sustainability Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

Purpose Powered Pioneer – Annie Crawford

October 10, 2024October 10, 2024
by Claire

Few people can say they’ve founded a non-profit that raises millions while creating a community that helps supporters achieve extraordinary physical challenges. Annie Crawford is one of those rare individuals.

As the founder of CanToo, a high-profile Australian charity running for nearly two decades, Annie has revolutionised fundraising for cancer research. CanToo organises physical challenges like ocean swims and half marathons, where participants receive months of professional coaching in exchange for fundraising commitments.

As a result, more than 20,000 people to date have achieved impressive physical challenges, and more than AUD$33 million has been raised to fund cancer research.

Aside from CanToo, Annie’s had some fascinating career experience including helping to build a very successful Biotech startup in San Francisco.

In this episode you’ll hear how:

How a Kombi van trip around Europe with her parents and 6 siblings impacted Annie’s world view (can you imagine 9 people in a Kombi van?!)
How Annie places values at the heart of what she does and how she built CanToo
Her ingredients for building a sustainable and successful organisation, and
How Annie learnt to overcome an almost paralysing fear of public speaking

Annie is a very down to earth and modest person and you can tell that her life and priorities have been shaped by family tragedy. With CanToo she’s built an incredible and fitting legacy.

Enjoy this episode with the inspiring and values-driven Annie Crawford.

Useful Links

CanToo website – check out their latest physical challenges

Interview

Championing the Circular Economy – Lisa Saunders

October 5, 2022October 5, 2022
by Claire

Our episode this week is packed with great advice and stories thanks to our guest, social entrepreneur Lisa Saunders.

Less than three years ago, Lisa and her partner Adrian decided they had to do something to stop so many household goods from being sent to landfill. Specifically, they made a life changing decision to prevent as many electronic appliances and tech products as they could from being thrown away.

As a result, ‘Arnie’s Recon’ was born. It’s a completely free service that takes your old electronics (think phones, computers, fridges, cables etc.) and ensures they’re recycled and not sent to landfill. Plus, as you’ll hear, this startup has already created more than 80 different products and spawned others around them to start complementary businesses.

CEO Lisa’s stories of adapting to start-up life after a career in leadership development and coaching, and particularly getting used to literally getting her hands dirty in her day job are really fascinating.

Plus you’ll hear:

How Lisa’s ten years of doing Karate has helped her to stay mentally calm and not be triggered by difficult people and bullies
Plus, the clever and simple thing she says to herself to stay in that calm state when others around her are not
How she and her partner navigate having to pivot as they grow their enterprise
The simple thing she does when she needs to think creatively
And the magic of this model that stops so many electrical appliances and tech from going to landfill.

We love the ethos and the business model behind Arnie’s Recon and we think you will too. So enjoy this conversation with the passionate and resilient Lisa Saunders.

Useful Links:

Arnies Recon Website

Arnies Recon on Facebook

Lisa Saunders on LinkedIn

Clare Graves Spiral Dynamics Explanation

Interview

Stefanie Nissen – Style & Hope Shine Through

November 30, 2021November 30, 2021
by Claire

Happy December everyone!

The end of the year can mean travel planning for a lot of people, and business trips and holidays are the bread and butter for the fashion entrepreneur and founder on the show this week, Stefanie Nissen.

California-based Stefanie founded her business ‘Trvl Porter’ with the idea that you would arrive at your destination to find a hand-picked travel wardrobe waiting for you at your hotel. When you’re heading home, you can buy the pieces you love, or return them all simply by leaving them with your hotel.

The business was starting to take off when Covid effectively put Stefanie’s business into hibernation. All the more frustrating as not only had the business been really starting to get traction, it had also enjoyed some great coverage in the NY Times as well.

In this episode you’ll hear where Stefanie is at today in figuring out the future for Trvl Porter as well as:

How she started her career in fashion design
The advice her designer employer gave her that made her really change direction
How losing her luggage inspired the idea for a brand new business
And, Stefanie shares how a significant trauma actually led her to have the courage to start her new venture

This episode shares stories that are both moving and hopeful. So if you’re after some inspiration, hope and courage in your life, don’t miss this one with the resilient and courageous Stefanie Nissen…

Useful Links

Stefanie on LinkedIn (Stefanie’s new married name is Barkman)

Stefanie on Instagram

TrvlPorter website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Crowdfunding Success

November 23, 2021November 24, 2021
by Claire

This week’s mini episode is all about crowdfunding and in particular equity crowdfunding.

Equity crowdfunding is where retail investors can buy a share in a young company which is seeking funding without having to list on the stock exchange or take on formal VC capital.

Capital raising can be such a time consuming occupation for a Founder yet if you have the right offer for equity crowdfunding, then this can be a great way to proceed.

One of our guests has proven to be a master at successfully completing two extremely impressive equity crowdfunding campaigns. We’re talking about Brianne West, the New Zealander serial entrepreneur and founder of global sustainable cosmetics company, Ethique.

