Up To Some Good Podcast by Claudia Lee

Season 2 Podcast Trailer 

This is a short solo episode where I share some main takeaways after recording 30 episodes! It's been such a special journey so far, thank you for joining me as I learn about social impact and sustainability through the lens of individuals I admire! I look forward to continue sharing thought-provoking, high quality content with you!

Links to mentioned platforms: 

Time to celebrate the big 3-0!

We’ve reached Episode 3-0!!!

For UTSG's 30th episode, I’m honoured to speak to Peggy Chan, Executive Director of Zero Foodprint Asia, Restauranteur and Chef. Having launched two plant-based restaurants in the past, Peggy recently decided to shift her focus to transforming food systems and advocating for climate justice.

We discuss the connection between climate change and food production, inspiring change through food and social media and her new initiative Zero Foodprint Asia! Peggy also shared her ideal meals and favourite plant-based treat.

If you love food, and our planet, you’ll definitely enjoy this podcast 🌏🍎

This is a summary of our conversation:

Follow @thatpeggychan or @zero Footprint Asia; find out more at: https://www.zerofoodprintasia.org/

Individuals and Platforms that Peggy thinks are Up to Some Good

Other podcast mentions:

In Episode 29, I speak to Ryan and Matt, co-founders of Ethicul, a business that empowers consumers to make more ethical purchases. Ethicul’s three co-founders launched Ethicul to bridge the gap between ethical businesses and individuals who want to consume more consciously. During this episode, we talk about their challenges launching Ethicul as university students, whether it is possible to define an ‘ethical business’, why the UK government should ‘walk the walk’ and much more!

This is a summary of our conversation:

· Launching Ethical as University Students

· What does it mean to be an ‘ethical business’?

· How to spot a greenwashing campaign

· The ‘Ethicul’ shopping experience

· Should good friends do business together?

A company that Ryan thinks is Up to Some Good: Yorkshire Gin by Cooper King Gin Distillery @cooperkingdistellery

A company that Matt thinks is Up to Some Good: Harriet’s of Hove Refill Shop @harrietsofhove

Other Podcast mentions:

· Networking Platform: The Good Business Club: https://www.thegoodbusinessclub.com/

· Palm Oil article by Nestle’s Head of Sustainability: https://www.nestle.co.uk/en-gb/stories/beneath-surface-palm-oil

*Timestamps:

7:07 Launching Ethical as University Students

13:04 Early entrepreneurship journey and bootstrapping the business

20:07 What does it mean to be an ‘ethical business’?

25:10 We all fall short as environmentalists

33:10 How to spot a greenwashing campaign

40:06 The ‘Ethicul’ shopping experience

46:00 Should good friends do business together

50:55 Enabling one million ethical transactions and more

In Episode 28, I had an amazing conversation with Christina Dean, founder of @getredressed and @thercollective, sustainable fashion advocate and mother of four. We went through so much in an hour, from her experience wearing dumped clothes from landfills for a year, how she encourages conscious consumption by focusing on the beauty of fashion, to how she sometimes enjoys grilling sales about sustainable fashion.

I truly felt Christina’s passion and generosity during our conversation, especially, when she shared how as a dentist, she ‘fell in love with the people of this world’. I hope you’ll enjoy this as much as I did and realise that our fashion is really not about where the items are from or how new they are, it’s about us and how we want to show up in this world.

This is a summary of our conversation:

· How wearing second hand for a year changed her relationship with fashion

· Encouraging conscious consumption with empathy and emotion

· The unattainable label of a ‘good environmentalist’

· Why it’s still important to let your children buy new clothes sometimes

· Why monofibre garments are the best for our planet

Follow @drchristinadean, @getredressed and @thercollective! You can also head to their websites to find out more:  

A company that Christina thinks is Up to Some Good: @toastale

*Timestamps: 

· 3:25  How wearing second hand for a year changed her relationship with fashion

· 7:43 Where do our dumped clothes go?

