David Aspinall advocates for people on the autism spectrum to explore the full range of their natural talents, while making sure not to clump the entire community into a stereotype. David is the CEO of Auticon US, which is a technology company focused on creating jobs for people with autism by tapping into their natural skills and abilities. As the company developed, they found a great model for those on the spectrum to overcome barriers to employment and thrive in better suited positions. Among a few common skills that seem to flourish in the technology field, David says the people who usually find their way to the initiative tend to show phenomenal attention to detail, ability to spot patterns, and launch amounts of data,  sheer cognitive strength. Auticon has an expansive view of the stakeholders they hope to help into better suited positions. David shares Auticon’s open-minded outlook: “... we employ people that are really at every stage of their career, from individuals that are just starting on their technology career to mid-level tenure individuals up to 15-year kind of principal architect type roles. In our mission to employ as many people as possible, we do try to employ people that are junior, mid and senior.”David Aspinall, CEO, Auticon US Identifying the level or range of a person’s capabilities can help avoid the person from being underemployed. Underemployment where the a person is fulfilling a role that is below their capacity to naturally perform. Someone could have a higher skill capacity or have a wider range of ability than a position calls for. If left in that position, the person’s valuable contributions will be misplaced, and their skill level may possibly decline. David explained that people on the spectrum frequently experience underemployment, and he expressed his thoughts on addressing the concern through Auticon. David explains how Auticon approaches another close concern in proper employment: an autism friendly work environment. He delves through the process the initiative uses to screen candidates, and how the process matches with the needs of their stakeholders. Reflecting the needs of the stakeholders can be found in how the initiative families their interview, or in the coaching done with the companies hiring people on the spectrum beforehand. In this social enterprise model, Auticon is assisting companies in developing an autism friendly environment so that people in the company can see the process, and it can grow from there. Auticon operates the initiative globally. David discusses how the global team communicates, and what topics come up in meetings. He also gives his perspective of what it is like to discuss initiative frameworks with a global team while having the freedom to keep the autonomy of the local US portion. David expresses his satisfaction with working within the US, particularly in Columbus, OH. He talks about how support from the community helps the initiative, and he touches on why the awareness of social enterprise makes Columbus, OH an easier community for building connections. If your would like to learn more, you can visit auticon.us or find them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Linked-in. Also, please check out Auticon's in-person event Tuesday, September 14th, at the Fawcett Center in Columbus, Ohio to learn more. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today, our guest is David Aspinall, CEO of Auticon a technology company focused on creating jobs for people with autism. They found a great model for those on the spectrum to overcome barriers to employment so that they can thrive in position suited to their natural talents and abilities. So to speak about this company, David, welcome on the podcast. David: [00:00:28] Thanks, Adam. It's great to be here.

People Helping People

David Aspinall, CEO of Auticon US, Leads with Great Tech Employment for Autism

Saif Ali from Dastgyr shares knowledge on idea validation, connecting with stakeholders, innovative tech B2B, and the fast-growing startup scene in Pakistan. Dastgyr is a tech platform that helps emerging and local businesses manage their inventory more effectively. More specifically, the initiative is a B2B e-commerce solution working with mom and pop stores throughout Pakistan. Local businesses in the area usually experience fragmented service when trying to coordinate between receiving inventory from distributors and matching the demand of consumers. Businesses often pull from their savings to make up for gaps between the two. Dastgyr creates an option that saves local businesses in Pakistan money and time. Dastgyr started testing the idea with a pilot period from May 2020 until August 2020. Colliding the idea with reality, Saif says that the founding team literally the pilot conducted deliveries themselves and used their own homes as the warehouse for their work. Through this idea validation, Dastgyr confirmed that there was utility for the stakeholders involved in the service. The product-market fit was there. Saif explains that the team sought investors after the pilot, and officially launched in September 2020. Being a company based in Pakistan, Dastgyr is responsive to the culture of the region. Saif mentions the precautions and care of following regulations specific to the region. Within the region Dastgyr operates, there are laws built to respect the lens of Islamic belief that businesses will find in similar locations, such as Egypt or Saudi Arabia. Saif notes that this is natural when thinking of the history and culture of the region. Not originally from Pakistan, Saif shares his observations of the current state of business, tech, raising VC funds, and international expansion in the Pakistan startup market. Adjusting to the region was not the only new piece of information for Dastgyr to learn. When having such a direct relationship with the local businesses, the initiative found ways to approach interactions with business owners. Saif shares the concerns of communicating with business owners who are less tech-savvy, or who were adding Dastgyr to their business after decades of working manually. Once Dastgyr is set up, everything creates a positive ripple effect. Saif shares a few of the positive impacts the team recognizes as the initiative helps the community. Young people in Pakistan are showing great interest and innovation in how they incorporate technology. Saif points out that access to information allows young people to actively research different career paths. Young people are experiencing a level of enthusiasm to participate in the market that signals a shift. Since the nearby markets are growing in similar ways, there are many opportunities to share insights. Saif expresses his shared excitement of what the future holds as innovation happens inside of Pakistan and nearby hubs in the region:  “This is the precipice of something very large and very exciting, and I'm just glad that I get to be a part of it.”--Saif Ali, Dastgyr If you would like to learn more, you can visit their website, Instagram, Twitter, or Linked-In. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Previously we've had Dalia Kamar on the podcast to speak about building purpose-driven entrepreneurship ventures in the middle east. Today, we travelled further west into a conversation with Saif Ali, from a tech startup, Dastgyr out of Pakistan. Dastgyr uses technology to help emerging and local businesses manage their inventory more effectively. So to speak more about empowering local businesses, Saif Ali welcome on the podcast. Saif: [00:00:34] Hey, Adam, thank you for having me glad too. Adam: [00:00:37] super excited. Can we start off,

