Clean & Green Living

The past year has tested us all mentally and emotionally. Depression, anxiety and overwhelm are all too common, and many of us have no idea how to begin to dig ourselves out of these feelings. I am hoping this episode will give you a start. 

I am talking with Dr. Sasha Heinz, a PhD developmental psychologist and life coach. Sasha is an expert in positive psychology, behavioral change, and the science of getting unstuck. 

Dr. Heinz has an impressive resume with a BA from Harvard, a PhD in development psychology from Columbia and a master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She was also one of the first 33 people in history to receive a degree in Positive Psychology. 

In today’s conversation we’re talking about the challenges of the past year, and more importantly, Sasha is sharing the tools and mindset we can all use to help us survive and find confidence, gratitude and happiness in these most challenging of times. 

About Sasha 

Sasha Heinz, Ph.D., MAPP, a developmental psychologist and life coach, is an expert in positive psychology, lasting behavioral change, and the science of getting unstuck. In her private coaching practice, she teaches clients the tools to change their lives for good. Heinz received her BA from Harvard, her PhD in development psychology from Columbia, and her master’s in applied positive psychology from the University of Pennsylvania, where she also served as a faculty member.

Resources Mentioned

Boost Your Gratitude Quotient Starter Kit https://drsashaheinz.pages.ontraport.net/mindwareupdates 

Connect with Sasha 

Website https://drsashaheinz.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drsashaheinz/

Email [email protected]

Being a changemaker is not easy.  It involves rejecting the status quo and opening the eyes of the world to something new, something different, and, ideally, something better. Today’s guest, Stephen Gates, is no stranger to bringing about positive change. With over 20 years of working in the design world, Stephen has an impressive resume of founding, building, and leading world-class design teams. He has partnered with and designed for some of the world’s most innovative companies including Amazon, Google, Apple, Nike, and Starwood Hotels to name just a few. And Stephen currently serves as the SVP of Omni-channel product design for Weight Watchers.

Stephen is a self-proclaimed Crazy One, and this is a title we will definitely be discussing as it happens to be the name of his award-winning podcast on which he shares actionable insights on topics like creativity, leadership, and building your career, and, of course, innovation. I’m not going to waste any more time talking about him, let’s talk with him, here it is, my interview with Stephen Gates. 

About Stephen Gates

Global design leader building world-class organizations that integrate human-centered methods to drive a long-term vision and near-term business impact. Stephen is the son of a Creative Director with 20+ years of experience creating work grounded in research and data and executed with human-centered methodologies to create the strategies, concepts, and executions of award-winning integrated global advertising campaigns, and multiple global Fortune 100 brands, and innovative digital experiences.

Stephen currently works as the SVP of Omni-channel product design for WW and has built deep and broad experience by working with, teaching, coaching, and learning from executives, design, product, and engineering teams at Amazon, Google, Verizon, Apple, Nike, Bank of America, Rolls Royce, The Home Depot, IDEO, HSBC, EY Partners, Frog Design, NASA, and many more. He has also worked at McCann Erickson, Citi, and Starwood Hotels with clients like American Airlines, W Hotels, Disney, ExxonMobil, Acura, Citi, Nationwide Insurance, Verizon, Subaru, and more.

Stephen hosts The Crazy One podcast and gives keynotes at events worldwide to share honest and actionable insights on topics like creativity, leadership, building your career, and more. The 100+ episodes of the podcast have won multiple awards, including a 2020 Webby Award Honoree for Best Technology Podcast and a 5 star average review in every global iTunes Store. 

Resources Mentioned 

This Might Get Me Fired https://www.amazon.com/This-Might-Get-Fired-Entrepreneurial-ebook/dp/B07C9S9DBJ

I Dare You to Care https://www.amazon.com/Dare-You-Care-Intelligence-Remarkable/dp/1643072587

The amazing design people List 

https://www.adplist.org

Connect with Stephen 

Website http://stephengates.com

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/stepdgat/

Instagram http://stephengates.com

When I started this podcast I made a wish list of guests, and today I couldn’t be more excited to bring a wish to life and have Lindsay Dahl on the show. 

You may know Lindsay from her role at Beautycounter as the SVP of Social Mission. In this very big role,  she oversees safety, sustainability, quality, advocacy, and giving. Lindsay has a long and impressive history working as a consumer safety advocate that includes the passage of more than a dozen health-protective laws at the state and federal levels and the nation's first ban on BPA from baby bottles. Lindsay’s work as an advocate and educator reaches far beyond her day job. Through her website Lindsaydahl.com and her Instagram account, Lindsay shares science-based consumer safety guides, safer beauty products and how to find safer products for your home. Lindsay is one of my go-to-resources for all things health and safety, and I am beyond thrilled to have her as a guest. 