Brianne has a bold and pioneering mission, to rid the world of single-use plastics. She started Ethique to replace all those plastic-bottled products we use in our bathrooms, from shampoos to moisturisers, with solid bars of concentrated product.

Brianne crowdfunded twice to grow her business: once in 2015 when she raised NZ$200,000 in 10 days; and again in 2017 when she raised an extraordinary $500,000 in just over an hour!

Ethique continues to grow, has taken on other types of investment and is now found in more than 20 countries. It’s become a B Corp as well.

In this mini episode you’ll hear Brianne explaining why she felt crowdfunding was best for her and then shares her views on what it takes to be successful if you’re wondering if crowdfunding is for you.

Enjoy this mini episode.

Useful Links

Brianne’s full interview

Ethique Website

Brianne on Instagram

Equitise – Crowdfunding platform

Interview

Sonika Manandhar – & Her Fintech Changing Lives in…

August 31, 2021August 31, 2021
by Claire

Our latest episode takes you on a journey all the way to Kathmandu in Nepal.

We speak with Sonika Manandhar, a Nepalese entrepreneur and former senior software developer for Microsoft, who’s now a fintech founder committed to improving the lives of women small business owners in Nepal.

Sonika is co-founder and CTO of Aeloi Technologies, an innovative social enterprise and fintech that uses digital tokens to facilitate affordable loans to Nepali small businesses that are working in a sustainable and climate-friendly fashion. Think things such as electric mini buses and sustainable agriculture.

She also happens to be one of Nepal’s highest flyers, almost literally, as she was selected to participate in International Space training at the Korean AeroSpace Research Institute.

Not only that. Sonika was named a National Geographic Explorer for 2020, a UN Young Champion of the Earth in 2019, and she attended Singularity University where exponential thinking is cultivated.

In this episode you’ll hear:

How Sonika is going about creating change when her customers have low literacy levels
Her advice for introverts
How her use of digital tokens is helping to build trust between financiers and female-run businesses; and
Her inspiring advice for women who want to start their own business.

So come on this journey with us and enjoy this episode with the purposeful and pioneering Sonika Manandhar.

Useful Links

Sonika on LinkedIn

Sonika on Instagram

Aeloi Technologies Website

Singularity University

Interview

Sarah Wilson – Crusader for People & Planet

July 20, 2021July 20, 2021
by Claire

We are so excited about this episode featuring an inspiring and no-topic-off-limits conversation with the globally renowned Sarah Wilson.

Sarah has achieved massively in multiple arenas; she’s a former journalist and TV presenter, she’s an author and activist and successful entrepreneur. She wrote the New York Times bestsellers I Quit Sugar and First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which best-selling author Mark Manson described as the best book on living with anxiety that he’d ever read.

Along with her latest book, ‘This One Wild and Precious Life’, Sarah has been ranked as one of the top 200 influential authors in the world and her online wellness ‘I Quit Sugar’ program was taken by 1.5 million people around the world.

These days, Sarah’s a campaigner for the causes that matter and, in particular, the climate crisis. Her determination to motivate us all to do what we can, is matched only by her research, her passion and her own crusading life.

In this open and vulnerable episode you’ll learn:

How Sarah’s childhood explains so much about the leader she is today
How she has completely reframed and values her anxiety
What happened when she was at her lowest ever point
How important hiking is to Sarah, and
Why 3.5% is such a magnificent and hopeful number.

Now, on a serious note, during our conversation as Sarah goes deep and vulnerable, we want to alert you that she describes a time she had dark and suicidal thoughts. If you think this might trigger you or someone listening with you please take the appropriate care.

We think you’ll just love this episode with the crusading and inspiring Sarah Wilson…

Useful Links

Sarah’s website

Link to Sarah’s book tour in Australia

All of Sarah’s Books

Sarah’s Favourite Hikes

Sarah on Instagram

Photo credits: Rob Palmer & Marija Ivkovic

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Mastering Your Ego

July 13, 2021
by Claire

This week’s Future Proofing mini episode is all about not letting your ego get the better of you.

We were blown away by the maturity and wisdom of young New Zealand entrepreneur, Brianne West, the founder and CEO of Ethique, the global and sustainable cosmetics company. We spoke to her on the show last year.

Brianne’s mission is to rid the world of single-use plastics and Ethique replaces bottled products like shampoos with solid bars of concentrated product.

Brianne has won all kinds of honours including New Zealand’s Young Entrepreneur of the Year and she was named an Obama Leader for Asia Pacific.

With these accolades Brianne could be forgiven for running her global business exactly as she pleases. But what’s so refreshing about this entrepreneur in her 30’s is that she’s well aware she’s never worked in any other business and so she knows she needs other people’s expertise to help her succeed.

And that’s where mastering your ego comes into it. Brianne is so authentic and open about what she does and doesn’t know.