Saif Ali of Dastgyr Explains the Opportunities for Digital B2B Entrepreneurship in Pakistan

Dr. Lynda Ulrich of Ever Widening Circles Takes You through the four shifts needed to see an entirely different world on media platforms. She lays out principles of changing how you interact with the internet to get a different response from the algorithm, and plug into a greater worldview. Dr. Lynda started the media platform, Ever Widening Circles and the Conspiracy of Goodness Network. Both initiatives use media and connections to showcase people doing all the good in the world, and to change the negative dialogue about our times. She also hosts a podcast of the same name, the Conspiracy of Goodness Network podcast. Her journey begins as a story of possibility. Similar to my path of having an established career before diving into social enterprise, Dr. Lynda was a dentist for over two decades feeling that she had something unique to contribute.  We agreed that most social innovators have a part of their journey of looking out at the world and seeing something to change before actually taking action. That period of time can be days or years, but overall it’s a relatively common experience. Dr. Lynda expressed how her outlook changed as she talked to more and more thought leaders in the social good space. Being exposed to others who also valued social impact, and actively pursuing the work, creates a boost in our chance of actively engaging the world of social good. Exposure leads to revealing new possibilities. One point Dr. Lynda chose to emphasize is that “possibility”, and our access to possibility, changes every day. Things that weren’t possible years ago, are possible today to the point we wouldn’t even question their practicality. On that same path, things we don’t understand as possible now can drastically change as we move forward. Dr. Lynda compared “possibility” to the very real example of society’s view on “jobs suitable for women” expanding as more possibilities were proven and shown.  Taking a moment, Dr. Lynda shared the power of a pause being able to create change with what we’re facing. She starts by explaining the neuroscience related to why negative news gains attention from society. From this, we can imagine the challenge of who rises to the top between negative news and social good. Dr. Lynda pointed out that once we realize the cognitive games being played on our attention, we can be empowered to make our own choices about our attention. She shared her thoughts on the influence in choosing which social content to engage: “Your click is a vote.” Then, our conversation builds on four simple shifts that people can make to see an entirely different world in their lives. Dr. Lynda Ulrich began talking about the Conspiracy of Goodness Network in detail, and the atmosphere that the platform cultivates. Through the network, people interested in doing good can connect with each other. Dr. Lynda shared that the network is also useful for professionals sharing tips and resources around business in social impact. Ever-widening Circles is continuing to deliver positive news to open our eyes to the positive happenings in the world. If you would like to learn more, you can visit the: Ever Widening Circles websiteConspiracy of Goodness NetworkEver Widening Circles appfourshifts.com Or find them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Turning back the clock about 15 years ago, I was working in a big financial institution in finance IT. And the essence of investment banking really bothered me as if I knew I wasn't in the right place. For a decade, I struggled with my own view of this world as a consumption-driven place that felt like it missed the point of humanity. Today, I'm super inspired by social entrepreneurs who are challenging this model,

