Podcast Summary
Innovative venison production and sustainable wildlife management in Hawaii.: Entrepreneurship and innovation in sustainable agriculture and wildlife management can promote food security, resource sustainability, and disaster resilience. Maui Nui's live capture net system helps balance deer populations and produce nutrient-dense venison.
Jake Muise, CEO at Maui Nui Venison, co-founded a company in 2017 to balance invasive deer populations on Maui and to channel that management into creating nutrient-dense and delicious venison. Maui Nui was listed as one of Fast Company's top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Agriculture of 2023, and its venison has been served in top restaurants across the country. The company developed the first-of-its-kind live capture net system to pick up live cows from high elevation critical watershed areas and even during natural disasters like a fast-moving Lava flow on the big island of Hawaii. Jake's story highlights the significance of entrepreneurship, innovation, and sustainable agriculture and wildlife management practices in promoting food security, resource sustainability, and disaster resilience.
Rescuing Cows from Lava: The Courageous Mission of Jake Muise and His Team: Protecting animals during natural disasters requires bravery, innovation, and compassion. Jake Muise's intense experience highlights the importance of animal welfare in times of crisis.
Jake Muise and his team risked their lives and used unconventional methods to rescue cows trapped by lava during an eruption in Hawaii. The mission was intense, as they had to fly a helicopter over a two-mile flow of lava bombs and ride thermals to escape. The head of PETA was present, and the community celebrated the rescue after months of loss. Their courage and determination to save the cows showed how important it is to protect animals in the face of natural disasters. The experience was one of the most intense moments of Jake Muise's life. His story highlights the importance of bravery, innovation, and compassion towards animals in times of crisis.
Discovering the Untold History of Maui Nui: Only a small fraction of Hawaiian history has been translated, leaving a vast amount of untold stories waiting to be uncovered. The Hawaiian society's literary achievements allowed them to navigate the ocean with incredible accuracy and establish connections with other lands.
Maui Nui refers to the three islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai which used to be joined as one giant island. The suffix 'nui' means big. The co-founder's wife of the company is a genealogist and historian who helps guide the culture within the organization. She looks at old newspapers to excavate and translate information about their history, as the Hawaiian society became the most literate in a matter of 50 years. They used it as a historical record, and currently, only 2% of those newspapers have been translated, leaving 98% of their culture ready to be discovered. Hawaiians were able to navigate the Pacific Ocean with extraordinary accuracy and establish ties with New Zealand.
Innovations in Agriculture and Sustainability in Ancient Hawaii: Hawaiians developed innovative agricultural and social systems like the Kohala field systems and Ahupua'a, sustaining a large population with limited resources, while protecting biodiversity and water resources.
Despite being on the most isolated landmass on the planet with finite resources, the Hawaiians developed innovative agricultural systems like the Kohala field systems, using 273 varieties of sweet potato and producing 60% better yields than the current sweet potato yields. They sustained an extraordinary population with limited resources while maintaining biodiversity. They had an amazing system called Ahupua'a, protecting water and thus all aspects of food production. Hawaiians also had fantastic social and economic systems like the local ia/fish ponds, producing 3 million pounds of fish, and an axis deer population, introduced in the 1800s, which grew year-round. These deer who have no natural predators posed a threat as their numbers reached 70,000 on Molokai island.
Axis Deer and its Impact on Hawaii's Ecosystem and Food System: The introduction of Axis deer in Hawaii has caused significant ecological and food system issues. A three-year hunt is underway to mitigate the deer population, and it's worth exploring Polynesian navigational skills from ancient cultures.
The introduction of for Axis deer to the big island of Hawaii has caused major ecological and food system issues. These deer can denude landscapes in days and cause severe sediment deposit on reefs, leading to the death of coral and negatively impacting nearshore fisheries. Additionally, the deer have impacted food security on the big island, which is the food hub of Hawaii. The three-year hunt aims to control the deer population and mitigate the ecological and food system issues caused by their introduction. The ancient Polynesian navigational skills used in Hawaii are also worth exploring, as they are a testament to the advanced technologies and skills of ancient cultures.
Using Technology to Find Agile Axis Deer: Axis deer are difficult to find due to their ability to adapt their home ranges to safe areas, but forward-looking infrared technology can significantly increase detection rates. Finding these elusive animals takes persistence and collaboration.
Axis deer are agile and have incredible sensory perception due to their evolution with Bengal tigers and leopards in dense jungle. They have an amazing ability to adapt their home ranges to very safe areas, which makes them difficult to find. To increase detection rates, the team utilized forward-looking infrared technology which allowed them to detect heat signatures. This technology significantly increases detection rates both from the ground but also from a helicopter platform. The process of finding these animals took three years and involved hiking every day while looking for the tiniest sign that they're in an area. The military was also involved, and it took seven months to get the first camera trap image.
