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193 / Minneapolis, Movements & Mister Sunday
Published 19 days ago • 5 min read
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Hello friends đź‘‹
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I’m writing this first newsletter of 2026 while listening to a DJ mix I return to at least once a month. It’s from a Mister Sunday session at Gowanus Grove in Brooklyn back in September 2013 — still one of the best parties I’ve ever been to (pretty sure I can hear myself among all the hoots and hollers).
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This track is my go-to on dark winter mornings. It pulls me out of a procrastination spiral when I’m not quite sure how to start work. It gets my toes tapping, my shoulders moving and my energy shifting, every single time.
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For a few years now, we’ve talked about REST as a vital part of the sustainability change agent job description. In 2026, I’d like to suggest we add another line to that job description: JOY.
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Because this work is demanding. And the pressures facing sustainability and social impact leaders are only intensifying.
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Joy isn’t a distraction from the work; it’s fuel. A source of motivation, a salve and a critical ingredient for individual and collective resilience.
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It's also become somewhat of an operating principle at Reconsidered, driving many of the new offerings, partnerships and creative experiments we've run over the past year.
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On tough days — and there have already been many this year — joy can feel elusive. Which is exactly what makes it such a powerful, even radical, practice.
Fun fact: each of us played the final LCD Soundsystem track of the Mister Sunday mix as the final song at our weddings.
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In a few weeks we kick off the first cohort of Freelance Foundations — our new 12-week accelerator program for consultants, fractional leaders and solopreneurs looking to get clear, get confident and get into a new way of working that supports the life you want to lead. If you’re seeking structure and support to build a strong foundation for your freelance work in 2026, this program was built for you. Flexible payment plans available; just reach out.
Are you a consultant, fractional leader or solopreneur struggling to prioritize all you want to get done in 2026? Join our *free* Freelance Foundations Annual Planning Workshop on January 21st, which will give you a peek into the year-ahead planning process we use inside Reconsidered and guide you in setting some clear intentions for the year ahead. It'll also give you a flavor for our Freelance Foundations accelerator program starting next month!
Kicking off 2026 with 👆this energy👆 in our Change Hub membership community! January’s Hot Topic is "Setting Up for Success" and on the agenda we’ve got: a members-only goal-setting workshop, a member roundtable on 2026 sustainable business outlooks and loads of resources (including our annual 2026 Sustainable Business Calendar). Aaand we now have two pricing tiers to make joining even more accessible 🤗.
I was honored to add my voice to this corporate purpose predictions roundup alongside fellow members of Carol Cone's Purpose Collaborative. All-in, it’s a grounded, clear-eyed take on what’s shifting in this pivotal year for the “business for good” movement. (20 mins)​ ​
👉 PAYWALLED? If you have the resources, consider subscribing — quality journalism matters. If not, see if you get access through your organization or library, or try a tool that searches internet archives.
In her new Substack (now one of my weekly must-reads) corporate ethics expert Alison Taylor examines how companies like Hilton and Target have responded to the recent ICE actions in Minneapolis and what those responses reveal about the current state of corporate ethics and advocacy in the U.S. The analysis closes with some helpful guidance and examples for folks navigating values alignment inside their organizations right now. (15 mins)
There were a lot of losses for the climate movement last year. But there were also some very real wins, especially on the legal front. From blocking new fossil fuel projects to landmark greenwashing rulings and human-rights-based climate decisions, the courts were busy quietly reshaping the legal landscape around climate in 2025. Litigation is becoming one of the most effective levers for climate accountability right now, and we’re here for it! (10 mins)
This two-hour episode from one of my new favorite podcasts takes a sharp look at the ethical consumption movement — where it came from, what it promised and where it may have gone sideways. I had a few “hmm, not sure about that” moments (did Benedict Cumberbatch wearing a “This is a Feminist” shirt really kick this whole thing off? 🤔), but overall found it smart, well-researched and genuinely thought-provoking. Bonus points for Caro Claire Burke and Katie Gatti Tassin’s hilarious real talk and willingness to “go there”. (125 mins, 🙏 Lis B. for the rec!)
After stumbling upon the concept of “pronoia” in a viral LinkedIn post by techie Andrew Yeung, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it. It’s the opposite of “paranoia” — the belief that the world is secretly conspiring in your favor for things to work out. And it’s a mindset shared by some of the most successful people in Yeung’s orbit. It’s not a sustainability concept, exactly, but it felt timely for a community navigating so much uncertainty and change so I wanted to share. 🫶 (2 mins)
Alison Mehlsak is the Director of Impact at Seed and a member of the Reconsidered Change Hub. In this profile, she shares how sports first drew her to the world of purpose, the key role an MBA plays in her work and the environmental research initiative she’s leading at Seed.
​ ​📣 Hiring in the new year and looking for highly qualified candidates? Reach our readers by booking a Sponsored Job Post.
📆 January 20 — Setting Your 2026 Game Plan Workshop| 💻 Virtual | For Change Hub Members ​ In this practical workshop, we'll guide members in setting clear intentions and goals for the year ahead and connect them with the most relevant resources, tools and people inside the Change Hub.
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📆 January 21 — Freelance Foundations Annual Planning Workshop| 💻 Virtual | Open to All ​ In this *free* workshop for impact-focused independents, we'll provide a peek into our year-ahead planning process and guide you in setting a roadmap of you own.
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📆 January 27 — Member Roundtable: What’s Your 2026 Sustainable Business Outlook?| 💻 Virtual | For Change Hub Members ​ In this roundtable, several Change Hub members from different corners of the sustainable business ecosystem will share what they're seeing in their work, what trends they're tracking and what they're keeping an eye on for 2026.
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🤬 Most clicked from the last issue… Fuck Doom. ’Nuff said. For 2026, you all are embracing the theme of this rousing campaign from creative agency Futerra.
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📚 In the Reconsidered Impact Upskilling Hub, you can find 100+ of the best sustainability courses. This week's partner picks: Careers for Social Impact’s Take Ownership of Your Career cohort and Voiz Academy’s VoizAI cohort (psst… Change Hub members get up to 20% off on these and more!).
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đź‘Ż In the Reconsidered LinkedIn Group, members are sharing virtual meet-ups for social entrepreneurs, impact career workshops and circular economy training resources. Join 21k+ of us here.
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📣 Is 2026 the year you launch your dream project? Whatever you’re building/announcing/scaling, we’re happy to help spread the word with a Sponsored Post.
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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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