92. Become More Sustainable Without Sacrificing Profit with Shannon Kenny
Summary
February is sustainability month at Pause On The Play! In advance of our deep dive into all things related to sustainability. Erica and India speak with Shannon Kenny, a business sustainability expert who’s approach provides a practical antidote to glossier influencer-based efforts.
In this discussion:
What role equity can play in advancing eco-conscious products and policy
How goods-based businesses and service-oriented companies can take the lead and thrive by modeling best practices and providing access
How to reframe the 2 biggest perceived obstacles to sustainability: cost and convenience
Examples of entry-level actions that support continuous, comprehensive change
How to message your imperfect sustainability actions in your marketing
Shifting culture by making more sustainable choices
After The Episode
Visit MamaEco for your copy of Shannon’s Six Simple Steps To Make Your Service Business More Sustainable.
Join Shannon, Erica, and India for an exclusive workshop on sustainability, in support of our theme of the month for February, when you join the Pause On The Play Community.
Episode Notes
Meet Shannon Kenny
Equity is a multifaceted pursuit, each aspect working in tandem to support the whole. Business sustainability expert Shannon Kenny joins Erica and India to examine the role that eco-consciousness plays in providing fairer access and opportunity for all.
Growing up on the island of Trinidad instilled in Shannon a deep sense of environmental responsibility. That ethos resulted in her starting MamaEco in 2017 - a hip, un-granola approach to what’s often dismissed as a crunchy endeavor. Since its founding, MamaEco has helped businesses and brands become more sustainable without sacrificing profit. Shannon has delivered her message of sustainability at events worldwide and via multiple publications including USA Today, MarketWatch, MindBodyGreen, and Grateful.
As Shannon is fond of saying, small actions have a big impact. She helps Erica and India unpack misconceptions associated with sustainability, specifically how incorporating those practices into everyday decision-making ultimately offsets cost - to a business and the planet. Shannon provides examples for personal and professional use and shares practical considerations for avoiding overwhelm or the dreaded comparison trap.
All Actions Have Impact
Shannon defines sustainability as “when everything in a system can be maintained and can thrive in the long run.” When she says “everything”, she means both the environment and the people that exist within and supports that environment -- the employees, the farmers, the factory workers, the sales associates, the raw materials, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the food that we grow, etc. All of these elements play a role in how sustainable a system is.
Erica points out that a lot of people may not realize that sustainability isn't just about tangible things. People, too, are an under-acknowledged resource and it's essential to consider both synergistically when designing policy as well as products.
India appreciates that Shannon’s brand defies sustainability’s hippie stereotype and debunks the myths associated with eco-consciousness. Her clean, clear website, for example, immediately signals a different approach - one that’s decidedly not awash in patchouli. As Shannon says, “The truth of the matter is you don't have to be, you know, on the front lines in order to be an environmentalist or in order to care about the planet.”
Every manufacturing, distribution, and personal choice can be made with multiple eco-conscious factors in mind, including:
packaging recyclability
employee compensation and treatment
raw materials or resource usage
community initiatives
Self-proclaimed environmentalist or not, our decisions have broader implications. From the food we eat to the paper we use, businesses, brands, and individuals have myriad opportunities to act more sustainably. But pushback is deeply rooted; entrenched habits and methodologies stand in opposition to progress (hmmm...where have we seen that before?).
Reframing Sustainability
The two most significant points of contention to sustainability? Cost and convenience. Reframing these considerations is the first step toward acting with environmental integrity.
Shannon acknowledges that an eco-friendly item might cost more upfront than its less environmentally conscious counterpart. She points out, however, that dollar-for-dollar comparisons don’t take into account the ethical production and distribution of each product. Sustainable brands and services come to the market having committed to “things that have been done the right way,” she says. “Intentional decisions have been made along the way, and it’s not just about profit.”
Cheaply produced items like fast fashion (think: Zara or H&M) and processed foods (think: convenience store merchandise) overburden the earth in obvious ways, but they can also end up costing the consumer more over time. For example, if instead of buying cheap, trendy clothes that are poorly made, you bought a few classic pieces that were well made, they may cost you more in the short-term, but you wouldn’t need to buy a replacement for it for the next 5 to 10 years, saving you money in the long run.
Environmentally caustic practices favor short-term savings over long-term thinking. Shannon works with businesses to break that cycle. Her focus is on coaching companies to approach their choices differently - without difficulty. “The truth is, you don’t have to completely flip your business or personal life on its head in order to make it more sustainable.”
