Thanksgiving (a week late)

Lauren and I decided to share a few reflections on this Throwback Thursday, especially as it is a week after Thanksgiving, which is always a serious reminder to us to take a look at all that has graced our lives recently.

Every kitchen table chat has been compelling, interesting, and revealing in some way.

To start, I truly feel that the conversations we have had since mid-late 2020, with more than 40 people, have kept me going through the remote world of COVID and through rocky times in my own career when I was missing inspiration and feeling a lack of progress in my work. Every kitchen table chat (as we like to think of them) has been compelling, interesting, and revealing in some way. Many of them helped me to refine my concepts of sustainability, equity, health, and the profession of design and construction.

And it all started with Lauren and I reconnecting. One of us, I don’t know who, suggested we could learn from some of the amazing people we know. One of us, maybe it was both, said “Cool, and then we can share the chats on YouTube!”. Since then we have not only talked with people we know, but we have begun to be bold enough to connect with people we don’t yet know. We want to meet more of you.

Every conversation is a gem. We hope you think so as well.

So here are a few things (in no order) I am thankful for, from our episodes and efforts so far:

  • Laughing so very hard with T.J. Mannix when we visited with him for over THREE hours the first time we chatted (S2C E8)
  • Learning about wineries and so much more with Suzanne Hunt of Hunt Country Winery (S2C E25). I never connected the challenge of financing for smaller projects to the notion of aggregating the loans and educating the banks!
  • Amplifying our Voices with Jade Warrick (S2C E17). Knowing that art, and co-created art, can give voice to kids in our communities helps me understand we need to include our kids in our climate change work. 
  • Getting to Zero with Jim D’Aloisio (S2C E5). We  learned that structural engineers can be pretty darn passionate about carbon (and this is vital).
  • Learning more about YouTube, video editing, and voice-overs. I still have loads more to learn (especially about promotion).
  • Mentally entering into a crafted, deliberate, and beneficial carbon future with Doug and Emma of the 2041 Project (S2C E37). Visioning and playing can help us re-learn how to iterate for faster traction for innovation. It also helps to remove fear of failure.
  • Most of all, learning more about Lauren and her work and her ideas and goals, and knowing the our conversations with all of these wonderful people have inspired both of us to do more, be more, and be happier.

So, Lauren – think about what bits you are thankful for, and we’ll get them into the list. In the meantime, I can tell you I am particularly thankful for you, and for your companionship in this project of discovery and community. It has been so much fun, sometimes challenging, and always fascinating. You make it so.

Being Thankful, and enjoying the Process!

Jodi

PS – Check out our our YouTube channel, and don’t forget to share your comments with us, and to subscribe. Your interactions, for even a thumbs up, will help us gain some tractions and share what we are learning in each and every kitchen table chat: that sustainability informs all good work, and every worthwhile effort we learn about helps us to understand sustainability even more.

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