Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?

At a young age, brothers Bradford and Bryan Manning were diagnosed with an eye disease that causes blindness over time. They've used their circumstances to help work toward a cure for blindness through the sales of their ultra-soft designer clothing line. Their vigilance for details carries over into the quality of their products, and you'll love hearing the coincidental story of how the idea for their brand came about. Join me as I learn more about the inspiring Bradford and Bryan Manning.

• Brad and Bryan were diagnosed with Stargardt's disease when they were each seven years old. Stargardt's is a genetic disease that typically destroys center vision.
• The idea for the Two Blind Brothers business started to form after Brad and Bryan shopped in the same store now knowing until after they'd left that they'd purchased the same shirt based on how it felt to the touch.
• Touch is a sense that's critical to those with vision impairments. Brad and Bryan started talking about focusing on the sense of touch to develop their clothing brand.
• One hundred percent of the proceeds from Two Blind Brothers is donated to organizations that fight diseases like Stargardt's and other forms of vision impairment.

• The goal was never a successful business, but a pure passion to help the community and raise funds for research.
• The brand was driven by people who wanted to support the cause, rather than just shop for an item of clothing.
• After learning that man with a retinal eye disease who'd never met another person with an eye disease found an online community through Two Blind Brothers, a huge paradigm shift occurred in the business. It became about fostering hope for the community that the brothers deeply care about.

• Brad and Bryan created a video on social media about how those who are vision-impaired rely on trust to get around in the world.
• During the holiday season, Two Blind Brothers then ran a campaign called "Shop Blind", and pulled all the images from their website and products and added the question "Will You Shop Blind?"
• The Shop Blind experiment gave customers an option to pick from different price points, but they were not able to see what was being selected for them.
• Not only did the Shop Blind experiment raise money for retinal research, it also raised awareness to the experience of those who face obstacles due to vision impairment.
• Building trust builds your ability to connect and be social. When you can't see, you automatically put yourself out there to become closer to others much faster.

• You'll think Brad and Bryan are even more impressive as you hear what they'd pick as their pump-up songs, the things no one would ever guess about them, and more. Of course, stay tuned to hear what it means to Brad and Bryan to run a business with purpose.

• "We started with the full intention that this would empower folks who have a vision impairment or relate to facing challenges and making a social impact."
• "Everyone in the world has their issue. It doesn't make you better."
• "There really is no growth without friction. You're never going to really unlock your potential, creativity, assertiveness, resourcefulness unless you're put in a position to challenge those things."

Bradford and Bryan Manning are curing blindness! At a young age, both brothers were affected with Stargardt disease, a form of macular degeneration that destroys central vision over time. To fight back, they left their former careers in finance to start Two Blind Brothers. Within 1 year, they propelled the small charitable clothing company into one of the fastest growing brands in the country with endorsements from Ellen DeGeneres, Ashton Kutcher, Richard Branson, NBC Nightly News, and many others.

Their luxury clothing project is focused on quality, comfort, and "sense of touch". The clothing is produced by a team of blind and visually-impaired workers in Dallas, Texas. Two Blind Brothers donates 100% of its profits to researchers and the Foundation Fighting Blindness to find cures for blindness. The funds from Two Blind Brothers are driving life-changing treatments that are already being used in patients such as "Voretigene Neparvovec", a gene therapy developed by Spark Therapeutics. The brothers are evangelists for charitable and social enterprises. They were recently nominated to the Facebook Small Business Council for their use of social media to empower others and consult on branding, story-telling, corporate responsibility, and sustainable fashion. The brothers have also participated in various public speaking engagements, most notably two TEDx talks since founding the company.

Originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, both brothers graduated from the University of Virginia. Bradford received a degree in finance and Bryan a degree in statistics. Prior to launching Two Blind Brothers in 2016, Bradford worked in investment management and Bryan worked in data sales. They currently live together in New York City.

Are you an entrepreneur? While the startup, paperwork, and hustle is never easy, often the hardest part is asking to be paid what we're worth. My guest this week is Brandi Riley, and she's tackling this issue head on. Brandi is a blogger at Mama Knows It All and founder of Courage To Earn, an online community for creative female entrepreneurs. Brandi is a thought-leader and powerhouse in the content-creation industry. She is using her knowledge, skills, and passion to inspire women to pursue their creative purpose and get paid for it. Join me as I talk with Brandi about going after your worth in both business and life.

• Brandi started blogging when her daughter was almost a year old. She had no idea she could earn an income doing it, she was just looking for a way to get her feelings out.
• Once she joined a few Yahoo blog pages, she realized she could earn an income from blogging.
• After working for a number of years in social media, marketing, and freelance, the one thing that stood out in all of her experience was that women were not talking about money.
• Brandi started Courage to Earn as a challenge to digital content creators to help them figure out ways to earn more money.
• Shortly after her mother-in-law passed away, Brandi realized her mother-in-law could have left her stressful, low-paying job to pursue her talents as a seamstress if she'd had someone to help her begin.