Dr. Lynda Ulrich of Ever Widening Circles Shares the Four Shifts for a New World

Tony Rothacker spoke about keeping open communication, and discussed building mutual benefit into a social enterprise. He is the co-founder at Youngster.co, which provides job opportunities to youth and empowers elders to use technology better. Youth assist elders with learning new technology they may need to interact with the world, or programs they may need help to use in daily life. Both sides of the connection, youth and elders, benefit from the intergenerational service as the initiative addresses common issues on the respective sides. Opportunities arise from the youth and elders connecting, which is a bonus to the impact of the initiative itself. Young people get paid upfront to help seniors with technology. Tony shared that most youth don’t need any particular training, since the youth grew up with the technology. Elders, however, grew up in a different time. They may not be familiar with the latest technology, but they can teach youth what they learned about life. Tony observed that the initiative helps elders who typically deal with isolation have more personal interactions, and youth have a chance to practice patience when explaining technology. In the beginning, Youngster.co faced a moment that depended on how they could respond to the situation. Tony shared that the initiative started right before the COVID-19. Like many other companies, Youngster.co transitioned online to keep their business alive. Tony expressed how they found success in the online model, and the angle the initiative discovered to boost their mission. After finding a good flow, the initiative could depend on their reputation to serve more youth and elders. Tony explained that the power of word of mouth made connecting with a larger audience more easy for the team. At first, good service and a good experience kept people coming back. Tony emphasized that this dedication to good service and good experience led to getting referrals. For the youth, a bonus pay incentive encourages the youth to keep up good service and continue participating in the initiative. Tony shared thoughts on calculating the before and after impacts created by the team’s efforts. Youngster.co is working with an impact tool that measures social value called Australia Social Value Bank. Tony expressed what he pays attention to when considering the impact that’s happening. Ultimately, he suggested that one way to find a perspective on social impact is to ask the question: “What is our social return on investment?” Tony began sharing his story of being introduced to social enterprise and taking on that journey to merge social impact with business. His connection to social impact goes back in his own life, like when he experienced times of having a disproportionate need for resources. While discussing all this impact, Tony shifted the topic to the meaning of life. He expressed his feelings about powerful and meaningful connections. Through work with Youngster.co, Tony is able to contribute those connections to the world, and also bridge the gap between generations. If you would like to learn more, you can visit their website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today, we are sitting down with Tony Rothacker, co-founder at youngster.co, a platform, providing job opportunities to youth and empowering elders to use technology better, bridging the gap between generations. I'm excited to explore conversations around providing employment to youth and how we can leverage inherent talents from any age. So Tony, welcome on the podcast. Tony: [00:00:29] I'm glad to be here. Thank you for inviting me Adam. Adam: [00:00:32] Yeah, I'm really excited. Can we start off, can you tell us a little bit about the journey that led to youngster.co ? Tony: [00:00:38] Um,

Youngster.co’s Tony Rothacker Builds Bridges Between Generations

Allison Chaney imagines the world and business being a place where we can go-exist mindfully. Allison Chaney CEO of the Breakthrough Accelerator, a business accelerator that helps create stronger efforts through intentional business development and accelerating results. She talked about the valuable impact that can occur for initiatives both internally and externally. In this case, the results are more than profitability. Results are also focused on the impact initiatives create in doing business. Breakthrough Accelerator is able to develop by sharing communication and mindset tools to shift business into a place of possibility. Focusing on skills in communication and mindset, such as emotional intelligence, rebuilds the standard for team interactions. Allison expressed how awareness around emotional intelligence fosters a better balance in having hard conversations. Emotional intelligence even relieves tough communication between different staff levels. Allison shared her own experience of when she was a leader that lacked emotional intelligence towards her team. Another point of focus on improving business practices is the use of a decision matrix. Allison explained why getting clear on values and placing the values in a decision matrix make decisions easier for any business embracing new choices. Preparing a decision matrix helps initiatives to evaluate what actions and choices align with their values. By knowing the values, thinking further to the MVP (minimal viable product), the impact, or the legacy of an initiative. “Every business can be socially responsible.” - Allison Chaney Allison gave her insight on the journey to becoming a Certified B Corp. She shared that the process could be seen as lengthy, but going through that process made it possible that Breakthrough Accelerator achieved the B Corp title. Such a process allowed the initiative to implement actions to create a more socially responsible organization with a healthier, happier work environment.  From there, Allison expressed her thoughts on why budding entrepreneurs need to focus on the things that will make the biggest impact on their initiative. She gave an example of someone she knows who spent years on building a website. Being in their own way, the person was trying to figure out all the little details, not realizing they took time away from providing service or building actual credibility. Once coming in contact with Allison, the person built the website shortly, and saw that they could move forward with results. Alongside that impact, Allison emphasized that entrepreneurs should know the impact created by initiative, whether that be on the community, employees, or the world. Impact and possibility open the way to different approaches. Allison shared how she  looks forward to there being a day where people don’t limit themselves by hiding behind a “It’s always been done that way” mindset. Breakthrough Accelerator is seeking to build an abundance of wealth, time, and joy through mindful business practices. Realizing the contribution created through work showcases the power of new ideas. New ideas are possible, and there's more flexibility in trying new things. If you would like to learn more, you can visit their website, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Breakthrough Accelerator’s Allison Chaney Advises Social Entrepreneurs on Influence with Emotional Intelligence

