The Wise Consumer

“Life is always a fashion show.” — Isoke Salaam

Meet Isoke Salaam, a PR fashion consultant and the founder of Noir Vintage, an online vintage store, based out of Washington D.C. 

In today's episode we cover: - What inspired Isoke to quit her 9-5 job and move to Paris!- Her work as a fashion PR consultant for high-end luxury brands- Her passion for fashion, thrift shopping, and art - The importance of secondhand shopping + tips on how to successfully thrift shop - How to sustainably style your wardrobe - Why she launched Noir Vintage - And so much more!

This was such a fun and insightful conversation! Happy listening!

Connect with Isoke: - Noir Vintage (her online vintage store) - Instagram - Isoke Salaam PR

Meet Lauren Engelke and Kaitlynn Gee, the co-hosts of the "Sustainable Lifestyle" podcast, fashion stylists, and fellow sustainable fashion enthusiasts. This episode was so fun to record! Lauren and Kaitlyn are not only hilarious but full of great sustainable fashion tips. Think you'll find this episode to be super informative!

In this episode we cover:

• How + why Lauren and Kaitlynn got into sustainable fashion and conscious living
• How to responsibly dispose of your lightly worn pieces
• How to be sustainable and stylish + questions to ask yourself while developing your wardrobe
• Tips on how to accurately measure your chest, waist, and hips
• The challenges they’ve faced while transitioning to a more conscious lifestyle
• Getting your partner on board with sustainable living when he/she doesn’t really get it! (this was too funny!)
• Whether or not The Wise Consumer should dye her wedding dress?
• Upcycling and loving the pieces you already own
• How to reduce your carbon footprint
• Quarantine life + their love for the hit show, Love Island.

I truly think you’ll not only learn a lot from these two but laugh along the way. Happy listening!

Connect with Lauren and Kaitlynn @thesustainablestylepodcast Listen to The Sustainable Lifestyle podcast: Spotify iTunes Stitcher 

Meet Deanna Cook, the founder of LIYA Collective, a slow fashion brand making minimalist accessories for the modern woman. Most recently, the creator of the beautiful, versatile, and ethically created silk scarf.

In today’s episode Deanna and I chat about:

• The journey that led her to launch LIYA collective (she had planned on becoming a lawyer but her path led her down a different route.)
• Why donating our lightly used clothes isn’t always the most sustainable option + where they end up.
• Why she decided to launch a sustainable/ethical accessories brand and her vision for the future.
• All about the silk making process and the benefits of using a textile such as silk.
• The difference between traditional silk and peace silk
• The challenges she overcame to create a sustainable/ethical supply chain
• The importance of conscious consumerism.
• And more!

This was such a great conversation! Happy listening!

“I just remember I was walking down the street with a friend and I was like, “I think I am going to sell plantain chips!” and she was like “OK!? Uh, I don’t know what that means but OK!” and I was like, “I don’t know what that means either." But I got a plane ticket to Uganda and told myself I’d give myself that time to more or less do a viability study and see what came out of it and take it from there!” — Renee Dunn, Founder of Amäzi Foods

Meet Renee Dunn, the founder of Amäzi Foods, a delicious, ethically made and sustainably sourced food company that works with farmers and manufacturers in Uganda.

In today’s episode Renee and I chat about:

• What led her to launch a sustainable food brand in Uganda.
• The journey she underwent to find local Ugandan farmers, manufacturers, etc.to help her build Amäzi Foods
• The challenges she faced in creating the perfect plantain chip + how she went about creating the flavors for her plantain chips and jackfuit chews. #delicious
• Her biggest entrepreneurial challenges and lessons learned (pre-COVID-19).
• Her biggest "fake it till you make it" moment of her career (this was hilarious, btw!)
• Challenges and joys around working with the local Ugandan farmers and manufacturers.
• The importance of conscious consumerism & creating fair trade products.
• The importance of trusting and following your intuition.

This was such a wonderful conversation. Truly hope you enjoy it! Happy listening! 

Connect with Amäzi Foods: Instagram Facebook Shop

In today’s episode Madeleine, of The Wise Consumer, and Maxime, of Our Good Brands, will explore the do’s, don’ts, tips, tricks, and challenges around planning an eco-friendly wedding. 

These two are about to get REAL real with each other/you about how they went about planning their special days on a budget. From picking the perfect wedding dress to their biggest regrets, if planning an eco-friendly wedding is something you’re curious about/want to try for yourself, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Topics covered:

• How to select a venue that’s right for you
• Planning a eco wedding on a budget
• Questions to ask your vendors 
• Eco-friendly wedding invitations
• Ethical/Fair-Trade wedding rings
• How to select a sustainable wedding dress?
• How to create an eco-friendly food menu
• Being “OK” if things don’t go as planned on your wedding day 
• How to create a sustainable wedding registry and other gifting options.
• And so much more!

Such a fun conversation. Happy listening!

“Mad & Max (Try) To Save The World,” is a mini-podcast series where Madeleine and Maxime chat about eco-friendly living: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Meet Colin McIntosh, the founder of the sustainable (and ethical) eucalyptus sheets company based out of Denver Colorado, Sheets & Giggles.

