Michael Cichetti, Director of Marketing and Sales at Green Building Education Services (GBES), joins Charlie Cichetti in this episode. Residing in Atlanta, with an entrepreneurial spirit, he is passionate about sustainability in the green building industry. Michael and Charlie are brothers and share the same passion for focusing on the green building movement and environmental sustainability. Michael Cichetti - Early Inspiration Growing up in Blue Ridge, Georgia, Michael fell in love with the outdoors. Most importantly he enjoys the natural wonders of the mountains and the area he grew up in. As a result, he went to college at Georgia State University, receiving his business management degree in 2010 and currently lives in Atlanta. Early on, Michael had one professor that really stood out in an entrepreneurship class. This professor is an angel investor. Hence, he was able to introduce experts to the class to give real world hands-on expert advice. Therefore, Michael was intrigued and was able to apply this experience to his current work. Right out of school Michael was hired on at a real estate law firm as a Title Curative Specialist. He then transitioned to SIG and GBES and focuses on helping commercial real estate professionals be more sustainable which he is very passionate about. "Being able to work toward a good cause like sustainability really makes me feel like I am spending my time in a valuable way." - Michael Cichetti Big Learning Curve Michael initially lead the sales department with Sustainable Investment Group (SIG) and now Green Building Education Services. Michael works on the company's marketing and strives to boost sales to help scale the company. In the early years of these companies, most of the business SIG earned was through word of mouth for doing great work. So, a sales department was new to the company, and Michael, had to figure out what worked best by trying a lot of different things. Therefore, it was very challenging and big learning curve, but he appreciated the opportunity to learn so much so quickly. "I had to throw everything against the wall and see what stuck." - Michael Cichetti As a result, Michael brought in new business to SIG. Furthermore, Michael has an entrepreneurial mindset and is very successful. Most noteworthy, his vast background allows him to share his knowledge which is beneficial to clients' careers. Survival and Sustainability When Michael was young, his interest in a survival course given by Tom Brown Jr. certainly made an impact. Michael explains that Tom Brown Jr. was raised by native americans and they taught him about sustainability and how to rely on the land. This intrigued Michael and consequently he continued to read and explore in this arena. "Taking things from nature, choosing the trees that will actually help the other surrounding plants and animals flourish more." - Michael Cichetti Michael was very fortunate to have the exposure to the outdoors. Because of this exposure, he loves the sustainability story of the native american ways. Michael is a highly encouraging person. He believes the green building movement and sustainability are here to stay. Above all, today there is more of a need for us to be sustainable in every industry. To hear more of Michael's journey with SIG and GBES where he shares his daily routines and rituals that help him be productive and a better employee, download and listen to the episode! Learn more about Michael Cichetti: LinkedIn Tom Brown Jr., The Tracker Hal Elrod, The Morning Miracle John Medina, Brain Rules Connect with Charlie Cichetti and GBES: Charlie on LinkedIn Green Building Educational Services GBES on Twitter Connect on LinkedIn Like on Facebook Google+ GBES Pinterest Pins GBES on Instagram Don't forget to leave a positive rating and review on iTunes if you truly enjoyed the show. We have prepared more episodes for the upcoming weeks, so come by again next week! Thank you for tuning in to the Green Building Matters Podcast!