Can fashion have a purpose?  Just ask Jessica of Jewelry for a Cause.  She’s running a revolutionary Jewelry company that devotes itself to pulling guns off the streets and turning them into beautiful jewelry that starts conversations about how we can all work to reduce gun violence and restore our communities.

This is a MUST LISTEN interview - I was nearly moved to tears at several points with the moving stories Jessica shared.

What’s more - Jessica sets an example for all of us about how to lead a movement in which we listen to the communities we serve and do what is best for them - all while running a highly sucessful business that raises awareness - or as Jessica might say - raises the caliber.  The caliber of our conversations, our service, and the caliber of our social impact.

SHOW NOTES

• Most Influential Book: Half the Sky
• Advice: Listen - listen to the people you are serving.
• Unique advantage of social entrepreneurs: You have a personal connection and story, so this is a special advantage for getting people involved in your cause.
• How to change the world?: Do what you say you’re going to do - just be nicer to each other, smile at somebody - if you just start there, and help restore the breakdown in the way we treat each other, this can go a long way.

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Love Heals.  That is Shana Goodwin’s overwhelming message as she tells her story and experience working with a non-profit and social enterprise.  Shana Goodwin is a Sales Representative for Thistle Farms which sells handmade and all natural bath and body products.  Thistle Farms is the Social Enterprise of Magdalene House, which provides housing, rehabilitation services, and opportunity to learn responsibility and valuable job skills to women living on the streets of Nashville, Tennessee.  All of the revenue from Thistle Farms goes towards funding the operations of Magdalene House.  Shana Goodwin speaks openly about her life being born into drug addiction and trafficking that left her living on the streets or in jail.  She was court appointed to live at the Magdalene House in 2010 and experienced a community of women that healed her with love and changed her life.  Shana is now dedicating to healing other women in the same way that she was healed through Magdalene House and Thistle farms.

Show Notes:

• National Conference October 12th,13th, and 14th

• Buy Product

• Store Locator

• Shared Trade Alliance:

  • Shared Trade is a coalition of social enterprises united by a common goal - to move marginalized women permanently out of poverty by using our collective vision and experience and growing a movement for women’s economic freedom. For more information, contact sharedtrade@thistlefarms.org.

• Favorite Book:

  • Snake Oil by Thistle Farms founder Becca Stevens

• Best Peice of Advice:

  • Sit still and be patient in times of uncertainty

• Favorite Tool:

  • Love without Judgement.  Love women where they are at so they can love themselves.

• Social Venture outside of Thistle Farms:

  • Magdalen House and Shared Trade

• What is the First Thing everyhting can do right now to start changing the world:

  • BUY PRODUCT

  • Sales is what keeps these women coming in to Magdalene House and off the streets.

Social entrepreneur Vincent Ko shares about creating a clear vision for social change as the founder of Panda.  Vincent shares his inspiring story of starting a life changing fashion company despite not having any design background.  Panda sells high-end sunglasses handmade from sustainable bamboo and partners with Optometry Giving Sight to donate eye examinations to those in need.  Vincent shares how he used his passion for a cuase to grow his fashion company into a movement for social change.

Vincent Ko and Panda design sustainable sunglasses to give sight to those in need. How will you be visionary?

SHOWNOTES: 

 wearpanda.com

• Connect with Panda — zookeeper@wearpanda.com
• Personal Hero:
  • Tony Shea-Founder of Zappos.com
• Personal Tool or Aid:
  • Producerati.com
    • Be more productive by using the Pomodoro technique and joining a virtual co-work sync up.
  • MOT-Most Important Task
    • Tackle the most daunting, challenging, and critical task before doing anything else.
• Favorite Thing To Do For Fun:
  • Traveling
• First thing EVERYONE can do to start changing the world?
  • Start asking yourself, “is there a better way?” when doing everyday tasks to develop the right mindset to create a change for the better.

Josh - the founder of Social Change Nation talks about his personal philosophy, the promises of Social Change Nation, and the format of the Voices of Social Change podcast.