About Lindsay

Lindsay Dahl is Beautycounter’s SVP of Social Mission, where she leads the safety, sustainability, quality, advocacy and giving teams. A nationally recognized leader, Lindsay has been working for over 15 years to remove toxic chemicals from the products we use every day. Working at the intersection of activism, product safety, and sustainability, Lindsay takes a comprehensive approach to integrate social impact into everything we do at Beautycounter.

Prior to joining the Beautycounter team, Lindsay spearheaded the passage of more than a dozen health-protective laws at the state and federal levels, including the nation’s first ban on the toxic chemical BPA from baby bottles and other landmark laws on chemicals like flame retardants, mercury, and phthalates. In addition, Lindsay created a nationally acclaimed program—Mind the Store—to encourage top retailers to remove toxic chemicals from products. This initiative led to comprehensive health-protective policies from Fortune 500 companies such as Target, Wal-Mart, CVS, The Home Depot, and Best Buy.

While working in DC, Lindsay was the Deputy Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, the country’s largest coalition working to update federal laws on toxic chemicals. Lindsay was also the lead strategist for a grassroots movement that ultimately led to the overhaul of toxic chemical regulations, the first since 1976.

Resources Mentioned

PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Beautycounter www.beautycounter.com

There is something I find especially inspiring about craftsmen taking scraps or something considered as waste and making it into a beautiful, highly-desired product. That is exactly the work of Luke Mathers and Truce Designs. 

Luke first learned to sew industrial-grade fabrics while repairing sails and making boat covers. It was in that job that he discovered the scrap bin and the opportunity to reuse unwanted materials to make bags for his friends and family. Luke’s belief in environmentally responsible design and manufacturing led him to create Truce Designs. 

Today we are talking about how he takes old sails, scraps of wetsuit fabric, and other high-performance materials and makes them into incredibly durable duffle bags, backpacks, messenger bags, and Dopp kits. Each textile Luke uses has a history, and a story to tell. Some have spent years voyaging open waters, other fabrics are repurposed from the factory floor. 

Be sure to listen to the entire episode because Luke and I have something up our sleeves that you don’t want to miss hearing about. 

About Luke and Truce Designs

Luke learned to sew industrial-grade fabrics while repairing sails and making boat covers at North Sails Oregon. There he discovered the loft’s scrap bin, his first source of materials for crafting bags and accessories for his friends and family. Luke’s belief in environmentally responsible design and manufacturing led him to create Truce, a small collection of high-performance bags crafted from reclaimed materials.

Connect With Luke

Website https://trucedesigns.com

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/trucedesigns/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjhd5khlcxY

Imagine a world without litter. That is the mission of today’s guest, Jeff Kirshner, founder of Litterati. Litterati is an app that is empowering individuals to make a significant, measurable impact on the environment. By capturing data through geo-tagged photos of litter, Litterati is able to understand why the litter is on the street and where it is coming from. Litterati is a shining example of how communities are using technology and data to make the world a better place. 

When I first spoke with Jeff I was inspired by his passion to make a positive change, and what I find particularly fantastic about Litterati is that it really is about a collective effort across communities. I am a strong believer that we as individuals can take small actions to make a significant impact, and Litterati has shown, without a doubt, how a single person can inspire a community, influence an industry, and change government policies.

About Jeff

Former world backpacker turn bartender, Jeff Kirschner is a serial entrepreneur with a love for storytelling. And when his 4-year-old daughter saw a plastic tub of cat litter in the woods, little did Jeff realize that it would be the spark for creating Litterati - a movement that’s “crowdsource-cleaning” the planet. Litterati has been featured by National Geographic, Rolling Stone, and Forbes, and they are backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, the National Science Foundation, and have been highlighted at TED.

Resources Mentioned 

Jeff’s TED Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_kirschner_this_app_makes_it_fun_to_pick_up_litter?language=en

Connect with Jeff

Website https://www.litterati.org

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/litterati/ 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/thelitterati/

Twitter https://twitter.com/litterati

In this episode, I am talking with Cody Goldberg, founder and executive director of Harper’s Playground. In 2009, Cody did something very common for a parent of a five-year-old, he took his daughter Harper to a playground.  At birth Harper was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder that affects physical and cognitive development, as a result, Harper was using a wheeled walker.  As they approached the playground, her walker got stuck in a mound of wood chips. 

