Q&A with author and marketing expert Seth Godin & his latest project, the Carbon Almanac

Author Seth Godin is out this month with a new book, which he both wrote the foreword to and collaborated on: The Carbon Almanac. You may know Godin from his successful books, blog or even have had the chance to hear him speak, as I did at the 2019 Museum Next NYC conference. I recently caught up with Godin before The Carbon Almanac’s release. I had the chance to discuss this new book, Godin’s productivity secrets, museums in general, and most importantly, the role museums must play in dealing with climate change. Here are some excerpts from our conversation:

Adam Rozan: Before we jump in and discuss the Carbon Alamanac, let’s discuss Seth Godin’s museums 101. You’ve written and spoken about your connection with museums, but for readers here, can you share your museum background?

Seth Godin: As I mentioned, I grew up in a museum in Buffalo, the fabled Albright Knox. My mom was a volunteer there and served as a docent and a trustee as well.?

I’ve also spent countless hours at museums in Chicago and New York. Understanding natural history, science and the evolution of species is a critical foundation to being a citizen and a participant in our culture, and I find that contemporary art is a fascinating way to undertstand story, creativity and connection.

Q: With your mother’s experience at the Albright Knox Museum and the Museum Store Association, I have to ask, did you ever intern or work at a museum?

SG: I’ve given many unofficial tours at the AMNH in NY, with strangers following me around as I took a friend’s kid around. And I’m thrilled that the Albright Knox asked me to lead a public tour in honor of their anniversary. I also did a morning takeover at MOMA in NYC to help 80 guests understand how Duchamp changed everything…

But nothing formal. I guess I lack the patience and persistence to do that.

Q: You still have time. Let’s talk about museums at the most basic level. What is Seth Godin’s definition of a museum?

SG: Here’s what it used to be: A warehouse for important or precious objects. It isn’t that any longer, because objects aren’t as important as ideas. A museum is an institution that creates the conditions for people to be transformed by stories about the world around them. It might be a building, but the purpose is connection and insight, not storage.?

Q: What do museums do, and who are they for?

SG: They’re not for everyone. A great museum is for?someone. Someone who is enrolled in a journey of understanding or growth or community. They’re to make a change happen. To do more than waste an afternoon or sell a muffin or a postcard. They exist to create memories and insight and connection.

Too often, they’re simply not-very-good amusement parks, seeking to serve everyone and failing. Instead, there’s an opportunity to cause significant shifts in who we are and how we see the world and each other.?

Q: Am I correct that you give hundreds of talks a year, write a blog post almost every day and that you’ve written twenty books? How is this possible, what keeps you going, and how do you recharge and stay on top of many projects??

SG: Well, I’ve gotten rid of of a ton of things that most people spend time on. I don’t go to meetings, don’t have a TV habit, don’t use Twitter or Facebook etc. Instead of hustling for more, I’m pushing myself to do better for some.?

As long as there are people eager to learn and share, I don’t need much recharging. But yes, it’s been quite a journey.

Q: You’re a marketing expert who writes about marketing and marketing-related topics. So, why now a book about climate change or the climate crisis?

SG: Marketing is the act of making things better by bringing true stories to people who are ready to take action. And climate has a marketing problem, because we have what we need, but we’re not taking action. And that’s because we haven’t created the conditions where people who care feel comfortable enough to push for systemic action.

More science isn’t going to tell us more about carbon molecules. But better marketing might be a useful way to help us understand and then choose to do something about it.

Q: How did The Carbon Almanac come about?

SG: We’re all volunteers, including me. 300 people in 41 countries worked together online, without ever meeting in person, to collate and organize and design and fact check and build the almanac. You can find it at?www.thecarbonalmanac.org?

We built a system. Just as we need to build a system to deal with our climate.

Q: How can museums, all museums, get involved in climate change? Do you see a role for museums beyond education in this fight and transformation?

“Beyond education”?

That’s enough.

That would be more than enough.

Humans have solved incredibly difficult problems. We’ve paved the earth, extended lifespans, walked on the moon. We’ve fed some of the hungry, acknowledged past mistakes and tried to do better.

And it always begins with understanding. Do that. Don’t worry about the straws in the cafeteria. Obsess about the hard work of creating the conditions for conversations and the transformation that leads to systemic change...

Q: Thank you.