products opened it's doors (we don't have a store front location so this is purely metaphorical) for business in January 2008. At the inception of the business, we had a proven exterior paint that was eco-friendly in composition and delivered quantifiable benefits in performance (energy efficiency, durability, and longevity) stacked against other paint manufacturers. In 2008, at least at the onset, the building market showed continued growth, albeit not as robust as the early 2000s, and Green Building was proving it had all the signs of a long-term standard not a fad, short-lived trend.

Credit: iStockphoto... no that's not EPP's staff

From day one, the excitement level was palpable. We were poised for unprecedented success, and we already had the right people and products in place to assure that it would happen. The business plan was simple: maintain growth with our existing distributors and expand brand awareness through placing "eco-friendly" ahead of "high-quality" for our value proposition, targeting our marketing efforts to Green Building, updating product names to be inline with said strategy, redesigning product labels, and by aligning ourselves with rising stars within the sustainable building industry. Insert new brand name, new logo, new slogan. Gone was the old website and a new one took its place. We joined the USGBC, attended monthly events, and chatted to anyone that would lend an ear about our innovative paints.


At the time, this marketer was too inexperienced to understand the importance of SEO, too naive to recognize that a website doesn't sell products, people do. But, like I said, ignorance consumed me, and I waited. Waited on the waves of Green Builders to blow up my inbox and voicemail. Surely, before long, Ty Pennington would be soliciting product donations for the next Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I would be on the cover of Southern Living in no time, and by the time I celebrated my first Christmas in the real world, I'd be doing so listening to Jimmy Buffett's Christmas Island album on a boat sailing somewhere in Caribbean. 


Within our first three months operating as Eco-Protective Products, we were hired to supply paint to a high-profile condominium complex in Palm Beach, FL, had representatives meeting with top government officials about EPP implementation into greening strategies, and a building boom that would never end (our biggest markets were Florida, Arizona, and California).


If a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, we had tamed a gaggle of geese and were content. With our connections and website, our products would continue to sell themselves.   Along comes the Great Housing Bubble Burst and the economic free fall of 2008 and 2009. And this is the point where the school of hard knocks begins -- and to continue with the theme of this post, It's a Wonderful Business Life, not only is our business better for the following missteps but I am, too. 


Each Lesson Links to Its Own Page

Lesson 1 - Don't buy into big promises. Trust your gut and ignore the hype

Lesson 2 - Rebranding - not as easy as creating a new logo and catch phrase

Lesson 3 - The common push-back, "well, I've never heard of your product, so because I know everything about energy efficiency and sustainable design, your product must not be good enough" and how to overcome it.

Lesson 4 - Everyone and their brother, mother, and twitter followers want to verify your Green Product but who verifies them?

Lesson 5 - An email can't replace the value of a phone call can't replace the value of an honest handshake

Lesson 6 - Growing through a recession

Lesson 7 - Your business is no better than you are. Remember to sell yourself and buy in

Lesson 8 - There's no right price for the wrong product - When product launches fail

Lesson 9  - Never, never, never, never give up.

Lesson 10 - Lastly, the importance of building a support group of other small business owners & entrepreneurs to share ideas, strategies, laughs, at times, tears, and most importantly to be there to help each other up again when the battles we face each day knock us down. 

It's a Wonderful Business Life Part 1

Part 1 of 2

This post is an adaptation from one I posted on my personal blog yesterday, but I felt the need to share it here. Over the weekend, like most, I spent the majority of my 48 hours away from the office huddled inside by the fire keeping warm from the frigid weather that has its grip on most of the country. Heck, I even think South Florida experienced frost Saturday morning – if it had been today, I’d venture to say they’d have closed down the schools. I know back in my hometown of Atlanta, the threat of snow flurries sent overzealous moms racing to the grocery store in a fit of panic to buy bread, milk and other necessities deemed to be essential to survival of the approaching “apocalyptic” storm – and we [southerners] wonder why Northerners laugh at us, but to all “yous” scoffing Yanks, I cordially invite “ya’ll” down yonder to south Georgia during late August, and we’ll be even. 