At that moment, Cody realized that a place so valuable to childhood development wasn’t welcoming or accessible to his daughter. In what I call a “this or something better moment”, Cody resolved to dedicate his energy to creating playgrounds, where everyone, including kids and families with special needs, could play together. And thus the creation of Harper’s Playground. To date, Harper’s Playground has built or consulted on the creation of eleven inclusive playgrounds in Oregon, Washington, Iowa, and even a playground in Tokyo, Japan. 

The work of Harper’s playground goes well beyond play. It’s about connection, community, and inclusivity. In a time when many of us have never felt more isolated, Cody’s story and his passion for bringing people together has never been more important. 

About Cody 

G Cody QJ Goldberg is a dreamer and a doer. He is the child of bona fide San Francisco hippies and was once babysat by Janis Joplin. He received a BFA in Film/Television studies from New York University’s Tisch School of The Arts. At the age of 30 he “dropped out” to play percussion in a wandering tribal band of gypsies called “La Tribu Cosmica.” During that magical year in Mexico, he filmed a documentary about the group and experience and became fluent in Spanish.

Upon his return, he fell into a 14-year career in brand marketing for Adidas and Red Bull Energy Drink before working up the nerve to pursue his life’s true purpose. Cody speaks of his jump from a corporate career to running the non-profit he launched with his wife, April, in 2010.

Together, they led a movement that designed, funded, and built the first totally inclusive playground in Portland, OR. Their passion project, Harper’s Playground, was featured on NBC’s The TODAY Show and their family had a day named for them by the mayor of Portland for their efforts.

Goldberg reflects on lessons learned while raising $1.2 million in just over two years without an ounce of previous fundraising experience; sharing about collaboration, design, and politics. He weaves lessons learned during his own childhood with dreams of creating a better life for his own children. He often explains the GQ & J in his name, too. Cody, April, daughters Harper and Lennon, and their dog, Millie, make their home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Connect With Cody and Harper’s Playground 

Website https://www.harpersplayground.org

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/harpersplayground/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/harpersplayground/

Email [email protected]

In this episode, I am talking with Anthony Rossi, EVP of Business Development of TerraCycle and Loop. If you’re not familiar with TerraCycle, I’ll make it simple, they are the biggest innovators in the garbage business. TerraCycle reuses, upcycles, and recycles waste instead of landfilling it. ​

Through their National recycling programs, TerraCycle has diverted millions of pounds of valuable resources from landfills all over the world. From diapers and cigarette buts to energy bar wrappers and contact lenses.

Today, Tony and I are talking about the history of TerraCycle, the Loop shop, and also the work of the TerraCycle Global Foundation whose mission is to help to reduce plastic pollution in emerging countries and communities. This conversation will leave you looking at trash and recycling in a whole new way. 

About Tony

Anthony has been with TerraCycle since 2012 when he joined the TerraCycle Canada team in Toronto as a Business Development Manager. Since then, he has worked with TerraCycle and Loop partners in both the B2C and B2B space and has brought in many new international partners. As the EVP of Business Development for both TerraCycle and Loop, Anthony develops the company-wide sales strategy and manages TerraCycle Inc.’s 50+ person global sales. Anthony has 15+ years of business development experience and prior to joining TerraCycle, he worked in Toronto, Dijon, Budapest, and Vienna for some of the world’s largest professional service firms and financial institutions.

Connect with TerraCycle

TerraCycle Website https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/

Loop Store Website https://loopstore.com

TerraCycle on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/terracycle/

Loop Store Instagram https://www.instagram.com/shoploopstore/

Tom Szaky Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tom_szaky/

In this episode, I am talking with Sylvia Baffour. Sylvia is an author, professional speaker, coach, trainer, and a thought leader in the fields of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership. 

Her book, I Dare You to Care, focuses on using emotional intelligence skills to inspire, influence, and achieve remarkable growth and is a must-read. HubSpot recently named Sylvia among the Top 15  most influential female motivational speakers alongside Oprah Winfrey and Mel Robbins.

Sylvia and I are talking about emotional intelligence, how we develop it and why it is so important. Syliva shares ways that we can all practice emotional intelligence to be more empathetic and more connected in our personal and professional lives. Sylvia is also sharing the story of her relationship with Maya Angelou, one of the most influential poets, authors, and civil rights activists of our time. If you’ve listened to the podcast before, you know I end each episode with the wise and inspiring words of Dr. Angelou, and I assure you this conversation with Sylvia is sure to inspire you just as her friend and mentor Dr. Angelou inspired so many. 

About Sylvia

Sylvia Baffour was born in Ghana, West Africa, and spent much of her upbringing living in 8 countries before she arrived on the shores of the US for college in the mid-1990s. She is the founder and President of Baffour International, a Professional Speaking, Training, and Coaching company focused on helping organizations thrive and succeed with emotionally intelligent strategies.

