Business With Purpose

Our lives are filled with defining moments. Tragedy shakes us, suffering changes us, but it’s how we take tragedy, and how we learn from suffering that determines the next phase or trajectory of our lives. We can choose to use that suffering as an excuse, and become bitter, and disheartened, and withdraw from the world, or we can use it to grow.  We can use it to make ourselves better, to make others better, to leave our communities and families better than we found them. My guest today, at the age of 26, nearly died from someone trying to kill her. She could’ve used that experience and let it defeat her, but instead she used it as fuel to impact the next generation for good. A CULTURE OF COMPETITIVENESS Somya and Molly dive right in and discuss how our current culture is one of competitiveness. They discuss various events in history, politics, and religion which have contributed to the society we live in now, one that starts even at the very bottom, educating our children through an elitist system, to the ve

There is a cliche saying that says, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” I know we hear it all the time, but really, have you ever thought about the priceless value of an image? I don’t like to think that I have regrets in life, but there is one regret that I have. To be honest with you, it sticks me with every day, and that is that I have very few photos of my mother and I together, in my teenage years. I have looked and looked, and there are little to no picture of just my mother and I in the few years before she died, and I hate that. It’s one of the reasons that I take so many pictures of my kids and it’s one of the reasons that I say, “sorry, not sorry,” when I ask people to take pictures of me and my kids together. Pictures are so valuable when you’ve lost someone that you love, because it’s the only physical thing that you have to remember them by, where you can see them, and feel the emotion behind that image. Today’s guest realized the value of an image in the most unimaginable way possible. THE BE

If I’m being honest, I don’t even know how to introduce today’s episode. Back in the Fall, my husband and I had the opportunity to screen a documentary called Letter from Masanjia, and I’ll get into the details of the documentary, and we’ll be talking about it throughout this episode. But, after I saw that documentary, it affected me in ways I can’t even begin to explain. I knew that I wanted to have the producer of that documentary on this episode, and so I reached out to him, and I asked him to come on the show, and he obliged. Today’s episode is tough. It is engaging, challenging, emotional, it’s raw, but my prayer is that it will impact you. My guest is Leon Lee, the founder of Flying Cloud Productions and producer of the documentary, Letter from Masanjia. BECOMING A SELF-TAUGHT DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER Leon’s first documentary, Human Harvest, was inspired by the accusations of Chinese Organ Harvesting, not too far from his hometown in China. Alongside a team of Canadian researchers, he took 8 years to creat

The average american woman is a size 14/16. I’m a size 14, so I’m pretty average, but I will say that ever since having kids, I have noticed how much the fashion industry does not cater to average women like me, and women who are above a size 14. One of my biggest challenges as an ethical fashion advocate has been to find clothing that is ethically made and size inclusive. And I get it, ethical fashion businesses a lot of the times are small and they have to make smart business decisions and it’s hard to cater to everyone. But, let’s be honest, there are a lot of women who are being cut out of the ethical fashion industry because ethical fashion brands don’t make clothing that fits them, and fits them well. Last year, after so many of you and so much of my community on social media asked me over and over again, ‘Molly where can I find ethically made plus-sized clothing?’ I went on a hunt, and one of the amazing plus size ethical fashion brands that I found, happens to be my guest today. FROM SOCIAL WORKER TO

I love meeting people who see a need and they fill it. They see an area that they can specialize in or an area that is underserved in this world and they just do it. They don’t make excuses, they don’t come up with reasons why it won’t work, they just go for it. They find solutions, not excuses. They make a way instead of just saying that it can’t be done. My guest today saw a need to elevate the voices of social impact companies and decided to fill it. My guest this week is Kassia Binkowski, the founder of One K Creative, a full-service studio that works to tell a story for companies and social impact brands that have a social change component. A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE Kassia grew up in a huge and supportive family in the midwest. She had traveled a lot domestically as a child, but not much internationally. When she had the opportunity to travel to East Africa, her eyes were thrown wide open to the reality of poverty. This was her first exposure to social injustice on a personal, intimate level, and it led her to

