Business
Olympic Medalist Dotsie Bausch Wants You To Switch4Good
Dotsie Bausch, founder of Switch4Good, has a question for everyone.
Have you ever wondered why milk is required in public school lunches? The United States is the only country in the world that requires children to drink cow’s milk.
“Holy crap, what are we doing? Why are we feeding – especially to children, of which 70 percent of them cannot digest – Why are we making them drink this fluid?”
It’s a little weird, no?
Maybe it wasn’t so weird in the 1940s… 1840s… or 840s…
Today, however, we’ve learned a thing or two about how cow’s milk affects our bodies.
“Upwards of 70 percent of the world’s population cannot digest cow’s milk, and it makes you quite sick – this lactose intolerance. I’ll tell you, it’s pretty awful.
“Wheezing, stuffy nose, coughing. And then big-time gut distress: constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping.
“It’s pretty gnarly.”
It may take some time for us to shake the familiarity of cow’s milk in our diets. We’ve been inundated with cow’s milk (or just “milk,” for the layperson) from ads, culture, government requirements, lobbyist pressure, and dairy farmers.
Here’s The Truth About Milk…
Milk is meant for the babies of the mammals producing it. Cow’s milk is for calves. Human milk is for babies. Cat’s milk is for kittens. You get it.
Mammalian milk contains the necessary fats and vitamins for us to grow into strong healthy grown mammals. We, and every other infant mammal, contain an enzyme that allows us to digest that milk. That enzyme disappears once breastfeeding has concluded.
Northern European farmers were among the first to go “You know what? I want to try that cow’s milk. I mean… why not, right?” roughly 6000 years ago. Or so the theory states. Over time, they developed a genetic mutation to the enzyme that allows us to digest milk. These humans evolved to digest cow’s milk for as long as they were alive.
This familiarity with cow’s milk extended into the business world when it came time to make money off of that sweet, sweet utter juice. Milk was everywhere: delivered to our door by the milkman, in our schools, in our breakfast cereals.
Imagine getting made fun of for not putting milk in your cereal as a kid. Guess who’s the weirdo now, Stacy?!
Soon enough, “Got Milk?” entered the zeitgeist. Along with it, the idea that to be a successful athlete, you needed to drink milk. If Cal Ripken can play more consecutive games than any other baseball player, it must be the milk, right?
Speaking of athletes. Did you know that milk is the official sponsor of Team USA?
PED – Performance Enhancing Dairy
“New Zealand and the United States are the only countries in the world whose Olympic Committees are not government funded. They have to go out and get private funding.”
Enter the dairy industry to save the day! With “Got Milk?” featuring every famous athlete under the sun, it makes total sense that they would sponsor the Olympics. Since the government can’t be bothered, apparently.
“I have been exposed to and definitely pressured upon throughout that journey that milk – the mammalian secretions of the cow – are the only real way for athletes to recover from hard workouts, the only real way to build muscle and muscle tissue, and to repair and recover.
“I started to peel back all of the layers on everything that I had been taught and learned and really recognized that it was truly coming from a marketing perspective, not from an evidence-based perspective.”
It was at that moment, during the 2012 London Games (after winning the Silver in cycling), that inspired Dotsie Bausch to start Switch4Good.
“I had this idea to put on a commercial on the closing ceremonies of what then was the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on NBC that basically has seven of us, all Olympic athletes from four different countries.
“We’re standing up and saying, ‘Hey, guess what? We don’t need cows’ milk to recover. This isn’t the truth. It’s not a thing. And there are thousands of athletes that are finding a new way forward.’
“The dairy industry got it kicked off after it aired three times.”
Angering The Milk Masters
That move only served to fire Dotsie Bausch and her fellow athletes up. After being silenced by the dairy lobby, Switch4Good only got deeper and more motivated. The best way to crush your adversary is to silence them, right?
Smooth move, milk hawkers. You couldn’t just let it be. You just had to keep making your milk money.
Thanks to Big Milk’s fear and power, Switch4Good got strategizing.
“We work in two ways: behavior and culture change, but we also work on systemic change. We do quite a bit of work right now specifically to change the laws in the United States: that children have to be fed cow’s milk in schools. And if they don’t want one, they have to have a milk note from their parents.
