📰 Marketing Meets Truth: This week, journalist and copywriter Gary Spinks joins the Regenerative Marketing Movement Podcast to explore:

🌱 Why marketing and journalism need an “integrity audit.”🛠 Lessons from Gary’s journey of unlearning manipulative practices.🌀 How curiosity, observation, and intuition can help you align your work with your values.

✨ As Gary puts it: “Sometimes, it’s about stepping away from the noise and asking yourself, ‘What truly aligns with me?’”

🎧 Tune in to discover how storytelling and regenerative principles can transform communication into a force for good. #RegenerativeMarketing #Storytelling #Podcast #EthicalCommunication

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What does it take to unlearn an industry? In this episode, Gary Spinks, a journalist-turned-copywriter, reflects on a career that spans newsrooms, marketing agencies, and now regenerative storytelling. From the values he carried as a young journalist to the ethical questions that reshaped his work in marketing, Gary invites listeners to rethink communication as a force for positive change.

Gary Spinks, a storyteller who has moved between the worlds of journalism and marketing, shares his journey of questioning, unlearning, and rediscovering purpose in this episode. Beginning with his childhood fascination with journalism, Gary reflects on the imaginative freedom he cultivated as a child and how it shaped his approach to writing, storytelling, and connecting with others.

Key moments from his career reveal the ethical dilemmas he encountered, particularly in the marketing world where growth often eclipsed values. Yet, it’s these challenges that led Gary to regenerative marketing—a practice that aligns communication with honesty, care, and a commitment to creating impact for people and the planet.

Highlights and Key Takeaways:

* Journalism’s Legacy and Its Role Today:Gary recounts his early days of observing people, asking questions, and learning the art of storytelling in newsrooms. His insights into how journalism has changed—its struggles with funding, sensationalism, and truth—are both sobering and hopeful.“Imagine if we funded ethical journalism with the same enthusiasm we fund PR for fossil fuels,” Gary muses.

* The Ethical Conflict in Marketing:Gary opens up about his “love-hate” relationship with marketing, describing moments where tactics felt manipulative and disconnected from deeper values.“I started to feel like I was part of the problem. Was selling more things to more people really it?”His candid reflections inspire listeners to rethink what good marketing looks like.

* Regenerative Marketing: A New Path Forward:Gary’s discovery of regenerative marketing introduced him to concepts like natural growth patterns, the power of storytelling for systemic change, and aligning communication with purpose. He shares examples of how this shift allowed him to reconnect with the joy and creativity of storytelling, while also contributing to solutions rather than problems.

* Lessons in Unlearning:Gary offers a deeply personal account of stepping away from traditional approaches. He shares how practices like slowing down, observing nature, and reconnecting with intuition have helped him reimagine what marketing can achieve.“Sometimes, it’s about stepping away from the noise and sitting with the question: ‘What truly aligns with me?’”

* Practical Wisdom for Creatives and Communicators:For anyone questioning their role in marketing or communications, Gary shares practical advice:

* Be curious. “Ask questions, explore, and treat your career as an investigation.”

* Slow down. “When you quiet the mind, the answers often come.”

* Look for alignment. “Intuition is a guide—it knows when something feels right.”

Questions Explored in the Episode:

* What’s the difference between informing and persuading, and where do they overlap?

* How can marketing move beyond sales to focus on long-term value creation?

* What does it mean to "unlearn" harmful practices in an industry and embrace new approaches?

* How can journalists, copywriters, and marketers contribute to societal and ecological regeneration?

Key Quote:

"Marketing and journalism are both powerful forms of communication, but they often fall into mistrust. What if we reimagined them as tools for truth, connection, and positive change?"

How to Connect with Gary:Gary invites listeners to reach out on LinkedIn, where he shares stories about regenerative marketing, sustainability, and the outdoors. Got a story or project to share? He’d love to hear from you! Connect via LinkedIn or email at [email protected]

Welcome back, to a new episode of the regenerative marketing movement vodcast! 