There is an ongoing refugee crisis in our country and in our world. Millions of men, women, and children are making the incredibly difficult and impossible journey to a country they don’t know, with a language they don’t speak, to seek refuge and a better life for themselves and their families. The stories are heartbreaking, yet there are glimmers of hope in the darkness. Often these families come and we think that they need our charity. But what they really need is an opportunity--a chance. Charity doesn’t change lives in families, business does. A job does. Sustainable employment does. My guest this week is Stephanie Giddens, founder of Vickery Trading Co.--a children’s clothing company with a bigger mission--to equip refugee women with long-term success through vocational training, personal development, and fair wages. This is an absolutely incredible conversation about a topic that I’m incredibly passionate about, and I know that you’re going to be encouraged. AN UNCONVENTIONAL PATH Stephanie graduated co

It is episode #120 of the Business with Purpose Podcast: “How to Shop Ethically on a Budget.” A couple of episodes ago, actually at episode #110, I started introducing my solo episodes. Now every ten episodes, you get an episode with just me, on topics requested by you! So if you have a topic that you would like me to talk about, you can email me at molly@stillbeingmolly.com, you can find me on social media at Still Being Molly, or we have lots of awesome conversations in my Purchase with Purpose Facebook Group. By the way, if you are not already in that group, it is so much fun. We ask lots of great questions, there’s a lot of great discussion, and you get to give me feedback on podcast episodes like this one! Today I’ve got six tips for you on How to Shop Ethically on a Budget. I want to make this really easy, really quick, and really simple, because this is one of those things that I get asked about all the time. People say to me all the time, “Molly, shopping ethically is expensive, it’s too difficult!” a

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole, that was said by photographer Roger Karris. Maybe you are, or aren’t a dog person. I’m a dog person. We have two dogs at home, Tater who is a pitbull cattle dog mix, and Audrey Hepburn who is a cavalier king charles spaniel. I will let you all figure out which one was my husbands when we got married. Whether or not you’re a dog person, there’s pretty much no denying that dogs hold a special place in our lives and in society. I remember when I was in high school, I got really sick and spent a few weeks in the hospital. The best day of the week was when the therapy dog came by. I never wanted those moments to end. Dogs can bring so much to a family, a person, a community. They protect, they nurture, they cuddle, they play, they heal, they are a gift. Our guest today, Marshall Morris, had a passion for helping dogs and humans, and found a way to have an impact on both. ON LEARNING TO BUILD A BUSINESS THAT GIVES BACK After his Army career, Marshall was s

  Were you ever one of those kids who always felt like your parents were forcing you to do something? Maybe your parents made you go to church or they made you take piano or they made you learn Spanish or whatever… it was something that was important to THEM and they, in turn, wanted it to be important to you, too. Maybe for years you did whatever it was begrudgingly… as a teenager you would kind of roll your eyes but you did it anyway… but then, suddenly, as an adult.. there’s that lightbulb moment where you realize that all those years of your parents encouraging you to do something all of a sudden becomes something that you care about and it becomes something you want to do on your own. Suddenly… no one is forcing you… you’re doing it because you care. My guest this week is Jennifer Lunsford with Rahab’s Rope, a non-profit and jewelry brand that is giving hope to women and children who have been, or are at-risk of being, exploited by human trafficking. As you know, this is an issue that is near and dear to

Did you know that there are literally hundreds, thousands of toxic chemicals that you are being exposed to on a daily basis? I really hate being the bearer of bad news, but in everything from air fresheners to cosmetics to bath and body products to cleaning products, there are so many chemicals we are exposing ourselves to, often without even knowing it. Our cleaning products are some of the worst offenders. From phthalates to triclosans to parabens and sulfates to ammonia and... words of chemicals I literally cannot pronounce. When we are exposed to these chemicals, they cause everything from hormone disruption to respiratory issues. They’re irritating to the skin, and at worst, they are cancer-causing. So many of these ingredients are unregulated and are causing incredible harm to people. My guest today saw this serious issue and wanted to do something about it herself. My guest this week is Michelle Smith, the founder and CEO of MamaSuds--an all-natural, safe, non-toxic, environmentally-conscious household

Visit http://stillbeingmolly.com/giftguide to get all the shownotes and details on all the products and coupon codes mentioned in the episode! Thank you to Cultivate What Matters for sponsoring this episode. Thank you to Emily Sexton of The Flourish Market for being my co-host!

