The Human Greenhouse

Why passion for your craft wins every time – how to build a career sustainably!

This week I’m joined by Zoe Edwards who is this marvelous podcaster, creator, sewing teacher, brilliant thinker and founder of two community-driven podcasts that are both focused on a more sustainable life using sewing and food growing, respectively. 

Zoe has followed her creativity and passion to build not only meaningful work that makes her a living, but also built thriving communities with her two podcasts “Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably” and “Can I Dig it? Food Growing for Busy People”

Zoe has done a wonderful job of scaling community through podcasting and created a space both for the topics of sustainable sewing and food growing, but also how we build practical support systems, creative spaces, and places where shared values take root. Her thoughts on sustainability, of fairness, of a worthy existence and much more flows through these engaging and fun shows. 

A true master, Zoe works the entire processes herself, from guest sourcing, to production, editing, and community leadership. All from her own house whilst also raising a family!

In this episode you will learn about: 

• How community can support solo business owners and create lasting connections that amplify what is possible when we join together and trust what emerges between us in a shared space. How we grow by the input and ideas gifted by others – helping each other think and create around shared values and topics.
• Why doing your own work and not relying on AI for everything helps your brain and allows you to put your unique creative stamp on your work. Human editing and reflective listening remain important to the podcasting process and the quality of the work. And yes, podcasting is real work and a proper job!
• The value gap that many women still face when their work is linked to hobbies and not always recognized as fully legitimate, valuable, and worthy of income. And why podcasting can be a way to use your voice and platform to take a stance in the world. 

Resources:

• www.checkyourthread.com
• https://canidigitpodcast.com/
• Instagram: @checkyourthread
• Instagram: @canidigitpodcast
• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit  The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect. 

Imagine trees as teachers, as mentors, guides, and elders – offering hope, right there in front of you, in your local neighborhood, in your part of the world! Not metaphorically – but tangible and impactful!

Our ability to connect with the more than human world is vital for our ability to thrive and live well. More than ever, we need to acknowledge that we are bio-spiritually bonded with Nature and it’s a world full of medicine, learning, and kinship. 

This week my wonderful guests are Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy, and together we explore why trees matter not just ecologically, but spiritually, emotionally, and culturally. 

Both Beth and Leah have spent years working with ecology, spirituality, theology, environmental and organisational development, and gift us with their deep experience and life-long relationship with trees.

Beth and Leah share how their collaboration grew from a course they taught into a book, why trees feel like elders and teachers, and how reconnecting with trees can shift how we live, lead, and love. Their unique partnership has produced the book “Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees” that invites us into a gentler and deeper relationship with the natural world. The book is a 2026 Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner in "Body, Mind & Spirit" Category and an incredibly beautiful read!

In this episode you will learn about: 

# Trees as teachers, mentors, soul friends, and elders who model reciprocity, generosity, steadiness, and deep time. How trees beautifully model seasonal living, rest, waiting, surrender and release as well as pure life-force. 

# The difference between environmental concern rooted in fear or scarcity and a more relational approach grounded in love, kinship, and interbeing.

# Many spiritual traditions have significant trees with life lessons to share, cultural and spiritual practices. Lessons on leadership, activism, mutuality, wonder, joy, and the call to participate more fully in life are all around us. 

Resources: 

Connect with Beth Norcross

Connect with Leah Rampy

Find the book

Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Do you see yourself as just as responsible as everyone else to show up the best you can?

….and can you name the fear in you?!

This week, my wonderful guest is Sally-Anne Airey. Together we explore what courage really means in leadership and in everyday life, and how it might be possible to train our “courage muscles” to lead with more clarity, dedication; honest on who we are, our good spirits intact. 

Sally-Anne is the founder of Skilful Leaders. She served for many years as a Royal Navy Commander and international leader and brings this rich experience into her current work as a leadership coach and podcast host of the show Fearless Forward.

We explore physical versus moral courage, and how fear can show up in coaching, leading, decision making for all of us. We discuss how courage can be built over time, often in micro-moments that build our experience and resolve. 

Sally-Anne shares how her military background, coaching work, and mindfulness practice have shaped her view of leadership as something deeply human, relational, and continually evolving.

In this episode you will learn about:

• The difference between physical and moral courage, including mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects, why it matters we know where we have courage and where fear rules.
• How courage can be an active practice and not a personality trait, and why it develops through repetition and reflection, helping us to discern more honestly what matters. 
• The importance of taking responsibility for your own story instead of outsourcing blame and how leadership is a universal responsibility, not a title, and why everyone is called to show up as best they can.

