GREEN DISCOUNTS = BETTER BUSINESS

So you all know www.afreshsqueeze.com but I bet you didn't know that a brand new version of AFS is coming soon! Amazing content (I mean amazing), more features, AND my favorite part a discount program for subscribers.

I am now calling all Chicagoland Green Business Owners to hurry up and get on board.

What's in it for you?

*First off, it's FREE to participate
*Build Increased Awareness of your store, services, brand
*Accessibility to the Green Consumers of Chicagoland
*Grow Foot Traffic

What do you do?

*Visit www.squeezecard.com
*Fill in your info including what fabulous and meaningful discount or offer you want to provide customers
*Set the timetable for the offer
*35 seconds later you are on your way to greater sales!

We can all use a little boost right now and frankly consumers want a one-stop info hub to help them make smarter purchasing decisions. THIS IS IT!

Mythic Paint Launch at Colori by Pivotal

Thanks EcoChicagoIL for a great little video! How fun!

Non-toxic paint...alien gift?

You are not going to want to miss this one folks! Join us at Colori Eco Paint Boutique for the launch of their new paint line.

Mythic® paint is a non-toxic, ultra low odor paint that provides the durability and coverage you expect from a premium paint without the off-gassing VOC’s and cancer-causing toxins that emit years after drying. Stronger, safer, smarter paint®. AND LOCAL.

Bites by Lula Cafe, Funky Grooves by DJ Ron Trent, Fun by Pivotal!

Stop in, hang out, and try this amazing paint out.

Cool Green Product Alert!

I think this is the greatest re-use idea ever!

As an event planner/producer I end up having banners made for my events. I try to create timeless banners that can work year after year but sometimes it is just not possible. So what do I do with my banners when the event is over? Simple, I turn them into a revenue stream!

PriorLife is a company I was just introduced to and here's what they do...

Step 1 - Send them your old banners
Step 2 - They refabricate them (with the help of some talented seamstresses) into products of your choosing Ie. Messenger Bags, Totes, Laptop sleeves, Coolers
Step 3 - They send them back to you and you do with them as you please. (Sell them at next years event for example)

They even create a custom label for the inside that shares the story of the new item.

I am carrying around a beautiful tote from a Looptopia Banners right now!

Check them out www.priorlife.com

Ravenswood ArtWalk This Weekend

I thought I was excited about this event until yesterday when I loaded in the Blago Exhibit and Central Art Gallery pieces and I LOST MY MIND with EXCITEMENT over this event!!

BRILLIANT ART (you can tell I'm really excited by my overuse of CAPS)

180 of some of the finest artists in this great city have converged on the Ravenswood Corridor for two days. This FREE event runs Saturday and Sunday from 11am - 6pm. There will also be FREE trolley service.

Starting location is 4256 N Ravenswood (west side of the tracks) in the Central Gallery where you can see one piece by every artist AND buy raffle tickets for the GREAT ART RAFFLE featuring over $3,000 worth of art by some of our talented and most generous artists.

Don't forget to come to 4147 N Ravenswood to see the special exhibit: The Blago Project which is housed in Blagojevich's former offices (Where the FBI wiretapped and eventually raided!!) You can even see a Shannon Downey original ;)

I hope to see you there supporting the arts and industry in Chicago! I'm pretty sure I'm going to go broke buying art this weekend...

Above is a sneak peek at just one room of the Blago Project!

For more details visit www.ravenswoodartwalk.org

Logan Square Kitchen Opening

EcoChicago just released this fun video covering the Logan Square Kitchen Grand Opening.

Pivotal's Spread in CRAVE Chicago

So honored to be a part of this amazing book that celebrates stylish women entrepreneurs *blush*
You'll be able to buy it in book stores in just a few months!

You Are Invited!

Revitalization in Chicago
Logan Square Kitchen Brings a Breath of Fresh Air to the Neighborhood

An innovative and unique business is opening its reclaimed doors this month in the Logan Square neighborhood. The much-anticipated Logan Square Kitchen bears testament to the burgeoning Green Economy taking root in Chicagoland. This 96 year-old building has been refurbished into a stunning LEED Gold rated private event space and shared commercial kitchen. "Every inch of this space, every detail, every moment of the building process has a wonderful story behind it. From the salvaged 100-year-old doors to the castor bean kitchen flooring, the building feels...soulful to me," shares owner Zina Murray.