• Courage To Earn is a place where women are empowered to learn. Brandi strives to help women with the emotions that are tied to asking to be paid what you're worth.
• The Courage to Earn community holds women accountable to each other without the ugliness that can be associated with internet communities.
• Consistent transparency is a pillar of Courage To Earn. Not only does that mean that the community talks about opportunities, they share all the details that come with each opportunity.
• Brandi also has a team of women supporting her to help make sure that the Courage to Earn community prioritizes collaboration over competition and abundance over scarcity.
• Being aware of our mindset helps us determine what's for us and how we can celebrate both our own victories as well as the success of others.

• While working a full-time job that was her passion, Brandi couldn't afford to pay rent, bills, and childcare. While her boss gave her a raise after she asked for one, it was troubling that he didn't understand why she needed it.
• Recognizing your worth is a process that doesn't happen overnight. It became clear to Brandi through a series of events over time that she had to be the person looking out for financial health.
• Even if we don't get what we want, we can learn to ask for it regardless of what we think the result will be. It's not always cut and dry, but we can also grow our negotiating skills over time.
• It's more productive to understand why a certain issue makes us uncomfortable, rather than being upset by the person involved with the situation.
• You can still be upbeat and positive while asking for what you're worth. Talk about what you think you want so that the you've presented an opening for your needs to be considered.
• Moving forward, Courage To Earn is focusing on global impact by creating opportunities for more women to find jobs, hiring more women for digital support positions, and holding more in-person meetups for women to cultivate their relationships. Ultimately, Courage to Earn will be a go-to resource for women to learn.

• Hear Brandi's thoughts on recent trends, what song she'd choose as her theme song, her biggest pet peeve, and more. You'll love hearing the details of what it means to Brandi to run a business with purpose.

• (19:28) "I realized I can be happy in my work, and still get paid what I'm worth."
• (19:53) "They weren't looking to just throw money at me because I was such a great person. That's when it became clear to me that I had to be the person to look out for myself financially."

Sharon Hodde Miller is an author, speaker and church planter who is passionate about cultivating the gifts of women through ministry. In addition to leading Bright City Church in Durham, NC with her husband Ike, she has released two books: Why Life is Better When it's Not about You (2017), and Nice: Why We Love to Be Liked and How God Calls Us to More (2019). Join me to hear Sharon's wisdom about the power of our words, speaking with bold conviction, and how we can change our "nice" habits into substantive kindness.

• Sharon decided to pursue a doctoral degree in Educational Studies to find out what motivates women to go to seminary when so few women are in seminary.
• After working in ministry from some time, Sharon realized that women build platforms from their stories. Sharon felt that the best way to be a good steward of her platform was to pursue formal theology education and training.
• After finishing seminary at Duke Divinity School, where the gender breakdown was fairly even, she pursued a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity school, where there were far fewer women.
• Sharon made it her mission to figure out what was working for women who were already studying to earn a Master of Divinity degree.
• Most of Sharon's research came from STEM fields, and the common thread for both women in STEM and the ministry field was that someone identified their passions and encouraged them to think about pursing them.

• It doesn't matter if you yourself are in a place of visible leadership, we all have the life-changing ability to encourage others to step into their God-ordained gifts.
• We know words are powerful because we are made in the image of God, and God SPOKE creation into existence. God can use our journey, no matter how big or small.
• It's freeing to know that we don't have to handle everything on our own. God will never give us more than HE can handle.

• It can be rewarding to be the "nice Christian girl." Sharon recognized quickly that she earned a lot of praise this way, but started questioning whether she was honoring Jesus, or seeking the good feelings for herself.
• She noticed this question creeping back up again as she became involved in ministry. She sees it now when she feels the Holy Spirit prompting her to write about something difficult or controversial.
• People love hearing about spiritual discussions that help them through their private life, but many people don't like controversial topics pertaining to what Jesus speaks about in the bible.
• Sharon's most recent book NICE came to be when she started examining these questions centered around the nice Christian girl image that looks like the real thing but is motivated by something else.
• Jesus talks about knowing a tree by its fruit. It's important to know the bad fruits of niceness. We also have to be careful not to reward people for the same bad fruits.

• If we excuse bad behavior in leaders because they are nice to us, we're not loving the people under their leadership well.
• There can be pushback when you speak about God's heart, but that's what we should be talking about. It's a natural overflow of loving Jesus and wanting to serve him.
• We have to be careful in these moments not to be angry or self-righteous. God calls those to correct the people who listen to us without becoming sanctimonious.
• It's important to understand the difference between being nice and being kind. Kindness has conviction, niceness does not. Niceness will appease or shatter and is replaced by cynicism.

• Find out something about Sharon that you'd never guess about her, her guilty (or not-so-guilty) pleasure, and what books she's reading right now. Be sure to stay tuned to hear Sharon's wise words about what it means to her to run a business with purpose.
• Website: https://sheworships.com/
• Book: Nice: Why We Love To Be Liked And How God Calls Us To More
• Free of Me

Kisha Mays is a Successful Serial Entrepreneur, Visionary Global Business Development Strategist, Best Selling Author, Angel Investor, and Philanthropist. Her primary focus is on helping to develop 1,000,000 Fearless Female Entrepreneurs generating a minimum of $1,000,000+ in annual revenue. Turning them into unicorn global businesses through the Just Fearless Angel Fund which is a fund exclusively for female founded companies. She pays it forward by supporting non-profits worldwide that specifically support & empower women and girls.

