A Mostly Green Life

While we're not talking about making sustainability more fun and approachable, we're helping launch companies that make sustainability more fun and approachable. Our first project is upcycling restaurant kitchen scraps, before they're mixed with spices/sauces, into nutritious pet food! We've partnered with Break it Down, an innovative compost company and prior guest, to launch this idea in Austin, TX. 

It's amazing to hear how far we've come as hosts since launch, but Walter's insights are timeless so we wanted to give it a revisit (original air date 11/10/21). Whole Foods Market, the world's leader in natural and organic foods, grew from 12 stores to over 500 under the leadership of Walter Robb. In this episode, Mason and Jess had the opportunity to connect with Walter about his eco-journey and profound retail success. Something we all struggle with is whether to choose balance over fulfillment or money over it all. Walter shares the path he chose to focus on and some new projects he’s really excited about right now. 

If you missed an episode or two or just want the abbreviated version of them, Jess & Mason reminisce on their guests and what they learned from them during Earth Month. 

When people think of environmental activism or activities to protect the environment, land conservation may not be the first thing that comes to mind. We discuss what conservation easements are, how they can impact landowners as well as the public, the benefits of land conservation and why it’s so important to our ecosystem. This tool could even be used by John Dutton to protect his ranch without killing so many people! George Cofer has dedicated the last 23 years of his life and career to Hill Country Conservancy, which he founded, and has created conservation easements for 40,000 acres of land in Texas.

"Do you know how much energy it took to make your 5mg THC gummy? Shawn Cooney, Co-Founder of the Sustainable Cannabis Coalition discusses cannabis’ impact on the environment across various grow operations, efforts of the SCC, and how consumers can help push the industry towards increased transparency and sustainability. 

The Sustainable Cannabis Coalition is helping to improve sustainability in the cultivation, manufacturing and distribution of cannabis throughout the market. "

Did you know that the fashion industry is one of the top polluters in the world? We discuss with the Rizzutis, founders of House of ZZ swimwear, and what can be done about it. 

With Earth Day coming up, it’s a great time to have a conversation around actionable & simple ways you can help out the planet, a little more than you already are. From community involvement and at-home tips, to documentary recommendations, Brandi Clark Burton, one of the most knowledgeable environmentalists and Austinites we know, helps us reflect and inspires us to make some changes this month, however big or small. Show Notes here - 

Show Strike is a powerful, fun, and quirky fundraiser that funds clean water projects in East Africa and also spreads awareness about global water challenges. Participants pledge to Skip Showers, Walk for Water, or Just Fundraise until they reach their goals and you can be a part of it! Every $15 you raise will provide 1 person with lasting clean water. Listen to some eco-curious kiddos discuss the fundraiser and how people can participate. You can head on over to showerstrike.org to register to help Well Aware create more lasting water systems for those who need it most.

Ever get confused or experience research fatigue while shopping for better, more sustainable products? Sifting through all those labels and ingredients, while also considering a product’s packaging and carbon footprint can be a big burden for the average consumer. Lizzie Horvitz shares how her background in sustainability led her to create Finch, a company that helps people make better choices through algorithm-based ratings of various consumer products by decoding their environmental and social impacts. Show Notes - 

While not a brand new concept, upcycling food is being better-defined and called out as a solution to the 30%-40% of food that goes to waste each year. Dan Kurzrock of Regrained and the Upcycled Food Association, shares his journey and vision for reducing food loss. Mason & Jess also tease their brand new project that incorporates upcycled food! Show Notes - https://www.mostlygreen.life/podcasts/what-is-upcycled-food-and-why-should-you-care

Do you know what the most important biomarkers are for overall health? Mark Holland, CEO of Choose Health, shares what they are, along with some other interesting facts about health screening and blood tests. We know how important it is to eat right and exercise, but it’s also just as crucial to understand how your lifestyle choices are impacting your long-term health through your biomarkers. With the increasing adoption of at-home test kits, listen to learn how you can take control of your own health without having to leave your home! Show Notes here - 

Staying informed and engaging on issues that affect your farms and food is easier than you think. For the last 50 years the government's policy has been “get big or get out.” Consolidation of our food and agricultural systems with the goal of the cheapest food possible has been driving small farmers out of business for decades. Judith McGeary, founder of Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, shares how she found herself in a position to speak up and advocate for small-scale farmers and ranchers who produce food using sustainable and regenerative methods. 

