It's His Show

Regular listeners to Peter Morris know his theories are by no means limited to business and finance. He frequently offers sophisticated hypotheses on issues ranging from dwarf-tossing to dating. Last week, Peter shared a nascent thesis on the psychological impact of 1950’s and 60’s music lyrics. It went something like this: many songs of the era, such as “It’s My Party (and I’ll Cry if I Want To)” helped foster narcissism and sense of entitlement in the baby boomer generation. Apparently apropos of nothing, I was asked to try and book the artist who sang “It’s My Party”, Lesley Gore, on the show. Well, The Business Shrink must have some kind of pop cultural sixth sense: I contacted Gore’s people, and it turns out she has just recently put out her first album in more than 30 years. And it’s getting some decent reviews. So on Friday’s show, Peter will get to test out his theory with the legendary singer.

Katrina Relief Efforts

The Business Shrink's thoughts are with the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Here is a list of of relief agencies accepting contributions.

Plot Construction

Among his many other projects, Peter Morris is working on a deal to invest in a cemetery and mortuary business. So he had a lot to talk about Friday with Jay Boileau, Vice-President of Technology at Forever Cemeteries and the Forever Network which includes Hollywood Forever, Fernwood in Mill Valley, among other innovative cemeteries. Forever is a leader in the burgeoning, ecologically sustainable-burial business. Boileau and his partner, Tyler Cassity, were also the subjects of a documentary which served as the inspiration for the HBO show Six Feet Under. And Cassity was profiled this week in the New Yorker.

Green Business?

Peter Morris’ business acumen is legendary, but he appeared to be in somewhat uncharted territory when talking with Kevin Reed, proprietor of the Green Cross medical marijuana dispensary in San Francisco, on Friday’s show. Admittedly the details of Reed’s business model were a little hazy. At various times during the interview, Reed referred to his outlet as place non-profit, a cooperative, and “like any other business.” Finally, Peter pinned him down:

Q: But Kevin what’s your revenue model? I still don’t understand how you make money as a businessman?

A: It’s not really about making money,” Reed responded. Instead, he said, he is sort of like a social worker, providing a safe, clean place for people to obtain their legal medication.

Reed did provide a few details on inventory and pricing: his club charges $300 an ounce for its products, assorted dried marijuana buds sold under names like "Juicy Fruit" and "Wonder Woman".

Unlike Peter, who is based in Chicago, I live in SF, where pot clubs have sprouted up in virtually every neighborhood. I am not a card-carrying member, but my local dispensary is conveniently located next to a Safeway and a few doors down from a US Post Office. There are now so many such establishments in San Francisco-- more than McDonald's and Burger King outlets combined --that some neighbors are starting to complain about noise and smell. And even our most liberal city officials are debating cracking down, if only to save the clubs – and the medical marijuana movement- from a public backlash. For his part, Reed - a former mobile-home salesman from Alabama- told Peter that he supports tightening regulations. "They want to regulate it (only) as much as they would a pub or a bar," he said.

Welcome to the Business Shrink blog!

My name is Dan Zoll and I am the new producer of The Business Shrink, a unique radio show devoted to the psychology and strategy of business. Every weekday, host Peter Morris interviews the nation’s leading authors, academics, journalists and other experts on business and culture. Peter’s own cutting edge insights draw on his years of experience as a successful real estate developer and entrepreneur. You can read more about Peter Morris here. And he is available to answer your questions by phone or email.

The show can be heard daily on Sirius satellite radio, Wisdom Radio Stream 132, as well as WRTN in New York and WZIN in Puerto Rico and the Virgin islands.