Connections, Culture, Economics + “The Bucket Brigade”

Bud Caddell is a change-maker and a cultural curator.

I forget how I first came across Bud on Twitter, but I had already been following him by the time I had the opportunity to chat with him in person at Grant McCracken’s Chief Culture Officer Boot Camp. Bud’s a wicked-smart, culturally-aware, and downright talented man who authors one of my favorite reads on this here Internets – What Consumes Me. It’s an aptly named blog for the curiosity that drives Bud. That curiosity is what consumes me, too. I have flipped my life on its head because of that curiosity. And based on the number of people I’ve surrounded myself with lately who also seem to have caught this bug, I am incredibly bullish on supporting Bud’s new project: The Bucket Brigade.

The Bucket Brigade is the formal proposal for a new book Bud will pen with contributions and support through the micro-funding site, Kickstarter. My excitement over the work Fred Benenson (another of my connections) and the industrious crew at Kickstarter is an whole ‘nuther blog post.  Today, it’s about Mr. Bud Caddell.  The basic idea behind is project is this:

Chief Culture Officer: The Boot Camp

I’ve found a man who understands me.  It sounds impossible, I know.  But Grant McCracken has figured me out.

Grant has been in my life for about two months, and it’s been a culturally-charged lovefest ever since (Even his wife, Pam, is gorgeous — such a charmed life, Mr. McCracken!). I crossed his path (the intersection of anthropology and economics — yes, economics. I know I just lost half of you) when I stumbled upon the new Masters of Branding program at the School of Visual Arts.  Listed as one of the guest speakers, I learned about Grant as I researched the program in detail (an excellent program — very exciting in the world of branding!).

Chief Culture Officer was released a few months ago.  The book is a celebration for us ‘both/and-ers’ in this world.
Many of us are creatives, but have an extraordinary aptitude for business.  For us, going to business school would be akin to a lobotomy.  Some of us are more structured business-types, but have an incredible interest and curiosity in culture and its influence on business.

I read it in one (lengthy) all-nighter.  I can’t use life-changing or inspiring to describe it, because that would suggest a new way of seeing the world.  Grant’s discourse on the significance of cultural reference and understanding on the future of business IS the way I see the world. Validating and optimistic is Chief Culture Officer. And yesterday was further evidence of this.  But more on that in a minute. First, a little more about Chief Culture Officer…this is the necessary future of business as Grant sees it:

Wizardry, Transparency + Due Dates

This is my first Saturday at home in a month.  Mid-January into usually mid-February is always back-to-back-to-back-to-back weekends of fencing – not that I’m complaining.  It just means that after the holidays, I hit the ground running.  In an ideal world, I have all of my ducks in a row and am prepared for it.  However, in my temporary world of higher education, it causes a bit of havoc because it happens at exactly the same time as the new semester.  So, no matter how well I plan and clean and prepare for the tsunami, a month later and I’m looking around my apartment and at my to-do list with shock and awe.  How do dust bunnies and laundry multiply like this?!?!  And suddenly, my once clean calendar is filled to the brim with readings and due dates. Oh, and then there are the bills. Yeah, those.  Egads!

As of the writing of this post,