The Great Full

My guest in this episode is Rirhandzu Marivate, a regenerative food systems practitioner and socioecologist currently based in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Rirhandzu leads the Living Soils Community Learning Farm initiative, which aims to empower young black women through jobs in regenerative farming to grow nutrient-rich produce, strengthen local community food security and create sustainable livelihoods.

In this episode we talk to Rirhandzu about how she collaborates with the team and the community to really embody regenerative leadership while they do regenerative agriculture.

We cover:

• How Rirhandzu’s career path diverged from working with apes to working with food!
• How Living Soils simultaneously tackles unemployment, food insecurity and unsustainable farming.
• What fosters the special energy in how they collaborate so that people ‘feel’ more than ‘see’ the project.
• How systems approaches need constant learning and adaptation.
• What intentionally building and nurturing community looks like.
• What it means to center individual and community growth, learning and development AND make a tangible impact.
• How they use regeneration as a lens for their work - not only in terms of how they produce food but also in terms of human development.
• The daily practices that help her embody regenerative leadership each day.

Further information:

Find more information about The Living Soils Community Learning Farm here: https://www.sustainabilityinstitute.net/research-learning/collaborative-projects/living-soils-community-learning-farm/

For more information about Rirhandzu Marivate go to Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rirhandzu-marivate/?originalSubdomain=za

Are you interested in food and sustainability? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Sign up here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

You might also like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

This week we are tackling a big topic together – your personal resilience and what it means for planetary resilience! 

I dive into lessons I have learned working with this topic personally and professionally over the last decade and dig out key insights and practical tools that will help you on your journey to create a more just, generative and joyful life for yourself and others.

Before you jump in – there is a free workbook that accompanies this episode. You can download it here!

Listen in to this episode to explore:

-       What personal resilience means.

-       The myths surrounding vs what is actually backed up by science.

-       What change-makers, or aspiring change makers, need to know about how resilience impacts them.

-       Six key science-based insights to help you build your resilience.

-       The relationship between personal and planetary resilience.

-       Some tools and practices you can use help build your resilience.

All the tools and practices that are mentioned at the end of the episode have been pulled into a free workbook for you, which you can download here:

https://www.thegreatfull.com/podcast/ep35-your-resilience-why-it-matters-how-to-build-it-michelle-grant 

Thanks for listening! 

Further info:

The resilience workbook that accompanies this episode is available here.

In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh Food for Thought at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Subscribe here to join us: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

Check out our leadership and coaching programs for women working to build a more sustainable world here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

My guest today is Kylie Flanagan, the author of a brand new book called “Climate Resilience - How we can keep each other safe, care for our communities and fight back against climate change”.

“Climate Resilience brought me to tears of recognition, relief, solidarity, and hope. It’s the book we need to survive this human moment together.” (Lily Diamond - author of Kale & Caramel and coauthor of What’s Your Story?)

It was a pleasure to sit with Kylie on the release of her important book and chat about: the climate leadership we need; why she felt it was important to centre voices other than her own in this book; and how learning from people who do things differently and prioritise values like interconnectedness, humility can deepen the dominant climate conversations.

This book is an extension of Kylie's work as a climate justice and resilience strategist, educator and director of a small, place-based foundation. She partners with communities to develop sustainability + climate resilience strategies grounded in social justice.

During this episode we explore:

• What Kylie learned during a brief adventure as a ‘goat midwife’
• The opportunities that climate justice work offers us to reorient society and communities around wellbeing
• What made Kylie write this book and how it is different to any other climate book
• The myth that there are two options when it comes climate action—individual changes and systemic changes—and what's possible beyond that binary
• Her decision to not include any cisgender men in the book
• Why people who are most impacted should be at the helm of designing and implementing climate solutions
• The most important lessons she learned from the 39 diverse leaders who contributed to her book
• How to navigate the overwhelm that is inevitable in climate and social justice work
• How somatic work is an important tool in our kit to facing the challenges in front of us right now

Further information:

Find Kylie’s new book “Climate Resilience” at Penguin Random House:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724024/climate-resilience-by-kylie-flanagan/

Connect with Kylie on LinkedIn

Connect with Host Michelle on LinkedIn

In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh Food for Thought at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change to you. Subscribe here to join us: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

Check out our leadership and coaching programs for women working to build a more sustainable world here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs

Follow The Great Full on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatfull/

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

This week I am delighted to chat with Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and social entrepreneur passionate about reimagining leadership, restoring balance to the feminine and masculine, and helping to heal relations with ourselves, each other and the Earth.

