EcoSassy

#011: Today we’re chatting with Alana Rivera, founder of Etta + Billie, an artisanal bath and body company. Feeling stressed at her job and needing to chill the EFF OUT, Alana began making soap inspired by farm-to-table food culture. Fifteen years later, Etta and Billie is a thriving, certified Green Business and has done some seriously cool brand collaborations — we’re talking donut soap, beer soap... you name it.

In today's session, we'll discuss:

• Why brand collabs are rocketfuel for your business
• Alana’s tips on how to make brand collaborations super successful
• Why simply asking for what you want is an entrepreneur’s superpower
• How to find sustainable suppliers
• Why your product’s aesthetic makes a difference in the opportunities you receive

Episode Notes:

colleenmakes.com/011

Guest:

Alana Rivera @ettaandbillie

Support the Show:

If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#010: Today we’re speaking with Mélanie Johnsson, a French Illustrator who moved away from the city to live in an English seaside town where she spends most of her time in the water. This connection to nature is very present in her illustrations and her conscious effort to work with sustainable brands. We chat about Melanie’s bold, joyful, and colorful artist style, what she looks for when taking on eco-friendly clients, and the process of creating Spellbound — a sustainably printed and carbon offset magazine.

Episode Notes:
colleenmakes.com/010

Guest:
Mélanie Johnsson, @melanie.johnsson

Support the Show:
If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#009: Today we’re speaking with Liza Lubell. While creating beautiful floral installations for events in NYC, she witnessed the breath of waste created from these events. Now Liza operates Garbage Goddess, an eco-cleanup service that composts, repurposes and up-cycles waste from events (ironically there’s virtually no garbage). We also chat about the cool network of artisans she’s created and supported through this work.

Episode Notes:
colleenmakes.com/009

Guest:
Liza Lubell, @garbage.goddess

Support the Show:
If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#008: Imagine being told you’ll lose all your hair in two weeks. That’s what happened to today's guest Margot Greer after receiving a cancer diagnosis straight out of college. And finding a wig that she could afford, that suited her age, ethnicity and looked natural? Impossible. Nevermind something ethical or sustainable.

Now Margot is the founder of Woven Hair, an inclusive & ethically sourced hair extension company that gives back to women with medically induced hair loss.

In today's session, we'll discuss the importance “traceability“ in the hair industry and any ethical business, why you need to define the single most important thing your customer needs to know — even if you’re doing a million EcoSassy things, and how the ethical shopper is way more informed than the average consumer and what your business needs to do about it.

Episode Notes:
colleenmakes.com/008

Guest:
Margot Greer, @woven.hair

Support the Show:
If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#007: Today we’re chatting with Betsy Drach, the founder of Dot Cup, the most beautiful menstrual cup on the market. Dot Cup is a mission-driven brand that pairs waste-free periods with women empowerment — for every cup purchased, one is given to a girl in need so she never has to miss school, work, or any opportunity because of something so normal as a period.

Prior to Dot Cup, Betsy was a former designer for clean water initiatives at World Vision, which gave her the design chops to build not only a beautiful brand but a more impactful one that pairs a buy-one, give-one model with education and cultural awareness.

In today's session, we'll discuss why sustainable period care is directly linked to climate fight in more ways than you’d think, insights on what eco-conscious boutiques are looking for when they decide to stock a product, why nailing your brand is just as important as a well-thought-out business plan and more.

Podcast show notes available here:
colleenmakes.com/007

If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#006: Jenny Duranski of Lena Rose Beauty and I discuss what it takes to be a lobbyist for your industry in Washington, D.C., how being scrappy not only saves you money but drives innovation in the sustainability space, why making compromises in your business is sometimes required to make a bigger impact and why the future of Green Beauty is actually…Blue?

Podcast show notes available here:
colleenmakes.com/006

If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#005: Nina Zilka of Alder New York and I discuss how to get traction when your business defies traditional labels, why good visuals are essential for selling your product, what to do when you lose half of your business overnight (and how she’s making that her advantage, why being high-end AND accessible is the future for clean skincare, and a new plastic technology that might change the packaging game.

Podcast show notes available here:
http://colleenmakes.com/005

If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#004: Today we chat with minimalist artist Britt Fabello and discuss how to create art that's a timeless heirloom rather than a disposable trend, the inherent beauty of sustainable materials, how to get savvy with your sourcing and making it a win-win for your supplier and yourself, and maximizing minimalism to reduce waste & save cash money.

Podcast show notes available here:
http://colleenmakes.com/004

If you love the show — share it! We can't build an EcoSassy world without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#003: Today we chat with Eileen Rosete of Our Sacred Women and discuss trusting your intuition, sourcing ethical & sustainable products, tips to incorporate a Give Back Model that works for your business, how to leverage your community so you get press without pitching, and so much more.

Podcast show notes available here:
http://colleenmakes.com/003

If you love the show — share it! The world won't be EcoSassy without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.

#002: If you thought you had wait to become an expert to build an audience, change minds, and make a living from your art — you’d be wrong. Our guest is Tolmeia Gregory of Tolly Dolly Posh and we discuss how to incorporate activism into your work (even as you’re learning!), how to navigate working with clients who may not align with your values, why GIF stickers are a great tool to engage audiences on difficult issues, and the importance of finding community when facing the climate crisis.

Podcast show notes available here:
colleenmakes.com/002

If you love the show — share it! The world won't be EcoSassy without your help. Please share a photo or pic of where you are while you're listening to the episode and tag me on Instagram at @colleenmakes. Let's sass it up.