Welcome to the first three-way episode of #DWYCFTP! This week I chat with Emma Elbaum & Stephanie Connolly about sustainable packaging and, more importantly, convenience culture. We talk about material innovations, reusable/refillable models, packaging-as-a-service, and the systems changes that need to happen to truly tackle this problem.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Veronica Johnson and I chat about all things vegan. Veganism goes beyond animal cruelty and, when done right, can actually bring about a whole slew of health benefits. Veronica and I discuss the benefits of eating a whole-foods plant-based diet, the environmental impacts of factory farming, and the ecological implications of the illegal wildlife trade.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, I chat with Leigh Anne Statuto about how we’ve all become far too disconnected from our food. So much of our lives revolves around food but so few of us think about the impact our food systems have on personal and planetary health. In this episode, Leigh Anne and I talk about the environmental impacts of agriculture, regenerative agriculture, and access to whole foods. Action begins with education and we hope that this chat inspires you to think about how we can all eat more sustainably.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, I chat with Emma Jenkins (another one of my favorite financial wizards and educators) about financial literacy and impact investing. We talk about how finance has traditionally worked to intimidate and exclude women despite us femmes having an insane amount of buying and investing power! Emma shares some of her insights, tips and tricks to shed some light on values-aligned spending and mastering personal finance.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Sahana Zutshi and I talk about financing your startup. Here’s a fun fact: running a business costs money. If you’re truly just getting started, you may not have too many costs and may have the privilege of bootstrapping and putting personal savings into your business. But if you’ve been in business for a while and have hit a growth stage, you’re probably going to need some additional capital to scale operations and expand your market. In this episode Sahana, one of my favorite financial wizards, breaks down all the funding opportunities available to startups and the pros and cons of each. There is no one way to finance your startup, but having a solid understanding of all the different paths you could take is the first step to figuring out which method or methods works best for you and your unique business needs. Huge thanks to Sahana for sharing her expertise - now I’m off to raise a cool million for this talk show.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Margo Aaron and I talk about the challenges of being a sustainable parent. In a world of endless parent shaming and information overload, it’s important to remember that there is no singular right way to be a sustainable parent. I am not a mom, but I have quite a few friends that have embarked on the parental journey, and I can say with full confidence that they are tired. When you’re working hard every day to provide for your family, spend quality time with your kids, and avoid as many tantrums as possible - sometimes it’s just not worth it to get into an argument about whether or not your kid can have a juice box. Margo and I talk about how sustainable parenting means different things to different people, and it really comes down to what your values are and what your capacity is. We hope that you enjoy this episode and choose to show each other more compassion and empathy as we all really just try to do our best.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Mo McCarthy and I unpack all things ESG. ESG stands for Environmental, Social & Governance criteria used to evaluate a company’s operations. Specifically, Mo and I take a look at how the cannabis industry is a perfect storm of ESG issues and presents an opportunity for socially conscious investors to shape the future of finance. Making ANY industry more sustainable and equitable starts by examining what’s material and who needs to be at the decision-making table. The tumultuous history of racially biased arrests and a war on drugs make the conversation around equity even more important as investors evaluate the emerging cannabis sector.

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Sahara James and I get down and dirty on intersectionality. As classmates and colleagues in the sustainability field, it’s impossible for us to not think about all the ways that the #blacklivesmatter

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Holly Williams and I chat about turning your brain off and zoning out with video games, entertainment apps, and reality TV shows. As long time project managers, we use these outlets to relax and attempt to turn our brains off, but they are also a great way to find your people, feel a sense of community, and bond with people at a time where isolation runs rampant. They also serve as creative platforms for expressing or exploring particular passions. Join us for some laughs as we talk about our favorite ways to kill time!

On this episode of #DWYCFTP, Hillary Weiss aka my best friend aka bearington joins me to talk about personal style: why personal style matters if you’re a professional woman, how our style has evolved over the years, and some of our best tips and tricks for expressing yourself through fashion. I skim the surface of sustainable fashion (lots more to say on this and I’ll likely dedicate an entire episode to that in the future) but in all the hoopla I forgot to mention the rental option! In the links below, I’ve included a few links to some of my favorite rental options. Check out the episode and enjoy 30-ish minutes of classic Hillary & Nicole banter. It’s honestly something that we’ve perfected over the last 10+ years and I am so glad that we finally did a web series episode together!