The space is a lesson in energy efficiency and purposeful decision making both in materials as well as, design. The intimate event space is both elegant and comfortable with the dreamy inclusion of a restaurant kitchen so that any chef you choose can prepare an amazing meal. The commercial kitchen features three separate galleys available to food entrepreneurs for rent by the hour. While event patrons enjoy a wonderful venue, they are supporting economic development by providing a place for chefs and farmers to start micro food enterprises. Tiny Cakes, a Logan Square baker specializing in individually sized desserts, is already hard at work filling the kitchen with tempting chocolate aromas.

The Logan Square Kitchen will be welcoming the public to an Open House on Saturday & Sunday, September 26th and 27th from 10am - 3pm. The Event Industry is cordially invited on Monday, September 28 from Noon - 7pm. Guests will be treated to complimentary exceptional bites as they explore the space and get the inside scoop on the exciting stories that this new "old" building holds. RSVP HERE

View their gallery on their new website www.logansquarekitchen.com
Follow them on twitter @Logansqkitchen

HELP!!

Pivotal is so proud to have been nominated for a small business grant as part of the Shine a Light Program from AMEX.

We have 31 hours to get 50 people to endorse our story in order to move on to phase II

Will you help us?

http://shinealight.ivillage.com/sbo-profile/?ProfileID=7678

An Intro to the Green Exchange

An Introduction to the Green Exchange (web version) from Conscious Living TV on Vimeo.

Pivotal could not be prouder to be a future tenant!

ChicagoArts features Pivotal Production

Thanks ChicagoArts!

Pivotal featured in Mindful Metropolis Magazine!

Click Here to Read!

Thanks Mindful Metropolis! We think you are the best. *blush*
@mindfulmetro

Confessing My Love...Publically *blush*

Everyone who knows me knows I LOVE to draw up a floor plan. Every event needs one and it is one of my favorite parts of the "planning" side of events. (Nerd...yes)

Here's the thing...unless its a huge event with a ton of intricate details AutoCAD is often just too much of a program for such a floor plan. There really wasn't another option for me until recently. Ok sure, there are lots of design programs but they are either too expensive (in my humble opinion) or just clumsy.

So I was flipping through Special Event Magazine the other day and saw a little something about a new free program available on the CORT event furnishings website. Well I checked it out and I LOVE IT! It's easy, it's quick and it's free. Brilliant CORT! Of course, I will think of them first for furniture rentals...they just made my life easier! Symbiotic relationship.

Ok, it's out there. I have confessed my love for CORT and their brilliant marketing tactic that made my life easier and hence has earned them some new business!

(Image above is the floor plan I whipped up using their program)

This Sunday!!!

Pivotal is proud to be sponsoring "Corks and Crayons" a fundraising event for an amazing non-profit, Purple Asparagus. Founded by Miss Melissa Graham (we are a huge fan) this non-profit is dedicated to bringing families back tot he table by promoting and enjoying all the things associated with good eating.

This event will be held at Uncommon Ground (Devon) this Sunday starting at 4pm. Amazing eats, delicious beverages, music, kids activities, tours of the rooftop garden, gardening demo's and seriously incredible silent auction items all for only $55!

Can't make it but still want to support? The silent auction is ONLINE and you can BID NOW!

See you there!

Green Leaders...Great Fun!

A few weeks ago Pivotal held a fantastic networking event for some of Chicago's top Green/Sustainable Business Leaders.

The event was so much fun and the energy in the room was incredible.
We were humbled by the group of dynamic leaders who attended!

We wanted to take a second to thank our sponsors.
We encourage you to support these amazing businesses...

City Provisions Amazing Bites
Pivot Boutique Stunning Space
Vrai Photography Exceptional Photos
Bacardi Mojito Build your own Mojito Bar
Consolidated Printing Green Printing
Neil Dixon Smith Incredible Live Music
Aesthetic Engineer Our Favorite Art (and poster/invite design)
Distant Village Packaging Sustainable Name Badges

A BIG thank you to Sarah Snyder for her brilliant planning work!
Another BIG thank you to Jessica Levin for all her help on site.

Event at Connect

An event to welcome and support Greenheart Shop

Tuesday, August 25th
6pm - 9pm
Suggested donation of $5 before or $7 at the door.

