Since 2010 I have been speaking about what I see as three new consumer economic trends that will alter consumer behavior in the developed countries of the world.  A number of aligning forces are significantly increasing the influence and impact of these three trends.

In a recent column here, I wrote about Conscious Capitalism, one of the three new dominant trends of consumer behavior for the Transformation Decade 2010-2020. Conscious capitalism is when a company takes on an altruistic cause, charity or practice and applies revenue to that endeavor.  In that column I profiled two companies, Tom’s Shoes …

In my last column here I wrote that I had the pleasure of seeing Health City on a recent trip to Grand Cayman Island.  This is the first hospital in the Western Hemisphere for the great Dr. Devi Shetty, his team and partners.  When completed in 2014, Health City not only will be a lower cost alternative for patients needing heart, cancer and eye surgery in North and South America, it will make clear how over priced and inefficient hospitals in the US really are.

Health City is a vision of Dr. Devi Shetty and is being …

In 2010, I made the decision to write a book about the New Health Age.  Along with my co-author, Jonathan Fleece, we realized that the discussion about health care in America was being driven by fear, ignorance and manipulated by politicians.  Any discussion with these three components is a stupid conversation.  We decided to write an intelligent book to bring some intelligence to the discussion about the future of health care in America.  In late 2011, “The New Health Age:  The Future of Health Care in America” was published.

It was clear to us that certainly the United States …

[This column was first published in Shift Age Newsletter #22]

One of the three major consumer trends I have been speaking about during the past few years is conscious capitalism.  Conscious capitalism is when a company takes on an altruistic cause, charity or practice and applies revenue to that endeavor.

Initially this behavior was mostly about creating a feel good halo around a brand.  Donating to or underwriting a charity has long been a way to allow a company to point to something that it was supporting to benefit it’s hometown community or a national charity.  Supporting a …