Why a Restorative Economy Is Worth Investing In

Why a Restorative Economy Is Worth Investing In

All Posts, Sustainable Development Goals
Have you ever read work by an author that moves you?  It was a chapter in a book edited by Darian Rodriguez Heyman that first opened my eyes and mind to Paul Hawken. "Welcome to the Movement" His words jumped off the page, and I breezed through the chapter.  I needed to learn more, so I looked him up online and found that he is a seasoned writer with a variety of books covering the sweet spot where ecology meets economy. It’s been over ten years that I have felt a calling to bridge the gap between the environmental and economic world.  Hawken has been doing it for much longer.  What an inspiration.  Through his books, I found a teacher.  He introduced the term restorative economy to me for the…
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Why it’s Vital to Celebrate Women Every Day

Why it’s Vital to Celebrate Women Every Day

All Posts, Sustainable Development Goals
Do you celebrate International Women's Day on March 8th every year? Perhaps it is Global Goal 5: Gender Equality that offers one of the biggest opportunities for this to happen.  The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets are interconnected, and there is a lot of potential for cross pollination. If we want to move forward together, we can’t leave half of the population behind.  If we neglect to embrace and empower females across the globe, we are at risk of doing just that.  March 8th brings the issue of equality to the forefront, and gives the globe a chance to celebrate the progress to date. Gender equality isn’t a two sided issue though.  It is very profound, and we need to look at a situation as a whole rather than…
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How’s your Vision?

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The more people I talk with, the more apparent it becomes.  There is a shift in the workforce around my region where artists and entrepreneurs are choosing an autonomous career path.  With good reason – becoming a sole proprietor has many benefits and is an amazing learning experience.  However, for as many good reasons as there are to go independent, there are definitely a few things that need to be considered before handing in a letter of resignation or investing another year into your existing business. Before making a list of pros and cons, you should clearly understand what it is you're doing and why.  In past blogs I talked about finding purpose in what you do, and now I am suggesting you ask yourself why are you doing it? …
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How do you take your Coffee?

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Recently a retailer asked me a very important question: what brand of Fair Trade Coffee do you recommend? As an avid coffee drinker and inspired to walk the talk, I brew an assortment of Fair Trade, Direct Trade & Beyond Fair Trade coffees. Off the top of my head I rhymed off a few that she could check out – however the question still sits on my mind. Where we spend our money has such a big impact on shaping the world – I wanted to ensure that I was directing her to the best bag of coffee based on her ethical values. What is the ideal coffee for a retailer looking to offer positive products? It was a great question and ever since she asked (about a month ago),…
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I’m so ready…for a change!

I’m so ready…for a change!

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Have you ever experienced something that changed your life one month to the next? It was the summer of 2003 when I had the opportunity to see two of my favorite bands play live.  Pearl Jam live in Montreal, followed by Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals live in Ottawa.  A pivotal time in my life – that was one Canada Day Weekend I would never forget. A month later we experienced a black out in much of Ontario & the East Coast.  Although my home town of Niagara Falls was not affected, I was living in Ottawa and we were without power for over 30 hours.  It was an eye opener for so many people who take constant running electricity for granted. We were forced to slow down, go…
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