Our 100th episode is here, featuring Hot Chicken Takeover! Thank you for joining the People Helping People podcast on this journey, and coming this far with the show. We truly appreciate your participation, your sincere interest, and your shared enthusiasm. Today, we have another insightful conversation through a leader in the community who built a shining example of a hiring model: Joe DeLoss. Joe DeLoss started the Hot Chicken Takeover restaurant chain that prioritizes fair chance employment. This fast-casual fried chicken restaurant uses business as a vehicle to create opportunity. No matter what somebody's resume or alternative resume from their past looks like, the intention is to offer an opportunity. Hot Chicken Takeover provides an environment for people who dealt with adversity to steady themselves. Pillars to Building Culture Three pillars help Hot Chicken Takeover maintain a strong development of the initiative: clear expectations, relevant benefits, and frequent feedback. Joe DeLoss explained where Hot Chicken Takeover places focus to match the needs of the employees. He spoke on valuing a positive work environment that offers more ownership of career trajectory. By using the three pillars, a more cohesive and clear company culture can be built. “The best employment is about investing in people's personal stability because it yields professional stability.”-Joe DeLoss In the service industry, many companies may experience a high turnover percentage that could be addressed if looking deeper into the challenges employees are facing. Some common factors are transportation or housing issues that can add additional strain on employee performance. Hot Chicken Takeover intervenes in these issues by providing assistance, such as having parental leave and a partnership with a local biking company. Understandably, Hot Chicken Takeover finds ways to accommodate the needs of employees by keeping open communication and securing relevant assistance. Success through Iteration Joe DeLoss discussed how his passion for the intersection of impact and entrepreneurship grew over the years. Success didn’t happen right away, but each moment created a chance at new information and insight. He gave his lessons on encountering new opportunities and problems along the way. With being so involved in the business, Joe talked through specific growing pains, like investors and media presence. Since Joe has experience with mentoring budding social entrepreneurs, we discussed general tips for creating a career in social enterprise. Joe started off with learning about the business and impact model as an important point in developing an understanding of the field. He spoke about l the kind of transparent involvement social enterprise can require when first starting. To connect the ideas, Joe shared examples from the earlier parts of his journey. Out of all the lessons he learned, Joe DeLoss emphasized the principle that connects almost every situation. While working through the early stages, he found that moving anything a step forward requires an iterative mindset. Alongside this point, Joe expressed his thoughts on adapting to new circumstances and letting go of ego. Social entrepreneurs will find that these mindsets are especially true when expanding an initiative. Discover Hot Chicken Takeover If you would like to learn more, visit them on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Yelp.   Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host. Adam Morris. Today is our 100th episode of People Helping People. And I have so much gratitude for the people that have helped us share inspiring stories from Emily Savors at the Columbus Foundation to Jay Clouse and his Freelancing School and Suzy Bureau from GiveBackHack and countless others.

Joe DeLoss of Hot Chicken Takeover Magnifies Impact with an Iterative Mindset

Rich Brubaker of Collective Responsibility explains the variety of work he does in both for-profit and non-profit spaces. He teases that even after 12 years of marriage his wife still asks what he does. Rich’s portfolio is versatile, but to describe him he is one of Asia's most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership. Portions of his work include being the managing director of Collective Responsibility, the executive volunteer of HandsOn China and as an adjunct professor of sustainability and social innovation at Southern Methodist University, Richard has a career focused on helping develop businesses to address economic, environmental, and social hurdles. Among the projects Rich takes on, he finds himself assisting brands like Nike and Adidas with changing the way they impact communities. Most large brands come to Rich knowing how to describe their issue, or what they are aiming to do, but they require suggestions on strategy. Rich explained that there’s more to look at beyond the brand itself: “... a lot of times what I find is, the knowledge gap also extends to who is being impacted, who is relevant and who has the power to affect this change.” Communicating the issues is not enough to understand the systems that are creating a positive or less desirable impact. Knowing the problem and the aspects contributing to the concern can be developed by engaging with the issue and people related to the issue. Rich suggested that anyone lacking experience in a field should focus on learning about the field first. Whether the person chooses to volunteer, get a job, or pursue academic study related to a specific field, be more involved with the concern by interacting with the system and people attached to the concern. Then, you can consider what you learned to put together a solution. Rich described it as: “You've got to go swim with the turtles to see where the plastic's coming from.” While interacting with the concern, Rich explained that you should be observing without labeling everything you see at first glance. Since multiple people are participating in a “system that's fundamentally flawed”, someone being a stakeholder in the system doesn’t mean they are complicit. We discussed the need for processes as an initiative finds a rhythm to providing their solution. Rich gave insights on which processes help keep initiatives steady, such as hiring a good team, market research, project execution. To illustrate that point, Rich later gives examples of systems scaling up in sustainability from his time in China. He expressed the differences, and similarities, in trends around developing society between the US, Europe, and China. Rich Works extensively with students, and shared how he connects students with large companies like Target and Jaguar. Students get together to work on a specified concern the brands provide based on real issues within the company. Rich expressed how involved both sides get into the projects, and how these kinds of interactions can fuel change. If you would like to learn more, you can visit their website or YouTube channel. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast inspired, greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today. I am delighted to have Rich Brubaker on our podcast today. One of Asia's most recognized authorities on sustainability, innovation and responsible leadership. As the managing director of Collective Responsibility, the executive volunteer of Hands-on China and as an adjunct professor of sustainability and social innovation at Southern Methodist University, Richard has a career focused on helping develop businesses to address economic, environmental, and social hurdles. So without further ado, let's dive right in. Rich. Welcome on the podcast. Rich: [00:00:38] Hey, thanks for having me great to be here.

