Conscious Curiosity

Jesse Langley, the COO of Lotus Sustainables, is on a mission to eliminate 10-billion plastic bags from the environment by the end of 2022.  Join us as he shares his adventures in pushing the limits of Sustainable Entrepreneurism.  

Jesse was born a Conscious Capitalist.  He kicked off his career to save the planet and make some money doing it, at the ripe age of eight years old.  From pushing the limits as a ski racer to adopting the T.S. Elliot mantra, “You will never know your limits unless you push them yourself,” Jesse has continuously walked the talk. 

He kicked off his career to save the planet and make some money doing it, at the ripe age of eight years old. From there his journey includes being a Navy Special Ops, building a sustainable resort in Fiji, to multiple adventures around healthy foods.  Today, his role with Lotus Sustainables is one more example of Jesse holding the course of doing good while honoring both the planet and profit.

Join the conversation and learn from Jesse:

• How to fearlessly push the limits to see what can be truly accomplished
• How to successfully lead during this time of generational change and the shifting expectations of the workforce
• The exciting backstory of Lotus Sustainables and how you too, can join the fight to save the planet

This is a must listen conversation if you are an entrepreneur, a Conscious Capitalist, and have a desire to ensure your grandchildren will have a healthy planet in which to live and thrive.

After you listen and are inspired by Jesse’s story, become a Conscious Consumer through education and the personal choices you can make as a buyer.

Check out Jesse’s recommendation and watch the trailer:  The “Story of Plastic” on YouTube.

Laura has spent most of her business career in the fashion industry, helping to steer famous brands like Burberry and as President of Accessories for Polo Ralph Lauren.   She is currently a principle with WHYZ Partners, that focuses on brand strategy and development, product development, omnichannel execution and operational excellence.  

The fashion industry is ranked the “SECOND DIRTIEST INDUSTRY” in the world, behind oil. As a Conscious Leader, Laura is taking her passion for fashion and natural ability with numbers, to lead the change on how the fashion industry and the consumer can come together to have beautiful clothes that are sustainable and socially responsible.  As Laura says:

• We are what we wear
• We are what we buy
• We are DEFINITELY, what we don’t buy

The consumer is now in charge.  The onus is on business and industry leaders to educate the consumer to make good decisions on what we buy and why we buy it.

Laura has fully embraced the Conscious Capitalism Movement, both internationally and locally, here in San Diego.  As a mother and grandmother, she has brought the concepts right into everyone’s living room with her powerful, but simple to understand new book, The ABC’s of Capitalism for Kids.  

This podcast is a great chance to hear from the heart of one our local leaders who plays on the world stage in one of the largest industries in the world.  As Laura says, “Together, we all have a role to play in making this a better world for the next generations to come.”  Enjoy this conversation with this amazing conscious leader.

The ABCs of Conscious Capitalism for KIDs

Jackie is the CEO of TS Restaurants in California and Hawaii with iconic local locations in San Diego, Dukes of La Jolla and Jakes in Del Mar.

Jackie is the model of the great American success story.  At just 18 and at a low point in her life, she just needed a job.  She took a position as a hostess in the company of which she is now the CEO.   

She contributes her success and the foundation to how she leads today, to the amazing mentorship she received from the owners.  The mentorship as she says, “went beyond the normal teaching model, to where my mentors truly listened and encouraged this highly curious individual to be everything I could be.” 

This mentoring model, she now embraces, should not come as a surprise. The founders of TS Restaurants always had a higher purpose beyond food service.  They desired to have a company where a collection of friends and family could come and be supported and Jackie is just one example of how that purpose came to fruition.  

Jackie shares her journey along with great leadership insights that she has learned during times of challenge and transition.  Along with its continued growth, TS Restaurants has been able to successfully navigate the transition to the second generation of ownership which statistically, is very risky time for any business.  She demonstrates how the higher purpose and values that were embedded into the core of the business are key in carrying the legacy forward while allowing for changes to make it even more relevant in today’s market.  More recently, the challenges of leading and navigating through Covid have truly tested this next generation of leadership.  Holding true to their purpose, they have come out the other side more agile, flexible and innovative with the ability to move fast. 

Come and be inspired by great lessons in leadership, the value of having a higher purpose and living up to your core values honoring the hopes and dreams of all the stakeholders in the business.  This is the hallmark of TS Restaurants and their leader, Jackie Reed!

Michael Harth is one of the original founders of LAZ Parking (the largest private parking company in the US), and is responsible for protecting, nurturing and developing LAZ’s unique culture.  Michael is also the Chairman of Conscious Capitalism San Diego, leading the effort to make San Diego the most conscious city for business in the country.

LAZ parking is a story that begins with three junior high school buddies, now four decades later, guiding LAZ Parking with a laser-focused mission to “Create Opportunities for Our Employees and Value for Our Clients.” Learn how the trust they developed as kids later became the foundation of how they uniquely lead the company and are building a legacy to continue this work into the future. 

Michael shares several amazing stories that demonstrate exactly how a purpose driven organization works and how you too, can embrace your higher purpose, a culture of trust and a model for servant leadership in your business.  

His story of their ability to pivot during Covid should be a case study for all business schools.  As many businesses today are experiencing the big resignation, LAZ with its purpose driven approach has come out stronger, nimbler and positioned for growth in this ever-changing marketplace.

This is a must listen to podcast if you want to create, not only more success but, true significance from the work you do.

Delinda Forsythe is the Founder and CEO of San Diego’s most creative hospitality and office furniture dealership, Innovative Commercial Environments, better known as ICE.  ICE is the only San Diego furniture dealership on the Inc. 5000 list every year since 2013 and the fastest growing dealership in San Diego.  

How did this dancer who joined the circus to kick off her career, manage to successfully build such an impactful company?  As Delinda says, “It is simple – relationships.”  Forced by her circumstances to significantly change her financial situation and to extract herself from the ever-present toxic culture in her industry, she made the bold move to start her own business.

“I maybe the CEO today, but I am really a salesperson.” She demonstrated that fact the first month as an entrepreneur, equaling her annual salary in the first month of business.  With the help of her husband, Tom, and a commitment to do it different, ICE was born.

In her new book, Inspiring Generational Leadership, Delinda steps back to fully understand what was making ICE different and to provide the roadmap for others that desire, not only success, but to create significance for everyone the business touches.   Delinda, like many, discovered she was an unconscious conscious leader!  She had been embracing the tenets of Conscious Capitalism of higher purpose, values and servant leadership without the words but knowing it was the right thing to do.

Be inspired by this leader who thought she was soft, because she leads with kindness, empathy and a generous spirit for others only to find out THIS is the secret sauce to her success.

You can find her book on Amazon: Inspiring Generational Leadership