Kisha and her team are developing strategic partnerships for 2019 and beyond to take this international business and brand to an explosive level bringing Just Fearless from behind the scenes to the forefront. In 2019 they are launching HERstory Connections for Women in Business, Women in Creatives, and Women in Literary to help them increase their revenue and help us reach our 1,000,000 goal mentioned above. She and her team are excited for the abundance of opportunities, expansion, and partnerships to be announced very soon. She has been featured in the Business Insider, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and Forbesto name a few. The Just Fearless team has worked with Pepsi, GE, and Home Depot to name a few.

Kisha released her Best Selling book "From Failure to Fearless: Still Completely Flawed BUT Thriving Fearlessly" to rave reviews. Most successful people only talk about the good parts of their journey. In her book, "From Failure to Fearless," Kisha details her many, some very public, failures and how she overcame them in a transparent and vulnerable way. Based on the many positive reviews readers can relate to this from both a personal & business perspective.

Her major influences are Madam C. J. Walker, Oprah Winfrey, Sara Blakely, Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, and Richard Branson, for their fearlessness, exceptional courage, drive and ambition, willingness to go after what they desire & believe in all while setting the standard and breaking through any and all ceilings. Even with all the success she has achieved, Kisha still feels like she is only getting started. Based on her early success at a young age and her drive and ambition, her future and continued success is undoubtedly going to leave a major mark in history.

She is Just Fearless and Building Her Global Just Fearless Empire!

Laughter is the best medicine, and Kevin Fredericks (KevOnStage) is here to talk about how humor can heal and bring us together. Kevin does it all. He has nearly 5 million followers and 140 million views on YouTube. He's a fast-rising entertainer who's already sold out a 50 city self-produced tour, written and produced several TV shows and movies, and grown All Def Digital from 300,000 fans to nearly 10 million fans. Join me in laughter for this fun show with KevOnStage.

• Kev's first comedy show was a church talent show while in high school, and during college, he and his brother transitioned to creating plays. After some local success, Tyler Perry's booking agent came to see one of the plays. They thought it was their big break, until they realized it would still cost $300,000 for them to produce their own play.
• Kev's kids were young at that time, so the family decided to quit doing plays and focus on raising their children. With the rising success of YouTube stars, Kev suggested they put some funny sketches online to try and grow their notoriety and then travel to promote their plays.
• After their videos gained immediate viral success, Kev and his team transitioned primarily to feature video content for social media.
• Kev quickly started his own channel, quit his job and added a stand-up routine to his repertoire. Making funny videos on the internet has played a huge role in Kevin's career success.
• Kev and his family moved to Los Angeles where he worked in the TV industry, and has since gained vast experience with editing, directing, and digital media. The majority of his work now consists of producing content for YouTube, podcasts, and his stand-up routine.

• We are drawn together by our shared human experiences, and that is even more powerful when mixed with humor.
• While Kev is a comedian who is a Christian, he is not a Christian comedian. He makes jokes about himself, his family, his experiences, music, married life, the audience, Bobby Caldwell, etc. to reach more people and more audiences who are not all Christians.
• Kev wants to use his platform to show that you can have a good life with God. Often his fans find a good message in his jokes and relate that feeling to getting back to church.
• When Kev feels like his comedy isn't going over well with the audience, instead of introducing shock value to his material, he'll go back to jokes he knows go over well. In the early days, he'd just leave early. "It's totally ok to get off the stage if you are not doing your job, which is to make people laugh."

• The world wide web has allowed Kev success by building a dedicated audience online. It's much easier to do 30 minutes of standup when the audience already knows you and likes you.
• Kev was already well-versed in stand up before his online career took off, so audiences were able to witness a well-oiled comedy machine once Kev started going viral.
• With all the negativity you can find in social media or the daily news, Kev has used his social media presence as a platform for influencing people in a positive way.
• Kev's ultimate goal is to produce long-form content independently for himself as well as for other creators.

• Kev is traveling with his Real Comedians of Social Media Tour with Tony Baker, TM, and Doughboy.
• On the major cities tour stops, Kev and his wife also record their podcast with the live audiences before the comedy lineup begins.
• As the lines between TV and social media are blurred, Kev is seeing continued success in opportunities outside of the traditional Hollywood route.
• Kev has a new show on Facebook Watch called Kev on Everything where he learns new skills, completely unscripted. He also plans on adding other forms of entertainment (like music!) into his stand-up shows.
• One of the greatest things about being creative and sharing creativity in the age of social media is that that the opportunities to spread your ideas have no physical boundaries.

• Listen to hear who Kev names as his favorite comedians and biggest influences, what song he has to sing along with anytime it comes on, and a recent joke that was a complete flop. Most importantly, you'll hear what it means to Kev to run a business with purpose.

Have you ever had an idea so big that it feels impossible, too scary, too out of reach? If you have a calling that overwhelms you, join us to hear how Jeremy Cowart's career has tackled all those questions and more. Jeremy has accomplished many wonderful callings including work as a humanitarian photographer, artist, author, and founder of The Purpose Hotel! We'll discover the impact of Jeremy's work and the mighty power behind the simple act of asking.

