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Going Green One Bite at a Time
December 16, 2009
By Kimberley K. Yablonski
 Bozeman company dishes out daily dose of "greenness"
Ideal Bite is a free web site and e-mail service that offers daily doses of ways to live green - only a lighter shade. Each daily tip - which runs the gamut from hybrid cars to dog food to lip gloss - delivers information on how to live better and help the planet without abandoning all the good stuff in life.
Founders Jennifer Boulden and Heather Stephenson believe lots of people doing their little bit can make a big impact on the environment one small bite at a time. The Bozeman-based company is filling a void by providing people with busy lives a way to connect with the latest, proven, green products and services - delivered without the guilt. Boulden and Stephenson wouldn't be caught dead in Birkenstocks and won't call you a hypocrite if you drive your SUV to the organic market. They completely understand the need for a good glass of wine (organic, of course) after yoga class. For them, it's all about being a "sassier shade of green."
The business partners launched their first eco-living tip in June 2005. Now, about 65,000 people receive the Daily Bites, much of the growth being fueled by word of mouth or e-mail. A large majority, 87 percent, are women; 37 percent are urban dwellers and 52 percent have children. The tips provide subscribers with the cold, hard facts on what we're doing to the planet, the benefits in using a green product and where to get the goods. Many of the companies offering green products are based in Montana.
The impact is significant. In one year, 10,652 "biters" kept the equivalent of 30 bathtubs full of pesticides out of the waste stream by drinking organic rather than conventional beer, according to Ideal Bite. The web site's Cup o'Eco-Joe tip on organic, shade grown coffee kept 1,361 acres of coffee plantations chemical free and left trees standing for safe bird migration.
Boulden and Stephenson met one late night in a small restaurant in the West Village of New York City. Stephenson and Boulden started talking business and soon discovered they had parallel lives. Both had attended graduate school in the Washington, D.C. area.
"We couldn't believe we hadn't met. We knew about 50 mutual friends between us. We decided to stay in touch. I never exchanged a number with a girl in a bar before," Boulden says.
Over the next several months while Boulden was finishing graduate school in D.C. and Stephenson was getting certified to be a yoga instructor and roof top gardener, they continued to discuss their green living ideas. Ultimately, the green team decided sharing their tips with friends and family wasn't enough. They locked themselves in a room and designed an editorial calendar with 300 tips. Ideal Bite was born.
Both women bring key business and life experiences to the table. Back in her corporate days, Boulden fell down the subway stairs while carrying papers home from her office, which did not have a recycling program. As she lay amidst scattered papers, Boulden wondered if there wasn't a better way. She left New York to work on a horse farm in Ireland, contemplating ways to blend her passion for the environment with her business acumen.
Boulden has over 10 years experience in corporate and nonprofit organizations. Before launching Ideal Bite, she was president of the Anavo Group, a sustainable business-consulting firm. She graduated from William and Mary with a degree in economics. She earned her MBA in environmental policy and management from George Washington University. A native of Atlanta, she is a southern city slicker turned country girl and now lives in Bozeman, where more than likely she'll be found horseback.
Stephenson has a decade of business experience in advertising and technology. She served as vice president of sales in the U.S. and Europe for L90, Inc. an international online advertising sales network. She also was the founder of Urban Sage, a New York City-based rooftop garden design firm. She has a master's degree in literature and a bachelor's degree in government from Georgetown University. Despite strong rural roots (Stephenson was raised in Libby, Montana), she has lived in D.C., Los Angeles and London and recently relocated from New York City to San Francisco
"I grew up in a logging and mining town. The word environmentalist was kind of a dirty word. I didn't fall into this naturally because of where I grew up," Stephenson said. "What did impact me was living close to my sources of food. I grew up eating meat that my grandfather raised or my father hunted and vegetables from our garden that we worked all summer and canned for the winter. Where I grew up, eating locally was the norm. It was the height of T.V. dinners, but that was not our lifestyle. I have a great appreciation of how much more satisfying food is that is purchased locally and how much better it tastes. When I went to school in D.C., it was mind boggling to me that you would be eating things and have no idea where they came from."
The duo has hit on something unique. While some hardcore environmentalists criticize the site for being too light, Ideal Bite is clearly reaching an untapped market - mainly, the "new environmentalists" who are willing to spend $230 billion in the U.S. marketplace in order to be consumers with a conscience. Living richly doesn't have to mean beating up on the environment.
The company's board of advisors and panel of experts, who specialize in eco-home, business, food and drink, beauty, travel and pets help ensure the tips are objective and informative.
One of Boulden's favorites was the tip on humane veal. Although she is a vegetarian, she isn't one to ban all carnivores. The tip suggests buying "pink veal" which comes from calves that are fed hay, grass and milk whereas the white veal restricts the calf to a liquid diet of milk.
"The response was interesting, we had the most hate mail and the most worship mail," she said.
A huge animal lover, Boulden is accompanied by Cricket, her Corgi, most days. Cricket, who gets the most fan mail on the site, loves the organic cotton dog beds from West Paw Design in Bozeman. She also is a big fan of the all-natural bison jerky treats.
Stephenson finds some of the simplest tips the most rewarding. During electronics week, Ideal Bite told readers they could reduce their electricity usage simply by unplugging electrical household equipment (or turning off the power strip) when not in use. Most items consume energy just by being plugged into an outlet - cell phone chargers for example.
"It is one of those 'duh' moments," Stephenson said. "Ultimately, those tips are effective for people and they just haven't been thinking about them. We always get really good feedback on those types of tips."
In the words of one famous amphibian, "It ain't easy being green." Ideal Bite is helping readers put that idiom to the test one small bite at a time.
Simple Ways to Go Green
For anyone wanting to take a dip into the emerald waters of eco-living, try these easy tips from Ideal Bite.
• Give up bottled water. Buy a great filter to attach to your faucet and fill a stainless steel water bottle for your portable drinking needs. It will also save a ton of money, Stephenson points out.
• Reduce your junk mail. "People don't realize they can get rid of 75 percent of their junk mail simply by opting out of these lists online," Boulden says. (Search the Ideal Bite tip library for more information.)
• Eat locally. "I know this is hard in Montana in the middle of winter," Stephenson admits, "but try to buy from your local farmer's market as much as possible." Even selecting produce from a state that is geographically closer to your home will help the environment by reducing pollution caused by transporting the goods.
• Clean your dryer vent. Setting your lint bunnies free helps remove the fire hazard and reduces drying time, Boulden says. "It's easy and free and a great energy-saving idea."
• Offset your travel. Neutralize the carbon emissions emitted when driving or flying. You can buy offset units through groups like Sustainable Travel International or Terrapass. Stephenson admits this tip is not necessarily simple, but it is a
way to make a huge impact. What is simple is to try to walk, ride a bicylcle or take public transportation whenever possible.
• Just say no. Sometimes, the best thing for the environment is simply cutting back. Stephenson remembers when having a can of soda was a special occasion. Just using and buying less can really make an impact. Stephenson, a self-described beauty product junkie, just gave up nail polish until they came up with an eco-friendly variety. 
• Break out the china. Use your glass plates instead of paper products and help the landfills be less full.
On the Web: www.IdealBite.com.
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