When I open up an episode, my goal is to give you a personal connection--some type of fact or interesting tidbit--that is kind of a general statement, but is loosely or directly related to the upcoming conversation. But this week, as I sat down to work on the post-production for this episode, there was not a phrase or a catchy saying or a fact (or anything like that), that could really put into perspective the conversation that I had with my guest today. No fancy intro or statement of facts, could possibly give you any real indication as to what today’s episode is about. So I’m doing things a little differently, and we’re just going to dive right in. My guest this week is Antonio T. Smith, Jr.. He is a self-made millionaire who started off as a 6-year-old homeless kid, living in a dumpster, and is now a celebrity business advisor, running several multi-million dollar businesses. You heard that right. He’s a self-made millionaire, who was homeless, as a six-year-old, living in a dumpster. Antonio is also the b

Whether we realize it or not, our culture, our background, our upbringing, our childhood, the way we have lived our life up until this point, influences how we make choices on a daily basis. Maybe we realize it--or not, maybe it is conscious--or not, but those things that we have experienced in our life, they impact the decisions that we make today, and tomorrow, and going forward. I love when I connect with a business that has used their culture, or their family, or something in their belief system, to influence how they run their business. I love hearing inspiration from stories of generations past, that have helped to influence decision making, or design, or branding, or intentionality, or even something just as simple as the name of a business. I love how those factors play into how a business moves forward. Today, my guest took her passion for art, and culture, and fashion, and a great pair of shoes, and she created something incredible. My guest this week is Bebe Mehr, the founder of Cult of Coquette, a

Global poverty is at the root of so many things. So many things. From hunger, to the orphan crisis, to human trafficking, to drug trafficking, to homelessness, to disease and HIV/AIDS - global poverty is at the root. Reducing or even eliminating global poverty is the key to reducing and eliminating so much hurt and pain in the world. But this issue is so complicated, as most issues are. But it is one that is incredibly important. My guest today left a life of comfort and security, working in the area of technology startups, to pursue a deeper calling. My guest this week is Ann Mei Chang, the Executive Director of Lean Impact at the Lean Startup Company and author of the book Lean Startup that will be released soon! Previously, she was the Chief Innovation Officer USAID and Mercy Corps, and served the U.S. Department of State as Senior Advisor for Women in Technology in the office of Global Women’s Issues. Prior to her pivot to the public sector, Ann Mei had more than 20 years experience as a technology execut

We know life is short. We say life is short but, do we really believe it? Do we live that out? Do we make the most of every single day? You know, that cliché? For many of us, we go through the motions--we go through the daily grind of life, not realizing what’s happening. Then, when all of a sudden we are struck with a tragedy or hardship, we’re reminded of the preciousness of life. Those moments are often when we stop to take inventory of our lives and we decide if we’re going to pursue that dream, or go for that goal, or spend more meaningful time with our friends and family. Whatever it is, my guest today took her own experience with loss and used it as fuel, to go after her dream. My guest this week is Michelle Knight, the founder of Brandmerry, a branding and business consulting business that she started after a tragic loss she experienced. WANDERING Michelle has always been a super driven person. She was graduated second in her class and considered herself a perfectionist. It therefore threw her friends