In our latest episode, Moh Al-Haifi interviews our new guest and movement steward from Australia, Melissa Packham. 

She is an unashamedly enthusiastic, experienced communicator, mom, well-regarded strategist, and sustainability consultant with a wide knowledge and history in marketing. 

Enjoy the journey of Melissa's marketing experience, her mind views, goals, and what got her into marketing. How and why did a man in a cobalt blue suit bring her into marketing? 

After many years in the industry, Melissa realized something had to change!

They'll talk about how taking a risk, leaving the cycle, restarting, breaking free from consumption and patterns, and going out of your comfort zone brought her new ideas, perspectives, and motivation. 

Afterward, Melissa and Moh discussed more about Capitalism, why she joined the regenerative marketing movement, the power of meeting like-minded people, and saying no to things that are against your values. What are the possibilities for the future of marketing? Melissa and Moh are discussing some ideas. 

In conclusion, Melissa shares why reconnecting with Nature and the positive influence of Indigenous knowledge are really important.

These topics helped her to focus and reconnect on the essential things for everyone, including herself, and to follow the journey of a new regenerative perspective in the marketing industry. 

If you want to learn more about Melissa’s work and person, visit her on LinkedIn!

Quotes: 

* “You see a blue car, you're buying a blue car, and then you'll see blue cars everywhere” Melissa 

* “We're stuck on the ladder, we're doing the cycle and can't break out from it” Melissa

* “We've forgotten how to think for ourselves” Melissa 

* “Fear blocks our view and let us not be curious and creative” Melissa 

* “Marketers help to shape culture” Moh 

* “We've outsourced our creativity to AI. We're excited about giving that part of humanity to a machine to do it for us. So what will be left?” Melissa 

Chapters: 

00:00 Introduction and background

02:18 Life-changing moments and mindset shift 

06:22 Choosing freedom and aligning with Values

15:54 Breaking Free from Consumerism and Finding Simplicity 

26:08 The Journey and Tensions

32:16 Capitalism's impact on Innovation and creativity 

39:03 The future of marketing: connecting real needs with responsible solutions

41:50 Reflecting on Values and Finding like-minded individuals 

45:01 Saying no to what goes against Personal Values

48:32 Reconnecting with Nature and Indigenous Knowledge

In this vodcast episode, Minou Schillings interviews the futurist Ghalia Naseer, who has worked in marketing for 18 years. She calls herself the Curator of Rainbows, with an interest in advocating an alternative economic reality within planetary boundaries where intentional leaders act to preserve true wealth. 

They talk about what we can learn from the sound of whales and the connection between mushrooms and marketing. Why is it so important to learn to listen and focus more on nature to understand how to make sustainable change? By showing some examples, Ghalia takes you on an acoustic journey you have never heard before!

Furthermore, Ghalia and Minou talk about the role of these examples for marketers and why it is essential for them to get closer to the place. They dive deeper into why the marketing industry must change and how to use its capacities. To close this episode, Ghalia and Minou discuss, with the example of pop songs from whales and the perspective of penguins, how we get more sensitive to the consequences and how we can use the power of curiosity and playfulness to connect with each other and the world around us!

If you want to learn more about Ghalia or connect with her, visit her on LinkedIn!

Outstanding Quotes: 

* “As marketers and people who enjoy communication and language, whales emerge every day, take a breath, and say today is a good day to write a poem.” Ghalia

* “We've listened from our own perspective instead of listening to all the other ways this world communicates with.” Minou

* “If you ever wanted psychedelic music, it's mushrooms hanging out with mosses.” Ghalia

* “Marketers have this wonderful opportunity to take on this honorable role of going closer to their colleagues.” Ghalia

* “What will the world look like if we stop seeing ourselves as pins in this marketing industry and instead see ourselves as translators?” Minou

Book ideas: 

* How to speak Whale (Tom Mustill)

* Let's become fungal (Yasmine Ostendorf-Rodriguez) 

* Gathering Moss (Robin Wall Kimmerer)

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and the normalization of killing living beings 

