What they don't tell you when you set out to change the world.

Reminders for fellow eco-entrepreneurs who might be feeling the weight of the climate crisis on their shoulders.

You are making progress, but some days it won’t feel like it. These are some thoughts ignited by my honest struggle as a purpose-driven, earth conscious business owner.

Note before you begin: take your time reading. If you start to feel overwhelmed, please come back later to get the full message or skip ahead to “Reminders”.

The intention of this post is not to discourage, but to inspire and encourage you forward on your journey towards a more sustainable business and world.

Photo taken by Renee on Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. ID: Valley filled with evergreens and river running through. Dark and gloomy clouds pass the mountain peaks and sprinkle raindrops as sun rays pass through.

Why eco-conscious?

I wanted to prioritize sustainability in my business because I love spending time outside, surrounded by nature. Breathing in the misty ocean breeze, the fresh forest scent, or that first deep breath after rain has passed. Discovering new creatures and enjoying impressive hikes that remind me the world is bigger than myself. Digging into the earth to plant some new seeds, soon to come up in the spring to add color and provide food for the local bees. No good can come if that was all stripped away.

One of my business core values is “Do good”—straight from my website:

“Be good to others, do good work, and feel good using our creative skills to help purpose-driven people make a lasting impact. Also making imperfect changes that are better for the planet, volunteering with community organizations, and informing clients of ways to infuse sustainability into their business.”

I don’t want part of my progress to be harmful for our planet or the lives of the creatives we share it with. I want to work towards a brighter future for all and you probably feel the same way. Without making a conscious effort to make more sustainable choices in my business, I don’t think I can hope to achieve that.

To read more about the sustainable choices (big and small) I make for my business, you can check out my About page on my website.

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What makes sustainable business hard?

When you decided to start your business, you (like me) knew that you wanted sustainability to be a key pillar. You set out to include the most eco-friendly options, staying on top of latest innovations that might impact future business decisions. Always learning and exploring all your options before making a final selection.

Doesn’t that sound exhausting? It is! The truth is that we make business harder on ourselves. Running a business is hard, when you restrict your options it becomes even more difficult. We often strive for perfect progress while giving others grace for their imperfect changes.

You celebrate others for using their reusable bags or bringing in their own coffee mug.
You cheer their progress when they start using toothpaste tabs or shampoo bars.
You congratulate others for their recent eco-certification.

But you rarely feel excited by the changes you are making.

You dismiss your earth-focused changes in your business, often thinking “so what?”
You surround yourself with people you admire (who, in your eyes, are “doing it better”)
You discredit the way you prioritize low waste solutions or choice of a green web host.

Holidays become more stressful because we constantly think about about the plastic wrap, excess food waste, plastic packaging, constant spending, plastic bows, travel emissions, plastic bags and more.

The constant debate between real vs fake tree is enough to drive one mad (if you know you know).

You struggle to sleep while thinking about the latest climate disaster.
You feel anxiety take over when you think of recent policy changes.
You worry about the future state of the world we are part of.

Hyper awareness of the climate crisis often leads to more doom and gloom and less reflection for hopeful restoration. Many eco-focused business burn out in their first few years and I can see why. We sure don’t make it easy on ourselves, I’m feeling stressed just writing and admitting all this.

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Reminders (for you and for me):

As with any business, we use our limited budgets to get something growing and we do what we can to make things work. After all, when we are first starting out, we are planting lots of seeds for future growth. Often growing more than we know beneath the surface.

I want to remind you that:

It’s okay to be scrappy at the start, making a decision based on financial stability, so you can plan for long-term growth.

Instead of the top of the line, custom printed, recycled boxes with algae ink—it’s okay to settle for the reused boxes that we already have. Perhaps investing in a roll of custom tape for that special touch instead.

It’s okay to talk about your imperfect progress and your hopes of larger future sustainability goals. We all start somewhere.

It’s okay if you’re not a B-corp or 1% for the planet member. They don’t make sense for everyone at the beginning of their business journey.

It’s okay if you’re not at every protest or forget to sign every petition—we must give ourselves time to rest.

It’s okay if you aren’t perfect, even the best environmental activists aren’t. The world we live in does not make it easy for us to make every sustainable choice. We are limited by our income, by our resources, and by what is currently available.