• Jeremy Cowart is a man of many ideas and many callings. He's an artist, photographer, humanitarian, fine art creator, public speaker, painter, and founder of Help Portrait and The Purpose Hotel.
• Knowing how much Jeremy has accomplished would make you think it's always been that way, but school did not come easily to Jeremy. He struggled thinking he'd never amount to much and thought his grades reflected his value as a human being.
• In junior high, Jeremy fell in love with the arts and his parents encouraged him to pursue graphic design as a more stable career path.
• In college, Jeremy jumped head first into graphic design and even worked for an ad agency after college. In 2001, Jeremy left the advertising world to pursue his own design agency and has worked for himself ever since.

• While working on a photography job, Jeremy found himself walking through The Standard (hotel) in LA. As he walked by the rooms, the thought randomly popped into his head that each room could tell a story.
• Every aspect of a hotel stay reminded Jeremy of a cause that helps people. Each room could sponsor a specific child, keys could be linked to The Giving Keys, the art could come from humanitarian artists, the soap could come from Thistle Farms, and so on.
• Like many of us with big dreams or entrepreneurship visions, Jeremy spent a lot of time in fear of the grand scale of his idea. On a flight over NYC, the visual of thousands of skyscrapers lead Jeremy to ask "Why can't that be me?"
• It's a great lesson for all of us: If God calls us to something specific, all we are required is to trust that next small step put before us.

• Since The Purpose Hotel idea revolves around helping other people, crowd funding seemed fitting to help get the idea off the ground.
• While over 4,700 people contributed to the first Kickstarter campaign for the hotel, the original campaign fell well short of the $2 million goal.
• What looked like an initial setback proved once again a lesson in trusting things to line up in just the right way. With a second Kickstarter set at $350,000, the next campaign raised around $750,000.
• When we hit a roadblock on the path to a big dream, instead of letting what looks like failure hinder us, we can recognize it as a setup rather than a setback.

• Speaking of setbacks, another one popped up when the first plans for the hotel's location fell through.
• The next day at the annual Help Portrait event, Santa Claus (no joke!) surprised Jeremy with a Christmas miracle and offered him land to build The Purpose Hotel right next to the brand new Nashville Convention Center.
• A chance meeting with Horst Schultze of THE Ritz Carlton did not initially go well, but at the last minute, Jeremy asked if he could show Schultze the full presentation. A 10-minute meeting turned into three hours of conversation and a big offer from Schultze.
• When things feel like they just won't work out, God is orchestrating something bigger and better that we don't always know about right away.
• The Purpose Hotel plans to break ground next year and open in 2022. The long-term hope is to continue building hotels all over the world as a beacon of light helping humanity.

• Jeremy's new book is called "I'm Possible." It's Jeremy's story of turning "I can't do this" to the reminder of "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Hear Jeremy tell us about how that change allowed him to bear witness to more orchestrated moments, including stories of healing from Rwanda in his "Voices of Reconciliation."

Jeremy has been all over the world, so I'm sure you're curious to know where he'd go if he had to move somewhere outside of the US! You'll also learn who he'd pick to narrate a movie about his life, what book has influenced him the most, and which 1900s era he'd travel back in time to visit and why! Most importantly, Jeremy shares with us what it means to run a business with purpose (you don't want to miss hearing what it means for him to be creative)!

Named the "Most Influential Photographer on the Internet" by Huffington Post, Forbes and Yahoo in 2014, Jeremy Cowart is an award-winning photographer, artist, and entrepreneur whose mission in life is to "explore the intersection of creativity and empathy." Jeremy has published four books and is a sought-after speaker, having presented at TEDx, the United Nations and creative conferences across the country.

His latest endeavor is The Purpose Hotel, a planned global for-profit hotel chain designed to fuel the work of not-for-profit organizations. He's the founder of a global photography movement, Help-Portrait, a mobile social networking app called OKDOTHIS, and an online teaching platform, See University. He lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife and four children, two of whom they recently adopted from Haiti.

Today's Purpose:

You don't have to be in the public sector or start your own charity to make a difference in the world. You can make a huge impact with business! It's possible to be in both the corporate world and non-profit world and lead the way in social responsibility. Today's guest is Kate Hayes, who oversees Echoing Green's "Ecosystem Programming' to find, fund and support early-stage global leaders who have incredible ideas to change the world.

• During college, Kate studied neuroscience and was interested in knowing how change happens. While working in Boston, she stumbled upon a mobile healthcare clinic that was started by an Echoing Green fellow.
• Kate's career made a sharp turn from medicine to the non-profit sector, digging deep into understanding nonprofits and the role of the private sector in supporting them.
• In her first role with Echoing Green, Kate connected business leaders to their purpose and helped them understand their mission, connecting them to the social change ecosystem.
• In her new role as Director of Ecosystems, Kate helps connect nonprofits across the globe to help make an even greater impact.