03:12 The intelligence and communication of whales 

11:23 The Role of Marketers in Amplifying Biophobia

19:06 Connecting with stories and places 

27:47 Connecting with artists for Immersive Experiences 

32:08 Deepening Relationships with the Natural World 

In this podcast episode, Lee Fitzpatrick interviews Fleur Augustinus, a designer who volunteered her time to help develop the brand identity for the Regenerative Marketing Movement. Fleur shares her background as a designer and her journey in the field. She discusses her inspiration and creative process, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and making heavy topics accessible and fun. Fleur also talks about the role of marketing and design in creating positive change and highlights the need for collaboration and breaking down silos. The conversation concludes with a discussion about the rebranding project and the vision behind the new brand identity.

Keywords

regenerative marketing, design, branding, creativity, storytelling, collaboration, accessibility, positive change

Takeaways

* Creativity and design can play a crucial role in making heavy topics accessible and fun.

* The overconsumption of goods is a major challenge that marketing and design can address by promoting conscious choices.

* Collaboration and breaking down silos are essential for driving positive change in the creative industry.

* The new brand identity for the Regenerative Marketing Movement aims to attract creatives and inspire them to think more environmentally conscious.

* The rebranding project highlights the importance of flexibility, appreciation, and co-creation in achieving a successful outcome.

Titles

* Addressing Overconsumption through Conscious Choices

* Making Heavy Topics Accessible and Fun through Design

Sound Bites

* "The most annoying thing that annoys me the most at the moment is overconsumption, the stuff we have, the stuff we don't need."

* "We need to join forces and what the skills we already have."

* "We need to not get stuck in our own philosophical group community. We need to get the story out."

Chapters00:00

Introduction and Background

02:23

Getting to Know Fleur's Journey as a Designer

08:21

The Role of Marketing and Design in Creating Positive Change

30:47

The Rebranding Project and Vision

38:47

The Most Rewarding Part of the Project

42:54

The Hope for the New Brand Identity

What to expect

Tune into the first episode of the Regenerative Marketing Podcast! Our host Moh Al-Haifi sits down with Minou Schillings, a key initiator of the regenerative marketing movement. This episode takes you inside Minou's personal journey and her role in shaping a marketing future that’s good for both people and the planet.

In this debut episode, Moh Al-Haifi talks with Minou Schillings about her path to co-founding the regenerative marketing movement. Broadcasting from Portugal, Minou walks us through her roots in the Netherlands, her academic pursuits in food innovation and marketing, and the life experiences that steered her towards a new way of thinking about marketing.

Minou discusses her initial, somewhat accidental entry into marketing, driven by youthful whims rather than a clear career goal. She shares how early professional challenges, particularly projects promoting unhealthy consumer habits, sparked a deep reevaluation of her role in marketing. These turning points led Minou to advocate for a shift away from profit-driven marketing to strategies that enhance community and environmental health.

Throughout the episode, Minou emphasizes the need to overhaul traditional marketing practices that exploit individual insecurities for profit. She introduces the concept of regenerative marketing, which aims to rejuvenate both our environment and societal structures through responsible and mindful marketing practices.

Using a simple metaphor, Moh and Minou explain regeneration: Imagine removing concrete tiles that stifle the earth's ability to thrive, allowing life to flourish once more. This vision for marketing calls for a fundamental change in how we promote and sell, shifting the focus from consumption to contribution.

The conversation concludes with Minou urging marketers to use their storytelling prowess not just to sell products but to foster genuine, positive change in the world.Quotes

Minou insightfully notes:

"It’s time to slow down because we might need a complete turnaround in our approach."

She further encourages collective action:

"If we come together with this realization, we can start making significant changes quickly, even as we think things through carefully."

This episode invites listeners into a heartfelt discussion on transforming marketing into a force for good, led by one of the movement’s pioneers.Connect with the contributors

Connect with Minou:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/minouschillings/Email - [email protected] Connect with Mon:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohalhaifi/Email - [email protected]