Stephen H Baum Leadership

A recent NRDC environmental report pleaded with urban dwellers to use more durable umbrellas. Apparently, thousands of umbrellas break and are discarded each and every time it rains in major cities and these end up in landfills.

Catherine Charlot’s innovative initiative in capitalizing (literally) on this profit pool (pun intended) was the subject of Alisa Chang’s WNYC radio interview. She collected 247 umbrellas last week alone. She has many times that in nearby storage. And from these discarded umbrellas (and some other discards) she makes skirts and dresses (some retailing at $500), purses, laptop bags ($40) and more.

It is a reminder of the kind of successful mindset needed in this economy. She observed and assessed the discards herself in terms of variety, quality and number, considered her skills in patterning and sewing and set about testing the concept. A story worth mulling over, as I advise my coaching clients.

That’s just my view. What’s yours?

WNYC wedding dress from umbrellas article