Can I Laugh On Your Shoulder?

Did you know that only about 1 in FIVE plastic bottles are ever recycled? And that it can take between 400 and 1,000 years to decompose. It's actually estimated that humans are purchasing one million plastic bottles… PER MINUTE. Let that sink in. One million bottles PER MINUTE globally. And with 91% of those bottles never being recycled… that's a lot of plastic that's going to just end up in landf...

For years, I hated my body. I'd look in the mirror and I'd notice every flaw. Every roll, every stretch mark, every bit of cellulite… I'd say, "I can't run" or "I'm not strong" or "I have no upper body strength" or "I'm so out of shape." I never thought I'd ever enjoy working out. I told myself I'm never going to be one of "those" fitness people. At the end of 2016, I was in a very low place menta...

People like to ask me when and how I got started talking about ethical and sustainable fashion. It's definitely been a process for me over the years and I don't claim to know it all or be perfect by any means. When I really started learning about the ins and outs of the fashion industry and how harmful it is and how WE are just contributing to it... I knew I had to do something. I knew I had to do...

I love being a mom. It's one of the most difficult and rewarding and all the things jobs I've ever had in my life. I'm simultaneously a nurse, a cook, a cleaner, a bedtime singer, a teacher, a caregiver, an errand runner, a boo boo kisser, you know… basically every job on earth rolled into one. But if I'm honest, sometimes being a mom is a really lonely job. I so badly want to connect with other m...

I can pretty much guarantee that any business owner will tell you that running a business is hard. Unless you went to business school, there are so many details and unique facets about running a business that it's honestly kind of hard to be prepared for. And many business owners are really just creatives and when they get to the nuts and bolts part of business, it can be overwhelming! But, one of...

One of the reasons I spend so much time talking about fair trade goods and ethical fashion is not just because I think they're nice products or pretty things or they're unique - sure - those things are all well and good… but the fact of the matter is… I care about the people and the stories behind the products I buy. Fair trade is not about charity. It's not about a hand out. It's not about having...

A common question I hear these days is, "How do I turn my PASSION into a career?" There's a lot of talk about PASSION. Everyone has a passion. We all have passions. But is it POSSIBLE to turn that passion into a full time income? Is it possible to not spend every day going through the motions, but to wake up every day looking FORWARD to getting to work? Can we do work that both fuels our passion w...

To many people, a dress symbolizes things like fragility, weakness, inequality, outdated dress code rules, societal pressures, gender roles… There was a time when a woman would be literally scoffed at for wearing anything OTHER than a dress. And for centuries, women have fought to press on and buck trends and fight stereotypes, and obviously a woman wearing pants or wearing shorts isn't thought of...

We can all agree to two truths.... Life is beautiful and life is also tough. We all spend time trying to figure out what our purpose is or what we are supposed to do or what job we were meant for. We work hard, we do our best... and then life happens. Maybe it's a broken relationship, a financial crisis, a death of a loved one, a divorce, or getting fired from a job... and we get into this mindset...

To say I am excited about today's post and BONUS Business with Purpose podcast episode is a bit of an understatement. I AM SO EXCITED. This has been in the works for awhile and was SUCH a fun project to put together. I knew I wanted to do an ultimate ethical holiday gift guide together this year and I also knew I wanted to incorporate it into the podcast. I ALSO knew that I wanted my dear friend E...

There are two types of people… people who say and people who do. I've spent a good portion of my life trying to be someone who does… not just someone who says. Let's be honest, this isn't always easy. When we see a problem in the world, it can be really easy to say, "gosh, someone should really do something about that." It's a whole lot more difficult to actually be the one to say, "Maybe that som...

I think every business owner at some point has thought to themselves, "Am I an entrepreneur, or am I just unemployed?"  My guest this week is Jen Lewis, the founder of Purse and Clutch! Jen is so hilarious and we had the BEST conversation. She shared some of her real struggles when it came to starting an ethical fashion business and what those early days looked like for her - but she also shared w...

There are people that come into our lives and completely change us. Maybe it's a teacher or a coach who really believe in us and encourage us in ways others haven't. Or maybe it's a friendship… a friendship that starts under unusual circumstances or in a place you'd least expect… but that friend becomes someone who changes your life. That friend teaches you something about the world around you and...