Rich Brubaker of Collective Responsibility Explains Why Nothing is Good, Bad, or Otherwise at First Glance

Gabriele Donati spoke about his work with TimeRepublik, the world’s first purpose-driven social network. TimeRepublik offers a global online platform for users to provide services in exchange for TimeCoins that can be used to purchase other services on TimeRepublik. With a global reach, TimeRepublik built a strong online community of users that value their social network platform. Lately, People Helping People podcast episodes are focused on how to build a stronger audience and community around your business, so this conversation with TimeRepublik reflects that theme. Alongside building a community, the business is shifting expectations people have for in personal interactions. Gabriele described TimeRepublik’s function as “a digital platform where you can exchange time instead of money.” He followed up, explaining that there’s an idea of taking money out of the equation: “It's because we are more interested in creating relationships between people rather than transactions.” Gabriele emphasized the process of building trust between users, and how those bonds open doors. Unlike currency exchanges that can be “one and done”, the service-exchange approach on TimeRepublik starts a mutual effort on both sides to fully communicate. In the beginning, the platform was made to be global one-on-one exchanges, then, the team realized how powerful the exchanges become when given a common space. Users of the platform can create groups/ communities to connect with people of a similar interest. Groups allow for people to find each other much more easily, while strengthening the bonds in the interactions. Gabriele gave an inside look at a project involving principles of TimeRepublik within companies. In the project, staff were placed in a small group and told to offer a service of one of their passions, not what’s considered their traditionally “professional” skill”. Gabriele gave an example of what happens when people gloss over what is considered a passion, talent, or hobby. Sometimes society is so clear on sticking to an imaginary limit we place on ourselves that we forget the things that help our different traits shine. On the actual platform, people are more than happy to help once they identify their talents. Gabriele jokingly expressed how the team needs to remind users to post requests for help themselves. People come willing to help, and almost forget that they can request a service. Gabriele shared that the trend is mainly from users being excited to be on the platform, and he also mentioned that part of it may come from stigma. Gabriele expressed that culture sometimes relates asking for help as a weakness, which creates the unnecessary stigma. Another reason for the trend connected to the thought that once you ask for something, you are immediately indebted to give something. We both agreed that society can choose more empowering perspectives. By allowing someone to help you, you are gifting that person the moment of happiness they get from helping you. There’s a mutual reciprocity, which leads back to the relationships and trust needed in community building. If you would like to learn more, visit their website. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today, we're speaking with Gabriele Donati who co-founded TimeRepublik, Switzerland with his high school friend, Karim Varini after learning about the power of time baking and exploring how to grow a global community on the internet. TimeRepublik, founded in 2012, prides itself on being the world's largest time bank and the first social network that actually makes you happier. They have over a hundred thousand members in a hundred countries with people connecting and sharing their time. What fascinates me most is their approach to building a successful community online.

TimeRepublik’s Gabriele Donati Shares Why Timebanking Builds Trust into the Community of Your Business

Cory Ames and Annie Bright discussed their ongoing work with impact media company Growth Ensemble, which also includes their podcast Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Podcast. Growth Ensemble is a content and media company inspiring businesses and individuals to consider more sustainable business and life choices in support of the impact economy. Cory and Annie also train and consult other purpose driven businesses to achieve results to build audiences of advocates that connect with the mission of impact companies. Both Cory and Annie describe their journey into the world of social entrepreneurship as coming from backgrounds of digital marketing and law. After being active in their own respective fields, they came to discover that there was a way to get involved with initiative’s closer to values they support. Cory’s journey is the kind where you see a different picture once you climbed a mountain. Annie’s story is the kind where you’re deciding between two paths until someone shows you there’s a third path. While telling their origin stories, both Cory and Annie blend into what led to using their skills for social impact. Through content and media, Growth Ensemble is encouraging people to consider more of what their choices mean. People tend to downplay the personal impact they have on the world, but Annie gave an excellent example of how small actions influence larger outcomes and trends. Annie shared that the main point of personal small action is the way it significantly reduces what's being added to the problem. Annie actually reconnected to share the exact statistic she mentioned in her example after our conversation, which is "The shampoo bottles thrown out every year in the U.S. could fill 1,164 football fields." As a social enterprise, Cory spoke about what it’s like to present information to an audience without overwhelming the audience. Two major factors he mentioned are access points and momentum of how people interact with the initiative’s content. He goes on further relating the two factors to providing opportunities for people to engage with better choices, as well as explaining how each small choice builds momentum. He explained what approaches he suggests for budding entrepreneurs versus established companies. The common thread of both approaches involves content creation, which Cory explained why discoverability is outside of “gaming” algorithms. While speaking, Cory and Annie expressed their latest interests in regenerative agriculture. The duo came across the topic after working with a company focused on the issue. They learned how new age farming techniques disrupt nutrients and carbon sequestration of the soil.  Cory Ames and Annie Bright shared what’s coming up for Growth Ensemble, including the launch of a new series focused on the impact of fashion. Growth Ensemble is continuing to introduce people to living with choices that more positively impact our world. The duo emphasized that it’s important that people don’t blindly trust certifications or advertising from companies, but that people are engaging with companies that truly care about the positive impact. If you’re interested in learning more, you can visit their website, newsletter and podcast, or find them on Instagram, YouTube, Linked-In or Twitter. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. I'm so excited to have Cory and Annie of Grow Ensemble on the podcast today. Grow Ensemble is a content and media company focused on making sustainability and better for the world business practices the norm for both individuals and businesses in support of the impact economy. Their focus is on inspiring consumer audiences to become more active participants in making the world a better place. Cory and Annie also train and consult other purpose-driven businesses to achieve r...