Integrating a fully eco-conscious approach requires continual education and due diligence, Professional guidance helps. Even so, a shift towards greater sustainability is not always an easy transition. Shannon concedes that higher costs coupled with time set aside for research are often necessary upfront - but result in better quality products and services from top to bottom.
“Once you make those changes, it becomes the new norm, and it’s completely effortless.” In her own life, Shannon says the changes she makes now are made with much more ease and overall sustainability than back when she began her own eco-conscious journey.
Equality, Integrity, and Ethical Choices
As she continues to incorporate eco-conscious choices into her business, India says some decisions have required additional financial resources. In contrast, others have forced a choice between the lesser of two evils. Pulling focus, however, has aided her decision-making.
Whenever available, India considers sustainable product and service alternatives as a means for creating greater equality and a redistribution of concentrated wealth. “Software is definitely a thing that we’ve been re-evaluating,” she says, pointing to her recent migration from Facebook to Mighty Networks for social engagement.
Erica asks Shannon to expand on how she convinces companies that ethical choices are fiscally responsible. “I kind of see transitioning toward being more sustainable business as an opportunity rather than a sacrificing of something.”
Consumer Awareness
By incorporating more sustainable practices, companies and brands widen their customer base, tapping into new sources for promotion and profit. “You're opening up your profits rather than sacrificing them because of the intentional decisions by which you choose to run your business,” Shannon says.
India points out that commitment to quality is increasingly important to consumers, with more informed buyers express their power, literally, by voting with each dollar they spend. “It allows them to feel good about their buying decisions and the choices that they're making through what they know that your company is or isn't doing.”
So, how does a business or brand communicate these values to consumers? Shannon advises companies to back their efforts with facts. She also alerts them to greenwashing - the practice of conveying a false impression of overall eco-consciousness - in their messaging.
Erica sees a common thread between imperfect progress toward sustainability and imperfect action necessary in anti-racism work. “I think there's this thought of, like, but if I'm not doing this perfectly, can I talk about this? Can I share this with my clients of how I'm being sustainable?”
Here, too, Erica says that no matter where you are on the journey, it’s not only possible to be transparent about the work you’ve done and the commitments you’ve made, but imperative to do so.
Shannon agrees. The attempts don’t need to be perfect to be valued. “People want to be with you along that journey.” Consumers and clients appreciate the camaraderie and honest efforts. They like knowing that your values align with theirs.
Sometimes, though, steady progress is derailed by a misguided desire to arrive quickly at sustainability, fully conscious and without fault. Perfect is the enemy of the good in all things. “I had to change that mindset, to think about [what] I'm working towards,” Shannon says. “I may never get there, but it's always going to be a journey - and that's the mindset that businesses should have.”
Service-Based Sustainability
Companies that produce tangible goods receive a lot of attention from the media and eco-conscious consumers. But service-based businesses can and should implement these practices into their operational strategies. Hosting companies that have positioned themselves as green are an excellent place to start. Shannon likes GreenGeeks, a company she uses to offset website energy use by as much as three times. “Now my website is...not only carbon neutral but [also] carbon negative,” she says.
Other options include simplifying the code necessary to run your website. Doing so not only reduces, but also corrects inefficient processes, creating a lean operating system. Simpler code translates into faster website load times, better SEO, and happier clients. “It’s kind of like a no-brainer,” says Shannon.
Shifting Culture
India wonders if greater environmental sustainability can lead to significant cultural changes - breaking down stereotypes and providing more equitable entry into a once-rarified space. Shannon’s answer is a resounding yes! A diverse group of influencers are making sustainability attractive to all, she says. “People want that because it looks badass.”
She does, however, acknowledge that social media tends to place too much emphasis on sustainability’s luxury marketing elements. Overall, though, Shannon thinks the positive effects drive better buying decisions and make sustainability more attractive in the long run - or sexy as she says.
Tongue-in-cheek sex appeal aside, a key ingredient to equitable eco-consciousness is honoring diverse approaches while providing entry for all. Access to fresh, healthy food in food deserts, for example, is an act of sustainability; doing so allows residents to reduce reliance on products with excess packaging and GMO-grown ingredients.
Messaging Methods Prompt Buying Decisions
Shannon advises the businesses and brands she consults with to tailor their sustainability message to their audience. In a callback to the idea of consumer awareness, she references a green roof builder with whom she worked, saying he never led a sales conversation with the “e” word. Instead, the roofer highlighted overall cost savings and low maintenance, both palpable long-term wins that his customers could readily appreciate. “You really have to push someone where they can feel it or lean into what you know is important to them,” she says.