Removing Invasive Species from Hawaii with the Help of Helicopter Surveys.: Invasive species are a major threat to Hawaii's ecosystem, and the development of highly accurate surveys is critical to effective management. Jake Muise's project successfully removed access deer, providing a tool for biosecurity.
The introduction of invasive species in Hawaii has been a major issue, affecting food systems, watersheds, and nearshore fisheries. One such project involved removing access deer from the Big Island, which could have been devastating to the entire island. With the help of helicopter surveys, Jake Muise and his team were able to successfully remove all of the deer. The project led to the development of highly accurate surveys that can tell the exact number of deer in an area with a 95% confidence interval. This tool is critical for effective management of invasive species in Hawaii, where biosecurity is of high priority.
Jake Muise's Adventure in Wildlife Management and Professional Volleyball: Jake Muise's successful removal of axis deer from Moloka led to a larger project in Maui, demonstrating the potential for impactful wildlife management strategies. Additionally, his international volleyball career showcases the sport's popularity and importance globally.
Jake Muise's success in removing thousands of axis steer from Moloka became a springboard to attempt something more in Maui. He made the first call to the U S D A to understand the process of using the animals. The three-year hunt was a springboard to successful project completion in that place where there are still no deer, and this potentially had a massive impact. Volleyball is a popular sport outside the US, especially in Europe, where it is considered the second sport to football or soccer. Jake Muise played professional volleyball for three years in various parts of the world, including Europe, the Maldives, and Indonesia.
The Power of Asking Dumb Questions for Faster Learning and Better Communication: Don't be afraid to ask questions, even if they seem silly. Asking questions helps overcome language barriers, build better relationships, and avoid embarrassing mistakes. It's a superpower that can improve communication and accelerate learning.
Asking dumb questions is a superpower that can help us learn faster and overcome language barriers. It is okay to ask questions and clarify doubts, even if they seem silly. The fear of being judged or sounding stupid should not hold us back from seeking knowledge. Jake Muise's experience of asking for free pizza in Dutch helped him learn the language faster and build a rapport with his coach. Similarly, in professional and personal settings, asking questions can help build better relationships and avoid misunderstandings. Being confident to ask questions is important to avoid making embarrassing mistakes and improving communication.
A Unique Food Investment with Innovative Business Practices: Maui Nui offers a seven-day work and seven-day off schedule to its team members with great compensation and benefits, creating a positive work-life balance and empowering its employees to become better community members. This innovative approach extends beyond technological advancements to create a culture of experimentation and unorthodox thinking.
Maui Nui is a unique food investment made by Tim Ferris in 2019. While most people associate innovation with tech, he found the experimentation and unorthodox thinking attractive. Maui Nui offers a seven-day work and seven-day off schedule to its team members along with a great compensation package and benefits, giving them space to recover and come back to work. The company offered unlimited overtime on seven days off but got no takers. The schedule has been beneficial for the team members to become better community members and start their own ventures. The schedule allows hyper-local people to leverage the place and enjoy it. The company's culture and team reflect innovation that extends beyond technological advancements.
The Benefits of Measuring KPIs and Using Iterative Processes in the Meat Industry: Measuring KPIs and implementing iterative processes can improve efficiency and production in the meat industry. By combining technology and software systems, data can be generated to maintain compliance and improve quality, while also meeting federal standards for humane animal harvesting.
Efficiency and production can be improved through constant iteration and measuring of key performance indicators (KPIs). Harvesting systems were built through the combination of forward-looking infrared and software systems, enabling the generation of data points on every aspect of the process to maintain compliance with USDA standards. The use of data helped in submitting a grant to NASA and Harvard, allowing them to detect deer with a satellite and use machine learning algorithms for route planning. In addition, the iterative process was implemented in the butcher facility to increase quality and production efficiency. The Federal Meat Inspection Act ensures that animals are harvested humanely, which is crucial in the meat industry.
Harvesting Invasive Species on Private Land for Superior Quality Meat: Harvesting invasive species on private land is a humane and sustainable way to obtain high-quality, nutrient-dense meat. Utilizing advanced technology and a standardized process ensures safe and stress-free harvesting for both the animals and the consumers.
Harvesting or hunting invasive species on private land is a rare opportunity to legally practice stress-free harvesting or slaughter of animals within the food system. The meat obtained from wild animals harvested with care and precision is of superior quality and nutrient density compared to farmed meat. It's crucial to have a humane and safe to eat process during harvesting without stressing or injuring the animal. By using infrared screens and advanced technology, animals are unaware of being harvested. The interaction between USDA inspectors, standardized shooters, and the process's quality control ensures that the animals are completely wild, with no interaction or stress before the harvesting process. The harvesting or slaughtering process must be carried out with precision and care to ensure higher rendering efficiency.
