I hope you love this conversation with Vince Aiello as much as I do! I found Vince by chance on Instagram - or maybe he found me? I forget. But I love his business Fire and Foraging, and we struck up a conversation and I invited him to talk on the podcast, and I'm SO glad I did! Vince is a nature guide in Wisconsin, and is a real pro! I learned so much - he talked about fire adaptive species and fire ecology; we talked about invasive EDIBLE plants to help plants thrive, and how humans s...

I loved learning about Kimberly Haley Coleman and Globe Aware- an award winning short term volunteer abroad program available in 26 countries. I didn't know this was a thing, but I'm so glad it is! You can travel abroad to learn about a new place, help people and find purpose - this sounds like my kind of vacation! Tropical destinations, cooler weather, far away, or closerby, there's something for everyone. Kimberly says they can teach the kills; they just need kind, willing people, to offer ...

This conversation with CEO of Dip HairCare Kate Assaraf was so fun for me, because 1: it's Dip shampoo bars, and if you've listened to the podcast for a while, you've heard me talk about shampoo bars, and 2: we're talking about an exciting collab with Kate/Dip and GoGo Refill, my refill store back in Maine that I love. They've done a few collabs together, but this November 13, Kate is debuting GoGo Refill's very own exclusive shampoo bar scent, and they'll both be at the South Portland GoGo R...

I loved learning about Lindsey Turnbull's life in activism! I did an episode with Laura Marston of GoGo Refill way back in episode 10, I think... Anyway, it's been a while since we've talked about the cool things about refilleries. Lindsey is the owner of From Here To Home Essentials, a really cool home based refillery in Maryland and Washington DC - and she offers DELIVERY for busy folks, even! Like Laura of GoGo Refill, Lindsey is more than a shop owner - she's an educator and activist; alw...

I learned so much speaking with Kelsey Green about digital minimalism! I've heard about more and more people removing themselves from social media, and the thought seems overwhelming at times, but at the same time knowing there's some addiction (where's my phone? I need my phone handy! What if someone can't reach me? Have you had any of those thoughts?), and we've probably all heard the phrase "loneliness epidemic," right? I've been very cureious about it-- In comes Kelsey L Green - she...

Y'all, I'm feeling like a million bucks sharing this conversation with you that I got to have with Amanda Leland, Executive Director of the Environmental Defense Fund... I'm still pinching myself! Amanda became a member of the EDF when she was 13, so she's been training to be Executive Director for a few years! Amanda just published Sea Change: Unlikely Allies and a Success Story of Oceanic Proportions, with James Workman - it published September 30! It tells the story of how fishermen, scien...

Y'all, in over 3 years, I can't remember doing a full episode on the OCEAN! Until now - Andrew Lewin is a total ocean geek - in the best way! He grew up far from the ocean, but watched Jacques Cousteau shows and was OBSESSED. He has a Masters in Marine Biology, and hosts the How To Protect the Ocean podcast and co hosts the Beyond Jaws podcast. How To Protect the Ocean has over 1800 episodes! He was recording 5 episodes a week for a bit; now it's only 3 a week (plus a job)... and he's hosted ...

I learned a lot about wardrobe management in this conversation with Julia Dietmar! I had a totally different idea of what Open Wardrobe was going into this convo, but she set me straight. There are so many ways to use Open Wardrobe, developed by Julia. Her goal is to cut down on overconsumption of clothes by digitizing, which is very cool! you have your entire wardrobe handy, so when you go shopping, you already know you have 4 white tops and 3 pair of black pants, etc. OR you can pull up you...

Oh my goodness, this conversation with Megha Patil made me wish I had a young girl in my family! Megha describes Happy Lilliput as "Exquisite Celebration Attire" - can you just picture that? Megha said growing up in India birthdays are a BIG DEAL - like sometimes thousands of guests to celebrate you, and very fancy clothes. She was fascinated by fashion; she went to design school, and was frustrated by the waste that she saw, so she decided to design her own patterns and clothes. And boy oh b...

This conversation with Ali Waks Adams was soul feeding for me- I love talking to people who are passionate about helping to solve food insecurity, and Ali is on the board of Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program (MPHCC) in my hometown of Brunswick, Maine, and she's sharing some of the things that they're doing that have been working to feed the people of Maine. (I said Maine, not just Brunswick - Ali says they feed people from 14 out of the 16 counties in Maine!) We talked a little about the pe...