Resources: 

• Skilful Leaders
• Connect with Sally-Anne Airey
• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Explore: 

• Hitchhiking to Japan - story of 2 Danish women
• Mindful Coach by Doug Silsbee

Traditional democratic systems need modernising for the 21st century. Voting once every few years is insufficient for addressing urgent challenges like climate change. Citizens need to have more meaningful involvement in political decisions beyond just protesting.

Nigel Shipley is an artist and member of Extinction Rebellion in Bristol, England. He has been involved with the organisation both nationally and locally since its beginning.

This episode will help you

• Learn about concrete solutions for modernising democracy
• Understand how public protests and activism have shifted the climate change conversation in Britain
• Explore the challenges of implementing citizen assemblies

Resources

• Find Nigel’s work online
• Participatory Democracy courses
• 3 ways to upgrade democracy for the 21st century - TEDx Auckland talk by Max Rashbrooke
• Can Taiwan Reboot Democracy? - BBC Click
• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn
• Visit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect

Ever wondered why certain patterns keep showing up in your family, your work team, or your relationships? No matter what you do?! In this episode, our podcast host Tatjana Harttung takes us into the world of systemic constellation work, for a glimpse of how we might deepen our understanding of the weaving of our social systems and the impact for our way of being with each other.

Tatjana shares recent training with Lynn & Paul Stoney in the UK. Systemic constellation work as a practice that helps make invisible dynamics visible; surfacing the unspoken loyalties, the inherited tensions, the forces quietly shaping how we show up with others. This is immersive and ongoing deep work – learned by osmosis and participation rather than textbooks alone.

We get into the foundations: The key contributors, and particularly Bert Hellinger's work. We dive into the importance of the three core "Orders of Love" (belonging, hierarchy, and balance of giving and receiving), and the idea of a knowing field — that collective wisdom emerging in constellation work. It is wider than a mere rational explanation – but the system knows more that its individual parts – which is kind of the point.

Tatjana also connects all of this to Thinking Partnerships and leadership — how systemic awareness changes the way we listen, collaborate, and hold space for others, and when we manage to do this well; we open up tremendous possibilities together!

In this episode you will discover:

·       What systemic constellation work is and its rich heritage of thinkers and practitioners.

·       The three orders of love and why we center these for systems to heal and thrive.

·       How our whole being becomes a source of valuable data, not just our minds.

·       Potential impact for our conversations and relationships in all systems we are part of.

Resources: 

• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn
• Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.
• Connect with Lynn & Paul Stoney
• Bert Hellinger Institute

What if your greatest teacher on how to be a leader and run a thriving business, turned out to be life itself? Learning from living organisms; full of evolutionary wisdom that offers blueprints for how we can live, lead and design our organisations as thriving ecosystems. 

In this episode Laura Storm and I talk about the importance of sensing what life is asking of us and the principles of regenerative leadership. How this is a time of great paradigm shift; Needing to recognize and honour the grief and dissonance in this shift. Archetypical roles such as the hospice worker and the midwife calls us to navigate both uncertainty, death and rebirth within personal and collective processes. 

Laura has been honored as a Worldchanger by GreenBiz, named among the 30 leading women in sustainability and regeneration by Sustainable Brands, and recognized by the World Economic Forum as a Young Global Leader and Sustainability Expert.

She is co-author of the book Regenerative Leadership – the DNA of Life-Affirming 21st Century Organizations, runs transformative learning journeys through Regenerators, and speaks worldwide on how regeneration can reshape leadership, organizations, and societies.

In this episode you will learn about: 

• Designing organizations as ecosystems that cultivate vitality and creativity, moving away from mechanistic hierarchies.
• The role of embodied practices: ecosystem mapping with physical tools, deep body awareness, and cyclical approaches to work.
• Cultivating courage to speak truth from the heart, shedding masks, and embracing vulnerability as a catalyst for authentic leadership.

Resources:

Connect with Laura Storm

Connect with Laura Storm on LinkedIn

Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Explore: 

Regenerative Leadership by Laura Storm and Giles Hutchins

In a world full of change and turbulence, it is reassuring to know that healing is happening somewhere; not always where we think it should, but somewhere there is regeneration and a morphing of the field to heal itself.

In this episode with Katerine Long we explore how healing centered work supports people and communities in ways that are attuned to their living eco-system, centers dignity and respect and asks us to be fully present. This is work with real people, real encounters and work that asks for compassion, faith, and curiosity at every step. 

Katherine brings a wealth of experience in cross-cultural communication, leadership, and organisation development. Katherine is a highly seasoned coach, supervisor, and coaching programme designer. She led the Masters in Coaching at the University of Warwick for a number of years before returning to her own practice. 

