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Business Extra, Oct. 16

Rocky Mountain News

Published October 15, 2008 at 5:44 p.m.

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Bhakti Chai

Bhakti Chai

English Retreads

English Retreads

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VENTURES

BHAKTI CHAI, spicy micro-brewed chai

Price: $9-$10 for a quart of concentrate

Where you can get it: Whole Foods, Watercourse in Denver, The Kitchen in Boulder

Business owner: Brook Eddy

Location: Boulder

Tidbits: After returning from traveling in India for three months, Eddy found herself craving a cup of masala chai, a spicy blend of black tea. Unable to find an option to her liking in the states, the mother of 5-year-old twins started brewing her own. Before she knew it, the demand for her chai spread from her friends to local coffee shops, and Bhakti Chai was born. "It just happened very organically," Eddy said.

Bhakti Chai is a blend of Eddy's culinary creativity and traditional Indian chai. Ingredients include clove, fennel, cardamon, ginger and black pepper, all of which contribute to its fiery taste.

The word bhakti is Sanskrit for "devotion through social action," something that is integral to Eddy, who has a background in social policy. Eddy makes sure the tea is organic and fair trade, she composts the waste left over from brewing, and she donates to organizations such as Boulder Valley Women's Health Center. "From the very beginning it was very important to me that we had sustainable practices," said Eddy. "The company is based around the idea of bhakti, around volunteering and service."

Information: bhaktichai.com or 303-484-8770

ENGLISH RETREADS, classic purses made from recycled tires

Price: $15-$200

Where you can get it: Origins in Cherry Creek, Common Threads and Two Sole Sisters in Boulder, Willow in Littleton

Business owners: Heather English

Location: Boulder

Tidbits: Rather than being discouraged when her search for a fashionable and durable non-leather handbag left her empty-handed, English took to her garage and constructed one from an inner tube of a used tire.

That original purse is still proudly displayed in English Retreads' Boulder office.

"The bags are designed to be very classic, very stylish and to really last forever," said sales and marketing manager Molly Dempsey. "We really have a focus on sustainability. It's the foundation of our company and we try to apply it across the board."

This commitment is evident everywhere from the use of used truck inner tubes to make the purses' exteriors, to the soft fabric made from recycled plastic bottles that lines them. English Retreads also offsets all of its carbon emissions from production and transportation.

"Individuals and companies can do a lot to impact the environment and affect our future by making more sustainable decisions," Dempsey said. "As a company, we're trying to do that without compromising style."

Information: englishretreads.com

MY FIRST JOB

Bruce Schroffel, president and CEO, University of Colorado Hospital

First job: health center manager

When Schroffel was a graduate student, he was hired to help start a health center in an area in the South Bronx populated mostly by immigrants.

"That was at a time when the South Bronx was in horrendous shape. The center was built to serve the underserved," Schroffel said. "It was a spectacular experience and an inspiring way to start a career."

Schroffel worked with doctors, nurse practitioners and members of the community whom the center hired and trained.

"It was really fun to build a multiethnic team with every culture you could imagine," Schroffel said. "It was a family on some level, and I look back on it as one of my fondest experiences."

ADVICE

Steven Silvers, principal and consultant, GBSM Inc.

"Bad news happens with you or without you."

"It's a foundational little piece of advice that I always give my clients," Silvers said. "Staying out of bad news is a legitimate desire but not always a possible reality."

Silvers spends much of his time doing crisis management for corporations and organizations dealing with situations "they were either unprepared for or never saw coming."

He notes that while many companies believe bad news will just go away if ignored, it's much more effective to be proactive.

"In 2008, bad news can escalate in a millisecond," Silvers said. "The best way to manage it and ensure accuracy is to acknowledge the problem, assert your responsibility for finding out what happened and orchestrate your response accordingly."

AT THE WATER COOLER

If the thought of negotiating a salary made you cringe in the past, the thinning job market and faltering economy could add to that anxiety.

But Dick Gaither, co-author of the recently published book Next-Day Job Interview, says that passive acceptance will cost you even as the economy recovers. He gives these suggestions for enhancing a job offer:

* Don't assume pay and benefits aren't negotiable. Most employers expect to make an adjustment to pay, benefits, perks, work schedules or work locations.

* Know in advance what the high, low and average salary levels are for a person with your experience and education are.

* Be able to present concrete and measurable examples of your skills and your value to the company - how you'll make them money, save time or solve problems, for instance.

* If financial woes limit an employer and you can't negotiate for more money, compromise with things that can translate into money like extra vacation time, education reimbursements or travel allowances.

* Don't say yes too quickly. The longer an interviewer talks to you, the more likely you'll be able to negotiate better pay.