I wrote something in a recent collaborative blog that I have to constantly remind myself while growing my business.

“The reality is that, even as conscious business owners, we have bills to pay and a life to sustain. Keeping a business alive and thriving is no easy task and sometimes you have to take the job that isn’t the best fit in order to continue offering your services for ideal clients further down the line.”

Without making decisions that get us through this year, we aren’t likely to be around for years into the future. Instead of perfection throughout every aspect of our business, let’s focus on buying from other eco friendly business so we can support them on their journey and show our support. Let’s encourage each other forward and recognize the progress we are making.

I can acknowledge that I am not perfect but I also know that small changes make a big difference and imperfect progress is still a step in the right direction. I can only hope that talking about my conscious efforts and encouraging others will help multiply my impact. One day snowballing into a world growing in harmony with our environment—a girl can dream.

If you are new to the world of sustainability, I urge you to do one thing to limit your environmental impact today. Grab a reusable water bottle on your next trip to the store, use paper over plastic, shop at thrift shops, pick trash off the ground, think before you buy. Pick something that feels good for you and build from there. We don’t have to do everything all at once, but we do need your help.

Here’s hoping for less shaming, and more acknowledgment for making small changes. We cant hope to achieve the most sustainable version of our business without a bit of love and encouragement along the way. And we can’t hope to change the world without our community.

Thanks for doing your part to create a more sustainable future. Keep planting those seeds and grow as you go along. Please take some time today to acknowledge how far you’ve come. Be proud of yourself for choosing your purpose-driven path.

The truth is that I had another post drafted for this week, but it didn’t feel quite right and I’ve been feeling kinda down the last couple days.

This idea came to me and I stopped doing dishes and started texting myself 10+ paragraphs of copy.

Figured it was worth pushing out today since I felt inspired to do so. Maybe you or someone you know needed to hear this. Or maybe I just needed to write while taking some time for my own reflection. Either way, I hope this helps you along your way.

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Studio Updates

Hello, I hope you’ve been well!
And welcome to the new subscribers here, I appreciate you being here.

Since last month, I’ve been working on staying consistent on LinkedIn. Posting every day and adapting as I go along. I’m putting less pressure on the posts that I share compared to those on more visual platforms and it has given me so much comfort. Now I experiment without thinking twice and I feel like I’m finding my voice. I feel encouraged to keep going instead of ashamed that I’m not doing enough.

If you are feeling weighed down by a platform, don’t be afraid to try something new or take a break. I’ve learned that sometimes I need to make changes to make progress.

Last month I took a chance on myself and submitted artwork for a local calendar, despite the cloud of doubt lingering in the back of my mind. Two weeks ago I found out that I was one of twelve artists selected to be featured and I just picked up my printed copy last weekend!!

For anyone interested in the type of printing process used, it’s called Risograph. Each color is printed, one at a time and there are usually limited colors to choose from. If you want to read more about Risograph printing, you can do so here.

Check out a few photos below that I took as soon as I got home :)
No pressure to order one, but I’ll include the link if you are interested.

This spontaneous project has inspired me to create more personal work. Stay tuned for a series of art prints with encouraging phrases to support you as you evolve and grow. I want to add color to your walls and keep that ember of hope in your hearts glowing throughout the year.

I’ve been sorting through the endless number of local printers to find the best partner to work with and am navigating the best way to ship art prints. Also working out pricing, expenses, and figuring out how to list them on my website without having to build a full online shop. Open to tips if you’ve got any!

Another fun print project includes a custom holiday card for my clients. Something I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t find the time for in previous years. This time I’m making it happen and I could not be more excited. Perhaps I’ll share photos in the future, but I want them to be a surprise for those receiving them.

There is lots more going on behind the scenes, I’m brainstorming digital products to share with you next year. Also working on a new space for the Eco Brief to live on, I’ll definitely be sharing more about them as they are ready.

On a closing note, I still have some space for December projects and am starting to book for 2025. If you are looking for some design support before you enter the new year, fill out my inquiry form to get the process started today.

Thanks for spending some time with me, until next time—keep growing!

Renee

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