• Echoing Green is named after a poem by William Blake about making the world a better place.
• The fellowship program is the backbone of Echoing Green. It provides enough seed funding for organization founders to get started and helps with a portfolio management structure for clear planning and developing a strong business acumen.
• Echoing Green creates community by connecting social entrepreneurs with each other for collaboration and support in the first few years of their organizations and beyond.
• A big priority is determining how to access to capital whether philanthropic or investment and connecting leaders to a broader community who cares about similar issues.
• A lot of businesses think you have to do something drastic like start a business or nonprofit based on a social cause. However, businesses can get involved, even if they're not a charity or nonprofit.

• There are so many people who want to make a difference in the world, whatever their career path, and Echoing Green helps them figure out exactly how they can do that while remaining in the private sector.
• For those ready to dive in, Echoing Green helps people identify what issues matter to them, and sends them on a domestic site visit to understand first hand how change is happening on the ground.
• For those who are overwhelmed with the endless possibilities of affecting social change, Echoing Green helps them connect with what they care most about and matches that to their skillsets.
• It's ok to just take baby steps on your own while also bringing people to your team to help you implement those steps. Outside support is what really helps us thrive in our efforts to be involved in social change.

• Kate was part of a group of governance practitioners where it was communicated that board diversity was not only not priority, but not important. She saw an opportunity and became very passionate about communicating need for diversity in leadership.
• This has to start with organizations defining what diversity means in relation to their cause, whether age diversity, racial diversity, or all of the above and more.
• Boards need a shared understanding of the impact that diversity can have on creating effective change in communities. Boards need to look outside of their circles to find as broad a pool of leaders as possible.
• There may be major fundraising implications for Boards that don't take diversity seriously.
• Once you've achieved a more diverse board, it's as equally important to create trust, inclusivity, and equality. It's about having in intention in everything you do, admitting mistakes, and getting uncomfortable.

• Find out what Kate is grateful for, what she would do differently when no one's watching, something you'd never guess about her, and what books she's reading (Moms, take note)!

[spp-tweet tweet="Take a step toward embodying purpose rather than just finding it." - Kate Hayes]

Article on diversity on boards: https://ssir.org/articles/entry/a_roadmap_to_better_boards

Website: https://www.echoinggreen.org/about-echoing-green

Kate Hayes serves as Echoing Green's Director for their Catalyze Ecosystem programming. She oversees several programs at Echoing Green, including Direct Impact, an innovative board leadership program designed to prepare the next generation of board members and transform nonprofit boards. She also manages Echoing Green's alumni programs, ecosystem building and place-based strategy work, and internal program operations. She leads retreats, workshops, and immersive site visits focused on leadership development, purpose, strategic governance, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining Echoing Green, she worked as Director of Evaluation and Program Impact in the national office of Minds Matter. Kate currently sits on the Executive Committee at the Northfield Mount Hermon School, where she serves as Vice President of the Alumni Council. Kate has written for the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Forbes, and across the web about issues related to leadership, purpose, social entrepreneurship, and nonprofit boards. She holds a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience from Northeastern University.

We create so much waste. We don't recycle enough, and we throw out tons of textile waste every year with no thought of the impact it has on our planet.

In 2017, I visited the largest landfill in East Africa, the Dandora dump in Kenya. It was a horrifying and life-changing experience that made me think twice about my habits. We are to be good stewards of the Earth God gave us, so let's explore little changes in our habits that can collectively make a massive difference.

Here are 31 ways you can live more sustainability and reduce your negative impact on the environment by creating less waste:

1. Use reusable straws: You can find glass and metal reusable straws on Amazon. When asked if you want one at a restaurant, you can tell them know, and keep one handy at home, in the car, and in your bag

2. Bring a fork and knife with you to restaurants that use plastic cutlery. You can purchase ones for carrying while you're traveling or just out to eat.

3. Switch to reusable water bottles, coffee mugs, and/or drink tumblers. You can travel with them and fill them at water fountains.

4. Coffee lovers: Switch to a French Press or pour overs.

5. Tea lovers: Switch to loose-leaf tea instead of using tea bags.

For more on reducing waste from coffee and tea use: https://www.treehugger.com/htgg/how-to-go-green-coffee-tea.html

6. Switch to reusable, zero-waste bath products from companies like Plaine Products. They'll send the you the product and when you're done, you mail it back to be refilled and used again. Here's my review of their products.

Follow this link Stillbeingmolly.com/plaineproducts and use the code "Molly" for 20% off. Click here for more on my interview with Plaine Products founder, Lindsey Mccoy.

7. Use refillable soaps and household cleaners through brands like Fillaree or Mama Suds. Fillaree is based in Durham, NC, and if you're local, you can visit one of their refilling stations in the area. Fillaree also sells compostable sponges.

Michelle of Mama Suds has also been on the podcast, and sells a concentrated household cleaner that you can refill along with a lot of other refillables: https://www.mamasuds.com/

8. Put a recycling bin or bag in your bathroom for bath products and walk it to the main recycling bin when it's full.

9. Reusable grocery bags: It's easy to forget them, so create a space for them in the trunk of your car and be sure to immediately put them back when you're finished using them.

10. Reusable produce bags greatly cut down on plastic use! They come in different sizes and are washable. Keep them in your car with the reusable grocery bags so they're always at the ready.

