Wrapping up 2023

Hello!

I want to start this final newsletter of the year by saying a HUGE THANK YOU?for all your?support?over the last year as I've been growing Keartland & Co and becoming ever clearer on how I can make a meaningful difference.

Lots of you?have given me feedback on this newsletter, my LinkedIn posts and other content. Others have shared ideas and insights. It's always special to receive these messages, knowing that what?I'm sharing is making a difference.

I hope you will be?able to take some time away from work over the holiday period, whether to celebrate, reflect, be with friends and family or have some time to yourself. And I look forward to working with you to scale up our impact in 2024!

The traditions of Christmas (and other big cultural celebrations) can make it easy for sustainability considerations to go out the window.?

Search the internet for the impact of Christmas and you find some shocking stats about waste - number of turkeys thrown away uneaten, amount of packaging ripped off and chucked, percentage of unwanted presents that end up in landfill. I'm not going to share the details here as I've struggled to find a list of stats that backs up its figures with references ... but it doesn't take much thought to realise that mass consumption at this time of year isn't having a good impact on the planet, and probably a lot of people working in poor conditions and not being paid a fair wage.

Here are six things you can do to reduce your impact this holiday season:

• If you still have gifts to buy, consider giving a donation, an experience, a promise, or something second hand (I've bought several gifts on Vinted this year).
• Think about how you?wrap gifts.?Can you use a reusable scarf / bag, or recycle some old wrapping paper or newspaper??If you buy wrapping paper then check it's recyclable - make sure there's no?glitter or shiny bits. And use paper tape (rather than plastic).
• If you're given a gift you don't need or want then donate it?- e.g. to your local charity shop or?food bank.
• Plan your meals to reduce food waste (and cost). Actively plan to use your leftovers - turkey curry on Boxing Day anyone? Also consider whether you can switch some of your meals or dishes to plant-based.
• When choosing crackers, look at what's inside them - if it's plastic / metal and likely to go straight in the bin then can you find a better option? Also look at what the crackers are made of and if that's recyclable. You could even ask yourself if you need crackers.
• When choosing your festive outfit, try to wear clothes you already have ... or treat yourself to a "new" outfit from your local charity shop or on Vinted.

What would you add to this list??

Before you shut down your laptop for the end of the year, I'd encourage you to take some time to reflect on 2023. If you just ask yourself two questions (I'm giving you a bonus one this month as a gift!), these are the ones I'd recommend:

What am I most proud of?

What's been my biggest learning this year?

Do you want to know what simple impactful actions you can take to help change the way we do business?

From January, Sarah Whale of Profit Impact | B Corp? and I are here to help! We?both recognise how important it is to change the system that businesses operate in so that focusing on sustainability?and impact becomes the default. But we realised there's a problem:

??There are petitions and campaigns out there – but we often find out about them by chance.

??There are organisations that are lobbying for change but it can be hard to know what they are or how to support them.

So from January, if something ticks the following boxes then we’ll be sharing it on LinkedIn:

• Specific campaign calling for change
• Quick, simple action you can take right away
• Focused on business and changing the system businesses operate in (UK focus for now)

To make it easy to spot these actions in your LinkedIn feed, we’ll always use the same image (see below)?and the hashtag #ImpactBusinessSystemChange.

All you need to do is:

???Ring mine and Sarah Whale 's LinkedIn bells so you’re notified of our posts

???Follow #ImpactBusinessSystemChange

??? Look out for this image in your feed:

If you've been reading this newsletter for a while, then you might have heard me talk about the importance?of creating a positive vision for the future - one that we're excited about moving towards. This can be much more motivating than focusing on what the world might be like if we don't act fast enough.

I love?the?work being done by Katie Patrick to help us imagine a better future. If you have a quiet moment over the holidays then check out Katie's TEDx talk.

I've treated myself to one of Katie's 2024 calendars to go next to my desk - so that next year I can be constantly inspired and motivated by creating a future which is far better than today.?

As always, let me?know?what you'd like me to include in future editions of the newsletter. What are your biggest challenges or burning questions when it comes to delivering?meaningful?impact through your business?

Otherwise, I wish you the very best as 2023 comes to a close and look forward to seeing you in the new year!

PS if you enjoyed this newsletter then make sure you're subscribed so you're notified about future editions! I also publish it by email - sign up here.