In a world where it’s so easy for all of us to think we have to role play and claim more experience and capability than we may have, one of the secrets to Brianne’s success is that she’s learnt her business needs her to listen to the recommendations of others in order to succeed. She leaves her ego at the door when she goes to work and so do her colleagues.

Take a listen and be inspired how vulnerability really can be the best way forward.

Useful Links

Brianne’s Full Interview with us – Brianne West – Running the World’s most Sustainable Cosmetics Company

Ethique Website

Brianne on Instagram

Interview

Ronni Kahn – The More You Give, the More…

January 19, 2021
by Claire

Hello, Happy New Year and welcome to our first episode for 2021!

We couldn’t think of a better guest to start the year with than social entrepreneur Ronni Kahn, the Founder and CEO of OzHarvest.

Ronni is a South African who’s lived in Australia for many years. The story of how she founded and then grew OzHarvest is really quite something.

If you’re not familiar with OzHarvest, it’s Australia’s leading food rescue organisation, ensuring that quality, untouched food from supermarkets and big events gets delivered to provide meals for those in need and saving good food going to landfill.

Incredibly OzHarvest has delivered 160 million meals in Australia to date. Plus, it’s expanded overseas as well.

Ronni recently released her memoir, called A Repurposed Life and we explore her fascinating life and career journey in this episode including:

How Ronni’s early life, from growing up in South Africa, to living on a kibbutz in Israel helped shape her ultimate purpose to end food waste
How her earlier entrepreneurial endeavours with florist shops, pyramid-selling skin care, and a flourishing events business, helped her build her self confidence and enabled her to think bigger
How OzHarvest has had to pivot and adapt through COVID, and
Why Ronni advises you not to wait to give more than you get

If you’re looking to find your purpose, get some inspiration or hear how someone else has made career transitions then don’t miss this episode with the focused and impressive Ronni Kahn.

Useful Links

Ronni’s Book – A Repurposed Life

OzHarvest website

Interview

Brianne West – Running the World’s most Sustainable Cosmetics…

July 28, 2020
by Claire

Our guest on the podcast this week is Brianne West, the New Zealander serial entrepreneur and founder of global sustainable cosmetics company, Ethique.

Brianne has a bold and pioneering mission, to rid the world of single-use plastics. She started Ethique to replace all those bottled products we use in our bathrooms, from shampoos to moisturisers, with solid bars of concentrated product.

We’ve been so impressed with the degree of sustainability and ethical practices that Brianne has baked into her business, from sourcing her products directly from around the globe, to being a B Corp, to donating 20% of profits to charitable causes. It really is a business that walks the talk.

In this episode you’ll learn:

How Brianne displayed the entrepreneurial gene very early
How she’s funded Ethique with two very successful crowdfunding campaigns, as well as what it takes to crowdfund successfully
What Brianne does to manage her anxiety; and
How Huffington Post and Britney Spears changed everything for her business overnight!

We hope you come away as inspired by this conversation as we were. It’s a real demonstration of what’s possible when a business decides to make a reasonable profit whilst also caring for planet and people.

Finally, a quick request from us, if you enjoy our podcast and have yet to rate or review us on your listening platform of choice, we’d so appreciate it if you would. This is a passion project for us and it would really make a positive difference.

Interesting Links

Ethique Website

Brianne on Instagram

Interview

Jacqueline Novogratz – Revolutionary For a Better World

May 19, 2020May 20, 2020
by Claire

We have a real treat in store for you today with a truly remarkable changemaker and NY Times bestselling author as our guest.

Acumen Founder and CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, has been named one of the 25 Smartest People of the Decade by the Daily Beast, and one of the world’s 100 Greatest Living Business Minds by Forbes, amongst numerous other honours.

Jacqueline pioneered the notion of ‘patient capital’, investing in social entrepreneurs around the world. Acumen supports them to establish sustainable businesses that serve some of the world’s poorest people.

What makes this episode a particularly fascinating one is that all this work with entrepreneurs has taught Jacqueline and her team so much about what it takes to succeed when trying to create change. And now she’s also just released a new book sharing what it takes to be a changemaker. It’s called Manifesto for a Moral Revolution (and there’s a free course too if you buy the book).

In this episode you’ll hear:

How her early attempts at social change in Africa seriously failed to impress the locals;
What she learnt about humanity when she became one of the first people to visit in jail someone she’d known well who’d gone on to become a major perpetrator in the Rwandan Genocide;
How Jacqueline sees investment as a means to solving problems rather than making profit as the primary goal; and ….
How she’s seeing women entrepreneurs successfully breaking the rules particularly now during the coronavirus crisis.

Enjoy this episode with the incredibly inspiring Jacqueline Novogratz…

Links of Interest

Acumen Website

Jacqueline’s Books:

Manifesto for a Moral Revolution – Practices to Build a Better World – her latest book. If you buy a copy you can sign up for free to her 11 week course ‘The Path of Moral Leadership’ (usually it’s US$195)

The Blue Sweater