“So, we’re working with members of Congress. It’s actually a regulatory change, not a statutory change. So it doesn’t have to be voted on.”
They even had a win.
“One of our big wins from last year was getting the dietary guidelines of America to put soy milk in as nutritionally equivalent so that here is a choice.
“Now we have to implement the choice into schools.”
Soy milk?! In public schools?! How… reasonable.
Dairy Nonsense
Some of you may consider soy milk in public schools to be hippie nonsense. But you’d be wrong. What is nonsense is drinking mammalian secretions from a mammal that is not at all related to humans.
Frankly, gorilla milk would make more sense.
Switch4Good and its mission to convert all dairy consumers into non-dairy consumers is an uphill battle. There isn’t just resistance from the powerful dairy industry. There’s personal resistance from smaller communities.
It wouldn’t be America without someone yelling, “You can’t tell me what to do!” Right?
Dotsie Bausch understands this better than you think.
“I grew up for thirty-five years of my life eating animals and the products of animals . . . loving animals, but mistreating them via I was a competitive horseback rider. So, it’s a journey and it’s painful to unpack 100 percent.”
“If you believe that we’re all equal – and I mean all – whether you have four legs or two, whether you have hair all over your body or just on your head – that [humans and animals] should have a relationship of mutuality and respect, not extraction.
“And that is how we treat so many animals – especially our food – as a product to extract from.
“That’s not equality, and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Convincing The Milk Drinkers
When it comes to convincing people to Switch4Good (see what I did there?) the strategies vary. What often gets people in the door is their own health. Say you want to cut dairy out and you start by drinking your coffee black. The idea of keeping yourself healthy is enough to check out Switch4Good and what they have to offer.
That, as Dotsie Basuch has pointed out, isn’t the “stickiest” of strategies. People give up on themselves for a variety of reasons.
If Dotsie Bausch and company want people to Switch4Good (look, I did it again!) they need to consider all strategies. One of the “stickiest,” according to market research, is the ethics side to this debate.
How Does Bessie Feel?
Imagine, just for a moment, that you’re a cow. You’re just trying to live your life, eating your cud, enjoying the sun, lying down when it’s about to rain. It’s kinda nice, no?
All is well when – suddenly – your perfectly nice day is interrupted by forcible impregnation.
Wait, what?!
You carry your calf to term, about nine months or so. Then you give birth (hopefully with the help of a ranchhand in the midst of their own coming-of-age story).
THEN, if forced impregnation wasn’t enough, you have your beautiful baby calf taken away from you.
Bruh.
Now, the milk you have produced to make your calf big and strong is now being harvested and extracted for some other entitled mammal to consume from a tiny paper carton in between math and gym.
Not only that, but sometimes it’s wasted through the nose of some snotty child, or mixed with chocolate like some kind of dessert! It’s even been used to ruin perfectly delicious coffee.
So, you’re forced to have a calf, it’s taken from you, and so is the milk you produce. All for the glorious pleasure of wealthy industry tycoons. Then, next year, it happens all over again.
Not so fun being the cow, is it?
Taking On Big Milk
Dotsie Bausch and Switch4Good have their work cut out for them. They’re fighting an uphill battle against industry, government, culture, and the stubborn.
“We’re still at the beginning. So quite honestly, I feel proud of the team that goes out every day – no matter how many doors are slammed in our face – because the door slams multiple times a day. It’s not like we’re getting water to children in sub-Saharan Africa. Everybody on planet Earth is like, ‘Yup, that’s a good idea!’ We are still seeding the idea that [consuming dairy] is not a good idea.
“We’re not doing something that’s popular. We’re doing something that’s straight up against the grain . . . eye-to-eye with the status quo. And it’s hard to get up every day with hope because it’s not wildly popular what we’re doing – nor do many people want to lean into it – it’s very hard to get attention and recognition.
“It’s the fierceness and the grit of the team to wake up every day and get creative and keep fighting.”
If anyone can get everyone in the world to Switch4Good (last time, I swear) it’s Dotsie Bausch and company.
Will you Switch4Good?
Did you know that your workplace design can impact the productivity of your employees? Aside from this, office design also affects employee safety and health. A study by international architectural firm Gensler in the US states revealed that only 38% of employees strongly agree that their workplace currently provides a great experience, highlighting a major gap between what offices offer today and what employees actually need to perform at their best.