Erica appreciates the unintentionally comedic truth of that “know your audience” example. “I always find it so hilarious because you could tell two people two very different things about the same exact thing based on what their specific motivators are. And, they're both on board!”
Opposite the wise purchases we aspire to are the everyday decisions that hinder our sustainability efforts. Shannon offers a simple solution.
“I always tell people that the most sustainable thing that you can do is to use what you have first.”
As sexy as that newer, more sustainable product might be, if you already own something that can do the same job, don’t waste your time, contribute to landfills, or burden production lines by buying new - even if you have the funds to do so.
There’s no blanket approach to sustainability. “It's really about, you know...evaluate where you are right now,” Erica says. Ultimately, you do the movement and your efforts a disservice when you compare your situation or resources to an influencer’s polished lifestyle.
Two Take-Aways And A Final Word
As the conversation wraps up, Shannon echoes Erica’s statement that businesses and individuals should take an inventory of what they use and what they rely on. Choose just one to start with and go from there.
“Go to another thing on the list and just kind of go bit-by-bit and take it at your own pace,” Shannon says each choice lays the foundation for future decisions and has an enormous impact on the whole.
Looking to the future, Shannon’s excited to see so much innovation on the horizon, including disruptions in inefficient processes and revamping of product packaging. Additionally, she’s excited at the prospect of more significant governmental legislation, laws favoring sustainability and supporting equitable eco-consciousness. India agrees. “What I’m excited about as well is that there’s more people like you that are supporting businesses and individuals with becoming more sustainable and putting this on their raider in the first place.”
No matter where you are on your sustainability journey, the trio advise you just to start as honestly and effectively as you can. Like Shannon says, “Anyone who tells you that you have to do something in order to be X...just move on, move away from that person.” Only you know how to best to incorporate eco-consciousness into your business and your life.
Guest Contact & Bio
Shannon Kenny is a Sustainable Business Consultant who helps eco-conscious businesses become more sustainable without sacrificing profit. Growing up on the Caribbean island of Trinidad instilled a deep sense of environmental responsibility within her, and in 2017, she turned that conviction into her career with the launch of Mama Eco, a business dedicated to helping eco-conscious people make better decisions for the environment. Shannon has spoken at sustainable events as well as been on panels with thought leaders in the environmental world. And has been featured in several publications, including USA Today, MarketWatch, mindbodygreen and Grateful.
Quoted
SHANNON KENNY
There's so many different applications of the word sustainable, and it's definitely more like, holistic rather than just thinking about, okay, sustainability equals environmental sustainability equals greed, you know? It’s much more diverse than that.
If you take the overall collection of decisions that you make in terms of sustainability, and then the decisions that you would make if you just did everything the standard generic way, and you added those up, it is less expensive to do it the sustainable way because there's other factors involved.
I don't see it as an all or nothing; you don't have to be a hundred percent sustainable from the get-go in order to be working towards that in the long run.
People want to be with you along that journey because, even if you're not there yet, if they see your commitment to it, then they're going to support you along the way.
I was living in this constant state of failure because I wasn't perfect and...it wasn't getting anywhere with that mindset. And so, I had to change that mindset to think about I'm working towards something.
A big part of this is also making it accessible because it's going to look different for everyone, and all of us have access to different things.
It’s all about how you frame it in order to make it accessible to the person who you're speaking to.
You can only compare yourself to what you did yesterday and what you want to do tomorrow.
ERICA COURDAE
Sustainability isn't just about tools or things. It also includes people and what our own sustainability is with the things that we're doing or the efforts that we're trying to reach. I think it's important to consider that and just see how these things kind of work together synergistically.
I think as a general statement, people can think about ethics, and yes, sometimes we feel that those are good, nice-to-haves but, there's still a lot of people that are very much like, okay, well, how does this affect my bottom line?
That messaging goes a long way when you want to connect to the values of your customer because, once you connect with your customer on a values-based level, that's a match made in heaven.
I think so often people are looking for a blanket response or answer or action to take that they don't think about, well, what's the best thing for me? What do I actually need? What's going to support the lifestyle that I'm seeking or, you know, my health, the health and wellness of my family.
INDIA JACKSON
I feel like there's this huge stereotype that like sustainability is this crunchy granola topic. That's only for certain people who only care about certain things, and that's just not true.
I think one of the first examples that comes to mind for me Is taking a look, as a business owner, what software you're using and really asking yourself what are the ethics of the company that owns that software or is producing that software.
The future is going to require diversity in what people are seeing sustainability can look like.