Episode 20
Innovating for Sustainability: Strategies for Growing and Succeeding in Business with Andy Nelson
In this episode, host Grace Bruins interviews Andy Nelson, the Founder of Natural Resource Innovations about how he combines consulting experience with natural resource management to help businesses grow and succeed. Natural Resource Innovations provides comprehensive natural resource innovation and environmental consulting services for land and infrastructure owners and operators. Nelson shares how he got into environmental and ecology consulting and his emphasis on sustainability, which he views as not wasting resources and being efficient. The discussion revolves around his work in private land management, regulatory support and compliance, and native landscaping. Nelson highlights the importance of native species in landscaping, as they are well adapted to the local environment, require less maintenance, and provide a functional component for birds, butterflies, and people.
Andy emphasizes the value of innovation and why companies must differentiate themselves and stand out in a crowded market in order to succeed. Businesses become more sustainable by understanding their business's nature, identifying their touch points, understanding the customer's needs and looking at things from a customer-centric perspective. This episode is packed with actionable advice for business owners. Entrepreneurs with passion for the environment and sustainability will find the episode inspirational.
Highlights:
07:32- Sustainability to me means trying to look at the big chunks of the business first because that's where you're going to get your biggest impact. And if you can take your biggest expense item and reduce it by 20% that's probably a huge impact to your bottom line. You probably throw most of that straight to the profit line.
13:38 - I figured out that I do have a passion for strategy and sharing that strategy with others. And that has led me, I'm an adjunct instructor at Marine Park Technical College in the business program. Been doing that for a number of years and that's a lot of fun. I really enjoy it. And that has also kind of blossomed into helping the companies that I work with, helping myself and helping others to build strategy that helps their business grow and succeed. And so I spend a fair amount of time thinking about strategies and like to help others do the same.
19:51 - Yes, business can be a really tough thing. I've had great moments and not so great moments along the way. But I think for any business that's been around a little bit, you come to understand that when you provide value to your customers, they will come back to you again and again. And that is the secret sauce of any business, is providing that value and just staying with it and serving your customers.
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