Visit http://stillbeingmolly.com/giftguide to get all the shownotes and details on all the products and coupon codes mentioned in the episode! Thank you to Cultivate What Matters for sponsoring this episode. Thank you to Emily Sexton of The Flourish Market for being my co-host!
When I open up an episode, my goal is to give you a personal connection--some type of fact or interesting tidbit--that is kind of a general statement, but is loosely or directly related to the upcoming conversation. But this week, as I sat down to work on the post-production for this episode, there was not a phrase or a catchy saying or a fact (or anything like that), that could really put into perspective the conversation that I had with my guest today. No fancy intro or statement of facts, cou...
Whether we realize it or not, our culture, our background, our upbringing, our childhood, the way we have lived our life up until this point, influences how we make choices on a daily basis. Maybe we realize it--or not, maybe it is conscious--or not, but those things that we have experienced in our life, they impact the decisions that we make today, and tomorrow, and going forward. I love when I connect with a business that has used their culture, or their family, or something in their belief sy...
Global poverty is at the root of so many things. So many things. From hunger, to the orphan crisis, to human trafficking, to drug trafficking, to homelessness, to disease and HIV/AIDS - global poverty is at the root. Reducing or even eliminating global poverty is the key to reducing and eliminating so much hurt and pain in the world. But this issue is so complicated, as most issues are. But it is one that is incredibly important. My guest today left a life of comfort and security, working in the...
We know life is short. We say life is short but, do we really believe it? Do we live that out? Do we make the most of every single day? You know, that cliché? For many of us, we go through the motions--we go through the daily grind of life, not realizing what’s happening. Then, when all of a sudden we are struck with a tragedy or hardship, we’re reminded of the preciousness of life. Those moments are often when we stop to take inventory of our lives and we decide if we’re going to pursue that dr...
We love rags-to-riches Cinderella stories. They inspire us. Personally, I love learning about people. I mean really learning about them. What makes them tick? What drives them? What fuels their fire? What’s their why? What’s their reason for doing what they do? How do they work so hard to get where they are? Are they an actual overnight success or are they an overnight success that actually took like 10-15-25-35 years of hard work to become an overnight success? Have they left behind a faster-pa...
April 24, 2013. That’s the day that the Rana Plaza Building in Bangladesh collapsed. 1,138 people died and another 2,500 were injured. It was the fourth-largest industrial disaster in history. There were actually five garment factories in the Rana Plaza--all manufacturing clothing for big, global brands, and the victims were mostly young women. The thing is, is that the fashion industry is actually the second-largest global industry after oil . People and the environment are suffering as a resul...
We all love a deal. You know what I’m talking about. When you walk into a store, and you see something on sale, and you’re like “It’s only $4.50! Yes! What a deal!” Or if you’re in a thrift shop and you find a designer handbag, or a pair of designer shoes for like, $3.00, you think you won the lottery. We get a thrill out of a deal. It’s that hit of adrenaline. It’s exciting. But for others, maybe the idea of second-hand shopping is overwhelming and taxing. Maybe you just like the idea of it, bu...
When you hear the term “ethical,” what does it mean to you? When I ask different people, different people give me different definitions. I think everyone’s idea of “ethical company” may mean something different, like maybe how they treat animals, or the materials they use and how it impacts the planet, or maybe it’s about how they treat the people that work for them. I think that the definition of “ethical” is ever-changing and ever-evolving, and I think that’s a good thing! My guest this week i...
I talk all the time about the importance of having a “why” in your business. Having a “why” is that foundation that every business owner should build their business upon. Simply because, when the rough patches come (which they will) and when the business gets hard (which it will), having a strong “why” behind what you do helps push past those challenges. A lot of businesses can struggle with this, or maybe, the “why” gets lost in the “what”--the “what they are doing.” But today’s guest is helpin...
