With Special Guest Shawna Kaszer of @shawnakaszer
In this episode, we search for the balance between consumerism and sustainability while learning how to contribute to society with our dollar.
At Red & Olive, we know everyone in the world has a part to play and that we all need internal healing. This is what Red & Olive is about. We want to sell dolls to impact the lives of children that not only bring them joy, but also create a path of empowerment for the women (and their families) who make them.
Shawna says, “It’s all about the shift to the mentality from consumerism to contribution.”
In this episode, Shawna Kaszer, author of memoir, Mountains into Roads, guides us through the process of taking action to make an impact in the world. She tells us to start by turning away from individualism and being mindful that how we spend out money plays a huge deal in that.
Tune in as Shawna explains that it’s time to shift our mindset from consumerism to contributors, from transaction to generosity.
What does this mean? It’s being intentional about what you consume and measuring how much you contribute. You can contribute through time – cook a meal, donate what you don’t use anymore– it’s the heart posture of showing up wanting to contribute & not just endlessly consuming.
Shawna recommends to ask yourself:
Am I contributing to society as much as I’m willing to take?
Destiny reminds us that this practice is definitely seasonal. Sometimes you won’t be able to do more of one or the other, so remember to give yourself grace because you never know what can happen to change a season of your life (speaking to you, COVID-19!).
As the holiday season approaches, it will feel difficult to choose sustainability. We can ask ourselves: what is driving our consumerism? Are we being led by convenience or by conviction?
It’s important to remember that our money contributes to the health of society. When driven by convenience (Amazon!), you run the risk of being self-serving. As a culture, if we err on the side of convenience and instant gratification, but what if we thought of others and how our choices affect society? What if you looked into brands that bring us joy through their products and benefits the makers?
Remember, thinking of others doesn’t mean forgetting yourself!
As the latest generation of mama’s and entrepreneurs, we’re in a position of influence to shape culture the way we want to see it. Our jobs are to equip the next generation and teach what our parents didn’t. We can remind our kids that it’s not bad to receive, but it’s just as important to give and be charitable. We can ingrain generosity with joy.
Fill your glass with your mama juice and listen as Shawna and Destiny share more tips on teaching the balance between consumerism and contribution and bringing all that home.
Resources from the Episode
• Shawna’s book
If you’d like to listen to more live chats, you can check out the whole IGTV series at www.instagram.com/redandoliveco/channel/
Produced in partnership with The Purpose Pilot.