HubSpot recently named her among the Top 15 female motivational speakers alongside Oprah Winfrey, Mel Robbins, and Iyanla Vanzant. She is a thought leader in the fields of Emotional Intelligence and Leadership and is the author of the newly released book, I Dare You to Care. A book focused on using emotional intelligence skills to inspire, influence, and achieve remarkable growth. 

Sylvia is among the most sought-after speakers and professional development trainers and her clients include Fortune 500 companies like Capital One, SAP, Nationwide Insurance, as well as agencies such as the World Bank, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Defense. In addition to living in several countries around the world, she speaks 5 languages. In 2014, she was ranked among the top 18 speakers at the World Championship of Public Speaking held in Malaysia. A global competition that began with 35,000 contestants from 126 countries.

Connect with Sylvia

Website https://sylviaspeaks.com

Sylvia’s Book, I Dare You To Care https://sylviaspeaks.com/book/

Podcast https://sylviaspeaks.com

Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/sylviabaffour/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sylviaspeaks/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SylviaBaffour

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Melissa Mondala, a triple specialist of family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and primary care psychiatry. Dr. Melissa is one of the first and youngest nationally recognized lifestyle medicine fellows, and her passion is educating and empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Melissa believes in treating the underlying cause of disease and teaching transformative healthy lifestyle behaviors through self-empowerment and self-compassion. 

I first connected with Dr. Melissa on her Instagram where she shares tips on living a healthy lifestyle, including plant-based recipes. I’ve had a lot of listeners express interest in plant-based eating and the corresponding health benefits, so I am excited to have Dr. Melissa here to share her journey and to talk about the impact of a whole food plant-based diet on disease prevention and reversal. 

Resources Mentioned

State of Obesity Report https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/PFCD%20-%20COVID%20Heat%20Map%20-%20Fact%20Sheet%20FINAL%20DRAFT.pdf 

COVID-19 EXPOSES HEALTH SYSTEM FLAWS, RAISES RISK FOR MANY https://www.fightchronicdisease.org/sites/default/files/PFCD%20-%20COVID%20Heat%20Map%20-%20Fact%20Sheet%20FINAL%20DRAFT.pdf 

About Dr. Melissa

Dr. Melissa Mondala is a triple specialist in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and primary care psychiatry. She is one of the first and youngest nationally recognized lifestyle medicine fellows and is a strong community health advocate. She serves as faculty at Loma Linda University Preventive/Lifestyle Medicine Department, which is one of the blue zones for longevity.

She currently sits on the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Board of Directors and is a Diplomate of Lifestyle Medicine. She planted seeds of change in the community through lecturing at local medical school, veg fest, and virtual summits. She has devoted decades of volunteer work in underserved communities in California and internationally. She has been featured in popular media, such as Forbes, Local News outlets, and Social Media. She prioritizes lifestyle modifications to optimize health. Her passion is educating and empowering healthy living and cooking.

Connect with Dr. Melissa

Website https://www.drlifestyle.org

Instagram https://www.drlifestyle.org/dr-melissa-mondala/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/melissamondala.md/

In this episode, I’m thrilled to have back one of my first guests on the podcast, Tracy Hooper of The Confidence Project. If you’re not familiar with Tracy from that episode, she is a personal coach, corporate speaker, and trainer who helps us to navigate our personal and professional lives with greater confidence.

Today, Tracy is coming back on the show to talk about her new Book titled The NEW Hello: What to say and what to do in the new world of work. Virtual meetings, communicating with masks, and social distancing are just a few of the things that are a part of this new world. We are living in uncertain times and with that comes uncertainty in how we interact with others. Today, Tracy is sharing skills, pro tips, stories, wisdom, and hope for anybody who wants to learn how to live and work confidently in this new world. 

About Tracy

Tracy Bagli Hooper is a personal coach, corporate speaker, and trainer. Tracy provides a safe environment for professionals to practice confidence-boosting skills that are essential in today’s world. Before launching the Confidence Project, Tracy was a TV reporter and anchor where She learned how to introduce herself with impact, connect with people quickly, and put them at ease, even in stressful situations.

Connect with Tracy

Tracy’s Book, The New Hello: https://www.amazon.com/NEW-Hello-WHAT-WORLD-WORK/dp/B08P8GB4MB/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=the+new+hello&qid=1614443061&sr=8-2

Website: www.confidenceproject.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracyhooper/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ConfidenceProjectByTracy

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconfidence_project/

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtBQfeZ4xQFNAqkoXsgUXUQ

Email: [email protected]