#ChooseToChallenge, but where to start?
Picking a battle in a world where there are so many to choose from
Hi there and surprise!
Just when you thought you were going to get away without any International Women’s Day content from us, we’re here in your inbox with some…International Women’s Day content. It’s been a week, so we’re sure that by now, you’ve been flooded with #ChooseToChallenge everywhere. You might have joined a few IWD webinars and listened to a few IWD podcasts, too. We’re overwhelmed. Not by the outpouring of content lifting up women, but by the fact that there’s so much to challenge. From the state of the climate after a turbulent year to the pandemic of systemic racism to the fight to feel safe, there are so many issues that demand our support.
This month, we want to show you a different perspective, or rather the perspective of several women who understand that we can’t do it all. It’s okay to choose your battle (singular intended) - in fact, it’s healthy for you and probably better for the world. It’s our collective commitment that moves the needle. So without further ado, meet four women who have chosen their challenge.
Cilia Laug: Choosing to reduce carbon footprints
Cilia is co-founder of Tribu, a subscription rental toy box making sustainability convenient by ensuring that high-quality toys get passed from child to child. As a mother and an entrepreneur, she recognizes her responsibility to make the world a better place, but accepts that she can’t do everything. So she chooses the challenge of creating less waste - and helping others do the same. Cilia recently wrote about five companies that changed the way she consumes - check it out here!
When did you realize your calling to the rental economy?
When you have a baby, there are just so many things you use once. The amount of trash is super intense. We have a daughter, we both have businesses - we don’t have time to sell things even if we want to. So I started searching for alternatives. One is buying second-hand, but you still end up with stuff at home. Then I found companies where you can rent things and I thought: this is perfect! One of the things I was missing was toys. I’m also very picky - I like sustainably sourced, fair-trade, and hopefully organic toys for my daughter. You can find them new, but they’re expensive and there’s not a big variety if you buy second-hand. This is how Tribu was born. It’s something we would have loved to have during the first year of our kids’ life.
Were there things you had to let go of?
We were always trying to be sustainable in every way, but you have to choose your battles. We started using reusable diapers, but after eight months I just couldn’t do it, it was just too much sometimes. Balance and mental health are also very important. So now, instead of trying everything, I prefer to support a lot of those start-ups in the rental economy, it's a win-win situation.
What’s your advice for people who want to change the status quo?
When you’re in a privileged position in terms of education, know-how, security or the like, it's almost a responsibility to change the status quo. It's a calling as it only takes basic economics to figure out we can't keep the current linear production and consumption path. Personally, I felt like: hey, you need to do something that feels right.
Bhavini Makwana: Choosing to empower people with vision loss
Bhavini works for London Vision, a charity supporting blind and partially sighted people, ensuring that they have equal access to services like transport and health. Going blind with Retinitis Pigmentosa, Bhavini knows firsthand how important it is for people with vision loss to be independent and feel confident in their everyday tasks. She shares some of her personal experiences along with those of others with vision loss on her recently launched podcast VisualEyes with Bhavini, available on most podcast platforms as well as her Facebook page.
What new challenges has COVID-19 brought to people with vision loss?
It’s made things more complicated. A lot of decisions need to be made quickly, which sometimes neglects the needs of people with vision loss. For example, most changes were carried out with visual markings - changes to the street and train station layout and to shops and supermarkets to maintain social distance and indicate one-way systems. Many people with sight loss were unable to remain independent or lost confidence, and some could not even leave their homes. Also with many public health services now shifting to virtual care, there was a lack of proper communication to our community, assuming all blind and partially-sighted people had access to technology, knew how to use these new functions, and had someone available to offer support. At London Vision, we are working collaboratively with partners in the sector to make sure that participation and active access is at the forefront and not an afterthought.
What advice do you have for someone who wants to get started with a challenge?
Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid to speak your mind. Remember that your voice is as important as anyone else’s. I’ve learned the hard way that if you don’t stand up for your rights, nobody else will. Also, choose a challenge that may be easier for you to start with and once you overcome that, hopefully your confidence will grow and you’ll have learnings to gear you up to challenge other things. There is no harm in dreaming big, but if it’s your first time, start with small steps and it will get easier.