We love rags-to-riches Cinderella stories. They inspire us. Personally, I love learning about people. I mean really learning about them. What makes them tick? What drives them? What fuels their fire? What’s their why? What’s their reason for doing what they do? How do they work so hard to get where they are? Are they an actual overnight success or are they an overnight success that actually took like 10-15-25-35 years of hard work to become an overnight success? Have they left behind a faster-paced, all-about-profit lifestyle to pursue a dream that impacts the world in a positive way? That’s what I love to hear about, and today’s guest is the epitome of that. My guest this week is Susan Correa, the founder of art & eden--a remarkable, organic kids clothing line that is made responsibly. It’s eco-friendly, ethically-made, and affordable. Susan’s passion for what she does and her backstory for how she got started and how she overcame incredible odds had me, honestly, nearly in tears. This is an incredible e

April 24, 2013. That’s the day that the Rana Plaza Building in Bangladesh collapsed. 1,138 people died and another 2,500 were injured. It was the fourth-largest industrial disaster in history. There were actually five garment factories in the Rana Plaza--all manufacturing clothing for big, global brands, and the victims were mostly young women. The thing is, is that the fashion industry is actually the second-largest global industry after oil. People and the environment are suffering as a result of the way that fashion is made, sourced, and consumed. So back in the ‘40s and ‘50s and ‘60s, back when our parents, or our grandparents, or maybe you listening--when you were growing up, you owned maybe 20 to 30 articles of clothing. There were 4 seasons of clothing: Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. Brands that were manufacturing (and 98% of clothing was made here in the United States at that time) were coming out with new things once a season. Well sometime in the ‘90s, let’s say early to mid ‘90s, that began to c

We all love a deal. You know what I’m talking about. When you walk into a store, and you see something on sale, and you’re like “It’s only $4.50! Yes! What a deal!” Or if you’re in a thrift shop and you find a designer handbag, or a pair of designer shoes for like, $3.00, you think you won the lottery. We get a thrill out of a deal. It’s that hit of adrenaline. It’s exciting. But for others, maybe the idea of second-hand shopping is overwhelming and taxing. Maybe you just like the idea of it, but actually doing it? Not so much. My guest today took her passion for finding a deal, and made it into a sustainable business. Liz Funk is the co-founder of And We Evolve, a subscription box styling service for shopping high-quality, second-hand clothing. ANSWERING A NEED WITH EXISTING RESOURCES: A FLASHBULB IDEA Liz loves a phrase that her co-founder coined: “The world does not need another dress.” She was inspired by the book “Overdressed” and recognized that every woman has clothes in her closet that she doesn’t wea

When you hear the term “ethical,” what does it mean to you? When I ask different people, different people give me different definitions. I think everyone’s idea of “ethical company” may mean something different, like maybe how they treat animals, or the materials they use and how it impacts the planet, or maybe it’s about how they treat the people that work for them. I think that the definition of “ethical” is ever-changing and ever-evolving, and I think that’s a good thing! My guest this week is Sydney Sherman, the founder of Faire--an online marketplace that connects conscious consumers with ethical brands and artisans. I loved hearing Sydney’s story and I can’t wait for you to dive in with us. HEARTSTRINGS, TRAVEL, AND A BRIGHT IDEA Sydney had always wanted to travel (she has now been to over 40 countries!), and simultaneously had always felt her heartstrings pulled by impoverished individuals. It was during an around-the-world trip that she really felt herself come into her own and become who she is today

I talk all the time about the importance of having a “why” in your business. Having a “why” is that foundation that every business owner should build their business upon. Simply because, when the rough patches come (which they will) and when the business gets hard (which it will), having a strong “why” behind what you do helps push past those challenges. A lot of businesses can struggle with this, or maybe, the “why” gets lost in the “what”--the “what they are doing.” But today’s guest is helping businesses, and people, get back to their “why,” so that they can do better at doing their “what.”   My guest this week is Ryan McCarty, the co-founder of Culture of Good, a program that teaches other businesses to increase employee engagement, by encouraging employees to bring their souls to work. But let me tell you, Culture of Good is about so much more, and I can’t possibly sum it up in just a blurb, so you’re going to have to listen to the show.   FINDING MEANING IN TRAGEDY Ryan’s story has a very tragic beginni