View Invite

Where?
Connect Chicago
1330 N Milwaukee

Who will be there?
Tree Theory Bags
VeeV
Blue Plate
Bleeding Heart Bakery
Divine Chocolate
Pollen

A Rose by Any Other Name...

Author: Alaina Paradise

Fair Trade Certified flowers have been available in the United States for only two years, and are still not offered by most florists, grocers or wholesalers. A large reason for this is the lack of understanding on what Fair Trade actually means, and how it's different from the many different "green" labels that are currently available.

The Problem
Most of the roses and other flowers sold in the United States come from outside our borders. In fact, over 70% of the cut flowers sold in the US come from Africa and South America. Workers on these floral farms are typically women and are often abused, paid unfairly, and forced to work outrageous hours to meet production quotas and keep their jobs. In addition, they are rarely given protection from the many harmful chemicals and pesticides that are used on most farms. Because of these factors, the negative environmental, social and economic impacts of the floral industry in developing countries are astounding.

The Confusing Solution
Over time, and with the rise of consumer awarensess, many "green" labeling efforts have taken the initiative to make positive changes in the floral industry worldwide. However, consumers have good reason to question what these labels actually mean. Labels like FlorVerde, Veriflora, and Sierra Eco have all helped to reduce the impact of environmentally degrading growing practices in various ways.

Flowers with some of these labels may be offered at your local CO-OP and florists, and they are a great step forward in improving the floral industry worldwide. The problem for consumers is that these labels are often hard to differentiate between and offer little solution to the many human rights abuses that mar the floral industry. In addition, consistency in what these labels mean from farm to farm has been far from stable, even in recent years.

Fair Trade Certification
Flowers and floral farms can only be certified as Fair Trade for the US market by TransFair USA. This international organization guarantees consumers that strict environmental, social and economic criteria were met in the production and trade of your flowers. So, in addition to amending environmental abuses, Fair Trade Certification empowers farmers and farm workers to lift themselves out of poverty by investing in their farms and communities, protecting the environment, and developing the business skills necessary to compete in the global maretplace.

According to TransFair USA's website Fair Trade Certification includes these principles:

• Fair Prices: Democratically organized farmer groups receive a guaranteed minimum floor price and an additional premium for certified organic products. Farmer organizations are also eligible for pre-harvest credit.
• Fair Labor Conditions: Workers on Fair Trade farms enjoy freedom of association, safe working conditions, and living wages. Forced child labor is strictly prohibited.
• Direct Trade: With Fair Trade, importers purchase from Fair Trade producer groups as directly as possible, eliminating unnecessary middlemen and empowering farmers to develop the business capacity necessary to compete in the global marketplace.
• Democratic and Transparent Organizations: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers decide democratically how to invest Fair Trade revenues.
• Community Development: Fair Trade farmers and farm workers invest Fair Trade premiums in social and business development projects like scholarship programs, quality improvement trainings and organic certification.
• Environmental Sustainability: Harmful agrochemicals and GMOs are strictly prohibited in favor of environmentally sustainable farming methods that protect farmer's health and preserve valuable ecosystems for future generations.

To uphold these criteria, TransFair USA maintains close working relationships with certified farms, and is available to help each farm continue to develop its social and environmental programs. Look for the Fair Trade Certified label on Roses coming to your local stores soon and help support a truly sustainable initiative!

Alaina Paradise is the Owner of One World Flowers, a wholesale supplier of Fair Trade Certified Roses. Learn more at www.OneWorldFlowers.org

Fair Flowers for Green Events

Have you ever bought flowers and wondered what their origin was? Or if the farmer had exposed themselves, their workers, their flowers and their local environment to toxic pesticides?

According to the US Dept of Agriculture, around 70% of flowers are imported to the US. The vast majority of commercially produced flowers are grown in Colombia and Ecuador where 2/3 of flower farm workers endure health consequences from pesticide exposure. The International Labor Organization estimates 20% of flower workers in Ecuador are children who are even more susceptible to related illnesses.

You need not eliminate flowers from your event plans; a simple way to green your special day is with fair-trade, organic or local flowers. We suggest you turn to Lynn Fosbender, owner of Pollen; an eco-friendly floral design studio in Chicago. When it comes to understanding environmental issues and sustainable design, she is at the top of her field! Fosbender has a well-rounded background in Ornamental Horticulture and Restoration Ecology from the University of Illinois. She spent time as a Land Conservation Specialist and several years as a designer in various floral shops. She loves integrating unexpected elements in arrangements such as berries, branches and other non-floral materials.