So how does the environment impact the health, safety, and productivity of employees?
Design To Encourage Movements
Our work has a big impact on your health. Most of the time employees spend a lot of time on their desks, so they are becoming sedentary. As we all know, sitting down for long periods of time has adverse effects on our health. In addition, movement offers instant benefits, including cognitive performance boost.
Designing office spaces that encourage movement or walking can help curb these problems for employees and employers alike. There are workstations that are designed to be used in either sitting or standing positions. An open space design also encourages employees to walk from one section of the office to another. Sometimes something as basic as an ergonomically correct chair can help prevent ailments like backaches.
Natural Lighting > Fluorescent
Good lighting can help people see details clearly and increased visibility can help increase productivity. But, this does not mean to say that you can skimp on lighting in the office because a study from Cornell University shows that poor lighting is connected to low production levels and social satisfaction among employees. Many offices are composed of cubicles to give employees privacy to do their work. However, the cubicle arrangement also blocks natural light, which means that some employees are not exposed to natural lighting during an entire work cycle.
Humans are wired to seek natural lighting. In fact, many buildings in Europe encourage exposure to natural light. Employees who had the best views were the most productive and were most likely to describe themselves as healthy.
Dedicated Noise-Isolation Areas
Acoustics is another key contributing factor to productivity. To achieve acoustic comfort, the office must have appropriate acoustic support that is conducive to interaction, confidentiality, and concentrative work. If it is too noisy, workers will not be able to communicate with each other let alone concentrate.
Design your office to have multiple quiet areas where employees can migrate to in order to make calls, have private meetings, or to focus on their work.
Designed With Health In Mind
Aside from these factors, employers should also provide workers with suitable ventilation, access to greenery and the gym to help encourage a healthy lifestyle. Even something as basic as giving them access to increase or reduce the temperature in the office can impact their productivity. Employers should also encourage employees to personalize their workstations so that employees are happier. Workspace design should allow employees to socialize with each other easily while at the same time giving them access to views and privacy so that they can work properly and productively.
Good lighting, comfortable furniture, pleasant color schemes, and access to views or natural lighting can help generate positive energy in the office and employee mood. In fact, 8 out of 10 employees said their working environment affects their mental health.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by CadoMaestro from Pexels
Small business owners have a lot on their plates, having everything working as efficiently as possible. When reducing costs while increasing sales is a priority, you need all the help you can get. This is why a small business inventory management software is a necessity. Here are the top 8:
What is a Small Business Inventory Management Software?
Have you ever found it frustrating to track items or parts throughout your supply chain? Handling the storage, inventory, and sales from manufacturer to wholesaler to retailer can be a Herculean task. This is where small business inventory management software comes in.
This is a tool that automatically tracks how many products or items a business has in stock. It also records and helps monitor how many were sold, returned, or when you should reorder. The most basic software may include accounting tools and point-of-sale systems suitable for small businesses.
The Best Small Business Inventory Management Software
1. Zoho Inventory
A popular choice for small business owners, Zoho Inventory is great value for your money. It allows you to handle multiple ecommerce stores and warehouses. You can check stock levels, manage warehouse items, and fulfill orders.
It features order management, analytics, reporting, and barcode scanning capabilities. It has a free plan with limited features, so if you want to make the most out of the software, the paid plans are highly recommended.
Pros
- Can handle multiple warehouses, currencies, and channels
- Comes with bundling, kitting, and composite tools
- One of the least expensive options
Cons
- No return management feature
- Limited POS integrations
2. FreshBooks
Primarily an accounting software, FreshBooks also has the capabilities of an inventory management software. This is an excellent option for small businesses with fundamental inventory needs. Not only does it enable you to track your items, but it’ll also make accounting easier.
It integrates with many assets and transportation management software, such as 2ship and Barcloud. If you sell in different channels, FreshBooks will come in handy. It automatically gathers data from Shopify or Squarespace for effortless management of your inventories.