“Americans produce ten million tons of textile waste every single year…For better or for worse, we [Americans] are trained from a very early age to consume. This makes us great consumers and it makes us a  great marketplace for businesses. But when you walk down that aisle at Target you have no idea where the potato chips came from, you have no idea how that toothpaste was produced, you have zero idea who built that tv, or where it was built or how, it’s like magic….It’s frustrating for me because I think it’s wonderful in some ways but in other ways people have no idea where the products they’re buying are coming from or who is making them and why. … It’s so systemic—buy, buy, buy—it’s never about thinking critically about where these things come from and how they get here.” -- Colin McIntosh, Founder of Sheets & Giggles

In today's episode Colin and I chat about:

- The journey that led him to founding Sheets & Giggles (FYI, he never thought he'd be the founder of a sustainable bedding company). - How and why he was fired from his first job out of college and how it changed the course of his career. - The process he underwent to develop a super successful business model and how he selected the name, Sheets & Giggles (Colin loves puns!) - The importance of conscious consumerism and why it matters. - Why developing a sustainable business was important to him. - The challenges around sustainable manufacturing and why ethical/sustainable products are often more expensive than "commercial" products. - The difference between bamboo viscose and eucalyptus lyocell fabrics.- His passion for politics. - The entrepreneurial challenges he's overcome throughout the years. - And so much more! 

Such a wonderful conversation! Happy listening.

Connect with Sheets & Giggles: Instagram Facebook Twitter 

Mad & Max (try) to save the world! A mini-podcast series where Madeleine and Maxime chat about eco-friendly living: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

In today’s episode Madeleine, of The Wise Consumer, and Maxime, of OurGoodBrands, will share not only the challenges they’ve faced when it comes to living a sustainable lifestyle but will also chat about their own personal eco-friendly goals for 2020. 

This is one of the first conversations between Madeleine Wisecup and Maxime Ducker, in which they explore all things related to living a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. While both Madeleine and Maxime have come a long way in their eco-friendly journey and are passionate about sharing their lessons learned, tips, and favorite planet-friendly brands with their communities, the truth is they too face some personal eco challenges. But, that’s life, isn't it? 

Madeleine and Maxime are about to get REAL real with each other/you about a variety of topics ranging from zero-waste periods to how to live a more conscious and eco-friendly lifestyle when you’ve got a million other things you’re trying to tackle in your busy days. Being human is hard and they’ll be the first to admit they’re zero-waste journey hasn’t been perfect

Such a fun conversation. Happy listening!

Katie Patrick is an amazing woman. While she humbly describes herself as an environmental engineer, author, and "Fitbit for the Planet" designer, I would call her a jack of all trades -- a renaissance woman on a mission to save the world. 

Katie is the founder of Urban Canopy,  Hello World Labs, and most recently the author of one of my new favorite books, "How To Save The World!" 

In this episode we chat about:

- Why Katie decided to close down Australia's largest VC-funded environmental media company, Green Pages (a business she founded and had been running for 7 years) to launch Hello World Labs, a creative technology lab. - The Value Action Gap (one the biggest mistake social entrepreneurs make when they’re launching a new environmental or social project/business).- The role and importance of social comparison and behavior change in regards to sustainable living.- How to make REAL and measurable changes when it comes to saving our planet.- The importance of utilizing technology when it comes to solving complex environmental issues. - How to find your creative genius zone and why it matters.- Her entrepreneurial challenges over the years.- The challenges she’s faced as a single parent while following her dream to make a difference in our world. - And so much more! Truly this was such an amazing conversation and one I know you'll really enjoy. Happy listening! 

Connect with Katie Patrick: Instagram Facebook Twitter YouTube

I had the amazing opportunity to sit down and chat with the founder of Mongolia’s first ever organic and low-waste skincare line the other day, Khulan Davaadorj. And guys, what a great conversation, I seriously learned so much. Not only did Khulan and I chat about what it was like launching a business (and living) in Mongolia but we also explored the cultural nomadic traditions behind the ingredients used in her skincare line, along with their benefits + how/where she sources her ingredients. Ever use yak milk or jamts salt on your skin?! Yeah, me neither.

Furthermore, Khulan was so open and transparent about the challenges she’s overcome over the years (from the robbery that left her with nothing but her own determination to start over again to the flooding of her first store).

This was such a great conversation and one I know you're going to love! Happy listening!

FYI, you can purchase Lhamour products online at any of the following:

• Lilly's Bathcarry (Anyone who uses the promo code THEWISECONSUMER will receive a Healing Salve with their order. No minimum order required and while supplies last. This promo will run for a month.)
• Flora Marketplace
• Safe & Chic
• Amazon

Meet Nicole McGrew, a former White House attorney and the  owner of Threadleaf, a sustainable and ethical fashion store located in Alexandria Va. Her goal? To make it easier for women in the DC and Northern Virginia area to shop more sustainably and consciously!

In this episode we chat about:

- Nicole's passion for fashion (she was into fashion at a very early age)- Why she left the Fashion Institute of Technology to pursue a law degree at Georgetown University. - Her desire to make a lasting impact and difference in people’s lives.- The work she did throughout her career as a lawyer prior to founding Threadleaf and the emotional toll it had on her (FYI, Nicole was Deputy General Counsel for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy during the Obama administration).- Why she decided to open her own ethical and sustainable fashion store. - The challenges she's faced over the last few years running an ethical fashion store. - And so much more! 

This was such a fun conversation and one I think you'll really enjoy! Happy listening!