Self portrait by Vanina
Vanina joined our San Francisco fellowship in 2017 and recently caught up with Leyla interviewing her for her new podcast series, The Ecopreneur Show.
The podcast episode comes out on Tuesday, Aug 25th, and you can listen to it here.
The UnSchool also recently caught up with Vanina to find out what she has been up to since the 2017 fellowship.
Can you give us an introduction to yourself and your work?
Hey! I’m Vanina. I’m the host of a podcast called The Ecopreneur Show where I have in-depth conversations with entrepreneurs and leaders that are creating real life solutions for a more sustainable future to inspire us to take positive action in our own lives. I also practice sustainable and low-waste living out in Portland, Oregon.
What motivates you to do the work that you do?
There’s a lot of negative news in the world of sustainability that can make us feel discouraged and unmotivated. My mission is create a positive, actionable, and safe space for people who are passionate about sustainability to be inspired and motivated to take action.
How did you find out about the UnSchool, and what motivated you to come?
I went to school at California College of the Arts where I majored in fashion design and had a passion for sustainable fashion. I loved listening to TED talks on sustainability when I was working late nights in the studio, and during my junior year, I discovered Leyla Acaroglu’s TED talk, Paper beats plastic? How to rethink environmental folklore. She then became someone I aspired to be like. I even created her Wikipedia page!
Then came senior year, and right after my fashion show, I was noticed by a well-known designer in San Francisco who wanted to buy my collection. It was the fashion designer’s dream, but it wasn’t mine.
A year later, I left my position, unsure of what to do next and I then found a book called Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. Essentially, it’s all about seeing your life as design and learning to create prototypes for your life. During this time, I also was constantly following The UnSchool’s work and was hoping that at some point they would do a fellowship in my hometown, the San Francisco Bay Area.
I started prototyping various career directions, and a couple months later, I discovered that the UnSchool was doing a fellowship in my hometown! I quickly sent my application. Kept my fingers crossed. And got in.
The UnSchool San Francisco Fellowship
What was your experience at the UnSchool like?
I mostly remembered my brain hurting so much! It was inspiring to be in a cohort of people from around the world who were much further in their careers than myself.
Vanina and the other UnSchoolers share a moment
Mentor Antoinette Carroll and Vanina Howard
What was the main take away you had from coming to the UnSchool?
Ship the shit. Send your product or hit that publish button before you think it’s ready. A lot of times we want everything to be perfect. But the best way to get feedback on how you can improve is by releasing it and getting feedback from your audience. Progress over perfection.
Tell us more about your initiative(s), and how is it all going?
Interview with Chloé Lepeltier, blogger of Conciscous by Chloe. Photo taken by Daniel Montgomery.
The show has been running for 9 months now, and it’s been really incredible to have intimate conversations with experts that I’ve looked up to in sustainability, such as Kathryn Kellog from Going Zero Waste, who is also the ambassador for National Geographic for plastic-free living, Andrew Lacenere from Albatross, and Emma Rose Cohen from Final. I want to continue growing the platform to be a place to inspire ecopreneurs (entrepreneurs passionate about sustainability) to live their most vibrant and purpose-driven lives.
Interview with Chloé Lepeltier, blogger of Conciscous by Chloe. Photo taken by Daniel Montgomery
How did the UnSchool help you start/evolve it?
So when I was at the UnSchool, I was prototyping different careers. I was teaching at my school California College of the Arts, working at an art gallery, and trying out podcasting.
I then remembered sitting in the bus with Leyla and she asked me, “What’s your superpower?” And for me, I realized that my superpower was always being positive. And it has stayed true and has been one my core values as the host of The Ecopreneur Show.
How have you amplified this change you do in the world?
There’s a lot going on during the time that I am writing this — there’s the pandemic of COVID-19, the Black Lives Matter Movement, and we’re in the middle of an election. It is very easy to be discouraged. That’s why I think it’s so important to focus on the things that are within our control and on the positives.
How can people engage with, support, or follow your work?
You can listen to the show on any of your favorite podcast platforms by typing ‘The Ecopreneur Show’ or the website theecopreneurshow.com. You can connect with me on Instagram @theecopreneurshow.
Any other thoughts you want to share?
Use your feelings of nerves as a compass that you’re pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and that you’re doing something that you care about.
