Dawn of an Era of Well-Being

About This Episode

EPISODE N. 23 | “Well-being is a system-wide concept. Being well means not just the well-being of one individual, but of everything and everybody. For one to be well, ALL must be well, and for all to be well, evolution must be continuously moving in alignment with the impetus of the universe, thereby allowing for the flourishing of life. If life is flourishing, everything is aligned with the evolutionary impetus of the Dao.”

Frederick Tsao from Dawn of an Era of Well-Being (page 38)*

Today we are pleased to be joined by Katie Hill and Jarvis Smith, co-founders of My Green Pod Ltd., a socially conscious on-line retailer of a variety of products ranging from clothing to housewares to food and drink. My Green Pod is an independent, family-run UK business, with a compelling mission to lead the way to making it easier for consumers to behave in a sustainable fashion.

With every product on their shelf, they endeavor to share the real stories behind the brands and people; working tirelessly to offer ethical alternatives to mainstream products and services. In order to make this reality they meet and connect personally with the owners of the companies with whom they work.

Plenty of businesses are cashing in on the trend towards natural and organic products, but if those companies are cutting corners to be the first to market—whether in their packaging, their supply chains, their ingredients, or their staff welfare—they won’t be featured with My Green Pod. This isn’t something you can check by visiting a website, so they go behind the scenes to investigate the company’s entire DNA. The most effective and enjoyable alternatives to mainstream options are featured with their “Hero” products and services, a featured list of their top of the line products.

Join us today as Alison and Ervin engage Jarvis and Katie in an in depth exploration of the importance and the challenges facing the creation of a sustainable consumer culture. This will be followed by a few insightful words from co-host Fred Tsao about ethics, capitalism, and the spirit of stewardship.

*Note that the audio mistakenly indicates page 60 as the source to this quote

My Green Pod website: www.mygreenpod.com

Jarvis Smith website: www.jarvissmith.com

#PutYourMoneyWhereYourHeartIs

In Jarvis Smith two worlds collide with dynamic effect. On one hand a proud hippy, mystic, self-confessed tree-hugger and radical eco-warrior, Jarvis is also a thought leader, media entrepreneur, speaker and renowned online retail businessman. His work gracing global publications, he now partners with and is advising brands including Natwest, HSBC, Deloitte, Citrix, the Parliament Trust, Octopus Energy, Yeo Valley and Weleda.

He is on the advisory boards for the 2022 Initiative, the good business club, WhereFrom, Zero Carbon HR and the One Earth Show. It was in the middle of 14 years’ Shamanic training that Jarvis’ true awakening happened, during the filming of 2007 Channel 4 reality TV show ‘Dumped’. Shot on location on a Croydon landfill, the experience opened Jarvis’ eyes to the vast devastation human lifestyle waste was having on the planet. It was a realization that was to lead to a lifetime’s work protecting the Earth.

His first magazine GREEN was published with National Geographic from 2008, which then moved to The Guardian in 2010, evolving into the My Green Pod magazine from 2013. Co-produced with wife Katie Hill, it is now the world’s biggest ethical lifestyle magazine. Jarvis launched the P.E.A. (People Environment Achievement) Awards which, in its 12th year, is the UK’s leading sustainability awards and honors individuals and teams for their contribution towards sustainability.

Spring of 2021 sees Katie and Jarvis collaborate with Jo Wood for the My Green Podcast, interviewing celebrities like Fearne Cotton about their ethical endeavors. Providing shoppers with a healthy, affordable retail space that is good for them, their children, their families and ultimately, the planet, Jarvis and Katie’s online eco-conscious store MyGreenPod leads the field in ethical shopping.

In October 2021, just before Cop26, Jarvis’s TEDX Glasgow talk, “Possibility Consciousness – where do we start with runaway Climate”, encouraged people to stop and re-evaluate their consumer lifestyles and the negative knock-on effect this has on the planet. In the next decade Jarvis’ intent is to provide an ethical alternative to Amazon, with real purpose and proper values. As his message and impact spreads, so the My Green Pod project continues to grow in strength, reputation and effect.

Prior to co-founding My Green Pod with Jarvis Smith, Katie Hill was a senior writer, researcher and a deputy editor at Which?, and headed up the magazine’s Indian equivalent from Mumbai. During this period she was also a contributing co-editor for UK-based GreenSpirit Magazine.

With My Green Pod, Katie has combined her experience in investigative journalism with her passions for clean living, transparent business, human rights and the environment.

As editor in chief, Katie has exposed a ‘microplastics dodge’ in cosmetics, the ‘dark side’ of bubbles and ‘second-wave greenwash’ from companies cashing in on the growing demand for ethical products. She frequently writes about the importance of detecting corporate sideshows that can slow the shift to a more conscious lifestyle.

Katie currently sits at number 13 on the ‘Who’s Who in Natural Beauty’ Top 25 list of personalities driving change in the sector. She is also a co-presenter on My Green Podcast, a Beauty Buzz columnist for Natural Products News, a regular judge for the coveted Beauty Shortlist Eco Lifestyle and Mama & Baby Awards and a speaker at events including Natural & Organic Products Europe and Fully Charged LIVE.