Katherine was born and grew up in Hokkaido, in northern Japan and currently lives in the UK. Her early experiences of the wild spaces of Japan have stayed with her, as has her deep appreciation and knowledge of diversity of culture and diverse ways of understanding and relating to the world.

This episode will help you appreciate: 

• Compassion to ourselves and others are especially important in times of turbulence and knowing we are here for a reason – we matter, each one of us! 
• Healing is a skill that every living thing possesses given the right conditions. We can learn and apply healing principles in all the contexts of our lives and work. 
• Energy matters and coming back to simple, tangible things that are real and meaningful is a beautiful way to resource ourselves. 
• A living practice around “a creator” and a sense of a bigger realm can a pathway to faith and enchantment with life at large.

Resources: 

Connect with Katherine Long

Connect with Katherine via LinkedIn

Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Explore: 

The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad

Dignity, Rank, and Rights (The Berkeley Tanner Lectures)

The Forward Institute - Birmingham Project

About Julie Starr

About Trish Turner

Baking is more than just a culinary skill; it’s an art form that connects us to our roots and to each other. In this episode, we dive into the inspiring journey of Bill McCarrick, a seasoned baker and pastry chef, who shares his insights on the craft of baking and its profound impact on culture and community.

Bill McCarrick is a culinary storyteller with over four decades of experience in the baking industry. From his humble beginnings in Philadelphia to his travels across the globe, Bill has lived and worked in twelve countries and has worked for many 5-star hotels and prestigious kitchens, learning under master chefs and later sharing his passion for baking with the next generation at the Culinary Institute of America.

This episode will help you appreciate: 

The importance of mentors: Our journeys are enriched by mentors who can guide and inspire us. Being a mentor yourself is a wonderfully rewarding way to pass on to the next generation, ensuring your craft continues to thrive. 

Diversity is a win-win: Being curious to embrace the different customs and traditions you encounter will enrich and enlighten you and may bring you to new and exciting places.

Bread is a universal symbol of togetherness: There is important cultural significance in bread. Bread serves as the centerpiece of many cultures and gatherings. When we break bread with others we invite in fellowship. 

Baking is a mindfulness practice: The act of kneading dough and allowing it to rise provides a moment of calm and reflection. Bill highlights the therapeutic benefits of baking, noting that it can improve mental health and foster a sense of community when shared with others.

Resources: 

Connect with Bill via LinkedIn

Connect with Bill on Instagram

Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn

Visit The Human Greenhouse to explore and connect.

Genuine abundance doesn’t come from accumulation or self-sufficiency, but from cultivating trust, vulnerability, and interconnectedness within our communities.

Children naturally embody abundance and interconnectedness, but our systems often beat out that sense of abundance by instilling discipline, structure, and independence", preparing them for a capitalistic world rather than nurturing their innate wisdom.

Kapil Dawda describes his life purpose as bringing belonging into the world. He draws energy from weaving experiences and communities that help people feel they belong and learn, and is exploring how AI can help people have better conversations in the real world

This conversation will help you

• Recognise the power of slowing down and collective reflection
• Understand where true abundance comes from
• Approach AI as a tool for asking better questions and revealing blind spots in your thinking

Resources

• Connect with Kapil via LinkedIn
• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn
• Visit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect
• We are the Great Turning – podcast by Joanna Macy & Jessica Serrante
• Holes in the Web, by Deepak Varuvel Dennison
• Burnout From Humans

Creating intentional spaces for rest, reflection, and self-connection through journaling and time in nature is not a luxury but a fundamental act of resistance against the relentless pace of modern capitalism. By pausing to write, we can better understand our emotions, process grief and transitions, reconnect with our whole selves, and ultimately show up more authentically in our relationships and work.

Jackee Holder is an experienced expressive writer, coach, facilitator, and supervisor who works with writing therapy and journalling practices. She’s an ordained interfaith minister and describes her superpower as creating magical spaces for people to write and be in. Jackee co-founded the School of Journaling, where she offers various programmes, co-writing spaces, and resources to help people connect with themselves through journalling.

This conversation will help you

• Use writing as a tool to navigate difficult emotions and life transitions
• Create safe psychological spaces for yourself through simple journaling practices
• Reconnect with nature and your immediate environment as sources of wellbeing

Resources

• Connect with Jackee via LinkedIn
• The School of Journaling
• Follow @theschoolofjournaling on Instagram
• Follow @jackeeholder on Instagram
• Connect with Tatjana via LinkedIn
• Visit The Human Greenhouse website to explore and connect
• Rest is Resistance, by Tricia Hersey
• The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk
• Transitions, by William Bridges
• Journal to the Self, by Kathleen Adams