The Great Full

My guest in this episode is Rirhandzu Marivate, a regenerative food systems practitioner and socioecologist currently based in the Western Cape of South Africa. Rirhandzu leads the Living Soils Community Learning Farm initiative, which aims to empower young black women through jobs in regenerative farming to grow nutrient-rich produce, strengthen local community food security and create sustainable livelihoods. In this episode we talk to Rirhandzu about how she collaborates with the team and the community to really embody regenerative leadership while they do regenerative agriculture. We cover: * How Rirhandzu’s career path diverged from working with apes to working with food! * How Living Soils simultaneously tackles unemployment, food insecurity and unsustainable farming. * What fosters the special energy in how they collaborate so that people ‘feel’ more than ‘see’ the project. * How systems approaches need constant learning and adaptation. * What intentionally building and nurturing community looks like. * What it means to center individual and community growth, learning and development AND make a tangible impact. * How they use regeneration as a lens for their work - not only in terms of how they produce food but also in terms of human development. * The daily practices that help her embody regenerative leadership each day. Further information: Find more information about The Living Soils Community Learning Farm here: https://www.sustainabilityinstitute.net/research-learning/collaborative-projects/living-soils-community-learning-farm/ [https://www.sustainabilityinstitute.net/research-learning/collaborative-projects/living-soils-community-learning-farm/] For more information about Rirhandzu Marivate go to Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rirhandzu-marivate/?originalSubdomain=za [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rirhandzu-marivate/?originalSubdomain=za] Are you interested in food and sustainability? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Sign up here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact [https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact] You might also like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book [http://www.thegreatfull.com/book] Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

This week we are tackling a big topic together – your personal resilience and what it means for planetary resilience!  I dive into lessons I have learned working with this topic personally and professionally over the last decade and dig out key insights and practical tools that will help you on your journey to create a more just, generative and joyful life for yourself and others. Before you jump in – there is a free workbook that accompanies this episode. You can download it here [https://www.thegreatfull.com/podcast/ep35-your-resilience-why-it-matters-how-to-build-it-michelle-grant]! Listen in to this episode to explore: -       What personal resilience means. -       The myths surrounding vs what is actually backed up by science. -       What change-makers, or aspiring change makers, need to know about how resilience impacts them. -       Six key science-based insights to help you build your resilience. -       The relationship between personal and planetary resilience. -       Some tools and practices you can use help build your resilience. All the tools and practices that are mentioned at the end of the episode have been pulled into a free workbook for you, which you can download here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/podcast/ep35-your-resilience-why-it-matters-how-to-build-it-michelle-grant  Thanks for listening!  Further info: The resilience workbook that accompanies this episode is available here [https://www.thegreatfull.com/podcast/ep35-your-resilience-why-it-matters-how-to-build-it-michelle-grant]. In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh Food for Thought at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Subscribe here to join us: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact [https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact] Check out our leadership and coaching programs for women working to build a more sustainable world here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs [https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs] Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts

My guest today is Kylie Flanagan, the author of a brand new book called “Climate Resilience - How we can keep each other safe, care for our communities and fight back against climate change”. “Climate Resilience brought me to tears of recognition, relief, solidarity, and hope. It’s the book we need to survive this human moment together.” (Lily Diamond - author of Kale & Caramel and coauthor of What’s Your Story?) It was a pleasure to sit with Kylie on the release of her important book and chat about: the climate leadership we need; why she felt it was important to centre voices other than her own in this book; and how learning from people who do things differently and prioritise values like interconnectedness, humility can deepen the dominant climate conversations. This book is an extension of Kylie's work as a climate justice and resilience strategist, educator and director of a small, place-based foundation. She partners with communities to develop sustainability + climate resilience strategies grounded in social justice. During this episode we explore: * What Kylie learned during a brief adventure as a ‘goat midwife’ * The opportunities that climate justice work offers us to reorient society and communities around wellbeing * What made Kylie write this book and how it is different to any other climate book * The myth that there are two options when it comes climate action—individual changes and systemic changes—and what's possible beyond that binary * Her decision to not include any cisgender men in the book * Why people who are most impacted should be at the helm of designing and implementing climate solutions * The most important lessons she learned from the 39 diverse leaders who contributed to her book * How to navigate the overwhelm that is inevitable in climate and social justice work * How somatic work is an important tool in our kit to facing the challenges in front of us right now Further information: Find Kylie’s new book “Climate Resilience” at Penguin Random House:  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724024/climate-resilience-by-kylie-flanagan/ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/724024/climate-resilience-by-kylie-flanagan/] Connect with Kylie on LinkedIn [ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylieflanagan/] Connect with Host Michelle on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grant-577885/] In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring you fresh Food for Thought at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change to you. Subscribe here to join us: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact [https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact] Check out our leadership and coaching programs for women working to build a more sustainable world here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs [https://www.thegreatfull.com/coaching-and-programs] Follow The Great Full on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegreatfull/ [https://www.instagram.com/thegreatfull/] Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