Anyhow, as the fire crackled and I mindlessly browsed what was on television (ugh, how archaic! I should have been streaming Netflix to my Blue Ray Player, right?) Saturday night, I happened upon one of my favorite Christmas movies, It’s a Wonderful Life. Not only does the movie capture the timeless essence of the Christmas season – a season of genuine love and compassion for our fellow man, but it also underscores the unpredictability of life and how even the most impassioned of planners [George Bailey] cannot guarantee a certain route to follow.

Many of the followers of this blog are entrepreneurs, small business owners, and salespeople, thus I’m especially speaking to them, but the movie’s lessons are equally applicable to any person from any walk of life.

In my opinion, the movie delivers an especially poignant message to those that label themselves as dreamers and risk takes. George Bailey, played by the great Jimmy Stewart, leads a life rife with misfortune, and he is befallen with many setbacks to the pursuit of the dreams of his youth. Although he doesn't realize it until the movie's climactic ending when he sees the world devoid of his existence, his life created immeasurable value and meaning to his loved ones and the community of Seneca Falls.

Though we can easily become distracted by the detours and outright roadblocks that cause us to alter our path in business and life, I doubt anyone has ever set out on the journey of life and anticipated each twist and turn along the way. Lesson to take from the movie: we are better for them.

Business deals that fizzle free us to connect with other companies and customers more deserving of our time and resources.

Product launches that fall flat refocus our attention to core competencies, products, and services.

I once read, “There’s no right price for the wrong item.” And that goes for marketing. No matter how flashy, tech savvy, or well-accepted around the office, marketing campaigns that lack results remind us to always put the customers’ needs first and build a marketing strategy from that point.

I could write for days about finding the silver lining within each hardship and struggle, but the point is clear: Be like George at the end of the movie; don’t wallow in self-pity because things didn’t work out as planned, instead choose to see the that each obstacle is life’s way of getting us back on our true path from which we had momentarily deviated.

“Every adversity, every failure, and every heartbreak carries with it the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.” – Napoleon Hill

Go forth with a smile for we only have to get up one more time than life knocks us down. That’s not too tough to do now is it?


Part 2 of this 2 part blog post will be published on Friday, December 17 and will be a comprehensive review of the lessons learned over a 3 year period since Eco-Protective Products' inception in January 2008. Some of the topics are listed below

• Growing through a recession
• Rebranding - not as easy as creating a new logo and catch phrase
• Traditional marketing materials, why they might not be worth the paper they're printed on
• When to fire a customer
• Trust your gut no matter how good the hype makes you feel
• An email can't replace the value of a phone call can't replace the value of an honest handshake
• Everyone and their brother, mother, and twitter followers want to verify your Green Product but who verifies them?
• The common push-back, "well, I've never heard of your product, so because I know everything about energy efficiency and sustainable design, your product must not be good enough" and how to overcome it.
• Lastly, the importance of building a support group of other small business owners & entrepreneurs to share ideas, strategies, laughs, at times, tears, and most importantly to be there to help each other up again when the battles we face each day knock us down.  

More Than a Farmers' Market - A Community

I'm fairly sure I derive all
the sustenance I need for life
from my morning coffee

This past Saturday morning, I had the pleasure to spend a few hours at the Marion Square Farmers' Market in Downtown Charleston. Although I've been a resident in South Carolina's lowcountry for nearly 4 months and visiting the market has topped my To Do list, I've found convenient excuses (college football, weddings, vacation, etc) to not go.

Well by Saturday, my excuses had been fully depleted, so I poured up a cup of coffee and walked down to the market. While writing this column, I can honestly say I'm not sure what impressed me more, the array of wonderful locally grown produce, the proudly displayed crafts, the food vendors (check out this place below for delicious coffee and crawfish cheese grits), or the palpable sense of community.

Although I've had the pleasure in my life to peruse the handmade crafts and treats at markets in multiple states and on 3 continents, I was moved by the 100 booths set up in the shadows of the old Citadel more so than at all the others.

Nothing says southern cuisine like cheesy grits, crawfish,
and biscuits with red eye gravy.

