“Tahoe Snowcap” by Camille Przewodek, plein-air colorist
The release of this podcast is so timely, as this Thanksgiving has been full of gratitude for my three incredible partners, Kevin Bayuk, Shawn Berry and Ryan Honeyman and our newest LIFT partner, Jenny Kassan!
In this podcast, I speak about and give gratitude to the entrepreneurs in my life like my mom, Camille Przewodek, who has made a living doing what she loves as a plein air painter, Sheera Duerigan, the founder of Tortillas De La Tierra, a company committed to organic, non-GMO corn tortillas that makes tortillas for the ethical FISH restaurant in Sausalito. I talk about the new mapping enterprise yet to be released to the public that my friend Sebastian Bertsch, is launching next year with Rick Taylor and Erik Ohlsen! And I mention a new book, The Resilient Investor, which is a great resource written by my friend Christopher Peck, perfect for individuals looking for new innovative ways of thinking about their investments (which the book reminds us, come in all shapes and sizes), while keeping in mind their permaculture values and principles. And of course, I give gratitude and share learnings from my dear friend Erik Ohlsen, cofounder of both Permaculture Artisans and The Permaculture Skills Center.
Two principles I speak about:
1) Invest in People. The inspiration and innovation of people who are dedicated and nourished by pursuing their passions is the ultimate renewable resource. So by investing in our people (staff lunches, extended training for employees, 1:1 weekly checkins, taking the time to learn what lights people up), we are investing in resources that grow with use.
2) Be frugal but know that you can make a living doing what you love (even as an artist or farmer!). Realize the importance of financial forecasting and planning and don’t overspend. Even if the forecast is inaccurate, know that it is the process of planning that counts the most.
People not mentioned here, but who’s work I am grateful for on a daily basis are Ariel Greenwood & Aaron Lucich of Holistic Ag, Rebecca Burgess of Fibershed, Nikki Sylvestri and her partner Galen Sylvestri doing incredible work in the East Bay and beyond, Malik Yakini of DTown Farms in Detroit, Brittany Cole-Bush, shepherdess, Kat Anderson, author of Tending the Wild and so many more.
And this thanksgiving holiday, I would be remiss if I didn’t give gratitude to Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass, which was gifted to me by my friend Rebecca. An excerpt of the the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address from Robin’s book was what I read at my family’s thanksgiving table this year, and it has been a constant reminder to me of how much I have to be thankful for, each and every day and every opportunity of work in this incredible movement full of change-makers and ecological land stewards.
