On June 18, 2009 Earthsite in Partnership with the Green Business Networkheld a free online webinar as part of Green America's "No Green Businss Left Behind" Webinar Series.  Joey Shepp, founder of Earthsite, gave a presentation on "The Open Brand: Beyond Greenwashing."

Joey spoke about how Social media technology is driving the shift towards a more open culture, a more open government, and most notably, a more open way of marketing.  People are Twittering about your brand right now and the way you respond today will determine the future of brand management. At the same time, corporate sustainability marketing initiatives are getting labeled as greenwashing because they lack transparency that is foundational to building authentic brand trust.

The webinar taught participants how to leverage social media technology to be an Open Brand leader, transcending greenwashing and building trusted relationship with  customers. Joey showed several case studies of corporate green initiatives that have succeeded and failed and talked about how to show your green— authentically.

Joey Shepp and Earthsite are the social media mavens for Green Festivals and long time members of Green Business Network.

The webinar recording will be available soon.  Stay tuned!

Social Media for Small to Medium Sized Businesses

You've heard the buzz, you may have even given it a try, social media is shifting how we communicate and interact with our friends, clients, customers, and the public.

On Friday June 12th, 2009 Earthsite held two workshops to teach the basics of social media to small to medium sized businesses.   We had a great turn out with lots of enthusiatic participants.  At this workshop we walked participants through a short demonstration of how to set up and leverage social networks like Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter. We also showed case studies and best practices of how to successfully use social media to create followings, fans, and loyal customers.

If you missed this one we'll be offering more in the future so get connected and stay tuned!

On Sunday, June 7, Joey Shepp was the closing keynote speaker at the Green Career Conference presented by the Solar Living Institute.  The event took place at UCLA.

Joey's talk, How to Leverage Social Media to Build a Personal Brand and Land Your Dream Job focused on how to leverage social media to build a trusted online presence, develop a professional network, find quality jobs and employees, and build your personal brand. He closed with a short presentation, What do Green Jobs Look Like?

Joey also led the breakout session, New Jobs in New Media: The internet has changed the way we communicate in business; journalism, marketing, public relations, sales, and customer support all now require expertise in the role of new media.  He spoke about social networking, microblogging, online video, and more.

At the 6th Northbay Growth & Innovation Forum held in Santa Rosa, Joey Shepp, founder of Earthsite, spoke to a large audience of business professionals and entrepreneurs. Speaking along-side Steve Weiss, co-founder of the North Bay Angels, Joey presented on the topic of social media and how small to medium sized businesses can leverage "customer powered marketing."

After the two keynote speeches, there were three rounds of breakout workshops. Joey led the social media workshop, and fielded questions of "how-to," privacy, and strategy. Once again the response was terrific as many people were excited around the topic and buzz of social media.

Following the workshops, five entrepreneurs presented their business plans in front of a panel of judges. The event was well organized and well attended. If you you made it out to the event, thank you for all the great questions, thoughts, and ideas that you shared with us! Below you'll find the presentation from the event. 

The Sustainable Enterprise Conference: Tools For The Transition, is a day long learning and networking conference dedicated to helping North Bay businesses transition to economic, environmental and social sustainability.

The fourth annual conference was held May 8, 2009 at Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park, CA. Find out more about our Sponsorship and Registration.

At the conference, Joey Shepp, founder of Earthsite gave an inspired talk to an audience of 100+ business professional and entrepreneurs, on the topic of, "The Open Brand: Beyond Greenwashing, Sustainability Messaging in a World of Radical Transparency."

On May 7, 2009 Joey Shepp was interviewed by Betsy Rosenberg's radio show, On the Green Front .  Joey spoke about Green Maven , Earthsite and Open Brands , and how social media has helped grow and strengthen the green marketplace.

The episode showcased several Eco-innovators including Ray Anderson, CEO and founder of Interface Carpets; Claudio Miranda, President of Organic Bouquet, a company that pioneered eco-friendly flowers almost a decade ago and has been in the forefront of the organic flower business; Mike Korchinsky founder of Wildlife Works, an organic clothing company that’s taking corporate stewardship to a new level with its carbon reduction program and groundbreaking work in Kenya.

• 2009 Indicators, in an online interactive format
• Solution Guides for each of the Indicators
• Local Resource Directory of businesses, nonprofits, city programs, and more for each Solution Guide Article
• Powerful, customized Local Google-based search engine Bay Area’s only dedicated Green Job Board
• Local Sustainable Event  Calendar
• Interactive interface, allowing users to submit and share solutions, resources, events and jobs.

The mission of the San Francisco Green Business program is to help San Francisco businesses adopt environmental practices that are sustainable as well as profitable. They achieve their mission by setting stringent criteria, providing technical assistance, and publicly recognizing and promoting Green Businesses with a seal that enables customers to shop in keeping with their values.

The Program is made of up of three City agencies: SF Environment, San Francisco Department of Public Health, and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.  The San Francisco Green Business Program is also a member of the Bay Area Green Business Program.