Night Hunting Requires Extraordinary Skill Sets and Technology: Harvesting animals at night requires advanced skills and tools, such as forward-looking infrared technology to avoid scaring the prey. Processing the animal within an hour is crucial and the team takes pride in carrying the load.
The process of harvesting animals for food at night out in the wild requires extraordinary skill sets and technology. The team has to constantly move their mobile facilities to be closer to the deer, and after rendering, the animal has to be cleaned and processed without any hair on it within an hour. The process takes place during a three-hour performance period where the team gets as many animals as they can. The team uses forward-looking infrared technology to identify and shoot animals without introducing light into the scenario and scaring the deer. The process requires a lot of athleticism, and individuals take pride in carrying the animals on their backs to the next stage of life with food.
Effective Communication and Team Building in Animal Harvesting: Building a successful animal harvesting team requires specialized equipment, clear communication, and effective team building strategies including peer-to-peer evaluations based on humility, emotional intelligence, and work ethic.
Communication and team building are critical for success in animal harvesting. The team built by Jake Muise uses specialized UTVs and a unique language to quickly and efficiently collect animals in the middle of the night. Patience, good communication, and clear language are key to their success. They also use a peer-to-peer evaluation system based on humility, work ethic, and emotional intelligence to ensure they have the right people on their team. The team operates in an unusual work culture, but it feels like a sports team, and everyone is grinning ear to ear each morning. Building a good team requires training great people, being patient, and communication skills to operate under stress and rough conditions.
The Scorecard System for Hiring and Evaluating Employees: A scorecard system with six questions per category ensures humility, work ethics, and emotional intelligence among employees. Evaluation and rewards of employees help to maintain consistency and address shortcomings.
Humility, work ethics, and emotional intelligence can be measured through a scorecard consisting of six questions per category. This system helps filter out candidates who do not fit the desired profile and sets expectations up front. Employees are evaluated by themselves and their team every quarter, and A-grade employees are rewarded, while B-grade employees are given immediate improvement requirements. C-grade employees are let go without questions asked. The system has been pivotal in weeding out tension and hiring mistakes, and it encourages people to address their shortcomings and grow. It measures important factors like consistency, body language, willingness to do more than required, and the ability to train someone who may replace them in a role they enjoy.
Building Extraordinary Teams through Anonymous Team Scoring and Accountability System: By celebrating strengths and addressing growth areas through anonymous team scoring, teams can improve communication and outcomes. This system aids decision-making, builds purpose, and attracts better team fits.
Implementing an accountability system that ensures anonymous team scoring can help attract better fits for a team. It is important to celebrate the strengths of team members and address areas of growth opportunities specifically and objectively. Iterations of this process can improve communication, nuance and outcomes as everyone learns from the feedback. This system can aid the decision-making process, without relying solely on the unweighted vote of managers. While it can be a hard process, with repetition and exercise, this system can help to build extraordinary teams with a clear sense of purpose and impact to the community they serve.
Implementing a Grading System to Reward Positive Traits in Employees: Creating a grading system to reward positive employee traits like humility and work ethic not only helps identify and compensate valuable team members but also increases employee retention and overall team performance.
Creating a system to measure and reward traits like humility, work ethic, and emotional intelligence can help identify and compensate employees who have a positive impact on the team. A grading system like A, B, or C can be used for each trait with a total score that can be converted to a percentage. Employees who score high can be rewarded with incentives like raises, accolades, or other forms of recognition. Having a framework to reward and compensate such individuals can help businesses retain skilled employees and build better teams. Consistent reminders and assessments can also help employees stay on track and improve over time, leading to better performance and growth for the team as a whole.
Importance of Framework and Language in Uncomfortable Conversations and Celebrating People: Readings like 'The Ideal Team Player', 'Confessions of a Pricing Man', and 'The Road Less Stupid' provide base principles for field teams to have uncomfortable conversations. Understanding nutrient density of food can improve our health.
Having a framework and language to have uncomfortable conversations and celebrate people can be valuable, as it gives everyone the ability to give feedback and improve. The book 'The Ideal Team Player' is an assigned reading for field teams and provides base principles for what they are discussing. Other assigned readings include 'Confessions of a Pricing Man' and 'The Road Less Stupid'. Nutrient density of the food we consume is important, and being able to accurately measure and understand food quality in its simplest form can help improve our health.
Measuring Nutrient Density Through Metabolomic Testing and Its Impact on Regenerative Agriculture: Measuring nutrient density based on metabolomic testing can help consumers choose food with the best metabolic profile and promote regenerative agriculture practices, by layering conservation practices like taking care of soil and water.