For eco-conscious events, Pollen offers floral designs created from sustainably grown flowers. Fosbender's first choice for sourcing eco-friendly flowers is from local, organic growers at Green City Market in Lincoln Park. When she can't find her client's request through local growers, she seeks out Verifloral flowers; a certification confirming flowers and plants have been produced to the highest environmentally and socially responsible standards.

Fosbender does not stop there; she decreases her carbon footprint by biking or using a car share service for all work related activities. She continually seeks to find alternatives to traditional floral tools such as floral foam; a petroleum based product that contains formaldehyde. She also posts handy articles and tips on her website such as Cut Flower Care for Longer Lasting Flowers.

*Picture above is an arrangement by Lynn Fosbender.

Article by: Jessica Levin

Sometimes finding the truth starts by studying Falcons!

Kristina Carter is a Midwest girl and the owner of Vrai Photography, located here in Chicago. However, her story does not begin with photography. Kristina got her Master’s degree from the University of Kentucky which she studied Peregrine Falcon Behavior and Ecology! From here Kristina worked as a falcon biologist for a short period of time before making her move to full time photographer. Kristina’s research falcon research required her to work 10 hour a day studying behavior. She is now a master at anticipating the action of others and waiting patiently for just the right moment to get the perfect shot. Who would have thought?

Kristina chose to name her business Vrai which means true in French. Her goal within her photography is to capture true moments, true emotion, and true memories that are true to life and that will last a lifetime. She is very passionate about her work, life, and her love for people and which is all very clearly expressed through her art. She is drawn mostly to dynamic compositions but she also looks for bold patterns, shapes, colors, realness, and natural beauty that are found in the details of life. Kristina works hard to bring your pictures to life and to tell your story through photographs. She is a very talented photographer and she is sharing her gift with everyone around her.

Kristina is also passionate about environmental stewardship and responsible business practices. She maintains a fantastic list of green resources on her website and her blog. Kristina Carter is showing the world what she can do, one picture at a time! For more information check out her super gorgeous website and wildly entertaining blog. www.vraiphoto.com

Balanced Kitchen

By: Jessica Levin

American painter and founder of the photorealism art movement, Chuck Close, experienced a blood clot in his spinal column resulting in paralysis. Instead of abandoning his passion mid-career, Close overcame his barrier by developing techniques allowing him to work from a wheelchair.

Similar to Close, Betty Alper could have retired as a bread chef when bread began to make her sick and she was diagnosed with Celiac. Celiac is a condition that causes intolerance to gluten, a protein found in bread, crackers, and similar wheat products. But abandoning her formal education from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, a premier culinary arts school for baking, was not an option for Alper.

Alper turned her health disorder and vegan lifestyle into a career.
She has created Balanced Kitchen; a local, sustainable, organic, vegan and gluten-free restaurant & catering business.

Balanced Kitchen specializes in small, seasonal, appetizers made from produce from local farmers to ensure freshness. Business Manager, Josh Alper, defined Balanced Kitchen’s goal: “to impact the market and show people gluten free and veganism do not necessarily mean tasteless, medicinal, or health foods."

Josh finds that it can be a "challenge bringing this concept to the market without sounding like snobby, gourmet elitists.” But these very down to earth folks communicate the importance and value of vegan gluten-free eating in such a positive and encouraging way you can't help but want to try it!

Once you try Betty's amazing creations you will be hooked!

Balanced Kitchen’s restaurant is currently relocating to the exciting Green Exchange, a sustainable business community located on Diversey Parkway between Western Avenue and the Kennedy Expressway.

The Green Exchange is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. In the meantime, you can find additional information about catering on Balanced Kitchen’s website (http://www.gfreev.com/) and purchase their baked goods from The Green Grocer or True Nature Foods.

Some Facts:

• According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
livestock production produces 18% more emissions than transportation.
• Nearly half of all the fresh water used in the U.S. is used for
animal agriculture. A meat-based diet requires more than 4,000 gallons of water
a day, while a vegan diet requires only 300 gallons. (PETA)
• Animals raised for food produce 89,000 pounds of waste per
second—that’s approximately 130 times as much excrement as the entire human
population. (PETA)
• According to the Environmental Protection Agency, factory farms
pollute our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined.