That would be us; you and me and several million others out there who, according to the new book, RenGen: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What It Means to Your Business, by Patricia Martin, are directing the future of the world economy in a distinctly positive direction.

Who are the RenGen (Renaissance Generation) exactly? Well, see if this sounds familiar in an exert from the New York Times interview with the author:

The sociological definition of a generation is a 30-year swath of individuals living contemporaneously. The conditions we are facing today are what it looks like right before a renaissance.

Two things are going on simultaneously, and they live in creative tension. One is that we are ending one civilization and we are creating a new one. Witness what is happening on Wall Street. The second is the outpouring of creativity facilitated by the Internet. There is a generation that will lead us into what will literally be a second renaissance.

As for their characteristics - they are eco-conscious; they take their cues from nature so they are willing to accept products that are flawed but authentic rather than slickly produced and inauthentic.  They want to make a difference. They want to live many lives. They don’t want to be told, “You can’t be an architect and a poet.” They are sensualists. Because they are both idealistic and cynical at the same time, they have learned to trust what they experience rather than what experts tell them. That is why design and aesthetics are so elevated right now.

I went through the above checklist and um, authentic? Yes, that’s me. Cares about the environment? That too. I actually prefer products that have distinct flaws. They feel more human to me. And yes, I trust my personal experience and how I feel over what any individual might have to say, no matter what qualifications they have. For example, I didn’t choose my financial adviser based on her experience (although it is vast), but rather on how I felt about her. She is a woman who is naturally connected to the energy of money, a philanthropist and has high ethics.

This idea that cultural consumers are on the rise really resonates deep within my core. There is an internal knowing that this is true. “After all”, I thought,  “I am the director of my life as are those I interview and meet (online and off) on a daily basis.” I see successful creative entrepreneurs (introducing unique products and services that care about the environment and humanity) all around me that are not affected by the current state of affairs.

If we just sit back now for minute, take a deep breath (or two) and not allow the fear of the economy to cloud our direction, we can continuously move forward in a tour de force unlike any seen before. And that (imho) is what it means to change the world. Stay focused.