16) "Conscious Consumerism is a Lie" and Getting the Courage to Be Controversial with Alden Wicker

As part of 'speaking up for what we believe in,' how can we muster up the courage to say things that are different or that might go against the current? And, what needs to happen alongside conscious consumerism in order for us to accelerate positive change?

Alden Wicker, Editor-in-Chief of EcoCult.com, President of Ethical Writers & Creatives, and journalist with bylines in Racked, Quartz, Refinery29, Glamour, Inc Magazine, and more, shares her wisdom with you here.

 

HIGHLIGHTS:

[9:45] The biggest challenge Alden faced building EcoCult into a leading sustainable lifestyle blog.

[12:30] Kaméa: "If you were to start all over, what would you do differently to establish yourself more quickly?"

[14:20] Kaméa: "Do you get nervous before publishing something controversial, and what gives you the courage to do it anyway?"

[16:20] Alden: "There's too much emphasis being placed on guilting people into working harder at being sustainable."

[19:05] Alden: "There's this rampant perfectionism in the movement.

[19:15] Alden: "There's this idea that we can't demand the government tax or ban plastic bags unless we haven't ourselves used a plastic bag in a year, because that'd be hypocritical. No, I want them to tax and ban them. Because then, it'll be easier for me to not use a plastic bag and be the person I want to be."

[19:40] Alden on her viral article "Conscious Consumerism is a Lie" on Quartz.

[23:00] Alden: "It's really easy to become popular in this world by overpromising people, or holding yourself up as perfect."

[25:10] Alden: "I don't want people to feel guilty. I do want them to feel pissed."

 

SPONSOR: Kanekta.co is a digital sourcing platform connecting ethical brands and suppliers to retail buyers across the globe.

 

Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your key takeaways from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!