Hi and welcome to my seventh e-mail newsletter!

This message goes to my 28 subscribers with a big Thank you for signing up. Here are the prior newsletters, if you did not receive them or would like to read some history (also, please don’t forget to check your Spam folder).

Razvan

Yvon Chouinard

For every newsletter I feature an animal, plant, or person that inspired or intrigued me. It is a recognition, a moment of reflection and gratitude toward life on Earth. Last week it was the cicada, a large insect that makes a loud sound usually in the summer, and can be found in the Eastern United States among other places.

Today l am featuring the mountain climber, entrepreneur, environmentalist, and philanthropist Yvon Chouinard, best known for having started the company Patagonia. Leading a life of adventure and outdoor exploration, Yvon has become an icon for the sustainable business movement.

I found his story and business career not just fascinating but deeply inspirational.

It shows what is possible, and how one can indeed create a business while also tending to the fundamental needs of the community it serves, its employees, and nature as a whole.

Chouinard is the author of several books, including the autobiography “Let My People Go Surfing - The Education of a Reluctant Businessman”. Here is an excerpt that speaks to what Patagonia is all about and about his philosophy as a founder and business leader:

“I'VE BEEN A BUSINESSMAN for almost 50 years. It's as difficult for me to say those words as it is for someone to admit to being an alcoholic or a lawyer.

I've never respected the profession. It's business that has to take the majority of the blame for being the enemy of nature, for destroying native cultures, for taking from the poor and giving to the rich, and for poisoning the earth with the effluent from its factories. Yet business can produce food, cure disease, control population, employ people, and generally enrich our lives. And it can do these good things and make a profit without losing its soul.

My company, Ventura, California–based Patagonia Inc., maker of technical outdoor apparel and gear, is an ongoing experiment. Founded in 1973, it exists to challenge conventional wisdom and present a new style of responsible enterprise. We believe the accepted model of capitalism, which necessitates endless growth and deserves the blame for the destruction of nature, must be displaced. Patagonia and its thousand employees have the means and the will to prove to the rest of the corporate world that doing the right thing makes for good, financially sound business.”

Mindset

"The purpose of life is to discover your gift; the work of life is to develop it; and the meaning of life is to give your gift away.” - David Viscott

I recently came across this quote by American psychiatrist and media personality David Viscott (born in the same year as Yvon Chouinard !) and it resonated with me. This is because much of what I do in connection with my environmental efforts is a journey in learning and discovery. It takes a lot of work and development, and I welcome it. It is the kind of stuff I do without anyone paying me for it, or telling me I have to do it - it just sort of comes from within, the manifestation of an inner drive. And ultimately I do not do it for me, or not just for me, but I do it for others - I want to do it for others, even for future generations. And in that sense, give it away.

In the Works

On the Action front, this week I completed one cleanup, picking up litter in my neighborhood during an evening jog (pics below). I continue to track cleanups in Pirika, CSFN and Clean Planet Project.

On this note, I also updated my review of litter cleanup apps, linked below.

Continuing my work on gathering recyclables (mainly plastics), I plan to summarize my results and findings toward the end of the summer. The main idea for now is that I am weary of wish cycling. So a few weeks ago I decided to no longer place typical recyclable items for curbside collection until I am absolutely certain they are recycled and do not end up in the landfill. For now, this means I am accumulating and sorting lots of plastic, glass, and metal in my garage!

On the administrative front, I am slowly preparing the launch of my OneBeautifulPlanet.org effort on LinkedIn, the social media network where I have my largest following: almost 2,000 folks, mostly from my past two decades of working in finance. The goal is to use social media to spread the word on my website and more actively connect with others who share my interests in sustainability and environmental cleanups.

Not one to be shy about self-promotion, I am going about this in typical influencer fashion and hired professional photographer Jim McAndrew for a new headshot. Below is the outcome. Jim is a former graphics designed who specializes in headshots primarily for online audiences. Here’s what his work looks like:

Also, here are a few pictures taken by my 12-year old daughter. This is me when playing with my kids and telling them I want to make the world better, and not standing for a photo shoot!

If you found this helpful or interesting, please share with your friends, contacts and anyone you know who may benefit from following my journey. Let’s gain some knowledge, and take action toward a cleaner, healthier world!

Thank you.

Razvan