Growth Ensemble’s Cory Ames and Annie Bright Prioritize Quality and Consistency to Develop an Attractive Content Creation Strategy

Jen O’Ryan from Double Tall discussed diversity and inclusion as it relates to the LGBTQ community. Double Tall provides service as a consulting firm for strategy, design, and implementation. Jen also placed her knowledge in her book “Inclusive AF: A Field Guide for ‘Accidental’ Diversity Experts”, which explains how to cultivate a more welcoming workplace. When first working with companies, Jen revealed that most approach Double Tall for consulting on unconscious bias. Jen shared that people tend to get stuck in their own worldview. Companies start the program, and realize the there is much more to the picture than what they thought. Jen explained that expanding the worldview of someone can be  “a little mind blowing.” She further expressed that she is careful not to package LGBTQ+ experiences as a monolith, but as many experiences of different people in the community with similar aspects. It’s the type of learning that once you “see it”, you can’t “un-see it”. Before getting into consulting, Jen spent her time volunteering with Mpowerment, where she connected with LGBTQ+ youth. She saw the value of peer-mentorship that helped youth to choose healthier decisions in the way they lived their experiences. Here, she would also be exposed to the the stories behind the youth, such as discrimination coming from people in their lives and the institutionalized discrimination creating barriers. These scenarios continue into adulthood, which leads to Jen explaining what these scenarios look like in the workplace. An environment, like a workplace, can thrive if willing to take multiple perspectives into account. Unhealthy environments tend to be ones where different perspectives are shut down, whereas a healthier environment is open to a variety of perspectives. Being open to different perspectives is not solely about challenging each other to think differently. In reality, different perspectives allow people to gain knowledge of what else exists, like expanding the worldview. “I use the example of curbs all the time; so you've got the curbs, and then you've got the little slope for people in a wheelchair with mobility issues. Unless you've had mobility issues, or been in a wheelchair, or seen it, you would never think to have that curb.”-- Jen O’Ryan Jen explained her thoughts on how to create a new norm in the way we interact with each other. People can support each other by speaking up for one another, as well as by becoming more aware of ourselves. She helped explain what can happen if people try to balance conformity when their identity doesn’t reflect the majority, or the environment built around their experiences. In life, you're working with other people, and acknowledging them for who they are really opens up human connections. It allows us to meet people at the level of who they are as a person. Jen understands that acknowledgment as a “human need”; a form of authenticity that says “I see you for who you are. I see you as you are.” If you would like to learn more, you can visit the Double Tall Website, Instagram, or Linked-In.

Jen O’Ryan of Double Tall Helps Company Staff Expand their Worldview by Sharing Perspectives in a Safe Space

Bruce Waltuck shared the work he’s doing with Freethinc... for a Change. He holds three decades of experience from real-life settings and academia, which he spent improving business processes, teaching business courses, and being active in the U.S. Department of Labor. Bruce discussed methods social entrepreneurs can use to build an efficient and inclusive process for a social venture. Time spent in the federal sector was a monumental piece of Bruce’s later efforts in managing business processes. While working alongside notable names from the federal sector, Bruce emphasized that his role made home focus more on “helping other people get better results together.” He explains why he was able to carry out the innovative approaches he accomplished, despite working in a sector that usually places strict limits around what is implemented. Bruce was able to transfer these principles into entrepreneurship where working in a strong team towards an aim is part of a daily practice. He gave questions that help people to figure out the impact and measure the effectiveness of the approaches to creating impact. Bruce Waltuck mentioned one particular qualitative method of research called ethnography, best thought of as “narrative inquiry”.  In this method, the focus is to get people’s stories. Collecting feedback from people telling their personal perspective provides insight you may not come across otherwise. Bruce went further to discuss defining impact, showing impact, and the complexity of merging and considering perceptions outside of our own narratives. Being able to see out and include other narratives becomes a powerful tool in developing new ways to experiment with creating an impact.  Gathering perspectives is one layer, and then comes the layer of being able to translate what you learn into metrics. Finding which metrics work within a certain setting and approach will likely take more group effort. There’s also a personal effort of making sure we each release our own bias to have a real dialogue with others. Bruce said one way to go about doing this is to see if we can “learn to suspend our judgment in the moment of listening and of observing.” Understanding the ways we can connect perspectives leads to better identifying the infrastructure of the social venture we start. Bruce spoke about valuing the process of measuring an initiative’s feasibility, which comes alongside gathering insight from different perspectives. He presented a way for business to write a business plan that helps outline the developments required in forming an initiative. Bruce expressed that entrepreneurship is more so related to a collective rather than the social efforts being done solo. He shared his thoughts on working as a collective, and revealed realizations he received from teaching his students. Bruce described his current aim is to “help people better understand what the real nature is of these social ventures that they're intending to engage in, and what they can learn that will help them be more effective in organizing, leading, and operating and impacting.” If you would like to learn more, you can visit his website freethinc.com. Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today, our guest on the podcast is Bruce Waltuck, founder of Freethinc For a Change. He's also a professor at Kean University where he teaches entrepreneurship and marketing communication. He's got a unique master's degree in complexity, chaos, and creativity, and a long, fascinating career at the department of labor where he co-created the Department of Labor is award-winning process improvement system. Now through Bruce is able to help others entrepreneurs with his 30 years of experience as a leader in collaborative dialogue and business process improvement. So let's jump right in. Bruce,