Mason and Jess discuss prior episodes from the Clean Eating Series and share their personal journeys with food and path to a clean eating lifestyle. They also share their vices, morning routines, and their good and not-so-good habits.  Show notes - https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/clean-eating-summary/

Do you want to know the easiest way to avoid a wine hangover? Todd White, Founder & CEO of Dry Farm Wines, the world’s premier source of Natural Wine, shares the biggest culprits for hangovers, the reason for the lack of transparency in the wine industry and how his company goes the extra mile to ensure their wines are the healthiest option for your body and the planet. Show Notes here - https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/why-all-wines-arent-created-equal-with-todd-white-of-dry-farm-wines/

What do women search for most when browsing for porn? The answer will surprise you. Lilly shares her journey from big firm accountant to entrepreneur founding afterglow, a sexy and disruptive tech-company that merges porn and sexual wellness by creating high quality ethical films ranging from steamy videos, wellness articles and helpful exercises - all in an effort to foster sexual intimacy and pleasure and create more sexual awakenings. For show notes - https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/lilly-sparks-of-afterglow

Listen to learn what essential nutrient 97% of Americans are deficient in. Rip Esselstyn, a former firefighter and triathlete, shares the profound and scientifically proven benefits of plant-based living and how his company, PLANTSTRONG, simplifies the journey to a whole foods lifestyle. Show notes can be found here - 

From their kitchen to 10,000 retail shelves, Yellowbird has reinvented the hot sauce category with their veggie-forward recipes. George and Erin share their humble beginnings, success in the marketplace and sustainability efforts. 

Joe Dickson is the absolute authority on quality in the natural foods industry. He helps us break down the different certifications and labels and shares how his new company, Merryfield, is helping people make better choices in the grocery store. 

We explore various food topics from the psychology of merchandising to Marissa’s experience in working with Michelle Obama on the Let’s Move! campaign. In this episode, Marissa reminds us that culture and happiness play a impactful role in our lives when it comes to food choices we make. 

"Did you know that food is the largest single source of landfill waste in the U.S. and more food ends up in landfills than plastic or paper? Listen to learn about ways to help minimize your impact, while also improving the health of your house plants or garden! In this episode, Jeff Paine of Break It Down, the most comprehensive recycling and composting service in Austin, Texas chats all things composting with us. For show notes visit - https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/household-waste-deep-dive-the-dirty-truth-about-compost/

Are you curious on ways you can lower your household waste or get more involved at your place of business when it comes to decreasing its carbon footprint? We can all learn something from our guest this week, Stacy Savage, founder and president of Zero Waste Strategies. An active community leader working to affect positive environmental policy and change, Stacy started her company to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint.

Visit the show notes for more at https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/going-lower-waste-with-stacy-savage

Roy and Ryan Seider’s father was a small family business owner who engrained in the brothers “if you can’t find what you want, make it.” So that’s exactly what they did. In this episode, Jess and Mason sit down with Roy and Ryan, co-founders of YETI, to chat about their founder story, love for fishing and conservation efforts. Listen to learn about how a pivotal new product development that catapulted the brand was also a major win for sustainability.   For show notes, visit - https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/s1e5-co-founders-of-yeti/

Whole Foods Market, the world's leader in natural and organic foods, grew from 12 stores to over 500 under the leadership of Walter Robb. In this episode, Mason and Jess had the opportunity to connect with Walter about his eco-journey and profound retail success. Something we all struggle with is whether to choose balance over fulfillment or money over it all. Walter shares the path he chose to focus on and some new projects he’s really excited about right now.   Visit the show notes for more at https://mostlygreen.life/podcasts/s1e4-walter-robb/

While we admire and respect our eco-warrior friends who are pushing quite hard on all of us to make better decisions, we think there’s a voice missing for those who want to do the right thing but are confused or maybe overwhelmed. To the eco-curious out there who aren’t sure how to make sense of it all and who are interested in learning what’s the best thing to do in any given eco-dilemma. We want to join you on an eco-journey. From health & wellness topics to at-home sustainability practices, to conservation efforts we can all support, we’ll talk to sustainability pioneers, regular people like us trying to do the right thing, and dig into environmental issues without all the politics and polarization. A Mostly Green Life podcast is here to save the day….and the planet!