Steve ElfrinkSteve Elfrink is the founder of OmTerra, a green marketing cooperative, and corporate dropout. Steve is like many people trying to live greener lives, in that he made changes to his lifestyle and home, yet his career did not align with his green values. For years, Steve struggled with this duality, until he needed to make a change. So, he left the corporate world in search of a better, sustainable life and started his own green company. OmTerra was created to meet the marketing needs of companies embracing a similar philosophy to Steve's of "ensuring the future of the Earth through their conscious and sustainable efforts, services, and products." OmTerra provides web design, webinar implementation, graphic design, powerpoint creation, marketing consultation, and market research services. Steve resides in rural southwestern Wisconsin known for its organic agriculture. This interview was conducted using Skype's chat format.

Green Options: Tell me about OmTerra.

Steve Elfrink: OmTerra is a marketing cooperative that was created to serve the green marketplace.

GO: Why did you start the company?

SE: I felt a strong need to work with companies that were aligned with my values. I also wanted to take my 17 years experience in corporate sales/marketing and apply it to companies that are making effective changes to the planet. I am very interested in working with green start-up companies that cannot afford to have a full time marketing department. Through the marketing cooperative concept, I can grow the company to fit the needs/demands of my clients.

GO: Did your family have any influence on your choice to leave the corporate world?

SE: Definitely! On many levels they influenced this change. When I worked in the corporate world, I needed to "mold" myself to fit into the corporate culture. I was not being true to myself. This was manifesting itself into a very unhappy husband and dad! On another level, the demands of my career were keeping me on the road and away from my family. Add in the stress of a high-level corporate position, and I was becoming the father I did not want to be: unavailable, distracted, stressed, and generally unhappy! My decision to leave the corporate world was heavily influenced by a need to become the father/husband that was available on all levels for his family. Also, I wanted to model for my children working in a career that I felt aligned with and proud of at the same time.

GO: So the values you wanted to model for your children played heavily on the decision?

SE: Yes!

GO: What other ways do you live a green life with your family?

SE: We try to be as green as possible in our lifestyle choices. We shop exclusively at the local food co-op and have joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) for produce to supplement our organic garden. We drive a Prius Hybrid, recycle everything possible, use energy efficient fluorescent lights, and we try to reuse anything and everything possible. We buy as much locally as possible, and most importantly, boycott products from China. We will be adding a solar/hydro intertie system to our homestead soon. We also stress the importance of being green, living sustainably, and consciously to our children.

GO: How does your immediate family feel about the green career change?

SE: Very excited and proud! My wife is probably the most supportive of my move. She was also the one who was encouraging me the most to make the transition and to "follow my heart". I know my bond with my three small children is increasing, as I feel and become more available to them as a father.

GO: How did your extended family respond to your green career change?

SE: My father worked for the same company for 42 years. He is all about stability and security. He is also a subscriber to the myth of our current culture. When I first let my parents know that I was "dropping out" of the corporate world, my father would not speak to me for several weeks. I think he thought my family was going to end up homeless! It was difficult on some levels, but it was also to be expected. I have always been the one in the family that danced to a different drum. My current mantra is "be true to yourself". This is something I want to model for my children. Through this transition there was a quote from Don Juan that helped me: “Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone one question. This question is one that a very old man asks…Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn’t it is of no use.”

OmTerraGO: Why does the green marketplace need a marketing cooperative?

SE: The concept for a marketing cooperative was to allow the collective pool of freelance web designers, graphic designers, market analysts, etc. to have an opportunity to work with aligned companies. Many freelancers have left the corporate world for many of the reasons I have left - they don't fit in! OmTerra, as a marketing cooperative, allows for a collective pool of resources that serve the green marketplace. Part of my intention in starting OmTerra was to be able to give back to the freelance community and help people survive on their own - so they aren't forced back into the cubicle and into a dead-end job. So in answer to the question on why does the green market place need a marketing cooperative, I would say it is a reciprocal relationship that provides a sustainable model for the green companies and the people that can serve those companies from a marketing perspective. Also, there is a need for quality marketing for start-up green companies - companies that cannot afford a full-time marketing department. For a start-up green company OmTerra can become their virtual marketing firm.

GO: What ways do you make OmTerra a green company?

SE: In an effort to make OmTerra a green company, I bought a Prius Hybrid for my "business car" to meet with clients. All office paper is recycled. In addition, my office for OmTerra is currently in a separate building on our property. I will be converting the office to a combination of solar/hydro. I want OmTerra to be as carbon neutral as possible.

GO: What has been the reception so far from the green community?

SE: So far it has been minimal - I have been currently only marketing the company locally. My goal is to be able to have a global reach that will be very positively received!

GO: Who are some of your clients?

www.omterra.comSE: OmTerra's first client was a certified organic farm. The farm sells their produce through wholesale and retail channels along with a CSA. The organic farm was looking to increase brand awareness and add a level of professionalism that was lacking. OmTerra redesigned their weekly newsletter, did a mini-redesign of their website, designed an HTML email template for their whole/retail clients, and a host of other marketing initiatives. OmTerra is also currently working with two life coaches who coach on wellness/healthy/sustainable lifestyles and a car dealership that is trying to enter the green auto market by adding/sourcing hybrids to it's line-up. As OmTerra ramps up, we are definitely looking to add more clients.

GO: How did you find the strength to take that one giant leap financially and leave the security of your corporate job?

SE: This was definitely the scariest part of the transition. There is the phrase in the corporate world of the "Golden Handcuffs" which is very true! To leave the security of a 17 year career in medical device marketing with a six figure income was a major leap of faith. It boiled down to a simple reality for me - life is not about money. Money is important, but it is not the "answer". The answer is right livelihood, following your heart, living consciously, and being in a position to benefit others and the planet. I truly believe that if you follow your heart/passion, the rest will fall into place.

GO: What advise do you have for others that want to leave the corporate world and go green?

SE: The number one thing is - go for it!!! Life is short. I subscribe to a Buddhist philosophy on impermanence. One major epiphany to leave the corporate world hit me when I was driving to the airport to go on a trip I was dreading. The epiphany was that if I died in that moment, I would be very mad at myself for dying without having "gone for it" and following my passion. It was shortly after that that I "quit" my corporate job and started OmTerra. So best advice - follow your heart now for tomorrow may not be here!

GO: How has your life changed since starting OmTerra?

SE: My life has changed in many ways! One of the most exciting ways it has changed is that now I have more time to devote to creating the life I want to be living. This model of life is based on self-sustainability. I currently live on 4.5 acres in SW Wisconsin. Our family's goal is to live as green as possible and as sustainable as possible. We are now raising chickens, organic gardening, and preparing to have a small herd of milk goats. I now have the time to devote to living the lifestyle I want - along with the focus and energy.

GO: What are your long term plans for OmTerra?

SE: My long term plans for OmTerra are to build it into a viable and sustainable model that supports my family along with a number of other families. My biggest interest is in allowing green-minded people to work with green-minded companies. I believe in giving back to humanity, and I feel by creating OmTerra, I can contribute on two levels - by spreading the word through marketing of green/conscious companies and by allowing people to create an income that does not demand working in an unacceptable environment.