Measuring the nutrient density of food based on thousands of biochemicals through metabolomic testing can revolutionize the food system and promote regenerative agriculture practices. Nutrient density refers to the nutrition of a place and layering conservation practices like taking care of soil and water. Having an indicator on a label like the calories we check can help us choose food with the best metabolic profile. The current way of measuring nutritional value is based on five metrics and has to be updated with modern testing methods. Maui Nui's bone broth tested 33% higher in protein than conventional lab testing and different parts of the animal showed various nutritional properties compared to their conventional counterparts. The labelling of nutrient density is the lever for regenerative agriculture.
Nutrient Density and Regenerative Agriculture: Nutrient-rich food is dependent on the fertility of soil, and regenerative agricultural practices can revive our food system. Axis deer can be a substitute for those who don't eat fish and Hawaiians showcased nutrient-rich food production with finite resources.
Understanding the nutritional quality of our food will change the way people look at the food system and create relationships with regenerative agricultural practices. Nutrient density depends on the fertility of the soil, and fertile places with well taken care of soil produce the most nutritional food. Axis deer, a significant source of omega-3s, is comparable to salmon and a good substitute for those who don't eat fish. Maui Nui is being used by professional sports teams to feed their players who won't eat fish. Hawaiians produced nutrient-rich food for a million people with finite resources whereas today, Hawai imports 95% of its food and half of it is nutritionally deficient.
Using Clawback Allowances to Train Kids for Positive Behavior: Clawback allowances can teach children to be useful and have a good attitude. This approach may turn mutiny into sarcasm and ultimately positive behavior. Following the rules of this approach is important for its effectiveness.
Using clawback allowances to train kids is more effective than the traditional payment for chores approach. This is because loss aversion is stronger than the opposite and people work harder to avoid losing what they already have than to gain something new. By using clawback allowances, parents can train their kids to have a good attitude instead of just trying to earn money by doing tasks. This method teaches kids to be useful people and to earn their money, which they will value more. If done correctly, this approach can turn mutiny into sarcasm and ultimately positive behavior. However, it is important to follow the rules of this approach to ensure its effectiveness.
Effective Communication Strategies for Relationships: Creating systems that work for both partners, like secret Pinterest boards and imaginative games, can improve communication and appreciation in relationships.
Communication and understanding are key in any relationship. Instead of getting frustrated when he couldn't find the perfect gift, Jake's wife came up with a system that worked for both of them. She created a secret Pinterest board with items she wanted, and Jake could surprise her from there. The importance of this system is not just the gifts themselves, but the way it made both partners feel. Jake felt like a genius for finding the perfect gift, and his wife felt loved and appreciated. When frustrations arise in parenting, his wife has a similar system. She plays a game where she imagines being an 80-year-old woman looking back at her kids. This puts her in a place of gratitude and perspective, instead of frustration.
Overcoming Parenting Frustration by Letting Go of Control: Appreciate the present moment, foster independence in children, practice self-care, and intentionally prepare children for the future to make the most of limited time together.
Appreciating the present moment and finding gratitude in mundane situations can help overcome frustration and overwhelm. The visual of parenting as a tug of war that you have to lose can guide decision-making towards gradually letting go of control and fostering independence in children. This mindset can help parents cherish and make the most of the limited time they have with their children before they grow up and move on. Self-care, such as thinking about what you would pay to relive a special moment when you are older, is also important and can provide perspective. Ultimately, parenting is about preparing children for the future and letting them go, but doing so in a thoughtful and intentional way.
Jake Muise's Mission for Balancing Deer Populations: Managing ecosystems requires collective effort and iterative solutions. Take action and find balance for communities, ranchers, and the food system.
Jake Muise's mission is to achieve balance by managing deer populations in a way that doesn't harm ecosystems and is beneficial for communities, ranchers, and the food system. While they have the tools to measure and manage the impact they have on the environment, ultimately, it's up to individual landowners and the community at large to decide what's best. Muise's goal is to keep iterating and finding the best balance every year, which is the infinite game for them. Personal goals for Muise include letting go of the rope slowly and collectively, growing incredible teams, and serving the community. His billboard message would be 'Pick up the phone,' a reminder to take action and make things happen.
The Power of Taking Action and Developing True Connections: Don't wait for opportunities, take action and address uncomfortable things. Develop true connections with people and nature, cut out nonsense, and take small actionable steps for significant impact in life.
It's important to take action constantly by addressing the uncomfortable things in front of you instead of just waiting for opportunities. The phrase 'pick up the phone' has been a reminder to do the necessary things immediately. This mindset has resulted in a rapid iteration and growth, both personally and professionally. Developing a true connection to a place can solve anything, whether personally or professionally. It's important to cut out nonsense and garbage from our lives and focus on deep connections with nature and close bonds with people we care about. Maui Nui Venison is a great example of a company with a strong ethos that has made a positive impact. Taking these small actionable steps can have a significant impact on our lives.