My friend Sterling
& a cute puppy

Everywhere I looked, children ran about, dogs tugged at their owners’ leashes, grandparents mulled over the purchase of fresh caught fish, high school sweethearts shared homemade donuts and hot chocolate, and I could not help but stand back and absorb the moment to its fullest.  

After about an hour's worth of shuffling in and out of tents and among patrons & vendors, I found myself in the park’s center rotunda. Standing there chatting with friends, a man in his late 60's – by the looks of him – wearing a Vietnam Veteran’s baseball cap approached us. If the experience of growing up in an urban environment has taught me anything, it is to avoid these encounters, as he was likely a beggar and not a Vet. But today was different. Lightheartedness brought about by the market’s atmosphere and communal love consumed me, and so instead of avoiding him, we welcomed him into our circle.

We didn't speak of his service or of patriotism, and I could tell by his weathered face and saddened eyes that he was a man lost in this world but taking comfort in the camaraderie of the market. As my friends and I stood there with him and finished our breakfast, we listened to him speak of his children (clearly long grown up), his wife (recently passed away), and his love of Charleston and it's people.  Talk about perspective. Whether his story was story was true or not, he made me realize that despite the hardships that befall us in life, we can always find support in the communities we develop around us.  

Communities come in all sizes – large and small – and forms – intimate or purely social.  We have our immediate family, our co-workers, fellow worshipers, coffee shop acquaintances, customers, long-time friends or just our 'facebook' friends, and folks who are complete strangers with the exception of our shared interests.

And this is what I took away from the farmer's market Saturday: although I left empty handed, without a print to hang in my office, organic soaps to fill Christmas stockings, or local produce to cook up for this weekend’s progressive dinner in my building, I didn't leave empty hearted. I spent 4 hours mingling with people that had come together to celebrate our community and the simple pleasure of being around one another on a Saturday morning.

For both vendors and customers, the Marion Square farmers' market is more than locally grown food and handmade products. In a town that is already uniquely social, the market has created a greater sense of community. 

November is a month to celebrate the things for which we are thankful. Although I try to make my posts relevant to issues concerning sustainability and green construction, this post was my way of saying thanks to my community. Thank you for welcoming me so whole-heartedly. Sustainability may be a vehicle for a cleaner, healthier planet, but it is the people and communities that comprise Mother Earth that truly make her worth protecting. 

Adversity or Opportunity?

At Eco-Protective Products, we try to promote a corporate culture that encourages outdoor activity and time away from work to focus on the needs of the individuals that comprise our company. Not only do I feel great inspiration when out in nature, but I really believe wholeheartedly that our lives become exponentially more interconnected/wired-in each passing day, and it is nourishing for the mind, body, and soul to untether ourselves regularly from whatever network (Twitter, Facebook, work, kids, etc) that drain our energies. In today’s tough economic environment, it is especially important that we recharge our batteries in order to better handle and ultimately overcome the adverse conditions that are ever-present in our personal, professional, and social lives.

While on a run this weekend, I couldn’t help but contemplate times in my own life that I’ve had to endure adversity –sometimes so great that finding the will to go on was an arduous task in and of itself– but, as evidenced by my writing of this column, I was able to endure, survive, and prosper.

Adversity can come in many forms, many of which are relevant to at least someone you know and it can really effect your business, but here are some ways to turn adversity into opportunity to take your business, career, or personal life from good to great.

Ways to Overcome Adversity & Obstacles

1. Sell Your Vision –

According to Lyve Alexis Pleshette, a writer about small and women owned businesses it is imperative to go on the offensive in periods of downward economic times. In other words, those who are persistent, prevail.

“'A leader must be a dealer in hope,' Confucius wrote. Those who can illuminate the darkness are experts at restoring people’s faith in the future, especially the faith of talented people who have run into brick walls. Even if you’re the only person running your business, you have customers and clients, vendors and sub-contractors who need to see your vision. The golden core of leadership is the ability to raise aspirations. Transition is an ideal time to do so. Our intrepid adventurers are unflagging optimists. In many respects, this special species of leaders is 'delusional,' according to veteran executive coach Marshall Goldsmith. 'They are not as good as they think they are, but they have the confidence to pursue big things.' So tune out the cynics and second-guessers who say you can’t beat the odds. Don’t let pouting pessimists rob you from pursuing—and capturing—your dreams."