"If we can't be FOR each other, then we are not confident in who WE are and all we are confident in is questioning our success." -Jamie Ivey. To say I was honored to interview Jamie Ivey for this week's episode of the Business with Purpose podcast is an understatement. I have listened to Jamie's podcast, The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey for years. The way that she is able to connect with her guests...

Imagine a situation in which you are literally in the middle of the Gobi desert (AKA: the middle-of-nowhere OF the middle-of-nowhere) and you are carrying two million dollars in cold hard cash. Seems crazy, right? Not too crazy for Matt Scanlan and his business partner Diederik. To be honest, Matt's story of how he ended up in Mongolia, stuck in the middle of the Gobi desert with a group of strang...

Picture this: I am a year out of college and I'm having a full-blown panic attack on the floor of my room because I suddenly realize that I'm $36,000 in consumer credit card debt . I realized the gravity of the financial mistakes I'd made and I was embarrassed, ashamed, and I had no idea what to do. Over the next few years, I had to work hard ( so hard ) to get myself out of the financial mess I'd...

It's been reported that there are nearly 40 million slaves in the world today. There are more slaves today than during the entire 400 years of the trans-atlantic slave trade. When we say the word "slaves" we are talking about men, women, and children who are caught up in the horrors of human trafficking. It's a harsh reality. And it can feel overwhelming when we read / hear / see the facts and fig...

What do you think of when you hear the term "fast fashion"? When I first heard it, I had zero clue what it meant. By definition, " the term "fast fashion" refers to a phenomenon in the fashion industry whereby production processes are expedited in order to get new trends to the market as quickly and cheaply as possible. As a result of this trend, the tradition of introducing new fashion lines on a...

FACT. In the Los Angeles area alone, 10 metric tons of plastic fragments are carried into the Pacific Ocean every day. The average American throws away 185 pounds of plastic every year. It can take anywhere from 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade. Instead of saying "Oh man, those statistics are staggering... someone should really do something about that...", Hamilton Perkins, the founder and p...

"Duty is ours. Results are Gods." -John Quincy Adams That quote also happens to be the mantra for Jim Van Eerden , co-founder of Sevenly . Jim has been a serial entrepreneur for most of his life... he's worked in the entertainment industry as an executive producer on major films, he's worked in brand management working for major organizations like the Olympic national committee, the World Cup, and...

ABOUT ASHLEIGH: Ashleigh Maynor is the founder of inTENtional U, LLC, small business coaching firm and blog. Ashleigh uses her creativity, humor and honest delivery to transform individuals from existing day to day, to living a more authentic life. Ashleigh has a deep passion and need to coach others on how to solve a problem, develop a sense of accomplishment and create a better quality of life....

About Kelsey – from Kelsey: I'm Kelsey, mother of three, thirty years old, redeemed, army wife vet , owner and founder of Elegance Restored, women's boutique on a mission. With a longing strongly set in our hearts to care for the discarded of the world my husband and I felt somewhat crippled when we were ... Read More about EP 51: Kelsey Pitney, Founder of Elegance Restored

About Holly (from Holly):  My calling is to empower people to be all God created them to be. This starts with my five children and my husband of over 29 years. I am a visionary, a church planter, pastor's wife, speaker, and Missional Entrepreneur. Whether it's ministering to the hurting, starting Trades of Hope, mentoring ... Read More about EP 50: Holly Wehde, Owner & CEO of Trades of Hope

You are in for an incredible treat with this week's episode of the Business with Purpose podcast. My guest is Yomi Abiola – a speaker, activist, and journalist. She is a former supermodel who has modeled for Maybelline and even graced the pages of Elle and Vogue. She left modeling to pursue a degree in ... Read More about EP 49: Yomi Abiola – Model, Journalist, Speaker, and Activist

About Miara: A "maven" is a trusted professional who seeks to pass her knowledge on to others. Miara Shaw, also known as Maven Miara, uses her witty, yet direct style of speaking and coaching to lead and motivate audiences to understand they are CPR – Capable, Prepared and Ready™. Miara's corporate career spans more than ... Read More about EP 48: Miara Shaw, Maven, Personal Development Coach, & S...