Living Your Values: Content Creation in Complicated Times with Jess Zander from You Can Do It Gardening

"It can't just be about the things that affect us as individuals. It has to be broader."

There’s been a lot of talk lately about looking for a Joe Rogan of the left.

The whole thing is ridiculous… for so many reasons.

Instead of banking on a single, superstar personality to magically unite our movement, what we really need is to amplify the many voices of folks aligned with our values who are already creating great content online for large audiences.

That’s why I was so excited to welcome Jess Zander of You Can Do It Gardening to the podcast.

Jess is a Boston-based garden coach and consultant who launched You Can Do It Gardening in 2022 to help everyday people feel confident tackling their gardens—no matter their experience level. My wife is the green thumb in our household, but Jess’s content is super relatable and fun, even if you’re not a gardening aficionado. Jess is known for her no-nonsense, encouraging style. Think Mary Poppins—but for your garden.

So is Jess the Joe Rogan of the left? Of course not!

But she is a content creator with a large and engaged audience. And while she’s definitely not leading with politics, she’s also not shying away from her progressive values.

Throughout our conversation, we discussed:

• How she got started (not that long ago!)
• The types of content that's working for her
• The difference in response she sees across platforms
• How she would start now, if she were starting from scratch
• Why she’s public about her values, despite working in a non-political space
• Why she’s comfortable losing followers to speak her truths
• And so much more

As Jess puts it:

“It’s a business decision, but it’s also just a values decision… I don’t feel that this is the time to be silent. Silence is complicit.”

Find links, a transcript and more at HelloMergeTag.com.