A common thread I’ve discovered through interviewing so many social entrepreneurs is that they worked at a particular field that isn’t inherently social conscious and they realized, something had to be done to change it or make it better. They weren’t just going to sit back and say, “Oh that’s a terrible problem, someone should really do something about that.” So, more often than not, they left that job to do something and be a part of the solution. My guest this week is Mary Sue Papale, the fou...
I love cultural history. I love it. I soak up details and facts and information about the history of different cultures anytime I can. I listen to podcasts, I read blogs, watch documentaries, and when I meet someone from a different culture--especially if they are a seasoned person, if you know what I mean--I ask questions. Or if I meet an older person, from my own culture--I ask questions. I think that’s why I loved volunteering in a nursing home when I was in college. I love hearing stories an...
You may be one type of person. You may be the type of person who, you are currently working in a job and you have that side hustle that you really enjoy, but it just kind of supplements whatever you do for a living right now, and you’re happy where you are. Or, you might be the person who is currently working a job and you have that side hustle, but you have a bigger dream, and you are pushing towards that bigger dream, and you just want that bigger dream to come true, and you are just paralyze....
The term millennial gets a bad rap these days. Millennials are thought to be entitled, lazy, self-serving, wasteful, but here’s the thing, let’s be honest: those types of people exist in every generation, ever. That is not a new trait that’s unique to the millennial generation. In fact, the more I learn from and speak with people in the millennial generation, the more I’m finding the opposite to be the case. Millennials care about their impact, millennials want to buck the status quo, and rally ...
For years, the downtown area of Harrisonburg, Virginia had an eyesore that its residents had to drive past each and every day. It was a run down, bright pink pornography shop in disrepair. It was a place of hurt and pain and despair. It was a place of so much darkness. It was a place that once closed down, no one thought anything good could ever come of that building. The residents of Harrisonburg thought this old, worn down pornography shop would always be an ugly worthless building taking up s...
It’s a fact - when the unemployment rate is high, the first people to be hit are women and children. Whether it’s in a developing nation or here in the United States, women and children are the first ones affected by any type of unemployment. I have talked about this before, but when a woman is provided a job in a developing nation, she invests about 80-90% of her income back into her community. When a man in a developing nation is provided a job, he only invests about 30-40% back into his commu...
Alright guys…. I’m shaking things up this week for the 100th episode extravaganza! My executive producer, also known as my husband John, is here to help me co-host and we’re talking about basically everything you could imagine. Getting to this 100th episode has been such a journey and to celebrate this milestone, we’re showing you John and Molly like you’ve never seen us before! Like I said, we talked about almost everything under the sun. We get personal, talking about how we met and answering ...
One of the things I talk about a lot is the fact that there are a lot of layers to the ethical and fair trade fashion world. It’s not just about pretty, handmade clothes. There are so many complex issues that really hide beneath the surface, or sometimes maybe they’re brought to the surface. Everything from the orphan crisis to human trafficking to child and slave labor, all those types of things really are there hiding beneath the surface and it’s time that we talk about those issues so that pe...
I believe in my heart of hearts that everyone, yes, everyone , is born with a gift. Now, I don’t know what your gift may be, but you, listening right now, you have a gift that was given to you at birth. Maybe you can sing, or dance, or you love to organize, or you really love spreadsheets (that’s my husband), or you love to cook. Maybe you’re good at math. Maybe you’re a good writer, or you love to fix things and you just have a knack for it. Maybe you’re artistic. Whatever it is, you have it! O...
Some of you may or may not know this, but I am a former comedian! I performed improvisational and sketch comedy for almost 15 years and I loved it. While I’m no longer on stage a couple nights a week, I still love the art of improv comedy and used so many of the skills I gained doing improv in my everyday life: in my work, all the things. Yup, despite what you may realize, the foundational principles of improv are some of the most effective principles for doing life and business! My guest this w...