Read more: Strategies to Overcome Adversity

You don't have to be a modern day Shakespeare to blog.

Provide your readers/customers easy to follow information

relevant to their lives. It's a great informal way to make

a meaningful, personal connection. 

2. Blogging -

According to Lorna Li (an online marketer who specializes in green marketing and writes about green marketing, social enterprise, social media and personal branding in her own blog), green and sustainable business owners shouldn't "count on Obama's stimulus plan to help your green business survive the economic downturn. With a tough economy and increased online competition, your green business needs a blog to be competitive. Blogging is the least expensive way to market, as it is just a fraction of the cost of television or print advertising, and most importantly, in can drive lasting traffic, if done correctly.

Read more: Blogging for Green Business Survival

3. Look inward

Although Eco-Protective Products’ business model may differ from other businesses, what makes us successful or unsuccessful is no different from the business of a lemonade stand to a multinational conglomerate. In this economy, there are many places to point a finger: the economy, the housing bubble, too much regulation or too little, green washing, poor financing, and so on and so forth.

Adversity allows us to peel back 

the fluff and get to the core 

of our business.

However bad the situation may be, some businesses will gain strength, market share, and brand power through these times, and others will shutter their doors. And I think we all should take this opportunity to look within ourselves and our organizations to make improvements, whether it be discovering new talents from our employees, returning to our core competencies, reaching out & listening to our clients, or encouraging an open dialogue with the stakeholders of our companies. Blaming situational conditions does  little more than afford us an excuse when we allow adversity to  precipitate failure instead recognizing it as the opportunity to lay the foundation for future success.


Share with us what inspires you to overcome adversity. Not a subscriber to our Newsletter, do so here.

I'll Reduce, Reuse & Recycle but Let me Have my Candy

In preparation for my favorite day of the year – discounting religious holidays, large sporting events, family gatherings, and the season premier of 30 Rock - (Halloween), I’ve spent the past few days perusing articles coaching consumers how to "Go Green" with their Halloween festivities this upcoming weekend. Nothing has surprised me too much as the majority of the tips are straightforward and common sense (i.e. use reusable bags, bake a pumpkin pie from the insides of that ghoulish jack-o-lantern you plan to carve, encourage kids not to litter, make home-made costumes, etc.). Despite the simplicity of the message, what struck me as a bit over-the-top for a celebration focused primarily on allowing children the indulgence of a guilty pleasure (candy) for one day a year was arrogance and confrontational tones taken in some of the articles.

Although these are certainly not representative of the entire Green Community, when reading a handful of articles, the authors’ voices transformed these simple tips from fun suggestions to obligatory commandments. I read, “…bake homemade, organic treats that trick-or-treaters can eat while at your house. This will promote local farmers, reduce trash, and cut down on all the wasted plastic used to wrap those individual fun sized candies distributed by large candy corporations.” But what I really felt when I read it was “if you eat a Snickers, you may as well be directly polluting the local ecosystem.”

This example represents a growing trend and potential problem for businesses and advocacy groups with sustainability at their core: the progress achieved by the hard work of many is being undone by those who promote the “Green Movement” wielding as weapons criticism, arrogance, and disdain for those that may not share their exact beliefs.

Why is this? Big shocker! People in general (our customers, friends & family, or neighbors) do not respond well to overt criticism especially when it is directed at their values, ways of life, and habits. Even though we try to be logical and rational in our decision-making, often it is our emotions that are the impetuses that drive our choices in life. Criticism only serves to bring out the negative emotions in people, which, in this case, can become irreparably tied to all things green having the reverse effect to promoting sustainability.

Going forth, I urge you, if you have something to share, promote or suggest to a person who may not share your exact beliefs, do so with grace, patience, and with respect. If in the end, they agree and you successfully elicit positive change, kudos. If not, respect their rights and freedom of expression because that is the foundation of our society and what makes us great. Be tolerant and respectful of others and who knows, perhaps they will treat you and your ideas the same.

