194. A Business of Building Sustainability for the Future
Mike Dieterich
Mike Dieterich is the bestselling author of Renew and Sustain and an award winning producer and filmmaker. As an environmental scientist accredited by Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) with over 12 years of experience in the sustainable development field, he has managed energy and environmental projects for a range of local and international organizations and corporations.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
“I’m an Eagle Scout and I actually worked at Boy Scout camps, teaching other scouts how to look at the environment. That opportunity taught me a lot about leadership skills: how to work with people, with organizations, to change things from the inside as opposed to yelling with a sign outside. I’m not saying that activism doesn’t have its role, but I’m not an activist. I’d rather work with the players inside the organization to inject real change and see the things that I’ve seen happen on projects.”
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
“I always wanted to be a scientist, so I went to school for environmental science and took ahold of every opportunity that came my way. Between my freshman and sophomore year I went with the dean on a research project in a sulphur cave in MexicoCueva de Villa Luz. I published a paper about how cave fish adapted to their environment. The thing I noticed was how we’re impacting the environment. This cave ecosystem is being impacted by deforestation, and a growing human population and demand for resources from the ecosystem.”
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
“After working for other people in the building and construction industry and seeing environmental issues ‘from the other side of the fence,’ I knew I needed to figure out a way that I can balance this built environment that we’re building with the science that I know, and the environmental aspects that I know, and make a living doing it. So I started my own business.” Today Mike is working full-time advising building projects on how to create and adapt buildings to make them more sustainable and less damaging to the environment.
Steps to Success from Mike Dieterich
1. Realize that everyone’s future is about sustainability and living in harmony.
2. Don’t waste opportunities. If you have an opportunity to do something positive, do it!
3. “Find the happy.” Train yourself to focus first on the good and happy things in life.
4. Recognize that sustainability is the future, a major growth area, and it is profitable.
On His Bookshelf
Guns, Germs and Steel, by James Diamond
Collapse, by James Diamond
Connecting With Mike Dieterich
Website: www.renewandsustain.com
Twitter: @RenewandSustain
Facebook: www.facebook.com/renewandsustain
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/groups/6790738/profile
