I speak with Erin Higgenbotham of DEEP Oakland Grocery Collective, to help them envision a way to accelerate the success of their startup that means to bring a healthy grocery store to East Oakland.

When is the advice of others helpful? When and how are step-by-step approaches and formulas helpful, and when are they going to get in the way? We discuss the issues we see around the "guru industrial complex"—that common pattern online of a teacher promising quick fixes and creating engagement in online courses, etc., that do not always necessarily pan out—but still seem to create them a lot of income. How does this work, and what is wrong with it?

We break down some of what makes a smaller, personal business more special than a generic big-box store. We create more language for that. We provide a rationale for rich experiences. We see the multi-layered dimensions of unique experiences, and discover how shopgoers, owners, and staff, are all collaborators in creating something, which can be wonderful. We discuss ways to discover what is working and not working, according to a rich framework.

We discuss the work that Essential 3 is doing to help small businesses thrive better. We break down categories, and talk about how we are starting to practically apply a multi-dimensional approach to what business success really looks like. And how this has implications for the planet, and personal satisfaction. We ask: What is the economy for?

Chris talks with Kathryn about what she's been discovering and finding this last week: range of values to balance in a business; Mad Men marketing has done a disservice to small business; people want meaning and purpose, even in business; and more...

Why the courage to do things in an uncommon-but-better way is the key ingredient in what we're doing now. The difference between a reactive business, and a deliberate business.