Blog

woman looking at sunrise

Climate Action in 2024

Change is in the air as we start 2024 with resolutions, good intentions, and goals. For some who are concerned about the state of the environment, sustainability is playing a role in New Year resolutions.  […]

UVIDA storefront

Refilling Hope in Boston

UVIDA began as a passion for using less plastic. Founder Maria Vasco was a junior at the University of Massachusetts when she was awarded a university scholarship that would propel her toward her goal of […]

Red Rock Tileworks Shop

Red Rock Tileworks

It’s a warm late-September morning in Nashville, and I’m standing outside the brightly painted facade of Red Rock Tileworks. I’m waiting for my indie interior design friend Kimberly. Kimberly is the principal and designer at […]

Green circular arrows

Circular Living

Circularity as an approach to consumption is rooted in observation of the functionality of the Earth’s ecosystem. The underling principal of a circular approach is zero waste. In nature, the by-product of a process is […]

The Beauty of Cork

Natural cork is a renewable resource harvested from a specific species of Oak tree called the Quercus Suber, also known as the cork tree. These trees are mainly found in the Mediterranean, with Portugal being […]

Nicole_Stomping Ground Herbals Founder

Meet the Maker: Stomping Ground Herbals

When I think of Stomping Ground Herbals, the image I conjure in my head involves a lush garden, shelves of organized jars containing dried herbs, and someone entirely in their element. Nicole Mattingly, the Founder […]

Cindy-Sarver-Textile-Revival-Maker-Owner-Vintage-Fashion

Meet the Maker: Textile Revival

This is the story of a woman whose path brought her to middle Tennessee, where she started a business that married her two loves, art and fashion. Hailing from Iowa, Cindy Sarver found herself drawn […]

Kid at Farmer's Market

Food, Farms & Families

Middle Tennessee is home to country music, civil war history, and perhaps unexpectedly, a community of small farms. Locally owned, regenerative farms dot the landscape of Nashville’s pop culture and rolling hills. You see their […]

Cheese Board

Holiday Gathering Gifts

The holiday season here! It’s a time to slow down, spend time with family and friends and make memories that will last a lifetime. As you make plans to partake in holiday festivities, consider these […]

produce

Service Spotlight: Hot Poppy

Why should you download the Hot Poppy app and start using it today?  When the pandemic started, home delivery for everything from take-out to groceries became the new normal.  Instacart and Amazon dominated the space, […]

Compostable Coffee Cup

The Anatomy of a To-Go Coffee Cup

The paper to-go coffee cup became mainstream in 1987 thanks to one man’s decision — Howard Schultz. Then CEO of Starbucks, Schultz chose paper over styrofoam cups for the expanding brand’s beverage vessel.  According to […]

TerraKlay Founder

Meet the Maker: Manvee Vaid of TerraKlay

In our fast-paced world that’s so focused on instant gratification, Manvee Vaid started a business that embraces slow, meaningful and deliberate.  During her Fine Arts studies she discovered a vast abundance of art being crafted […]

Nature_Home_Backyard_Native_Sustainable

Nature at Home

Mother Nature and Snow White are a couple of the nicknames given to me by family members who know my relationship with nature. I once returned a baby bunny to its mother after it was […]

Wildflowers

Women Shaping Our World

March is Women’s History month. What better way to honor the women who came before us, and those who walk among us, who’ve dedicated their lives and voices to keeping the world a safe and […]

Monarch Butterfly

Grow Wild

The last couple of years, people have been trading life in dense urban areas for the slower pace of mid-sized American cities.  Affordable living, spaciousness and close knit communities have drawn companies and families alike […]

Circles

Circular Ideas for Business

We are living through a time of an unprecedented amount of waste. Instant gratification coupled with poor quality and single use products has created a huge problem. Small businesses are in a perfect position to […]

Gifts wrapped in brown paper

Give Greener

The holiday season is here and it’s one of my favorite times of the year.  I love the festiveness, time with friends and family, and the warmth of the season.  We put so much effort […]

Embracing Locally Grown

We live in a time where our culture of convenience has created an environment of seemingly endless and instant food availability.  According to the NYT, half of all the fruit and a third of all […]

Liz Verdant Wild Founder

Meet the Maker: Verdant Wild Apothecary

I recently had the opportunity to connect with Liz Hodges, the creator of Verdant Wild Apothecary, a small batch, botanical skincare line. Down to earth and happiest in nature, Liz creates holistic products by marrying […]

Duck

Changing Climate Change

Carbon.  You can’t have a conversation about planet health without talking about carbon.  Our world is powered by greenhouse gas emitting processes; raising animals for meat, driving cars, heating homes, and traveling are some ways […]

Reusable_Paper_towels

A Better Picker-Upper

I start every morning with a scroll through my Apple News feed.  Of course I have favorited topics pertaining to the environment and sustainability to keep up-to-date so I can share insights and positive news […]

Fruit in a Reusable Bag

Living With Less Plastic

Plastic Free July is a campaign that encourages us to look at our relationship with plastic. How much plastic do we use on a daily basis?  Where can we make adjustments to switch to reusable […]

Effervescence

Meet the Maker: Effervescence

There’s a hopefulness each of us can identify with when talking to the young woman behind Effervescence, a line of natural skincare and haircare products.  Rose Quinn started Effervescence with the intent to make sustainable, […]