What they don't tell you when you set out to change the world

Why eco-conscious?

I wanted to prioritize sustainability in my business because I love spending time outside, surrounded by nature. Breathing in the misty ocean breeze, the fresh forest scent, or that first deep breath after rain has passed. Discovering new creatures and enjoying impressive hikes that remind me the world is bigger than myself. Digging into the earth to plant some new seeds, soon to come up in the spring to add color and provide food for the local bees. No good can come if that was all stripped away.

"Be good to others, do good work, and feel good using our creative skills to help purpose-driven people make a lasting impact. Also making imperfect changes that are better for the planet, volunteering with community organizations, and informing clients of ways to infuse sustainability into their business" (pulled directly from our "Do Good" value description).

I don’t want part of my progress to be harmful for our planet or the lives of the creatives we share it with. I want to work towards a brighter future for all and you probably feel the same way. Without making a conscious effort to make more sustainable choices in my business, I don’t think I can hope to achieve that.

To read more about the sustainable choices (big and small) I make for my business, you can check out the about page.

What makes sustainable business hard?

When you decided to start your business, you (like me) knew that you wanted sustainability to be a key pillar. You set out to include the most eco-friendly options, staying on top of latest innovations that might impact future business decisions. Always learning and exploring all your options before making a final selection.

Doesn’t that sound exhausting? It is! The truth is that we make business harder on ourselves. Running a business is hard, when you restrict your options it becomes even more difficult. We often strive for perfect progress while giving others grace for their imperfect changes.

You celebrate others for using their reusable bags or bringing in their own coffee mug.
You cheer their progress when they start using toothpaste tabs or shampoo bars.
You congratulate others for their recent eco-certification.

But you rarely feel excited by the changes you are making.

You dismiss your earth-focused changes in your business, often thinking “so what?”
You surround yourself with people you admire (who, in your eyes, are “doing it better”)
You discredit the way you prioritize low waste solutions or choice of a green web host.

Holidays become more stressful because we constantly think about about the plastic wrap, excess food waste, plastic packaging, constant spending, plastic bows, travel emissions, plastic bags and more.

The constant debate between real vs fake tree is enough to drive one mad (if you know you know).

You struggle to sleep while thinking about the latest climate disaster.
You feel anxiety take over when you think of recent policy changes.
You worry about the future state of the world we are part of.

Hyper awareness of the climate crisis often leads to more doom and gloom and less reflection for hopeful restoration. Many eco-focused business burn out in their first few years and I can see why. We sure don’t make it easy on ourselves, I’m feeling stressed just writing and admitting all this.

Reminders (for you and for me):

As with any business, we use our limited budgets to get something growing and we do what we can to make things work. After all, when we are first starting out, we are planting lots of seeds for future growth. Often growing more than we know beneath the surface.

I want to remind you that:

It’s okay to be scrappy at the start, making a decision based on financial stability, so you can plan for long-term growth.

Instead of the top of the line, custom printed, recycled boxes with algae ink—it’s okay to settle for the reused boxes that we already have. Perhaps investing in a roll of custom tape for that special touch instead.

It’s okay to talk about your imperfect progress and your hopes of larger future sustainability goals. We all start somewhere.

It’s okay if you’re not a B-corp or 1% for the planet member. They don’t make sense for everyone at the beginning of their business journey.

It’s okay if you’re not at every protest or forget to sign every petition—we must give ourselves time to rest.

It’s okay if you aren’t perfect, even the best environmental activists aren’t. The world we live in does not make it easy for us to make every sustainable choice. We are limited by our income, by our resources, and by what is currently available.

I wrote something in a recent collaborative blog that I have to constantly remind myself while growing my business.

“The reality is that, even as conscious business owners, we have bills to pay and a life to sustain. Keeping a business alive and thriving is no easy task and sometimes you have to take the job that isn’t the best fit in order to continue offering your services for ideal clients further down the line.”

Without making decisions that get us through this year, we aren’t likely to be around for years into the future. Instead of perfection throughout every aspect of our business, let’s focus on buying from other eco friendly business so we can support them on their journey and show our support. Let’s encourage each other forward and recognize the progress we are making.

I can acknowledge that I am not perfect but I also know that small changes make a big difference and imperfect progress is still a step in the right direction. I can only hope that talking about my conscious efforts and encouraging others will help multiply my impact. One day snowballing into a world growing in harmony with our environment—a girl can dream.

If you are new to the world of sustainability, I urge you to do one thing to limit your environmental impact today. Grab a reusable water bottle on your next trip to the store, use paper over plastic, shop at thrift shops, pick trash off the ground, think before you buy. Pick something that feels good for you and build from there. We don’t have to do everything all at once, but we do need your help.

Here’s hoping for less shaming, and more acknowledgment for making small changes. We cant hope to achieve the most sustainable version of our business without a bit of love and encouragement along the way. And we can’t hope to change the world without our community.



Thanks for doing your part to create a more sustainable future. Keep planting those seeds and grow as you go along. Please take some time today to acknowledge how far you’ve come. Be proud of yourself for choosing your purpose-driven path. I hope this helps you along your way.

If you are looking for some design support as you ease into the new year, fill out an inquiry form on our contact page or schedule a no obligations connection chat to see if we'd be a good fit for collaboration.