Everyday Green Home

Wicked problems are significant issues with no single, straightforward answer, and they are everywhere! Transportation is a wicked problem that touches every aspect of our lives, whether we realize it or not. It affects what we have on our dinner tables, the clothes we wear, and everything we have inside our homes. It even affects where we work, how we get there, and how we spend our vacations. Ye...

It is hard to talk about how our homes impact our health, well-being, and climate when so many people still struggle to afford the cost of buying their own homes. Today, I bring you a solution cultivated by Kerry Langley, an industry colleague I have known for quite some time.  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I invite you to lean in and pay attention as you discover how his financial modeling...

In a world of evolving priorities and rapidly changing investment landscapes, three letters have ignited discussions that resonate far beyond the financial realm: ESG. Environmental, Social, and Governance is a trifecta of influence shaping how businesses get scrutinized, evaluated, and ultimately endorsed.  ESG has grown into a juggernaut of consideration, designed ostensibly to gauge a company's...

In a world increasingly driven by the pursuit of sustainability and community well-being, the rise of B Corps is emerging as a beacon of hope for a more conscious and responsible business approach. I was recently captivated by a charming shop called Plenty Mercantile, nestled in the heart of Automobile Alley in Oklahoma City. It is a delightful store that embodies the principles of sustainability...

Artificial intelligence has become the buzzword of the century, permeating news headlines, chat platforms, and even our everyday browsing experiences. Its presence in our lives is undeniable, revolutionizing the world of computing and enhancing human existence in ways we could have only dreamed of!  Amidst this AI revolution, another concept has been capturing our collective imagination for years-...

Do you ever think about home inspection? Most people only ever think about home inspection when buying or selling a property. However, the truth is that you will benefit from a proper home inspection because it will allow you to live in a healthier and more comfortable home environment. I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I'm excited to introduce a remarkable Oklahoma City lady I recently had...

Real estate is a massive part of our lives!  We live in homes, buy homes, sell them, fix them up, and rent them, and real estate is at the heart of all that! Much about real estate has been in the news lately, with home prices being turbulent during the pandemic and people moving to different places.  The side of real estate that has recently been taking hold is one that I love working with most....

There are so many green home experts out there! That makes it hard to know where to go for help and who to approach for the resources you require. People need to know where to go to get trusted information. So today, I would like to introduce the Green Home Institute because they have been extremely helpful to me! They have vast resources, products, and education that they focus on and update regu...

Have you read about the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in the news over the last six to eight months? The Inflation Reduction Act was passed to help combat climate change, upgrade electrification, and move people toward new technologies in their homes and businesses. It is a big piece of work that applies to almost all of us because a large part has to do with our homes. So, what can we do to impro...

Many different aspects of our homes may impact our health and well-being and the ease with which we can maintain our homes.  Something I learned to take in hand during the pandemic was the filtration in my home. Filtration systems may vary, but they all serve the same purpose: To filter the air moving through the heating and cooling systems, making it cleaner and better to breathe.   I'm Marla, th...

What is the green home industry? If you'd like to learn more about it, find out how to connect with people within it, and get to know about all the new things coming out in it, you're in the right place because you will hear all of that today!  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I am excited to have Allison Friedman from Rate It Green with me today to talk about all the wonderful work she is doi...

Plastic is a wicked problem! We are finding bits of it everywhere! Plastic was a great invention. It has become an integral part of our convenience lifestyle, so we can't seem to do without it. But it is filling our landfills and oceans, and we even find it in our food and water!  It was exciting when plastic soda bottles came out because they were light and did not break. Since then, however, pla...

We are facing so many challenges in the labor and workforce and the construction industry right now, and people want to know why there aren't more women employed in construction, the home-building industry, and the skilled trades.  I am a huge advocate for workforce development, women in construction, and women in the skilled trades, and I have come up with a solution! It's a phenomenal project ca...

Wicked problems have been a huge part of our lives! Most of us know that the housing market has been a little crazy for the past few years. Some of that has been due to wicked problems like labor shortages, supply chain issues, and even land shortages in many parts of the country.   The labor shortage has been of interest to many people, me and my guest co-host for today included. So, we decided t...

Eco-renovate is a term a business friend coined while doing a project on a historical building in Chicago, Illinois.  We all have the opportunity to up-level our home, a home we are buying, or homes we are selling. There is so much we can do to improve our health and that of the world while we make our homes a whole lot better! I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach! I'm thrilled to have Sheridan Foster...

The term wicked problems describes some of today's most challenging social issues. Wicked problems require a reframing of success because they might never be fully solved. Success with wicked problems means having an impact on or making a difference toward improved outcomes and reduced risk. Today, we dive into the wicked problem of people-ism. I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach! I am recording live...

It can be hard to find good products that also have great packaging.  Several years ago, I started using a great set of products with amazing packaging that gets specially delivered.  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach, and I have Lindsey McCoy from Plaine Products joining me today! Plaine Products is a company with a unique delivery system for sustainably packaged vegan bath and body products! Plain...

The term "wicked problems" describes some of the most challenging social issues of this time. Those problems require a reassessment of success because being successful with wicked problems means making a difference toward them or influencing improved results and diminished risk, even though the problem may never be fully solved. Consumerism, or focusing on economic improvement based on things peop...

There are so many different products to choose from for our homes, well-being, and personal care that it is often really hard to figure out which products are better for our health and wellness, are longer lasting, more durable, and do what they are meant to do.  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach! Today, I'm doing a solo episode to share my thoughts on selecting the best products and materials to br...

We have some tremendous wicked problems in our society right now! Wicked problems are how we describe some of today's most challenging social issues. They call for us to reframe our notion of success because they may never get fully solved. Being successful with wicked problems means making a difference toward them, improving the outcomes, or reducing the risk.  Today, we are diving into the wicke...

Lately, I've been talking about health and wellness and how much it impacts our living environment. That means how we design, build or remodel a house or building, how we live in it, and how we interact with it.  I'm Marla, the Green Home Coach! For the last few months, I have hosted one of my business partners on the podcast. It has been exciting to build a group of people who care about how peop...

  Global challenges are abounding, and working in the world of sustainability, health, and wellness has brought many wicked problems to light.  We can describe some of the most challenging social issues we face today as wicked problems. With those problems, we have to re-frame our notion of success. Although they will never get entirely solved, success with wicked problems is about impacting or im...

We're hearing a lot about health and wellness right now!  Since the start of the pandemic, conversations about how we feel, sickness, wellness, and even cancer have blown up everywhere! We are starting to realize that our health and wellness, how we feel, our mental well-being, and what is going on inside our walls have converged, and they all matter!  I am Marla, the Green Home Coach. I'd like to...

Wicked Problems: Trade-offs of electric vehicles with Tony Pratte  The topic of wicked problems has been inspiring some interesting conversations lately!  Driving electric vehicles rather than those powered by internal combustion engines is fascinating for Tony and me! Recently, Tony sent me an article explaining that what we need right now is an honest and comprehensive evaluation of the entire l...

What is wellness real estate? We hear a lot about wellness real estate lately. Sheila Alston knew nothing about it until she started thinking of ways to bring health and home together. After doing some research, she discovered that wellness real estate had already become a 134-billion dollar industry two years earlier! The very first wellness lifestyle community was built near Atlanta, Georgia. It...