Bruce Waltuck of Freethinc for a Change Builds Business Processes with Insight and Accountability

Jodie Larsen and Grace Beards spoke about their work with Paws and Pause, a social enterprise doggy daycare center providing opportunities for the unemployed recovering from mental health and addiction. The pair first started working together when running a project for St. Mungo’s, a homelessness organization in London. This is where they first began incorporating dogs in their work, which would lead to launching Paws and Pause in 2019. At St. Mungo’s, Jodies and Grace were able to learn about the stages of transitioning to a more sustained life of people experiencing homelessness. People in the programs expressed a need to return to activities that allow people to have fun and rebuild soft skills. Activities could be a day trip to a theme park or walking park; people only need space to regain confidence in daily life. With this same principle, Paws and Pause allows participants to relearn what it feels like to interact with others and have fun. Grace described it as a “slight sense of normality, a slight escapism from maybe the kind of overwhelming challenges that they might be facing at that time.” Recovering depends on each person’s individual journey for what they need to be supported, and avoid entering  a cycle of coming reentering the program. Some participants may need to be placed in a job soon after joining, so they can have a sense of purpose or fulfillment. Another group of participants may need to wait longer, so they feel more equipped to restart employment. If people are not supported to a point where they are willing to take a leap, they will go in unprepared and perhaps relapse into what they are trying to grow away from. Jodie and Grace explained the relationship Paws and Pause built with the customers. Overall, the customers view the initiative positively, since the initiative supports social impact while providing a quality service. It also doesn’t hurt that the dogs receive more cuddles and playtime. Paws and Pause did focus on promoting the service more than the social element in the early stages. The initiative was mindful about the stigma around “addiction” and “mental illness” that could cause customers to be wary of sending their dogs to this doggy daycare. Mindfulness and learning along the way is part of the journey for Jodie and Grace starting Paws and Pause as their first business experience. In their first experience, the major lessons the pit learned include interacting with people. They break down one misconception many social entrepreneurs have around sharing ideas. Then, they touch on what will help social entrepreneurs when considering how to delegate tasks. A huge lesson came from organically speaking with people in similar organizations, where the support would increase based on networking within the community. Moving forward, Paws and Pause pains to diversify the pet industry and open other locations. Through their work, Paws and Pause is continuing to help people explore what they want to do. If you’d like to learn more you can check them out on their website, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.   Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. And I'm super excited to have Jody and grace from Paws and Pause on our podcast as a guest today. Not only because I love dogs, but my own volunteering with the Samaritans in London gave me insight into how much our mental health can impact our ability to thrive. Jodie and Grace started Paws and Pause in 2019 as a social enterprise doggy daycare center, providing opportunities for the unemployed recovering from mental health and addiction. So let's dive in and explore what this means. Grace and Jodie, welcome on the podcast. Jodie: [00:00:40] Hi, thanks for having us. Adam: [00:00:42] Can we start off, can you just tell us a little bit about what Paws and Pause is?

Jodie Larsen and Grace Beard Support People Finding Their Purpose with Paws and Pause

