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170 / Unilever, Underconsumption Core & 100s of Upskilling Opportunities
Published 8 months ago • 6 min read
Hey there change agents 👋
Whether you're properly in school mode or not, September can feel like a season of new starts. You're back from the summer holidays, (hopefully) rested and recharged for the sprint to the end of the year.
For me, September is when my curiosity and creativity peak. I dream of Saturday mornings spent in my favorite leather coffeehouse chair, oat latte and apple cinnamon muffin in hand, immersed in one learning journey or another (this vision may or may not be informed by my recent Felicity rewatch 😉).
For those feeling that same upskilling urge, we've decided to dedicate September to spotlighting several of the resources we've created to support your learning and development as sustainable business professionals. Welcome to Back to School Month!
Here are a few goodies to get you started...
💪 BUILD YOUR NETWORK WHILE BECOMING A MORE EFFECTIVE AGENT OF CHANGE
Our signature Sustainability Change Agent Acceleratoris back this fall with a some exciting upgrades (and more accessible pricing). We're tentatively slated for a mid-October start but want to hear from prospective students what works best for YOU. Indicate your interest and preferences here (we'll also hook you up with a discount when we launch).
📝 UPSKILL YOUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATIONS KNOW-HOW
Our New Rules of Sustainability Communications course is designed to help sustainability professionals and communicators understand emerging green claims regulations and share sustainability initiatives with confidence. For the month of September, take this self-paced online program at a 30% discount with coupon code NEWRULES30.
📚 BROWSE OUR NEW IMPACT UPSKILLING HUB
Curious about other topics? We've curated over 100 of the best online sustainability and social impact courses, trainings and leadership programs in our new Impact Upskilling Hub (and we're offering Change Hubmembers some pretty hefty discounts on featured trainings).
Here's to new office supplies and freshly sharpened pencils this Fall!
Join us on September 19th for the next Reconsidered Coffee Chat, our signature 30-minute networking event for sustainability and social impact professionals. We'll be exploring the topic of Emotional Intelligence for Sustainability Leaders with Shannon Houde, founder of Walk of Life Coaching, and in breakout groups of fellow professionals.
If you're serious about upskilling, the Change Hub is an essential resource. Members get access to nearly 40 learning modules covering key sustainable business topics (think ESG reporting, emerging disclosure frameworks, green claims regulations, regenerative business... the list goes on), as well as 15+ discounts on courses from partners like The UnSchool of Disruptive Design, Voiz Academy and more. Not to mention hundreds of curated resources and a generous community of sustainable business professionals willing to weigh in on your biggest questions and greatest challenges.
Anyone else sensing the malaise of a “sustainability recession”? Andrew Winston and John Elkington are, and in this summer Fortune article Winston lays out his assessment of the reasons for the slowdown. For those fretting over what these trends mean for their companies (and their jobs), Winston offers: “I’ve been in sustainability long enough to see multiple waves come and go, with each successive recommitment at a higher, more intense level. Wise companies will keep plowing through this quicksand and prepare for the next wave.” (5 minutes)
Does Unilever’s ESG retreat mark the end of the 20+ year era of “win-win” corporate sustainability? That’s the question campaigner, author and Forum for the Future co-founder Jonathon Porritt seeks to answer in this blog post published after Unilever’s half-year results were published earlier this summer. Porritt, who advised Unilever’s sustainability efforts for nearly 30 years, offers his insider take on the rollercoaster of the past few years. A riveting — if slightly pessimistic — read. (15 minutes)
This profile of conservative campaigner Robby Starbuck offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the campaign against corporate DEI programs. While Starbuck has claimed credit for several recent rollbacks, one academic observer quoted offered a different take: “If one person can take to Twitter and ultimately inflame a campaign to dismantle DEI in large companies, it means those things were not strong to begin with.” (10 minutes)
Welcome to the era of “underconsumption core” — a TikTok antidote to influencer culture that celebrates buying and using only what you need. Driven by the economic downturn, it favors capsule wardrobes and pared-down cosmetics collections over unboxings and hauls. “Flagrant displays of wealth that were once aspirational are now insensitive, out-of-touch,” said one creator. AMEN 🙌. (5 minutes)
One of the biggest enablers (or blockers) to embedding sustainability in an organization? Trust. But trust isn't built overnight, notes Walk of Life Coaching's Shannon Houde. In this helpful and practical article, she lays out a four-point strategic plan to build influence so stand a better chance of getting buy-in for your programs. (4 minutes)
👉 DIG DEEPER: Shannon will be sharing more insights on the topic of Emotional Intelligence for Sustainability Leaders in our next Reconsidered Coffee Chaton September 19th. Join us!
Meet Janice Lee, Director of ESG and Impact at Alignment Health and a member of the Reconsidered Change Hub. In this profile, she shares how her experiences in social entrepreneurship shaped her career, the skill she anchors her work most in and her advice to professionals looking to work in sustainability.
💼 Oceanic Global — Blue Director (Remote, U.S.)* Oceanic Global is looking to bring on a Director to lead and grow the Blue Standard program. The ideal candidate is a savvy leader in the sustainability, hospitality and/or CPG spaces and is passionate about working with businesses to provide scalable solutions for the health of our ocean and blue planet.
💼 Vida Water — CEO (Remote, Texas, U.S.)* The CEO is responsible for leading the strategic development of Vida Water, a social enterprise startup, and growing a sustainable water service designed to meet the needs of unserved Texans. The CEO will steward funding relationships, test and refine market strategies and ensure company-wide regulation adherence.
A few highlights from this week’s curation:
Airbnb.org — Head of Fundraising (Remote, California, U.S.)
Nike — Global Sustainability Graduate Intern (Beaverton, Oregon, U.S.)
Ralph Lauren — Senior Associate, Global Citizenship and Sustainability (New York City)
S&P Global — Associate, Sustainability Solutions (London or Vienna, Austria)
Tesla — Human Rights and Sustainability Specialist (Berlin)
* Fall is hiring season and we’re here to help you make the most of it. Book a Sponsored Job Post and kick off Q4 with some incredible new colleagues from our community.
Browse our new database of sustainability and social impact related courses, trainings and leadership programs, including:
Chosen Directions’ Live Authentically group program sign-ups close on September 16th.
The Girls Club Collective’s Magicmind Leadership Cohort registration deadline is September 20th. Sign up for either the Change Agent or Entrepreneur cohort.
P.S. If you sign up for any of these, be sure to let ’em know Reconsidered sent you! Change Hub members also get discounts of up to 20% off. 🤗
💥 In our LinkedIn group of 14,000+, our members are sharing events for climate career pivoters, impact funding opportunities and forums for social enterprise leaders. See everything they’re posting here.
🚀 Got some big goals to knock out before the end of the year? Book a Partner Post and amplify your initiative to our active audience of sustainability and social impact leaders.
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Reconsidered is an impact strategy and communications studio dedicated to helping sustainable business leaders drive bigger, bolder, more sustainable change. Here are a few ways we can support your work:
✅ Helping your company articulate a brand-aligned ESG mission and framework that clearly communicates who you are, what you stand for and how you make change happen
✅ Creating internal employee engagement strategies that use behavior change principles to integrate sustainability right into the core of your company’s culture
✅ Delivering non-sucky trainings and talks that leave participants feeling equipped, energized and reconnected with their sense of purpose
Get fresh finds from the world of corporate responsibility, sustainability + social impact delivered straight to your inbox, every other week. Each issue includes 5 thought-provoking links, a curated list of impact job opportunities, interviews with global impact leaders and loads of exclusive tools + resources for sustainable business professionals.
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