With today’s news cycles, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the troubles going on in our world. Where do we even start? How do we even scratch the surface of helping? What do we do? What can one person do to make a difference in some of the world’s biggest problems? It does not have to be complicated. It doesn’t have to be hard. You can make a difference! You can make a change! This isn’t just some fluffy, woo-woo talk, you really can make an impact. My guest this week is Kristi Porter, the fou...
The entertainment industry is a tough industry. We hear all the time about entertainment industry professionals, actors, directors, musicians, producers, et cetera, who get burned out. They suffer from depression, struggle with hurting relationships, and so much more. But sometimes the entertainment industry can also connect people to doing good in a way they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise. So many of those people end up doing incredible, philanthropic work around the world! Today’s guest took...
With today’s social media world and our abundance of information that’s thrown our way, we can very easily get discouraged about the world around us. Sometimes we feel like there’s so much hurt and sadness in the world, and we get overwhelmed, we feel like the apocalypse is nigh. But the truth is, it’s just not true. Yes, there are bad things in the world, but there’s also so much good, and there’s so much room for good! There are so many people and businesses changing and impacting lives, and s...
I’m always amazed when I meet someone who has taken a trial, struggle, hardship, or some adversity in their life and used it to change and impact their community or the world. So often, when tough stuff happens to us or when life hands us a really huge, massive lemon, we use that to sit and throw ourselves a pity party. But when we flip that on its head and instead use that hardship for good, it’s amazing what we can accomplish! My guests on the Business with Purpose podcast this week are Ben &a...
Today’s episode is a little different than usual, and I loved it. I know that I have a lot of listeners who are not entrepreneurs. You’re in the corporate world, or you’re a student, or you’re an employee, or you’re in a job that you just cannot stand and you’re looking to change jobs or find a job where you can serve on a team that utilizes your gifts. You’re looking for a job with purpose and meaning and you just don’t know where to start. Well, we’ve got you covered today! My guest this week ...
One of the things I love most about ethical and fair trade fashion is telling the stories behind the companies that make these beautiful things. That’s basically why I started this podcast, so you could hear the stories behind the brands doing these amazing things! But what I love even more is when I’m out somewhere and someone says “Oh I love that gorgeous necklace” or “That shirt is incredible, where did you get it?” and I get to tell the story behind the gorgeous piece. But it’s not like they...
Figuring out what to make for dinner each week can be so stressful, especially with work, and kids, and life. That time of day can be MISERABLE, and takes everything out of you just to get food on the table. A few years ago, my friends and I actually started a monthly Freezer Meal Party, where we gather and we cook freezer meals, and then we swap them. So, we have easy meals ready to go throughout the week or month. This has been such a lifesaver for me and my friends, and honestly it’s become s...
Have you ever spent time cleaning out your closet, and you take all of your valuable clothes that you spent good money on, and you haul that stuff to your local consignment store or like Plato’s Closet or Clothes Mentor and you are excited for how much money they’re going to give you… and then suddenly the wind has been taken out of your sails when they want to offer you like $3 for your $180 J.Crew blazer? Or $5 for that $250 Coach bag? Yeah, I’ve experienced that a time or 12… well, what if th...
Have you ever thought that you’re at a place in your life where it’s too late to start over? Sometimes I feel like we get to a certain age (an age that doesn’t actually really exist) and we think that we are stuck doing what we are doing forever. We think that if we aren’t successful doing something by age…. let’s day 28! Then we are STUCK. It’s never too late. I mean, Morgan Freeman was 52 when he got his first leading role in a movie… and now we see Morgan Freeman do everything! Vera Wang deci...
There are a lot of misconceptions around the topic of human trafficking. So many people think it happens in other countries or it happens only to people living in poor conditions or that it looks like a guy in a big white van zooming in and snatching people off the streets. While that may be a tiny, tiny bit true… and I mean, a VERY TINY BIT true… human trafficking in reality looks very different. The fact is, is can and DOES happen right here in our own backyards… to kids - both boys and girls ...