In this episode we talk about how Nina experienced her call to purpose, how healing imbalances in the world and within systems starts with healing imbalances in ourselves, and Nina’s evolving understanding of leadership that is increasingly relational and from the heart.

The topics we cover are:

• The moment when Nina got clarity on her purpose
• How we are all being called to step into our leadership potential right now
• What helps us take action in service of what we believe in and what we love
• How her definition and understanding of leadership has changed over her life
• How redefining leadership helps women appreciate their own contributions and leadership
• The one thing in nature that is offering her guidance right now
• Nina’s personal practices to cultivate systems of care
• Why cultivating community and relationships, starting with the relationship to ourselves, is the key to tackling the challenges of our times
• The historic reasons for the Internal barriers women have in speaking our truth and take space
• What makes the annual Bioneers gathering so special in integrating inner and outer work

Further information:

• Find more information about Nina Simons on https://www.ninasimons.com/
• Nina Simon’s book Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens For Leadership https://www.ninasimons.com/writing
• Free download of the introduction to Nina’s book Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens For Leadership https://bioneers.org/ncs/
• Find the mentioned documentary “Burning Times” here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ow_kNnoro
• Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting late August 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange
• Are you interested in food, sustainability and leading change? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring some fresh Food for Thought to you at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. You can subscribe here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

My guest this episode is Mona Mijthab, social entrepreneur, international speaker and designer with a focus on circular design and social innovation. 

Mona founded Mosan, a social enterprise improving living conditions in low-income communities with circular sanitation systems, offering safe sanitation to people while also transforming human excreta into nutrient-rich biochar for soil health in agriculture.

Mosan currently offers its services in indigenous communities in the Lake Atitlàn region of Guatemala, where they work together to improve hygiene standards, protect water and environment, and create opportunities for local communities.

In this episode, Mona and I talk about how Mosan came to life and why 2023 is the most exciting year for their team so far, as well as:

• Why she shifted from traditional design to design for social innovation
• How the smart, circular, dry sanitation system developed by Mosan works
• The multiple social, health and environmental benefits it brings
• How they use human excreta and urine to produce biochar for soil regeneration and food production
• What circular, participatory and inclusive design looks like on the ground
• How building local innovation ecosystems, relationship and trust has been key to their success
• Why not being afraid of failure is a great asset in creating change
• How incremental innovation supports transformative changes
• What everyone should know about sanitation and circularity, especially if you live in a city
• What Mona has learned about leadership from the communities she works with

Find more information about Mona Mijthab go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/monamijthab/

Find more information about Mosan on https://mosan.com/

Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange

Are you interested in food and sustainability? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring some Food for Thought to you with fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Sign up here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

You might also like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book

Follow Michelle Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grant-577885/

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

On today’s episode I am joined by Sarela Herrada, co-founder of SIMPLi foods. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, with a background in industrial engineering and food supply chain management, she and her husband Matt have now founded SIMPLi - a food business that wants to do things differently.

In this episode we chat about her journey to bring SIMPLi to life and how they are trying to simultaneously tackle big complex topics like climate change, biodiversity loss and farmer livelihoods through the work that they do.

The topics we cover are:

• How the story of quinoa in Sarela’s home country Peru inspired her to look for more regenerative ways to produce and trade food.
• SIMPLi’s mission to lead regenerative and sustainable change in the food industry
• Sarela’s journey to creating SIMPLi
• How they create transparent supply chains and empower farming communities through ethically sourced ingredients
• The role of regenerative organic for a more sustainable and just food system and what the Regenerative Organic Alliance is trying to achieve
• Sarela’s lessons in authentic leadership learned from working with indigenous and farming communities
• Perceptions of time and the importance of grace in building authentic relationships with partners

Further information:

For more information about Sarela Herrada go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarela-herrada-58665643/

Find more information about SIMPLi on https://eatsimpli.com/

Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange

Our carefully curated monthly newsletter brings you fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Sign up for Food for Though here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

You might also like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

In this episode we gathered in a small circle of The Great Full community members to chat about what community means to us and our work. We discuss how we have experienced community in our own personal and professional lives and what impact it has had on us. We explore how communities are built, run and sustained and in what ways they help people on their journeys of driving, and responding to, change and transformation.

The topics we cover are:

• How we each define community and how that understanding has evolved;
• The role community plays in fostering change and making a positive impact in the world;
• The role community plays in collective care, shifting narratives and fostering belonging;
• Our key ingredients to foster to community;
• How communities have supported us in navigating change;
• How to start building community.