Keith Bearden is the CEO of Alter Eco, a sustainable chocolate company. Under his direction, Alter Eco isn't just delivering delicious chocolate and granola; it's doing so with a mission that aligns perfectly with people who are looking for better options. Keith's initiatives in regenerative farming and sustainable packaging are reaching a broad audience. Alter Eco does more than purchase from growers, they provide the plants and encourage regenerative practices, which has made a huge differe...

Y'all, I hope you love this conversation with Joshua Harrison as much as I did - I was glued to what he was saying! As we talked in the middle of a hot hot summer afternoon, his plan is to cool our paved, blazing hot cities, in the simplest of ways. He has decades of research and experience to prove it works. Joshua started asking about solar energy in the 70s (incredible story!), and never stopped! He has a center for education (the Center for Force Majeure) and is Co-Founder of a reta...

I got to meet Patrick Kelly this past January at Podfest, and we talked about doing this episode then - timing was just weird, but I think maybe it was just meant to happen now... Pat is the host of The Produce Industry Podcast and also runs The Produce Industry Network, on the side of his actual produce business and family life... I've said so many times that we should know where our food comes from, and I've talked about my jam business, and how I picked my own berries to feel better about ...

MaryEllen Lundy has thought of everything, it seems, with An Eco-Organized Approach downsizing! It's inspiring to hear her talk about how circular her system is, from cleaning out to rehoming belongings, and everything in between. She shares a few stories that show just how much thought and care goes into her projects, which makes sense, considering she is entering someone's home and personal space, and helping them let go of things they've held tight to- it takes a very special personality t...

Maxx Cumby McGee has been planning the Gott Street Blues clothing brand since the 90s when she was one of a very few women in the construction world - life just delayed it. Maxx's story is both hillarious and eye opening; how she started in modeling at 19, and got into construction by making friends with the CEO of Anheuser-Busch, and showing up on her first day with a pink toolbox and men's work clothes that nearly got her injured because there were no women's work clothes. This is a longer ...

I had a great time talking with Bridget Shirvell about her new book Parenting in a Climate Crisis; A Handbook for Turning Fear into Action - I may have gotten a little excited when she was talking about the contents of the book, knowing there was a chapter about activism... Bridget is a freelance writer, and has done pieces for Martha Stewart and PBS, Conde Nast and New York Times, and others about food, travel and the environment. Having her own young child inspired her to write the bo...

You may be thinking "what makes Kurt Avery have a heart of gold?" You'll have to listen to this conversation, because it's hard to put into words how quietly wonderful Kurt is. And if you're not wondering that, then let's get to the quiet part- Kurt is the CEO of Sawyer Products, and if you do any outdoor activities, you're familiar with the brand; they make water filters for your water bottles, sunscreen and first aid products for hiking and camping. They are THE name for the most effective ...

I was thrilled to get to talk to Jeremiah Jancik, because I've ALWAYS got questions about energy. Maybe too many? Jeremiah is an Energy Consultant, and we're talking about installing solar panels, heat pumps, insulation and doing energy audits - all things home efficiency - which he has decades of experience in. In his 12 year career he's performed over 4000 energy assessments! Now he's focusing on training new people and consulting, and doing virtual solar inspections. He wants to help...

Have you ever felt confused or conflicted about organic food labels? I know I've said something like if I have to choose between organic from far away and in plastic, or local, I'd choose local; and I'm sure I've had dirty looks. It's just gotten confusing. And it costs almost half as much as regular foods, so I've wondered if its really better... So this week I'm talking to Linley Dixon of The Real Organic Project, to help us (me) better understand what it all means. Linley works for The Rea...

I'm sneaking in an extra episode because it's summer, and this is about sunscreen, so hopefully it's not publishing too late for you-- Arielle Moody is the CEO/Founder of Mama Sol Sunscreen, and she said within 2 weeks of the launch, she was featured on Access Hollywood, which catapulted Mama Sol's sales. She has several awards and honors for best product! She says a tagline is "if sunscreen and a spa day had a baby, it would be Mama Sol." I love so much that she says her sunscreen has a ligh...