Alison and Marsha have been close friends since their senior year of high school. After moving around the country and growing older, they reconnected with a shared goal: opening a natural pet market. The idea worked well for both Alison and Marsha, as they had both decided to make some big life changes, but the timing was less than convenient - one year before the market crash of 2008. Nevertheless, they prevailed, and learned to grow slowly into the wonderful resource for pet owners they are today. They chat with Diann about some of the changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in numbers of pet adoptions and fosters, as well as some incorrect beliefs about what a dog's diet should consist of. If you'd like more information, check out noblebeastpets.com, or visit them in their vintage turquoise shop at 1005 E Camelback Rd in Phoenix.

Oregon Soap Company has been a longtime partner of Truce, providing clean castile and foaming soaps as critical ingredients in many of our products. Greg tells Diann the story of how he first got into soap making 26 years ago, and how he ultimately gave up the "hippie dream" (of selling soaps while traveling the country with his dog) to evolve into a more conventional business. Ian shares how he first got involved with the company in its early garage years, after finding a job posting online and realizing the location was walking distance from his house. Both have worn many hats in the lifetime of Oregon Soap Company and are excited for what the future contains. Learn more at https://www.oregonsoapcompany.com/!

Doreen serves as the Financial Wellness Coordinator for A New Leaf, a non-profit dedicated to helping families and individuals in distress around the Phoenix valley. A New Leaf offers a variety of programs focused around providing safe shelter and housing, finding jobs and increasing work skills, and teaching behavioral health. Diann and Doreen talk about the change in how many people need help amidst the pandemic, and particularly about the domestic violence shelter and hotline. Doreen works to coordinate a connection between potential employers and employees by matching qualified clients to the right job fit for them. And of course, Diann and Doreen discuss their greatest common love: gardening. For more information, check out https://www.turnanewleaf.org/

Jodi and Diann have been longtime friends and simultaneous business owners. Jodi started Lost Our Home Pet Rescue in 2008 as the housing market crashed. She worked in real estate, and found that many animals were left behind in foreclosed houses with no food, water or care. Many realtors were left with only the difficult option of sending these animals to shelters with high kill rates or subpar care - until Jodi created a non-profit no-kill shelter specifically for pets that had been left behind. The audience grew from realtors to neighbors that discovered the pets, and eventually pet parents themselves. She realized there was another immediate need in the community: temporary care of pets for owners that were escaping domestic violence situations and moving to a shelter, or veterans that were attending PTSD treatment and needed their pet cared for while they were gone. Jodi created the Temporary Care Program, which houses pets for 90-120 days, to solve that need. Jodi and Diann also discuss the change in intake and expenses during COVID, as up to 40 million pets are displaced nationwide, as well as what it takes to manage a non-profit and the mentoring that Jodi does.

For more information, check out https://www.lostourhome.org/ and https://www.lonestar.edu/info-for-non-profits.htm

With a background of living in Texas, Israel, Washington D.C., Africa and Massachusetts, Joy Kolin is truly an international whirlwind. She received an education in International Development and adapted that into a career in International Public Health, with dreams of making peace in Israel. She also founded Giving Joy: a marketplace for artisanal goods created by entrepreneurial women around the world. The items are bought in small quantities and curated to be authentic, modern and not too "touristy". Purchases fund the Giving Joy Grant, which is an incredible performance-based grant given to a woman entrepreneur to further her business.

For more information or to shop, check out givingjoygoods.com!

Askia is a former intern of Truce and current Media Specialist at Thunderbird For Good. He lives his life through a lens of optimism and positivity, and speaks with Diann about what he considers the overwhelming blessings of COVID-19 to be. Askia and Diann also discuss the fourth Industrial Revolution, changes in perception, and his path for the future.

Chrissy Jackson is the on-site community builder at MAC6, meaning she helps coordinate events and solve problems for everyone in the building. Diann and Chrissy discuss missing face-to-face communication, and the unpredictable future of holidays and big life events for young people in these times. They also talk about the value of jigsaw puzzles and other busy-making activities, as well as how "Flexdesks" at MAC6 have provided great alternatives to working from home.

In this episode, Diann chats with Jennifer Burwell: Vice President and Director of Programs at MAC6, Tempe Chamber of Commerce Businesswoman of the Year, and co-owner of Doughnuttery in Chandler. They discuss the changing work environment and move towards virtual spaces, the sleepless nights over children returning to school, and working towards becoming a "force for good". Jennifer shares her thoughts on how she analyzes her role in the world and how she works to improve herself in the current social climate.

Diann talks with Brett Farmiloe of Markitors, a digital marketing startup located in Scottsdale. They specialize in SEO and connecting small businesses with customers. Diann and Brett talk about many topics ranging the digital landscape, but namely, Pursue the Passion - a book Brett wrote fresh out of college.

You can learn more at https://markitors.com/

Join Diann as she talks with Kyle McIntosh, president of MAC6. He and his father founded the co-working space with Conscious Capitalism in mind, and it has grown into a community with "little spaces for big ideas". They discuss how a warehouse and office space adapt to COVID, business as a force for good, and how Tempe, AZ has grown.

Learn more: https://mac6.com/