Anything else you want to share with out readers?
When an opportunity comes your way, grab it! Even with sight loss, there are adaptations to make most things accessible. Sometimes it’s simple, other times it may be thinking outside of the box. It’s worse to regret something than to be told no - at least you tried! Be patient, keep working at it and when the time is right, magic will happen.
Layla Martin: Choosing to consume consciously
Layla spends her 9-5 building the teams and tech that help businesses scale their data capabilities. But with two kids running around at home, her efforts to make the world a better place need to scale, too. So, in her day-to-day, she chooses to buy sustainable products from businesses that support the environment: “If I do the research and make that change, this should follow me for the rest of my life.” For our American readers, here are a few of her latest faves: undies from Parade, organic basics from For Days and skincare from Cocokind.
How has being a mother influenced your relationship to sustainability?
You realize there's going to be a point soon when you're not on the earth anymore, but your kids will be. And your kids’ kids will be. And I just have this lurking feeling - what's going to happen to the world when I'm not alive anymore? It's kind of scary. I buy a lot of products, especially now that I have kids, so I decided to put my time into finding things that are made better and that don’t harm the environment as much.
How do you choose in a world where there are so many things to challenge?
I’m always looking for ways to make myself better. I want to be a better human being, a better mother, a better steward of the environment. But we’re all human, we can’t do everything. The more time you spend feeling bad about all the things you’re not doing, the more that’s going to hurt the things you care about. So why not pick something and do it right? And then understand that your friends and family might choose other things and that’s okay.
Do you have advice for people who want to get started consuming more consciously?
The first thing I do when I’m considering a new brand is go to their mission statement. I never used to look at that stuff before. You have to be careful for greenwashing, but if the company is really committed to sustainability, they’ll have a lot of writing and blog posts about what they're doing. Once you know who to trust, you have a simple way to do your part.
Sandra Witzel: Choosing to improve accessibility
Sandra lives and breathes mobility. She is CMO and board member at MaaS technology provider SkedGo as well as co-founder of the Women in Mobility London hub. She’s experienced the challenges of transportation designed without her in mind - as a woman and as someone living with limited physical mobility. She’s excited to see increasing conversations about accessible and safer transportation, but she wants to make sure we don’t get stuck just raising awareness. So this year, whenever she sees an opportunity, she’s on a mission to move from awareness to action.
What advice do you have for people who are overwhelmed with all the ways they could make the world a better place?
We are so oversaturated with big causes and information, but I think sometimes when you choose to challenge one thing, it will lead you to another. For example, when you fight for safer transportation for women you might also enable them to not rely on cars. So in the end, you’re not only improving safety, but also sustainability.
What would you say to someone who feels like they’re not powerful enough to change the status quo?
We all have power in numbers. Therefore my top recommendation is to join a women’s network in an area that you enjoy or feel passionate about. There might already be a group out there, but if you can’t find one, start it yourself! Quite likely there are women who think like you, too, and who would be happy to jump onboard. That’s actually what happened with our Women in Mobility London hub. When I first got interested, I just asked around and very quickly connected with Annie and Olga, my cofounders. That’s how everything started.
Staying in the Loop: Women of TIER podcast with Georgie Smallwood
We’re tooting our own horn this month - we don’t want you to miss the latest episode of the Women of TIER podcast featuring our very own Georgie, CPO at TIER Mobility. Georgie is a passionate supporter of women in technology and leadership and the founder of Auxilia Global. In this episode, she shares the challenges she’s faced balancing work and personal life and talks about the effects of the pandemic on our professional lives. Tune in on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to hear what Georgie chooses to challenge!
Okay, enough with the inspiring women, you say! Well, sorry, but we have to remind you about one more who will be joining us in conversation next week. Register here to get up to speed with AI at our webinar with Inmar Givoni: Machine Learning for the Rest of Us - no technical background required!
Until then, keep on choosing to challenge!
With power,
Your Women of TIER: Galuh, Sadie, Ligia, and Nastya