It feels somewhat strange dedicating my to work to a person I knew for a short time. I met Jeff Klein when he lived as a nearby neighbor in Woodacre for three or four years. He was still married to Margaret Jane, and his daughter Meryl Fe, age six to the best of my recollection, was the same age as my daughter, we both lived on Railroad Avenue, about a block apart. We were all there for Meryl Fe’s 5th or 6th birthday. I connected with Jeff because he was at the forefront of Cause Alliance Marketing, applying marketing, not to sell a product, but intended to drive social and environmental change while addressing the business objectives of sponsoring companies. As a marketing professional and a humanist, this strongly resonated with me. I had an invitation to join him in his work, but declined for financial reasons after much consideration. I saw Jeff was struggling financially and this scared me. Shortly after, he moved his family to a village in Baja to lower his overhead.

If I could the turn the clock back I would have decided differently. Jeff kept plugging away. One day I saw him in a small, Fairfax bookshop leading a workshop with a small 4-5 group of business owners. I think he was undaunted and determined. He became the founding director of Conscious Capitalism, Inc.,  co-founded with John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market. He wrote, he hosted a radio show. I think he was tireless. Jeff was instrumental in moving Conscious Business into the mainstream. He was also a good buddy of my new friend and associate John Montgomery.

Jeff dedicated his life to this cause:

“Thirty plus years ago I heard a call, which said, in essence, “your mission, should you accept, is to leverage the power of business for the greater good and in the process to make your work a path to learning, growth and development.” Wherever it came from, I decided to heed the call, and thus began a lifelong journey.”

He spoke for me when he said:

“As we mature as a species and as individuals, and recognize the deep interdependent nature of life, many of us are deeply motivated to work in service to life and to make a difference while we are making a living. We want our work to be infused with meaning and to foster health and well-being for ourselves and others, including the natural ecosystems that support all life.”

Jeff died early of a heart attack in his sleep at age 57. I don’t think I can fill his shoes, but I am stepping into them. While reading his magnum opus Working for Good I found this passage which synchronistically spoke to the name of my business: “Awareness is essential, but if it is not embodied in actions, its effects are minimized… If we are to be truly conscious, awareness needs to be embodied- literally carried in our bodies- and manifested in our actions and behaviors. Embodiment means moving from awareness into action; it is the place where we walk our talk and otherwise act in alignment with our intentions.”

Jeff, you are both an inspiration and role model. May I do some of the work you left undone.