Responsible Impact

In this season one finale, MagicLinks CEO, Brian Nickerson, shares how walking the pathless path and taking responsibility for your impact can not only be ways to live, but ways to grow a business. He also discusses the origins of this show, and the importance of honoring the sacred. 

Join us in an extra special episode that is both behind-the-scenes, and a call for a new way forward. 

The work being done by Nudie Jeans to make everything about their denim transparent and responsible - dare we say: the way it should be - is worth a closer look. Our interview with Sustainability Manager, Sandya Lang, shows the lengths they go to, the accountability and initiative they've taken, and sets a high-water mark for what actually sustainable brands should be doing. Nudie's denim has been a cult favorite for two decades and with ethical leadership like theirs blazing a path forward, they show no signs of slowing.  

Corporations have an incredible role to play in shaping public policy around climate, and many of us don't realize the ability we have in helping to drive these corporate climate agendas. Bill Weihl of Climate Voice lays it all out - from taking inspiration from LGBTQ rights to sussing out the values of a company by way of its political donations, and including ways to help campaign for change from within your own organization. 

No matter who you are or where you work, you and your company can make important contributions in shaping the future of our climate. Join Bill and many others in raising your Climate Voice. 

We're all hoping for breakthroughs in materials innovation so that we can actively choose more sustainable options for a host of needs. Researchers have found one promising solution and its uses range from paper to filtration (including virus filtration), building materials, packaging, bandages, wound treatment, leather-like material, heavy metal chelation, and more. It turns out, the answer we're looking for might just be mycelium.

Join Dr. Mitchell Jones, as he takes us on a tour of mycelium - the vegetative part of fungus - and its myriad uses. With any luck, mycelium-based products may be headed to stores near you soon.

It's no secret that e-commerce has taken off, but just how many considerations go into the packaging your online purchase needs to reach you? From ink to paper, plastic, tape, labels, and more, packaging in many instances generates more waste than the items it ships. 

Enter: EcoEnclose. 

What started as a small diaper business has blossomed under the guidance and heart of Saloni Doshi. She's made this family business an innovative hub for sustainable packaging and built partnerships across the supply chain. Her leadership and approach are an inspiration, and couldn't come at a better time. Join us as she discusses the way she's grown EcoEnclose, and learn how to assess your packages with an eye for the environment from here on out. 

A shocking amount of water is needed to produce even the simplest garment, and as is often the case, the water on the other side of many steps of the fabric and garment-making process is left polluted and unusable. It is also often the only water available to communities, who now face unthinkable diseases after having no choice but to drink their industry-contaminated water. 

Aurélie Rossini is a board member for and works with the Berlin-based organization, Drip by Drip. They are tackling the issue head on, including affordable filtration systems to reclaim polluted water, textiles developed with water in mind, design initiatives for students, and finished garments. Clean drinking water is a human right. Join us in learning about the issue and then visit DripbyDrip.org to be part of the much needed advocacy for clean water in fashion's wake.

If you've ever wondered where petroleum comes from in the first place, how plastics could ever be made to biodegrade, and how science might be answering the call for better sustainability practices in the future, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Dr. Stephen Mayfield of UC San Diego, and his team, have developed algae-based flip flops which are not only coming to market next spring, but are harbingers of wonderful, much-needed change to come. 

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This is the second half of our in-depth conversation with Thousand Fell (@thousand_fell) co-founders, Chloe Songer and Stuart Ahlum. They continue taking us behind the scenes, from packaging design and the worthwhile pursuit of the right materials, to the core values guiding them every step of the way.

MagicLinks shares our office building in Venice with Budman Studio, and artist Dodd Holsapple took up a twelve-day residency there this fall. A successful sculptor in the 1990s, Dodd intentionally paused and has reoriented his career around painting. We have been fortunate enough to watch his reemergence into the art scene with his triptych of layered, interwoven paint on custom canvases for a series speaking to ocean conservancy and environmental peril.

The interview was in person (though socially distanced) and includes room noise, traffic, and the chatter of others in the background at times. In a year when art and studio space feels so out of reach for most everyone, and when normal is indeed far away, we hope this special episode helps bring a sense of connection. Visit www.doddholsapple.com to see more of Dodd's remarkable work.

Shoes are arguably the most difficult fashion item to make even before you attempt to make them in a way that is simultaneously durable, affordable, and sustainable, but Thousand Fell’s founders, Chloe Songer and Stuart Ahlum, (@Thousand_Fell) were ready to change the game. In a special two-part conversation, they share with us their background in training programs with international brands and manufacturers, and their commitment to ushering in the future of sustainable footwear with ingenuity and heart.

Everything you wanted to know about carbon offsets in one handy episode: it's our Crash Course on Carbon Offsets with the MagicLinks carbon offset partner, Cool Effect. Blake Lawrence explains how to discern good offset partners from bad, breaks down additionality, portfolios, and much more. Bonus points for the listener who can name the cat voice at the end of the episode! Drop us your guesses at responsibleimpact@magiclinks.com 

When it comes to our health, sustainability hits a lot closer to home than you might think. Our conversation with Vanessa Fitzgerald (@veeshoney) sheds light on why it's best to filter your water, not take receipts, and how hormone disruptors in everything from cosmetics to packaging and clothing can influence your well being. *This episode includes frank discussions of human biology - headphones recommended if small children are nearby!*

Sustainability is as much an evolution in conscious consumerism as anything else. Kyla Fish is a micro-influencer whose perspective was upended by an Indigenous Studies class, and for whom sustainability means a host of evolving practices, while Khoi Nguyen of Gentleman Within breaks down how quality goods and cost-per-wear can help frame sustainable consumption.

How did corporations, of all places, become advocates for sustainability? What’s the relationship between sustainability and the bottom line? And how are BlackRock, Syria, Unilever, fast fashion, and apartheid all connected? Asheen Phansey (@asheen) shares valuable insights on the way sustainability has become a player in corporations and investor portfolios, and the silent influence in major economic shifts.

Adam Siegel founded the 2020 Circular Fashion Pledge, wherein brands commit to takebacks or resale, recycled content, and durable design. He explains why the consumers must ask better of the fashion industry, and how to spot greenwashing when shopping. 

Angelina of Blueprint DIY (@blueprintdiy) is an upcycling maverick - and a widow, mother of three, and architect who specialized in sustainable buildings. Her take on sustainability in the fashion industry and on Influencers as small businesses alone is worth a listen. Her life advice? Well, that's an added bonus. Join us!

Jonah Busch has made his career protecting forests through economic policies. If the model he suggests is implemented, the way we shop could become an innovative way to help support climate protections and tropical forests, and could forever change commerce.