Green Dreamer: Seeding change towards collective healing, sustainability, regeneration

How was Girlfriend Collective able to launch so powerfully to establish itself in the athletic wear space as a conscious fashion startup? What does it take to cultivate a loyal audience and customer base that's eager to support and share all that we do and create? Today, Girlfriend Collective's Co-Founder Quang Dinh shares his wisdom with us. HIGHLIGHTS:[7:31] Quang: "Now, with the rise of the internet, to be able to build a product that means something is a lot more powerful because the content to consume is a lot easier today than word of mouth in 2005."[7:59] Quang's inspiration to start Girlfriend Collective.[9:25] The team's greatest challenge in creating their product.[11:49] Kamea: "Can you walk us through the thought process behind your powerful launch strategy?"[12:52] Quang: "We felt like we had something so strong that I wanted to give this stuff away and know that [customers] were going to come back." [14:23] Kamea: "How certain were you that you were going to get this return on investment when you first launched that free leggings campaign?"[15:14] Quang: "We had a lot of skeptics..."[15:56] Quang: "All the feel-good stuff is always tertiary."[18:39] Kaméa: "What does it take to get a [conscious] brand seen in today's digitally-driven landscape?"[24:12] Kamea: "On an individual level, what do you think a single consumer can do to help improve the recycling industry in the U.S.?" Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

It's Plastic Free July! Share this episode with a friend, and let's continue raising awareness together about the simple steps we can take to make a difference. For more plastic-reducing guidance, check out episode 15. Find the full show notes with references linked at www.GreenDreamer.com/27, and follow me on Instagram @KameaChayne where I'll be sharing more of my inspirations, tips, and learning lessons along the way. Thanks for bringing your light! x

What does it take to create engaging and highly shareable content for wellness and the environment? How has mindbodygreen been able to establish itself as an authority in the sustainability space? Here, Emma Loewe, Sustainability Editor of mindbodygreen shares her wisdom with us. HIGHLIGHTS[6:44] One shocking statistic Emma recently learned about plastic.[8:23] Kaméa: "What has been the key to mindbodygreen attracting such a large audience?"[8:39] Emma: "Making [wellness] accessible to everyone is one of our biggest goals."[9:10] Emma: "It's important to meet people where they are."[10:03] How Emma overcomes creative block and stays inspired.[14:28] Emma: "Environmentalism can be a daunting and scary place."[15:11] Emma's biggest learning lesson from having written over 1,000 articles on sustainability. [15:50] Kaméa: "What makes a piece of content really engaging and shareable?"[17:43] Kaméa: "What do you think has been slowing down the sustainability movement?"[20:10] Emma: "We make so many micro decisions in our day to day and just starting to make some of them more sustainable can add up to a real lifestyle change." Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

What do we need to know about our soil health across the globe? And how can we inspire meaningful systemic change through self-development? Today, one of The Root 100 Most Influential African Americans, former Executive Director of People's Grocery and Green for All, and Founder and CEO of Soil and Shadow, Nikki Silvestri shares her wisdom with us.   HIGHLIGHTS [3:45] Kaméa: “What’s something most people don’t understand about how social inequality impacts the movement?”[6:35] How self-development can support sustainability. [8:10] Nikki: “If you can’t make sophisticated decisions because you’re so tied to your own opinion… then we’re never going to get anywhere.”[8:45] Nikki on how we can go past self-defensiveness to work towards a greater goal.[14:15] Nikki: “Focusing on building healthy soil is an intervention that is almost impossible to get wrong if you’re doing it the right way, so you will unintentionally benefit other systems.”[15:20] Current conditions of soil health degeneration around the globe.[16:49] What we can do as individuals to support regenerative farming.[19:22] Kaméa: “What do you think is missing from our current way of looking at sustainability?”[19:55] Nikki: “Soil is pretty hidden when you think about the environment. [24:02] Nikki’s thoughts on what it takes to go from awareness to creating meaningful change.[24:08] Nikki: “The practice of looking externally when we feel uncomfortable is much less effective than looking to ourselves first.”[27:57] Nikki: “If my behavior is going to be counterproductive to the outcomes I’m going for because it’s going to reinforce guilt and shame, then I’m not going to do it.” Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

Pass it on and let's create a ripple effect of good. Find the full show notes with references and links to our Green Dreamers' projects at www.GreenDreamer.com/24. Thanks for bringing your light! x @KameaChayne

How can we leverage the power of video to share our ideas on sustainability, deepen our relationships with our audience, and grow our reach? How can we help to normalize eco-conscious living so we don't feel like the odd one out in social gatherings? Today, Erin of YouTube channel and blog My Green Closet shares her wisdom with you. HIGHLIGHTS:[03:45] A problem about the fashion industry that made Erin feel like she wanted to be a part of positive change in the field.[07:25] Erin: "I knew nothing [about YouTube before getting started]."[14:40] Erin on the power of video in engaging and effective communication.[15:30] How Erin goes about creating engaging content. [17:00] Erin: "I think it's important to highlight that you don't have to be perfect."[18:55] Erin: "It's about seeing all the good things you can do, rather than tallying up all the things you did wrong." [22:45] How we can help normalize sustainable living and bring more people into the conversation in positive, inclusive ways. Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, sign up for the show's Weekly Highlights, and share your key takeaways tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in! 

