Green Building and Sustainability Consulting

Sometimes a green building and sustainability consultant gets to eat the food he recommends to others.  People ask me, “Who are your target clients?”

Sometimes a green building and sustainability consultant gets to eat the food he recommends to others. As a consultant focused on marketing green buildings and green building services, it’s been people asking me, “Who are your target clients?” Anyone who’s started a new business knows that the early-stage clients often define the enterprise for a considerable time, yet are indispensable. The marketplace tells each business what it wants most, in terms of what it’s willing to pay for. In the case of Yudelson Associates, it’s market intelligence, good business advice and a “hands on” approach to delivering it. Our clients to date include venture capital firms; very large and very small developers; architects and engineers wanting advice on green building marketing; projects looking for design assistance; a large building products manufacturer; organizations seeking an insightful speech or inspiring workshop; a university or a company trying to implement a sustainability program; and the list goes on. In each case, we’re trying to meet our corporate vision: “growing the business of green building,” allowing each client to contribute to that idea. It’s like jazz in a way, a central theme, with a lot of riffs. What are your experiences of growing a business?

Posted by on 12/04/2006 at 04:53 AM

As a market researcher, I’m fundamentally curious.
I enjoy getting a handle on information: gaps, BMPs that address the gaps and barriers, seeing the changemakers and their actions, articulating the dynamics, in different modes, to a variety of audiences, to accelerate change.

What I’ve noticed in the green buildings industry is this:
Typically in an industry growth phase, experts keep information to themselves.
They create barriers to keep potential competitors out of ‘their’ industry segment.
What is unusual about the green buildings industry is the degree to which information is shared within and between sectors, in both a strategic and an informal style.
In this industry, at this stage, there is an intrinsic degree of altruism, and this is remarkable compared to other sectors’ industry growth phases.
This level of co-operation – or co-opetition, is due to the fundamental stakes, the risks inherent in ‘us’ not getting ‘there’ together, where the goal is sustainability of earth and all inhabitants.
It involves a recognition of chaos theory: that a butterfly flapping its wings may create changes that escalate into a tornado developing (or being prevented from developing). That complex, snowballing, drastic results may ensue from seemingly small events – and which generate a lack of predictability.
It means thrivers in the industry can cope with the high degree of uncertainty, and strategize and achieve amidst it.
It involves a recognition that our choices – what we do; what we make; how we make it; what goes in it; why, how and with whom we use it; what we can (and do) do with it when we’re done with it – all of these influence chains of events that arise long after – and before – our own choices.
It takes a different kind of value system to green and be green: an assumption of social, environmental and economic responsibility for impacts of choices.
Many in the green buildings sector have a variation of these values, this passion, this drive – in all industry segments.
It requires individual recognition of the stages of sectoral development, addressing the next phase, finding new information, new gaps, new solutions.
It involves a search for, and embracing of, excellence.
Not all may live/work by this credo.
But, it is recognized and engaged by, others driven by the same fundamental purposes.
It’s a method of business development that synergizes individual strengths in achieving common goals.
And, it becomes a fundamental source of satisfaction.

Posted by Sonja Persram  on  12/06/2006  at  06:33 PM

Sonja, what you’re really arguing for is a paradigm shift, if green buildings are to deliver on their promise. There’s a lot of evidence that such a shift is well underway, don’t you think?

Posted by Jerry Yudelson  on  12/06/2006  at  07:20 PM

Absolutely, Jerry.
We do have a major paradigm shift in progress.
I guess I’m articulating the potential underpinnings of those who are not yet shifting - some of whom may actually not participate in this even longer term.
I’m thinking, for example of folks who are resisting greening, in corporate milieux - although they have ample rationale to adopt it.
North American data are coming in, and we do have EU data support also.
So, in the iconic sci-fi phrase: “Resistance is futile.”

It’s great you’re provoking thought on this.

Posted by Sonja Persram  on  12/06/2006  at  07:48 PM