Pros
- Easy to navigate user interface
- It comes with excellent invoicing features
- Superb customer support
Cons
- Limited users and clients
- Tier-based pricing is confusing to some users
3. Agiliron
This small business inventory management software is truly cost-effective. Agiliron lets you manage multiple channels with e-commerce, social media, retail, and wholesale features. It will also provide you with comprehensive B2B and B2C inventory, kitting, and many other unique features.
It integrates with QuickBooks, Amazon, Shopify, PayPal, and many other e-commerce-related software and platforms. All its subscription plans offer unlimited orders and 24/7 customer support.
Pros
- Has customer-specific price settings
- International capabilities
- Wide ecommerce applications
Cons
- High learning curve
- Only one user per plan
4. Veeqo
Built explicitly for ecommerce businesses, Veeqo has many features that make inventory and shipping a breeze. It has purchasing, reporting, shipping, and order management tools, whether you have one warehouse or more. Its straightforward platform is centralized to make tracking and management simple and uncomplicated.
One notable feature of Veeqo is its shipping integrations. This includes major shipping couriers such as FedEx and UPS. It has a limited-time, 14-day free trial that lets you try out its service without making a huge commitment.
Pros
- Shipping discounts
- User-friendly interface
- Multi-channel inventory management
Cons
- Some reports of software bugs
- So-so customer support
5. Lightspeed Retail
Most popularly known as a point-of-sale software, Lightspeed Rail also has impressive inventory management features. It allows you to conduct sales online or in-store while tracking your inventory levels in real time. This is a very helpful software to have if you’re in the retail industry.
This small business inventory management software lets you select from a wide array of business types, such as apparel, home and gift shops, and many others. Lightspeed will then show you how it can work in your precise retail niche.
Pros
- Offers seamless integration with ecommerce and in-store POS
- Provides advanced reporting on CRM, vendor, and granular inventory
- Unlimited entries across all plans
Cons
- Has no free plan
- No options for managing perishable products
6. Sortly
Small non-retail businesses will find Sortly an excellent inventory management software, thanks to its free plan. Well, it’s not only that, this software has many more amazing features to its name. Its intuitive functionality helps new business owners get the hang of tracking inventory and other minute details about their products.
Sortly can help you with warehouse management, inventory control and reports, and barcode scanning, among others. It also enables you to keep track of stock levels and returns through its alerting feature.
Pros
- Reasonably priced premium plans
- Ideal for those starting a new inventory
- Easy-to-use interface
Cons
- Integrating with other apps is for paid plans only
- Customer service may be hard to contact
7. CIN7
With its robust inventory and multi-warehouse features, CIN7 has become small business owners’ favorite. Among all the small business inventory management software on this list, CIN7 offers the most integrations. It has a return management feature that is essential for ecommerce business owners.
This software offers advanced options for purchase orders, which include duplication, custom fields, and importing and exporting features.
Pros
- Multi-channel, centralized inventory system
- Great workflow automation
- Gives detailed real-time data
Cons
- No free plan
- Android-only mobile app
8. Katana
Specifically created for manufacturers, Katana will help you track all your products and supplies at every level of the manufacturing process. Its automatic workflow lets you concentrate on manufacturing. Aside from inventory features, this software will help you with scheduling, production planning and control, and many other tasks.
It has a very low learning curve; you’ll quickly know how to keep track of sales and purchase orders, production receipts, warehouse statuses, productions, and many others.
Pros
- Has inventory control and optimization tools
- Has comprehensive manufacturing shop floor control
- Allows tracking by the expiration date
Cons
- Only has email support
- No mobile app
Honorable Mention
The eight small business inventory management software listed above are our top choices. But there is one outstanding brand that we can’t ignore, so we added it to our honorable mention list:
Megaventory
Suitable for small and medium-sized businesses, Megaventory is a cloud-based order and inventory management solution. Its key features include order fulfillment, invoicing, reporting, and manufacturing management. It also offers comprehensive customer support that will help you provide better customer experiences.
Pros
- Alerts you when you are running low on stocks
- Provides automatic calculation of the inventory’s value
- Handles customer and vendor returns without human intervention
Cons
- The dashboard can be hard to navigate on small screens
- The item editor has a high learning curve
Final Thoughts
To find out which small business inventory management software is the best for you, you need to know your inventory tracking needs quite well. After doing so, you can choose from the list above and get the most suitable one for your brand.
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