Rich Harwood shared insights into sparking change that evolves over time. He founded the Harwood Institute in 1988 with work centered around developing community change-centered conversations. A philosophy of civic faith and community driven solutions fueled this initiative’s efforts for the more than 30 years. Society became increasingly polarized in the experiences and opportunities people encounter based on their backgrounds. Rich explains that most of the initiative’s work focuses on building communities of shared responsibility and common enterprise. Overall, the institute is teaching people “...how to create change in their local communities that reflects what matters to people in those communities, that reflects the local context of that community, and that develops strategies that have a real shot at producing impact in people's lives.” Rich also mentioned the equally important intention of communities solving problems together and sustaining longevity. One approach being used to accomplish this effort is the initiative’s Public Innovator Lab. The Harwood Institute hosts programs to engage people in what it means to adopt a mindset of being “turned outward” toward your community. In the case of being “turned outward”, individuals use the community as a reference point. Rich spoke about the Public Innovators Lab that is active in Jackson, Mississippi, after starting the virtual version during the pandemic. Participants are mainly coached for guidance, but given room to personally develop their capabilities. Rich expressed how this approach translates from community to community. Moving an idea between different communities builds on practices being adapted, and a mindset spreading. Rich brought our attention to the commonality of any great idea or culture shift spreading, which is “a small group of people”. Most of history’s enlightened periods or trends started from a dedicated group of small people coming together. As the idea grows stronger, the small group recruits more people over time. Having a very clear understanding of the idea helps each person share the idea to bring more people, and keep that movement growing and multiplying. Rich spoke more deeply on the topic of not only articulating an idea but understanding the components of bringing the idea into action through collaborative effort. His perspective on “action” gives an alternative feeling to the saying “actions speak louder than words”. He explained the collaborative mindset and the realizations contained in the creation process needed between community members, or anyone, working to solve an issue. Rich illustrates this point with an example of two women proactively learning to address drug concerns within their community, which later led to the initiative Achieving Recovery Together. Working towards a solution includes making mistakes, and Rich expressed his own thoughts on trial and error when building a worthwhile initiative. Talking about “trial and error” led us to discuss how change can overlap and the reasons why questions are a great tool for getting started. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit their website, Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter. Gain more insight from Rich’s work with his book “Unleashed: A Proven Way Communities Can Spread Change and Make Hope Real for All” Read Full Transcript Adam: [00:00:00] Welcome to People Helping People, the podcast to inspire greater social change and give you ideas on how to take action. I'm your host, Adam Morris. Today, I am so honored to have Rich Harwood join us. He founded that Harwood Institute over 30 years ago, back in 1988. Their work is centered around developing community conversations that create change and have worked with groups in all 50 States and 40 countries, with a philosophy of civic, faith, and community-driven solutions, basically they're who you call when your community is stuck and doesn't know what to do. His new book "Unleashed,

Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute Shares How to Wield the Power of Community Conversation

Kaiti Burkhammer shares the story of how 3 Tree is helping people create sustainable habits that save the planet and help the environment.

3 Tree Shares Easy Habits to Save the Planet

Nohelia Rambal spoke on her experience of quitting a corporate job to become a marketing consultant for impact organizations. She now runs the social enterprise GoodFind, a directory of sustainable brands that helps consumers easily find an ethical alternative to everything. Ideally, the directory was created so that anyone could find an alternative for anything. Items in the directory range from clothing, home goods, sports, health, and more. Before she dove deep into the social enterprise space, Nohelia completed volunteer work, and a few gigs, for companies dealing with social impact. Once she finally decided to start consultant work, she felt the first action she needed to take was to put up a website and casually shared her content with friends and family. Surprisingly, she shared that she didn’t imagine the site would grow into business. Doing work through volunteering and gigs led to her work being more recognizable in the space. Beyond building her portfolio, Nohelia shared how social content boosted her business amidst the pandemic. She explained what happened with her business, social content, and the Black Lives Matter movement that opened a new gate in the way she supports social impact causes. Reflecting this, the GoodFind directory had filters that help consumers see who they are supporting. Learning if a brand is minority-owned or focuses on plastic reduction became easier with GoodFind. Nohelia took time to explain why making things easier for consumers is important for any social enterprise. Originally, larger companies with larger budgets can afford to spend more on marketing and technology that create tighter funnels for their consumers. She expressed how this poses a problem for companies focused more on impact that can get lost in algorithms. Nohelia gives examples of different consumers engaging with sustainability based on her own interactions. Ultimately, Nohelia believes that a sustainable life starts from small commitments: “... we believe ‘one thing, one swap’ is enough, and surely enough, you will come back for more.” Talking about friends and small commitments led our conversation to discuss the “ripple effect”. Everyday conversations with peers in our circle hold influence. Nohelia explained how our behaviors can be contagious. Minimal steps we take to find alternatives or recommend a new brand to friends build up the new trends normalized in society, and allow social impact companies to create more positive impact. People may not realize how much influence accepted ideas have in the way the world operates. Nohelia Rambal expressed her thoughts on how society created and accepted the idea of “waste” and the world’s view of consumption. People developed habits of fast consumption and cheaper methods of production, but the beauty of quality production can be appreciated through more mindful purchasing. Thinking alongside how people habits are related to the world’s view, we briefly spoke about messaging used by brands, and why it knowing how the economy works can help us make different choices. GoodFind’s directory can be used to be one swap closer to a sustainable lifestyle. If you would like to learn more, you can visit goodfind.io, or connect on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

GoodFind’s Nohelia Rambal Talks About the Ripple Effect of Small Commitments

Inspiring greater social change in the world.

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