My Gen Z son has been getting me to think a lot more about caring for Mother Earth – and not just thinking, but taking action. Doing so is not just an ethical responsibility; it is also a smart strategy for individuals and companies alike. Environmental stewardship ensures the preservation of natural resources vital for sustaining life, including clean air, water, and fertile soil. By minimizing ecological harm through sustainable practices, such as reducing carbon emissions and minimizing waste, individuals and businesses can mitigate the risks associated with climate change, such as extreme weather events and resource scarcity, thus safeguarding their own well-being and economic interests. Moreover, embracing environmentally-friendly initiatives conveys a moral imperative toward caring for our living quarters and can lead to increased energy efficiency, improved brand reputation, and access to emerging green markets, fostering long-term resilience and prosperity for both people and the planet.
With that backdrop, I have been thinking about connections in my life – individuals and companies – who are dedicated to providing this ecological care. One such person is Dune Jewelry founder/CEO, Holly Daniels Christensen, whose company I had the chance to get to know last year. As I wrote about last November, Dune Jewelry offers personalized experiential products that capture cherished memories by cataloging over 5,500 sands and earth elements from iconic locations around the globe. Customers have the ability to customize their jewelry and home goods using sand, soil, flower petals, crushed granite, shells, and more.
While the products are gorgeous, what I became most interested in was the WHY. It turns out that Holly is passionate about protecting our oceans which she describes as “the lifeblood of our planet.” She created Dune Jewelry not only as an entrepreneurial endeavor with a profit motive, but also as a means to help clean up our oceans and engage in exploration to discover ways to engage in sustainable practices. In fact, she partners with a Certified B Corp, 4ocean, to help remediate plastic waste on the ocean floor. Through this collaboration, more than 15,000 pounds of plastic pollution was pulled in just one year. Impressive proof of walking the talk!
One way that I intend to take action is to support companies like Dune that embrace sustainability as part of their mission. How about you? What people and organizations do you know of that incorporate some form of social responsibility that you admire? Are you telling others about them? You should! What a fun way to connect with others. Bet you’ll make some like-minded connections as a result of your advocacy.
Happy Networking!
P.S. – Recognizing that both Earth Day (which also happens to be my “b’earthday.” See what I did there!) and Mother’s Day are fast approaching, take a look at the Dune Jewelry website at www.dunejewelry.com to learn more about their sustainability efforts and to browse their beautiful designs. Use discount code “CLC15” for 15% off your purchase. And, just to be clear, this was not a paid article… I don’t get any personal benefit from your purchases. I genuinely love Dune’s products and mission. I’m happy to support the company’s efforts and encourage others to do the same!