Certified Organic, Fairly Traded Coffee Roasted in the Shenandoah Valley

When I was in business classes, we learned about “complementary goods and services.”  These are products that are consumed with other products.  For example, if you’re in the business of selling hot dogs, you might also offer buns and ketchup.

For the longest time, I’ve thought about what are the complementary goods to the conversation and listening promoted by The OrangeBand Initiative, Harrisonburg Summits, and the work at the Community Mediation Center (soon to be renamed the Fairfield Center).  Well, yesterday we announced a perfect complement to any conversation:

Grounds for Conversation

Yes, our own line of coffee!  What goes better with conversation than coffee? And not just any coffee.  This coffee is certified organic, fairly traded, and roasted right here in the Shenandoah Valley within 24 hours of when we place an order.

All orders are pick-up only, so we’ll need to make special arrangements for anyone out of the area.  There are four choices for Grounds for Conversation:

Four Quality Choices!

All coffee comes ground in 12oz bags, and is roasted the day we place your order!

Mediator’s Medium

Named for our core service, Mediator Medium has a mild acidity, light body and smooth flavor. Featuring a vanilla toned sweetness, this fine organic deserves appreciation as a distinctive specialty coffee.

Summit Sensation

Named for the Harrisonburg Summit series, Summit Sensation is a blend of wonderful Organic coffees from South and Central America. A nutty, caramel like flavor, with a full bodied, heady aroma.

Facilitator’s French Roast

When coffee is dark roasted its acidity and flavor is subdued. For that reason our French Roast is a blend of coffee’s which are renowned for their acidity and full flavor. This allows those of you who love dark roasts to still enjoy the best flavor in your cup.

Listener’s Decaf

The Listener’s Decaf is a blend of Central and South American beans, hand- selected from the finest farms in their regions. We roast these beans to a medium dark brown to release their rich, full flavor and accentuate the exceptional body and perfect balance. This is a water-processed coffee (12oz, ground bag).

Click here for more information! Orders by Thursday at midnight will arrive in time for Christmas and can be the perfect stocking stuffer.

So, I’m thrilled to learn about the National Day of Listening, which occurs the day after Thanksgiving.  The project is championed by StoryCorps, which is working to record people’s stories – with willing listeners (you’ve probably heard examples on National Public Radio).  The idea is simple: record an interview with someone in your life – and be listening as they share.

There is a Do It Yourself Kit on the website, and there is information in this video.

Here’s a Great Questions List to get your conversation started!

Who will you listening to?

Come to hear an expert show a PowerPoint Presentation about her work.  Please RSVP today!

If I get that invite (and I have), I’m probably not going (I didn’t).  So often, very engaging speakers and presentations get little audience because the invitation doesn’t do the event justice.  This expert could be a NASA astronaut showing the most amazing pictures from a space walk, but the description has me asleep.

Solution: Don’t actually have a boring event.

Solution: Give me a few sentences about this person’s work, give me some facts that will “wow” me, show me an image from the slideshow, or give me a link or a short video with more information.  Tell me what’s interesting and unique!

Why didn’t anyone show up to my discussion event?  We had everything planned, we invited a lot of people – and only 6 people came!  No one cares.

I’ve heard this countless times, for all kinds of events.  An organization or person puts together and advertises an awareness event, a speaker, a video showing, or a discussion, and when the attendance is low, the blame is on “people” for not caring and being apathetic. Consider this: it’s not “people”, it’s poor and/or lazy planning and inviting.

I thought I’d blog about some common mistakes people make when inviting people, and then post some techniques I’ve seen be successful.

Mistake #1: The “Me Me Me” Invitation

Listen to me talk about me so you can support me!

Annoying, right?  Yeah.  Event organizers frequently design events to get out their own message, and advertise the event without one hint of what the opportunity is for the potential guest in attending.  The result is usually friends and colleagues are guilted into attending and few other people show.

Solution: Invite people by first recognizing their own work and interests.  Share what their opportunities are in attending – how will it help them with what they want to do?  What difference can be made by their attending?  If you’re not sure, ask!  ”What would make this event interesting to you and worth your time?”