11. Get your produce from the farmers market, local produce stands, or join a local CSA. This reduces both your carbon and plastic footprint.

12. Buy in bulk: Shop for staple ingredients like nuts, lentils, and spices in bulk. Remember to bring a reusable bag or mason jar when shopping bulk items. You can keep them in your trunk with the produce and grocery bags.

13. Switch to reusable plastic wrap. Beeswax Wrap is works just like plastic wrap, is biodegradable, and is washable and usable up to 100 times.

14. Reusable snack bags and lunch containers reduce plastic waste in daily lunches and work well for travel.

15. Switch to cloth napkins. This is also a great way to use textile waste that can't be donated or thrifted.

16. Use reusable kitchen towels or rags to cut down on paper towel waste.

17. Switch from tissues to handkerchiefs.

18. Switch out cotton balls or rounds for reusable muslin cloths. They're great for removing makeup and nail polish.

19. Purchase a makeup removal cloth like the Endure Lash Eye Cloth, which only uses water to remove 99% of your makeup.

20. For the ladies: Use a menstrual cup instead of tampons.

21. Another one for the ladies: Instead of a pad, check out "momma cloth." In addition to reducing waste, they're more comfortable, save money, and don't contain harmful chemicals!

22. Switch to cloth diapers instead of disposable diapers. Check out a recent blog post for what I learned after 5 years of using cloth diapers: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2019/03/19/cloth-diapering-basics-101/

23. Who Gives A Crap? is a toilet paper company with the best name ever. Their products are made out of recyclable materials, and they donate 50% of their profits to help build toilets for those in need.

24. Rechargeable batteries are an easy way to save money and the planet!

25. Consign or trade old clothes: Check out podcast Episode 130 to about hear ways you can sustainably get rid clothing in your closet.

26. Before you throw something out, be sure to ask these questions:

1. Can I repair it?
2. If I can't repair it, is there another use for it?
3. How can I sustainably can I dispose of it?

27. Buy toys more sustainably. Can you buy them used? Can you buy a version that's not plastic? Can you buy a wooden version? And while you're thinking about that, check out Green Toys, made from recyclable plastics.

28. Go paperless. Contact any businesses you receive a bill from and ask to go paperless. This cuts down on jump mail, and saves them money too, so they should be happy to oblige.

29. Unsubscribe from unwanted magazines or catalogues from Catalogue Choice and DMA Choice.

30. Borrow books from the library for the kids AND for yourself! Tip: Keep a book bin by the door as a reminder to return library books and avoid late charges.

31. Compost! It can feel overwhelming, but there are services to help. Compost Now is currently in a few cities in North Carolina, Charleston, SC, and Atlanta, GA. Not only will they guide you through how to compost, they'll also pick up your bin and exchange it for a new one. You can also request the compost and they'll deliver it to you. Go to http://stillbeingmolly.com/compostnow for a two-week trial.

No need to feel overwhelmed: Pick a few tips to implement and start reducing your impact. You can add more as you go, and you'll like save money along the way.

Have you tried any of these ways to reduce waste? Are you going to? Let me know what you learned or what you want to implement next!

Do you realize how much power you have as a consumer? I'm serious. There's that famous quote that I use all the time which is "You vote every single day by the way you spend your money." and over the last couple of years, I've found that this is truer than ever… your beliefs drive how you purchase goods and services and companies that don't adhere to your personal values or beliefs, more often than not, don't get your money. And money talks. But… that doesn't mean that you just buy a product SIMPLY because you believe in the values behind it… there's a whole lot more to it and it's something that my guest today has spent nearly 20 years working to study...

• Llenay's Ferretti's success as a fashion designer gave her a robust knowledge of international sourcing as well as access to iconic industry mentors. It also paved the way for her future in fair-trade.
• Fair-trade found Llenay after she met women basket weavers on a 2001 volunteer trip to Uganda with 10,000 Villages.
• Llenay's skills in pattern, color, and textile helped the women reimagine their beautiful patterns for capturing market.
• After working as the Executive Director for 10,000 Villages, Llenay started her own organization in 2007 called Bahavana World Project. Bahavana World Project brings technical skills and services to women's organizations in the developing world.
• In 2016, Llenay joined the 10,000 Villages board and is currently the acting CEO while the organization searches for a permanent CEO.

• When people have access to growth and fairly paid work, their lives can change significantly by giving them the tools to sustain themselves.
• Consumers have the power to shape the market in the ways they chose to invest their dollars. This is as true in the fashion industry as it is in fair-trade, and purchasing decisions affect everyone in the global community.
• These days, consumers are much more aware of the impact they have on the global community with conscious and ethical participation in fair-trade purchases.
• Consumers who are not involved in fair-trade purchases sometimes ask: "Isn't that job better than no job?" This idea does not apply to vulnerable communities working in unsafe conditions for unfair wages. Working for fair wages eliminates the vulnerability of being stuck in a cycle of exploitation.
• Control should be in the hands of both the maker and the buyer. 10,000 Villages gives interest advances and pays artists in full for products, creating a risk-free financial environment where artists don't have to wait an unreasonable amount of time to be paid.