We want your feedback. What are some of the changes you've been able to bring about among your circles of influence that have had a positive impact upon the environment? What strategies have you found successful? Unsuccessful?

Let the Little Things Make the Lasting Impression - Green Garages Help Sell Homes

Trouble selling a home in this market is far from a rarity. Fact remains, millions of homeowners spread across every demographic, representing progressive urban dwellings, traditional metropolitan suburban communities, and rural American towns are still finding great difficulty selling their homes. Economic statistics have begun to suggest that the housing downturn has begun to stabilize indicating that prices may be nearing the bottom. Problem is there are not enough prospective buyers to match the vast surplus of inventory remaining in the market.

What, then, is the difference maker? Why do some homes sell while other persist unsold. Certainly, community characteristics such as schools, household median income, community crime rates, and other socioeconomic factors contribute tremendously to a buyer’s decision.  However, differences in a home’s design, livability and aesthetic appeal play an even greater role in selling because they are the characteristics that YOU have the power to control.

Through cable network channels such as HGTV and TLC, the dissemination of tips, trends, and trade secrets of the real estate community have reached even the novice homebuyer/ home seller.  Enhancing curb appeal by improving landscaping & applying fresh paint, upgrading kitchen fixtures and appliances, and remodeling outdated bathrooms are great ways to improve the chance of selling a home; however, buyers know to look for such improvements, and coincidentally, so do other home sellers on the market. Improving on these areas will certainly contribute to the value of your home, but you still might need an added way to distinguish your home from the rest of the marketplace in order to sell.

So where to make the changes that will deliver the most value to your home, your wallet, and your ability to sell?

Although your real estate agent will undoubtedly lead prospective buyers into your house via the front door to highlight your foyer and entrance way, it could also be in avoidance of your garage.

Whether peeking to catch a glimpse of where they might park the family Mini Van or SUV or the prized sports car of a lifetime of hard work and savings; hide the kids Christmas or birthday presents; help their 16 year old son rebuild his dream car; store the golf clubs, skis or holiday decorations; or just see what will welcome them home each day after work, soccer practice, or a weekend at the lake.  According to an article published by the Wall Street Journal in 2008, 70% of American homeowners and their guests will enter the house through the garage, not the front door.

So while your agent might try to wow potential buyers with your home by taking them through the front, they cannot remove the importance of the garage from the buyers’ minds. There are many, inexpensive and a few cost-free ways to upgrade your garage changing its dynamic from an eyesore and embarrassment to a point of pride and a great selling feature. 

1. Remove clutter – whether you are trying to sell you house or not, be honest with yourself. Many families hold onto needless junk thinking it will serve some unknown future purpose, but when the future becomes the present, more often than not, that item will be outdated, unusable, or simply forgotten

2.  Apply a fresh coat of paint – whether your walls are concrete block or drywall, years of gentle bumps and scrapes against the walls leave their mark. Fixing holes and painting will help transform the garage into the feel of a room instead of neglected space

3. Apply a garage floor coating* – garage floor coatings come in many forms at various prices from the Do it Yourself Garage floor paints and epoxy systems that can be bought at Home Depot and Lowes to high end concrete coatings applied by certified application crews. If a cheap fix is what you want, and you are not concerned with quality, using a store bought paint or epoxy will do. However, these products will not last. Within months of typical wear and use, they will begin to peel, blister, and become more of an eye sore than to plain concrete before. New polyurea systems have come available on the market in recent years, and trained application crews conduct thorough preparation work and product application in less than a day. A garage application takes less than 10 hours from start to finish and generally costs less than $2500 for a 400 square foot garage. Many companies are offering long term warranties on both product and labor for these services, guaranteeing the product for as many as 10 years.

4. Install shelving and cabinetry* - if high-end is the market you want to achieve, then installation of quality cabinetry is a very useful way to appeal to this class of buyers. Whether a homeowner is looking to store crafts and decorations or motor parts and sports equipment, high-quality installations are a must. Full service garage companies are offering these services and the craftsmanship of the products is much higher than that of store bought products.