How did Fashion Revolution, which has become a global movement, get started and grow to have the impact and reach it has today? What does it mean for us that people express interest in buying less and buying better, but often aren't doing so because of things like price, convenience, and style options? On this episode, Fashion Revolution's Co-Founder and Creative Director, Orsola de Castro, shares her wisdom with you. HIGHLIGHTS: [08:30] One of the greatest challenges the Fashion Revolution team faced when growing the movement.[09:15] Orsola: "We all have a different vision of Fashion Revolution, and yet we all mattered."[10:35] Orsola: "We kind of assumed #WhoMadeMyClothes would be a relatively easy question to answer, and yet no one could answer it at all. We realized there was a massive disconnection. [10:35] Why being bold but inclusive, while avoiding negative protesting, victimizing, naming and shaming, has been so important to Fashion Revolution. [13:25] Orsola: "We wanted people to be a part of the solution. Every single one of our wardrobes are in the fashion supply chain somewhere. Therefore, every morning when you choose the clothes you wear, you can be a part of that change."[16:50] Orsola: "You don't have to have an interest in fashion to understand there's a massive impact in the clothes that we wear." [19:05] Kaméa: "An article said - millennials do have the heart to make more sustainable purchases, but often aren't doing so because of things like price, convenience, style options. What are your thoughts on that?"[22:40] Kaméa: "How has Fashion Revolution been so successful at inspiring action, beyond just awareness?"[24:35] A key decision Orsola has made as the Creative Director that's helped to elevate Fashion Revolution.[26:00] Orsola's highest hopes for Fashion Revolution. 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!

With all the awareness of plastic pollution, we've been making great, meaningful strides! Here are 2 recent events showcasing us turning the tide against plastic pollution to celebrate. Find the full show notes with references and links to our Green Dreamers' projects at www.GreenDreamer.com/21. Thanks for bringing your light! x @KameaChayne

How can we get over perfectionism to just take action in what we want to do? How can we effectively tell the story around sustainability to keep it inclusive and engaging, so that we can grow the movement more quickly?Today, host of Conscious Chatter and Co-Founder of Left Edit, Kestrel Jenkins, shares her wisdom with us. HIGHLIGHTS: [07:25] Kestrel: “After a couple years, I burnt out… I had to step back and reassess how I was going to work in this space.”[08:35] Kestrel: “[I wanted my work to be about] bringing more people in… so we can all learn together. I wanted it to have an inclusive approach.”[10:55] Kestrel: “Often I won’t do things because I want them to be perfect, and it holds me back from actually getting over the hurdle of just starting things.” [14:15] Kaméa: “Let’s say you wanted to start something new today, and a voice is telling you it’s not good enough. How would you respond?”[19:00] Kestrel’s thoughts on what we can do to keep conversations around discouraging issues engaging. [23:35] Kestrel: “It’s not a simple story. It’s really complicated – an intricate conversation.”[24:30] How Kestrel balances staying objective as a storyteller while also expressing her opinions. SPONSOR: Kanekta.co is a digital sourcing platform connecting ethical brands and suppliers to retail buyers across the globe. Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!

Now that we know about plastic pollution, what's next? What do we need to start from scratch to building a physical eco product and bringing that to life? Today, eco smartphone case brand Pela Case's Co-Founder, Jeremy Lang, shares his wisdom with us. HIGHLIGHTS:[06:50] How Jeremy turned his idea into an actual product.[08:55] The hardest part for the Pela Case team going from product to launching the brand.[11:40] Jeremy: "We wanted to make sure that it wasn't an eco-friendly product that didn't function well. We wanted to make sure #1 it was designed really well, protected your phone, felt really great. But also was eco-friendly."[13:40] Keys to helping Pela Case take off as a brand.[14:55] Jeremy: "It really seems like we can make a difference."[15:45] What Pela Case's team did to secure some great, viral press features.[17:00] Kaméa: "What do you think the world needs to not have any plastic issues at all? What does that world look like?"[17:45] Jeremy: "You can look at it two ways... what a big pile of garbage, or you can say... what an opportunity..."[20:20] Kaméa: "How can we inspire conventional companies to be more responsible for the products they're putting out (that will eventually be disposed of)?" Thanks for bringing your light! Find the full show notes with links and resources at www.greendreamer.com, and share your #1 takeaway from the episode tagging our featured guest and me @KameaChayne to spread the light and to let us know you're tuning in!