This week I am delighted to chat with Nina Simons, co-founder of Bioneers and social entrepreneur passionate about reimagining leadership, restoring balance to the feminine and masculine, and helping to heal relations with ourselves, each other and the Earth. In this episode we talk about how Nina experienced her call to purpose, how healing imbalances in the world and within systems starts with healing imbalances in ourselves, and Nina’s evolving understanding of leadership that is increasingly relational and from the heart. The topics we cover are: * The moment when Nina got clarity on her purpose * How we are all being called to step into our leadership potential right now * What helps us take action in service of what we believe in and what we love * How her definition and understanding of leadership has changed over her life * How redefining leadership helps women appreciate their own contributions and leadership * The one thing in nature that is offering her guidance right now * Nina’s personal practices to cultivate systems of care * Why cultivating community and relationships, starting with the relationship to ourselves, is the key to tackling the challenges of our times * The historic reasons for the Internal barriers women have in speaking our truth and take space * What makes the annual Bioneers gathering so special in integrating inner and outer work Further information: * Find more information about Nina Simons on https://www.ninasimons.com/ [https://www.ninasimons.com/] * Nina Simon’s book Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens For Leadership https://www.ninasimons.com/writing [https://www.ninasimons.com/writing] * Free download of the introduction to Nina’s book Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens For Leadership https://bioneers.org/ncs/ [https://bioneers.org/ncs/] * Find the mentioned documentary “Burning Times” here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ow_kNnoro [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34ow_kNnoro] * Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting late August 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange [http://www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange] * Are you interested in food, sustainability and leading change? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring some fresh Food for Thought to you at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. You can subscribe here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact [https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact] Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

My guest this episode is Mona Mijthab, social entrepreneur, international speaker and designer with a focus on circular design and social innovation.  Mona founded Mosan, a social enterprise improving living conditions in low-income communities with circular sanitation systems, offering safe sanitation to people while also transforming human excreta into nutrient-rich biochar for soil health in agriculture. Mosan currently offers its services in indigenous communities in the Lake Atitlàn region of Guatemala, where they work together to improve hygiene standards, protect water and environment, and create opportunities for local communities. In this episode, Mona and I talk about how Mosan came to life and why 2023 is the most exciting year for their team so far, as well as: * Why she shifted from traditional design to design for social innovation * How the smart, circular, dry sanitation system developed by Mosan works * The multiple social, health and environmental benefits it brings * How they use human excreta and urine to produce biochar for soil regeneration and food production * What circular, participatory and inclusive design looks like on the ground * How building local innovation ecosystems, relationship and trust has been key to their success * Why not being afraid of failure is a great asset in creating change * How incremental innovation supports transformative changes * What everyone should know about sanitation and circularity, especially if you live in a city * What Mona has learned about leadership from the communities she works with Find more information about Mona Mijthab go to https://www.linkedin.com/in/monamijthab/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/monamijthab/] Find more information about Mosan on https://mosan.com/ [https://mosan.com/] Need support on your leadership journey? Join the next cohort of women in the Be The Change group coaching and leadership training program starting in Aug 2023: www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange [http://www.thegreatfull.com/bethechange] Are you interested in food and sustainability? In our carefully curated monthly newsletter we bring some Food for Thought to you with fresh insights at the intersection of food, sustainability and leading change. Sign up here: https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact [https://www.thegreatfull.com/contact] You might also like The Great Full cookbook: www.thegreatfull.com/book [http://www.thegreatfull.com/book] Follow Michelle Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grant-577885/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-grant-577885/] Don’t want to miss an episode of The Great Full podcast? Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!