· 8:20 From Dentistry to Journalism and becoming a sustainable fashion advocate

· 11:47 The challenges of transitioning to fashion & why you should ‘go for it’ if you feel strongly about a cause

· 17:01 Encouraging conscious consumption with empathy and emotion

· 20:33 Top three things to consider before putting them in your wardrobe

· 23:08 Why are the drivers of sustainable fashion different in different regions?

· 28:11 The unattainable label of a ‘good environmentalist’

· 31:56 Meditating for a better planet

· 35:23 Why it’s still important to let your children buy new clothes sometimes

· 38:00 Shopping for sustainable fashion & grilling shop assistants for fun

· 40:15 Why buying mono fiber items is the best thing you can do to support a circular economy

· 42:00 A more sustainable way to clean your clothes

This week, I decided to share some of my personal challenges with Up to Some Good's content and branding, as well as talk about the meaningful cause behind Billie Eilish's Met Gala Dress, and why I admire Ben & Jerry's corporate activism.

If you haven't already, follow Up to Some Good on Twitter (@upto _somegood)!

Links to podcast mentions:

In Episode 26, I speak to Jenny Costa, Founder of Rubies in the Rubble.

Inspired by her childhood on a Scottish farm and her experience seeing surplus fruit and vegetables go to waste in farmers markets, Jenny decided to launch her condiments brand Rubies in the Rubble. Rubies in the Rubble takes unwanted fresh fruit and vegetables and transforms them into our favourite condiments: from chili mayos and chutneys to ketchup (even Banana flavoured ketchup!)

During the podcast, Jenny shares her challenges and lessons as she scales Rubies from a little stall at a farmers markets to a brand that is stocked in supermarkets chains across the UK. Jenny brings her enthusiasm and excitement about her brand on the podcast; I really enjoyed our conversation and hope you will too!

Listen to our conversation to learn about her journey!

Here is a summary of our conversation:

Follow @rubiesintherubble or head to their website: https://rubiesintherubble.com/

An individual that Jenny thinks is Up to Some Good: Paul Polman, ex-CEO of Unilever, Co-founder of IMAGINE (https://imagine.one/)

*Timestamps:

2:48 Growing up on a Scottish Farm

4:54  Quitting Finance Career to launch Rubies in the Rubble

6:31  Food waste’s huge carbon footprint

10:03 The step by step process of producing a conscious condiment

12:37 The double whammy of COVID and Brexit

17:40 Balancing the challenges of a new business while doing good

22:06 what does banana ketchup taste like?

23:19 Using condiments to remind consumers to waste less

26:48 Choosing not to raise funding immediately & Rubies’ humble start

In Part Two of my special two part episode dedicated to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, I speak to Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi, Director and Founder of the ACAA. 

Having fled from the Taliban himself in 1999, Dr. Nasimi has firsthand experience of life under Taliban rule. In this short podcast, he discusses life under the Taliban, the ACAA's work and why the British Government's support is critical to Afghanistan. 

This is a summary of our conversation:

Donate or Fundraise for ACAA: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/afghancrisisfund

Follow Dr. Nooralhaq Nasimi on Instagram (@nooralhaqnasimi) or Twitter (@NooralhaqNasimi) 

Find out more about ACAA on their instagram (@acaa_london), Twitter (@A_CAA) or Website (https://acaa.org.uk/)

An organisation that Dr. Nasimi thinks is Up to Some Good: Afghanistan & Central Asian Association (Absolutely agreed!)

This episode is a special two part episode dedicated to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. I speak to representatives of two British NGOs, Afghanaid and the Afghanistan & Central Asian Association (ACAA), who are working to support Afghans affected by the escalation of events as the Taliban retake control of the country.

In Part One, I speak to Charles Davy, Managing Director of Afghanaid. Charles shares his experience in Kabul as the Taliban assert control and sheds light on key steps the Government and British public can take to continue offering humanitarian aid during this critical period.

This is a summary of our conversation:

Donate or Fundraise for Afghanaid: https://www.afghanaid.org.uk/news/conflict-in-afghanistan

Find out more about Afghanaid on their instagram (@afhanaidhq), Twitter (@Afghanaid) or Website (https://www.afghanaid.org.uk/)

An organisation that Charles thinks is Up to Some Good: Afghanaid (I 100% agree with this!)