At the end we share some reflection questions for you to explore on your journey! You can find the questions here.

Further information:

Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange

Once the program finishes you can become a part of The Great Full community to continue learning and supporting one another. Find out more here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/community

Subscribe to our carefully curated monthly newsletter ‘Food for Thought’ that dishes up fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

Find more information about Michelle on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grant-577885/

Find more information about Shruti on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrutispatel1/

Find more information about Kenza on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/benabderrazik-kenza/

Find more information about Sina on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinamarleenpetersen/

Find the mentioned documentary “Together we grow” ton YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D7cVx7O0ek

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

My guest this week is Dr. Ana Pantelić, Executive Director of MIT D-Lab. Ana is an international development professional who has guided and grown social impact organizations working at the interface of systems change, innovation, and economic opportunity for women and girls. 

As the Executive Director of MIT D-Lab she leads a group that works with people around the world to develop and advance collaborative approaches and practical solutions to global challenges.

In this episode we talk about her experience with guiding students towards designing for sustainability and through challenges of power dynamics, design constraint and complexity in innovation processes for a more equitable future.

The topics we cover are:

• What designing for a more equitable world looks like in practice;
• How scarcity fuels creativity;
• What working at the intersection of international and sustainable development looks like;
• How her experience of spanning cultural contexts affect her work and leadership;
• The importance of taking systems approaches and decolonizing development;
• The experience of being at home everywhere, and sometimes nowhere;
• Leadership learnings that come from participatory and inclusive design approaches;
• How to live a value-led life and remain joyful while doing complex work in the world.

Further information:

For more information about Ana Pantelić go to her Website and follow her on LinkedIn.

Further information on MIT D-Lab.

Looking for a supportive community on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange

Looking for fresh insights at the interface of food, sustainability and leadership? Sign up for Michelle’s Food for Thought newsletter, delivered to your inbox each month: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is a space for you to reflect on the relationship between your own wellbeing and your well-doing in the world. In other words, the connection between your self-care, systems of care and ability to make sustainable change.

Join me for a chat about:

• What led me to start caring so deeply about this topic
• The wellbeing and contribution feedback loop
• Why it’s not your fault - how burnout and wellbeing are about self care AND systems of care
• The irony that social and environmental impact oriented organisations are seeing high levels of employee burnout

We wrap up with some reflection and journalling questions for you to explore this topic for yourself and close with a reading from a book that I love!

Further information:

- Find an overview of the reflection questions here.

- Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 23: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange

- Michelle sends out a carefully curated monthly newsletter called Food for Thought which offers fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change - sign up for it here! https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact

- Find the article ‘Where to start if you feel burned out at work’ here: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/where_to_start_if_you_feel_burned_out_at_work

- Read the Climate Burnout Report here: https://www.climatecritical.earth/report

- Want to learn more about the symptoms of burn out? The BAT (burnout assessment tool) was developed in a three year research project. Scroll down to find the questionnaire in your language here: https://burnoutassessmenttool.be/handleiding_vragenlijst_eng/

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

My guest this episode is Liz Ogutu, Policy, Advocacy and Regional Coordinator for Africa at HarvestPlus. Liz has dedicated her career to tackling malnutrition in Africa and currently focuses on using biofortification to improve nutrition while also giving agency back to smallholder farmers.

In this episode, Liz and I talk about what biofortification is and how it can help tackle food system challenges, and explore how she has navigated tradeoffs and power structures to find a career that nourishes herself and others. 

The topics covered include:

• What biofortification is and how it can help tackle food system challenges in Africa
• Specific examples - from orange flesh sweet potatoes in Mozambique to iron enriched beans in Rwanda
• How innovation needs passion and patience to have an impact
• How Harvest Plus prioritises women in their work
• How Liz came to find her specific calling, and how she managed trade offs along the way
• How she made courageous choices and found the will to re-start at the bottom
• Liz’s experience in navigating power structures as an indigenous African woman
• What appreciating our own value has to do with the fight for equity

Further information:

For more information about Liz Ogutu follow her on Linkedin or @lizogutu on Twitter

Further information on HarvestPlus:

Song created for High Iron Beans in Rwanda: https://youtu.be/fo6449Rd3I0

Harvest Plus Founders Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiFF4gJCSQk

Harvest Plus and Prioritising Women https://www.harvestplus.org/responding-to-crisis-increasing-nutrition-and-protecting-farming-dependent-livelihoods/

If you are interested in food and sustainability and what you can do to create change, you might like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book

Check out our leadership programs for women in food and sustainability: https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs 

Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!