I have considered myself a life-long environmentalist. Yet calling oneself an environmentalist in this capitalist American society is a tricky thing. Hasty judgements are made that may or may not apply. For some people the label conjures the image of a tree-hugging trouble-maker. For others, it's someone who recycles and composts. For me, it just means I care deeply about the other living things that surround our world and the impact we humans have on them.

There's a practice in Buddhism called "beginner's mind" that has had profound impact on my life and my creative approach over the years. It's basically an attitude of being open to ideas, thoughts, and experiences free from preconceived ideas of what you want, expect, or have experienced and/or seen others experience in the past.

When my business was still new and I was green behind the ears professionally, I hesitated at the thought of becoming friends with clients. But over the years, I've come to realize it's impossible to stop those kinds of deepening connections. When you work side-by-side—sometimes all year long and sometimes for a few select days of the year—the personal side of life has a tendency to somehow seep into the picture whether we want it to or not.

Today is another spectacularly beautiful spring day in Nashville. It also happens to be May Day, Election Day, and the day before the Big Payback, a statewide event in Tennessee that encourages philanthropy to your favorite causes and non-profits.