• All businesses need to be transparent, and consumers should know how workers are treated and how they are paid.
• The April 24th, 2013 Rana Plaza Complex Disaster in Bangladesh started a global demand for transparency and for workers to be treated with dignity and respect. A campaign was started by the Fashion Revolution organization that asked companies "Who made my clothes?" instead of "Where were my clothes made?"
• 10,000 Villages has used a model of transparency from day one. Having the artisan tell their stories for 70 years has built sustainability and trust with both artisans and consumers.
• The addition of fair-trade practices by large fashion brands like J.Crew, Athleta (Gap), Target, etc., has created more accountability in the industry: In the past, companies would simply pass off stories of artisans as checking the fair-trade box, but if it's not well made, on trend, and functional, it's just creates a one-time pity purchase.
• Fair-trade organizations work toward proving that women are being educated, children are going to school, people's medical needs are being fulfilled, housing is available, and college education is accessible. Transparency should reveal an equal respect in a trading relationship, and build a long-term commitment between makers and markets.

• The mission of 10,000 Villages is to link makers to markets through fair-trade, sustainable, long-term relationships. A personal connection in every step of the transaction is key.
• The voice of the consumer matters; you actually can shop your values!
• 10,000 Villages refreshed their brand by inviting the consumer into maker stories even more. Now the goal is to establish a value chain that communicates everything from maker to the market, encouraging the consumer to join the movement.
• Industries need to base their practices on consumer needs in order to keep up with a changing market.
• Women around the world want the same things for their children and their communities. Llenay's inspiration moving forward is to be able to demonstrate her values not only through her career, but also as a consumer.

Find out Llenay's Fav TV Shows (think old school Saturday mornings), recent kitchen successes, and what's on her reading list.

Llenay answers it first: "What Does It Mean To You To Run A Business With Purpose?"

"It means to have my personal values and my outward expression in the world aligned and it means that I am living my personal best life and hopefully helping others by doing that."

[spp-tweet tweet="Safe working conditions and a fair wage is a human right and the dignity of work should embrace that, not exploit people for how they can benefit a corporation or a capitalist system." - Llenay Ferretti]

As the founder and CEO of Bhavana World Project, since 2007, Llenay has worked to bridge the gap between fair trade artisans and U.S. companies to create successful and sustainable market access through partnerships within the public and private sectors. She has consulted for East Africa Trade Hub; focusing on business development and training programs for more than 200 fair trade groups in Asia and Africa.

Llenay has also been working with Ten Thousand Villages for many years, as the Executive Director, a national board member, and now, as the organization's Acting CEO. As a global maker-to-market movement, Ten Thousand Villages connects artisans in developing countries with conscious shoppers in the U.S. offering ethically sourced gifts, home wares and fashion accessories crafted by hand. Every product generates sustainable income — and impact — for 20,000 makers in 30 countries who earn a fair, living wage in safe working conditions.

Through her leadership at Ten Thousand Villages and Bhavana World Project, Llenay has more than twenty years of experience in international business development, product design, business management, and fair trade standards and certification.

"I believe that by providing artisans with the tools to grow their businesses creates the driving force behind projects in developing economies. This has been the driving force behind the development of Ten Thousand Villages and Bhavana World Project. Working with each of the artisan groups that I have had the privilege to connect with has shown me that equality in development can affect both individual and collective transformation, which has direct impact on artisan processes, product outcomes, and their market sustainability."

Llenay's educational background includes an Executive Masters of International Service from American University in Washington D.C. and certifications in USAID Economic Evaluation Basics, USAID Monitoring and Evaluation, and USAID M&E Fundamentals from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. As well as a Bachelor in Fine Arts from Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA. And from 2015-2017, she served on the United States Trade Representative Advisory Committee on Africa, a Presidential appointment during the Obama Administration.

RESOURCES:

• Ten Thousand Villages: https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/
• Bhavana World Project Website: https://bhavanaworldproject.com/
• Fashion Revolution (Who Made My Clothes?): https://www.fashionrevolution.org/tag/who-made-my-clothes/
• April 24, 2013 - Rana Plaza Complex Garment Factory Disaster: (International Labour Organization website): https://www.ilo.org/global/topics/geip/WCMS_614394/lang--en/index.htm

You know very well by now my intense passion and heart for ending human trafficking. This is an issue that when I first REALLY learned about it in 2011, I could no longer sit back and ignore it… it's an issue I quickly dove into learning as much as I could about it. It's an issue that affects women, men, and children of all ages, races, socio-economic statuses, genders, religions, cultures… it happens in every state in the United States and every country around the world. It's a massive issue… but when we let the fact that something like human trafficking is such a massive issue cloud our vision and keep us from DOING anything about it… that's when we have to sit back and realize that we CAN do something… we have to start SOMEWHERE.

