Tricia Enns recently took part in the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training PLUS program in Ottawa and has launched two innovative enterprises: branchoutbakery.com and tubedjewelry.com.

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If you could have a superpower to make the world more sustainable, what would it be?

• Many chose to fly.
• Others helped people see the real impact we are having on the planet.
• I chose to combat concrete jungles by using spray cans to spray moss and vines on walls throughout cities.

This is just one example of the type of out of the box thinking that was encouraged and fostered at the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions PLUS Training Program that took place over the weekend of Oct. 4th to 6th. This weekend was an opportunity to learn business skills, the basics of sustainability, expand our minds, meet other inspiring folk, drink lots of coffee, eat lots of chocolate, and have 9 am dance parties.

Here are just a few points I took away from the weekend:

The Why.

It is one thing to have an idea, many of us have notebooks and notebooks full of them, but it is another thing to bring that idea into existence. An important step to this process is figuring out the “why”. Why am I doing this? Why am I living? It was during the “why” session, while we were sitting outside on the dew soaked grass, that my eyes started to glow uncontrollably. I had discovered my life’s why. When it came time to share I eagerly recited my life’s why: “To open people up to the silliness, beauty, fun and deliciousness of the world in a way that inspires them to create positive change to protect it.” There were twinkle fingers (a gesture to indicate one agrees) from many of the change makers sitting next to me.

The Puppet Hand.

Unfortunately, discovering the why does not instantly make one’s idea a reality. The next step is taking action. This is hard, there is lots of uncertainty, especially when trying to create change for a better tomorrow.

• What if I totally blow it?
• What if no one cares?
• What if I make the state of things WORSE?

The list of uncertainties, doubts, and angst questions goes on and on. This is where Fiona (one of the co-organizers and facilitators)’s hand puppet comes in. If ever you hear those doubts come up inside you, simply draw your hand up to the side of your head turn towards your hand, and moving your hand as if it is a mouth, state “Thank you for your opinion.” Now leave it at that and move on.

I got this.

As I said above, doubt sucks and it is everywhere. I know I often find myself doubting that people would support my bicycle bakery enterprise, and as a result I don’t put the energy needed into developing my business plan, “the ask”, finding funding, etc. This weekend introduced me to a doubt destroying method that I now use every single say. It’s simple and effective. I will now share it with you, ready?

• I say “Who’s got this?”
• You say “I got this.”

That’s it! Now repeat on a regular basis for the best result. 

“Wanna share my honeycomb?”

In today’s world, full of unemployed youth, little cash, budget cuts in all the wrong places (based on my opinion), and so many more challenges it is hard to create positive change on your own. This is an opportunity for collaboration!! Although we all had different ideas, almost every participant at IMPACT! PLUS had similar values, as to what kind of world they wanted to build. Therefore, why not work together? By sharing our ideas and goals (as “honeycombs” that are part of a larger bee hive) we are able to help one another by sharing the resources and connections with one another. There may not be enough resources for all of us to live in our own golden bubbles, but there are enough for us to all live together in our solar-powered, grey water tree houses in maple trees.

That is what I took from the session, not very linear, but as we learned over the weekend, the world is not linear. We must learn to think systemically in order to create sustainable change. So lets get out there and create change. Share my honeycomb, grab my hand, and shout with me “We got this!”.

Written by Tricia Enns (branchoutbakery.com, tubedjewelry.com)

Thank you to all partners and funders who helped make the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training PLUS program in Ottawa possible: The Co-operators, The Otesha Project, the Centre for Innovative Social Enterprise Development, HUB Ottawa, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Earth Day Canada’s Community Environment Fund, and Alterna Savings.

This fall, the IMPACT! Sustainability Champions Training program will be taking place in Guelph. Don’t miss this opportunity to get your project off to an accelerated start!