This Sustainable Life

I created this podcast to bring leadership to environmental action. Who leads? As much as I value science and education, scientists and educators rarely lead effectively. We've mistakenly looked to them for leadership for too long. For science and facts, I see looking to them, but motivation? I don't see it. Besides, the science is overwhelming and everyone knows enough facts. Even if you doubt gl...

I encourage you to review RJ's leadership program in Palestine for yourself. Check out www.leadpalestine.com . RJ Khalaf is my youngest guest so far, still an undergrad at NYU, but achieving beyond student status. He took my social entrepreneurship classes. In this episode, you'll hear RJ on his passion and success: a leadership program that teaches leadership skills to Palestinian kids who would...

After sharing my "after" stories about after taking on my environmental challenges, in this episode I share the "before" situations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David shares what happens when you act on your values: Act on your values -> better life -> act on your values more -> yet better life -> etc This cycle is the opposite mainstream society suggests---that environmental action distracts from getting ahead, costs more, or whatever excuse. Acting on your values distracts from living by others' values ---in particular, the values of people...

David's challenged himself to reduce his meat eating. Right off the bat, he said he found it way better and easier than expected. He felt good and wants to do more. What are you waiting for? Chances are your choice to live by your values will be easier and you'll want to do more. You'll also hear from David how he made it work---using his community, choosing his beliefs, considering his goals, and...

Having worked with many people and generations, Frances sees great hope in millennials. She points to research that they are like the so-called Greatest Generation, who fought World War II and then helped rebuild the world. Moreover, we see them as having done it because "it was the right thing to do," not fame or fortune. The environment could use such perspective and results. I hope she's right....

How do you treat the world? True to form, Joel committed to a double challenge of avoiding bottled beverages and picking up trash, so we talked about both. I recommend trying the challenge of picking up trash daily for a month or so. It takes almost no time or effort but gives you insight into how little many people value material objects or how much they pollute. Or maybe their ignorance. Joel an...

If you're here for leadership, especially personal leadership, you're going to hear about one of the most important things you can do to improve. What Joel talks about and how he lives are how you develop skills people think you can't learn, such as integrity, discipline, and resilience. You can, but you have to act---specifically to challenge yourself, not just passively read about or watch. We t...

Many people excuse themselves from acting on the environment with the complaint "but acting on the environment will distract me from getting ahead." There is national and global demand for environmental leadership. How they miss that opportunity to advance at any level if they act , I don't know. Maybe fear? I think they're expressing a lack of imagination. Most of these people who think they...

Alisa Cohn is at the top of the leadership coaching and speaking game. Inc. Magazine named her a top 100 speaker. Marshall Goldsmith selected her as a top 100 coach. Since I've known her for a while, I also happen to know she's a charming, fun, engaging person. Since I think a lot of listeners want to lead more effectively, I wanted to share how someone who is at the top of the game is a regular p...

Our world is filled with systems based on beliefs that made sense in the past, but that evidence contradicts. Growth and technology are contributing to environmental degradation. The invisible hand doesn't win against the tragedy of the commons. And so on. We didn't create these systems but we can act to create new ones based on new beliefs, such as accepting having enough, or considering the resu...

David Biello is one of the few people I've met who understands environmental issues, doesn't complain or vent doom and gloom. Instead he approaches with a simple, but responsible and thoughtful perspective. I met David after reading a review of his book, The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age , saying that David says: we already have the money and technology to...

Michael's schedule turned a modest one-month challenge into a five-month one. Many would give up. I suspect most people respond that way to environmental challenges---when it gets harder or unpredictable, they abandon it. I wondered how Michael would handle it. Needless to say, he stuck to it---amid the extra time, involving his wife, travel, and more. What do you know, the challenge was easy. Not...

Who doesn't have a dream car? If you can afford it, especially if you've aspired to it your whole life, isn't owning and driving your dream car one of the great joys and well-earned accomplishments in life? What if you found something better? What if what you liked better was not having the car ? Does the idea of getting rid of one of your highest value sound crazy? That's the value of knowing you...

John Lee Dumas and I met at a talk at the New York Public Library a week after the hurricanes hit his home in Puerto Rico. I was surprised at how that context affected his perception of the environment. When I teach leadership based on people's existing motivations and passions, people often ask, "What if the person has no motivation or passion." I usually answer that people care about things more...

During a book launch, Emily still turned off her computer in a stressful time. Book launches are crazy and people want your time like crazy. She still did it. Despite her defining environmental differently than I expected, her experience was similar. As others found, it's not what you avoid, it's what you replace it with. I didn't hear her describe the experience negatively. Instead I heard her ta...

I describe the big picture of this podcast. So far I've influenced a few people to make modest changes. The big picture for this podcast is systemic change on a national, even global level. I'm not just hoping to achieve it. I have a strategy. It's different and I expect it to work more than the existing strategies. I describe how you can help. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...

I've been part of Emily's community since she interviewed me on her podcast in June . I've seen support, growth, openness, and everything you'd expect from a group formed around bare naked bravery. Learning more about her just-released book, Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous , I see why I like her methods of developing bravery. They're based on the same effective techniques I bas...

I coined the term Enron Environmentalism to explain the gap between what people say they value about the environment and what they do . If you're an American, you probably practice Enron Environmentalism. Sadly, it's the opposite of self-awareness and integrity, as this episode of the podcast shows. Here are the articles I mention: My Inc. article: Are You an Enron Environmentalist? From Energy Po...

Talk about a generous conversation! Dorie Clark shares about how to make yourself known, to become a leader, and to connect with others. She shares her personal experiences, since she didn't start with any advantages, and some of what she shares in her books. We talked about one of my big questions: do you need to go through a major life challenge---a crucible---to achieve greatness or to become a...

Not often when two men chat on the internet do tears well up and they get choked up. I loved this conversation for its being unscripted and unguarded. Daniel allowed himself to be vulnerable. He asked about posting this interview on his podcast because of the rawness of the emotion that came up. My leadership mistake I recorded this conversation early and I dropped the ball on leading Daniel. If y...

You will not forget this conversation. Dov brings his full self intellectually and emotionally, especially starting about 20 minutes in. I guarantee you will hear a person speaking a way you want to---unfiltered yet thoughtful, enthusiastic yet measured. Dov shares details of his life, authentically and raw, even when it hurts. He shares how he developed his authenticity, radically so because he w...

My friend told me this show angered him -- hearing people act as if little changes were significant... not knowing not to get new plastic bags. I shared some of my thoughts on people making trivial changes and what motivates me. I expect I'll share more personal thoughts on leadership and the environment as I develop my voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Pink's second conversation was short and sweet, like his personal challenge. After a few guests learning, growing, and leading from having to overcome big challenges, Dan shared an easy, simple experience. The story was that there was no story. While many portray changing your diet as impossible or a big challenge, Dan and his wife simply stopped eating most meat. That's it. He stopped. He cou...

This conversation was fun and engaging since Judith is charismatic, experienced, and cheerful, even though it started solemnly, owing to a terrorist attack in Manhattan the day before. We covered politics a bit -- now that I think of it, one of this podcast's few forays there. We talked about leadership from many perspectives, including her storied experience, given her experience with globally kn...