Mover and Shaffer

You go, girl! My advice is to ambitiously pursue the best mentor you can find for a minimum of two to three years. For example, Chip Conley in San Francisco runs some of the best boutique hotels in the country. Try to work for him or someone as good as him to learn the business. Be the best apprentice you can be. Also, get involved in the local BALLE network in Victoria. And lastly, read Conley's book Rebel Rules and Paul Hawken's book Growing a Business.

Very good question. We source our materials as locally as we possibly can. We manufacture all our boards in San Francisco instead of Asia -- thus shrinking the supply line considerably. We source our T-shirts from Los Angeles instead of Asia. We use many small producers and distributors that are local to the Bay Area. The vast majority of our wholesale customers are small, locally owned shops. As a business person, one of my favorite quotes is "no margin, no mission." This means that the business has to make a profit so we can continue our mission; therefore we can't do everything we would want to do.

Great questions! Yes, we want other 'board companies to use water-based glues with low VOCs (volatile organic compounds). I can't comment on the second question because it's top secret ...

The biggest negative environmental impacts are from the intensive use of petroleum products -- both in the raw materials and the transport. Think about everything that goes into a skateboard, and we are trying to develop an eco-based alternative.

Our manufacturing partner is a snowboard company based in San Francisco called Glissade Snowboards. The owners and the staff at Glissade are great people. The factory is approximately 12,000 square feet, and we use lots and lots of solar power.

The smart companies are trying to copy us as quickly as possible.

First, lead by example. You may underestimate how much influence you have on your family and friends by making a strong commitment to your beliefs. This has tremendous power.

Yes to both. Bob Burnquist and Danny Way are two of the top pro skateboarders on earth and also very much into environmental issues. Bob has an organic farm in southern California, for example. Also, we're part of an organization run by Frank Scura called the Action Sports Environmental Coalition. Check it out if you're interested.

Ollie.

Interesting question. I agree that skaters get a bad rap, especially since so many are doing good things. No, I haven't felt that they take me less seriously. I (usually) have a lot of respect for what they're doing, so they (usually) try to understand me too. I've found that mutual respect is really the key element of any relationship based on trust -- and you can't get anything done if there isn't a healthy amount of trust.

Yes, we are hoping the local stock exchange will catch on in other regions. That's our goal. We'll need to do a lot of work in San Francisco first. Regarding "how it will work": This will require a longer conversation. Fortunately we are working with some of the best securities attorneys in the U.S. to create the appropriate legal and regulatory framework. That's the first step. Please email me if you're interested in discussing further.