• Bridget and Don Brewster discovered, AIM, Agape International Missions while Bridget's husband Don was the Executive Pastor of a church in Northern California.
• On a 10-day trip to Cambodia with AIM, it became obvious that the country was still suffering from the effects of the civil war. They witnessed extreme poverty and broken families. A longing for kindness and hearing about the hope of the Lord was evident all around them.
• Two weeks after returning home to the US, Bridget and Don saw a news special about children being sold into trafficking. It was happening just outside Cambodia's capital of Phnom Penh near the areas Bridget and Don had visited on their prior trip.
• Having not heard anything about the problem until they'd returned home, Bridget and Don reached out to the founders of the church planting arm of AIM and returned to Cambodia to learn more about the problem.
• Many organizations were forced to stop rescues due to lack of resources and safe places for survivors to experience restoration. At this point, many children ended back on the streets, in brothels, or in jail.

• Bridget and Don sold their home in the US and moved to Cambodia to help Agape set up a restoration home where trafficking survivors could begin the healing process and prepare for the future.
• After just three months, their facilities were at capacity, but step-by-step, God revealed resources to help them manage the needs of survivors.
• For Agape, it's based on four pillars of prevention, rescue, restoration, and reintegration.
• Agape checks in with each survivor once a month when they have entered the reintegration pillar. Only 5% of girls in the Agape program go back to their former lives.
• Christ is at the center of Agape's mission. Unconditional love, community, and employment with a living wage (for both a survivor and her family) allows them to return to a new life with honor and dignity.

• Rescuing is not as simple as finding trafficking victims and getting them out. There must also be trauma-informed approach tailored to each individual's needs.
• Children of many different religions or no religion come to Agape. While they do not have to become Christians, they are taught about the hope of Christ and who Christ created them to be.
• Agape knew that Jesus needed to move into the Svay Pak community, a large hub of trafficking in Southeast Asia. Agape planted a church there and reached out to help the men in the community learn about their identity in Christ.

• The school, church, transition home, and clinic have served as preventative tools to help keep kids safe from trafficking risks. Agape just opened a new school facility where the children learn together instead of being spread out in different buildings.

• Agape creates stability and assurance by providing a living wage through three employment centers where daily devotions, family-style meals, benefits, and child-care are provided.
• The community was resistant to Agape's presence in the beginning, but the creation of sustainable jobs and the building of intentional relationships helped with the trust needed to implement true change.
• Much of Cambodia lost the traditional family structure during the time of the Khmer Rouge. Agape works to restore families through parenting classes and teaching about the ways God reveres children.

• You don't have to leave town to fight human trafficking. Start by being aware of the problem. Bridget recommends several documentaries including: Nefarious, The Pink Room (this one is about Agape International Missions), and CNN's Every Day in Cambodia.
• Be aware of what trafficking looks like and get involved in local community organizations that support the welfare and education of children.
• Support Women: Find Molly's lists of places to shop that support not only survivors of trafficking, but companies that also provide sustainable economic opportunity to vulnerable areas.
• Help organizations that provide mentoring, shelter, and resources to girls who age out of the foster care system when they turn 18.
• Prevention is key: Homeless children are especially vulnerable to trafficking, and it happens in your own backyard. Become a foster parent, volunteer in schools and teen centers. You can even support the local PTA system, regardless of whether or not you have kids.

• Agape and its partners are constantly at capacity. Their goal is to build another transition home to relieve some of the existing homes that are already full.
• Job creation is key: Agape hopes to build 12 more employment centers within the next 7 years to employ 1,000 more girls.
• Agape also hopes to increase marketing efforts to grow sales and launch a unique brand for AIM. With their Three Strands Brand, they are featuring the 22 Bracelet (a bracelet that represents one girl trafficked being one too many, and one day in trafficking being too long). You can hear more about the compelling story behind the 22 Bracelet in Bridget's interview.

Bridget Brewster:

After learning about the issue of sex trafficking in Cambodia in 2005, Don and Bridget Brewster sold their home, Don gave up his position as Executive Pastor of Adventure Christian Church in Roseville, CA, and they moved to Cambodia to lead Agape International Missions (AIM). AIM is a non-profit organization that is stopping the cycle of exploitation in Cambodia by preventing trafficking and rescuing, restoring, and reintegrating survivors.

The Brewsters have spearheaded AIM's efforts to fight trafficking through AIM Restoration Home, a community center, the Lord's Gym, a community church, transitional homes, employment centers, an accredited elementary school, and their own SWAT Rescue Team.

Their leadership has led to over 1,000 survivors rescued, over 800 survivors restored and reintegrated, and thousands of girls prevented from being trafficked.

• Plastic Free Cambodia: https://plasticfreecambodia.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plasticfreecambodia/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlasticFreeJulyCambodia
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarah_e_rhodes
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/plasticfreecambodia

Additional Resources:

• Agape International Missions (AIM) Website: https://agapewebsite.org/

• AIM Apparel Shop: https://theaimshop.com/

• 3 Strands Brand: https://3strandsshop.com/

From Still Being Molly

• 57+ Brands To Buy From That Are Fighting To End Human Trafficking: https://www.stillbeingmolly.com/2018/01/29/57-brands-fighting-human-trafficking/

Documentaries

• The Pink Room (Agape International Missions): https://agapewebsite.org/pinkroom/
• Nefarious: Merchant of Souls – A Documentary on The Global Sex Trade: http://nefariousdocumentary.com/
• You can learn more about CNN's Everyday In Cambodia and how to watch it, here:
• http://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2013/12/world/cambodia-child-sex-trade/index.html