Jamie Prow
on the Sweetness of Being Different
Regenerative Leadership requires hand-holding. Simple as that.
As Jamie Prow says, it means having “the patience to take frequent small steps together, to pick each other up from failures and always keep moving forward”.
Jamie never felt he fit in a box. He floated untethered and found others feeling this way, too. Long story short, it all started in Guernsey with industrial designers, followed by building innovative retail start-ups in London's circular economy space, and now working directly with entrepreneurs and founders with BIG ideas. Soon realizing that when "addressing sustainability - no one fits in the box, and everyone is untethered too."
Because he wants to “bee different” and to “bee business-phenomenal”, he founded Make Honey | Jamie Prow – to help companies root their enterprise in the earth, its living systems and natural capital assets. It seems complex, but when you dip a toe in the water, you acclimatize quickly and like how it feels. He has the explanation: “both sides of the fence look crazy, but one is built for the 16th century - matured and hit the ceiling long ago, whilst the other is new, seemingly limitless and looks far beyond the needs of today.”
The main driver that keeps him going is living. Because in the moments of feeling alive, “you peel back the layers and see a more authentic reality waiting for you on the other side.” It makes sense, because his main #inspirators were nature and his inner child – how cute is this?
He talks in a wonderful way about his partner, his friends, and his books. It is not about must-reads, but about picking the right reads for you, your skillset, your drive and your values: “I am well-read, don't get me wrong, but I have chosen a path of action, learning from failures and letting the good work I do - speak for itself.”
Partnering with Minou Schillings, they managed to grow a beautiful community of friends and doers through their The Regenerative Painting initiative. Check it out and put your regenerative name on the map!
It’s time to put in the spotlight people like them - the quiet, but meaningful voices that need to be heard. Make sure you follow and interact with these people - they’re kind, fun and supportive. What more can you ask for?
Read Jamie Prow’s cool answers for #inspirators and listen to his tune. But, “find your groove, don't subscribe to someone else's playlist”!
Thank you, Jamie, for BEE-ing Different!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Jamie Prow
Company / Institution: Make-Honey
Title: Doer
Website: www.make-honey.com
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-prow
Country of origin: Guernsey
The country you currently live in: Returned to Guernsey in August after ten years in London.
Your personal definition of Sustainability: A great start - a symbol for a community built on compassion, science and unity. The word has many meanings today, but I attempt to look past that and see people who want a better world; for me, it's not about what is 'sustainable', but what is not.
Main business challenge you face: The mission sometimes feels too big to pause - making it difficult to be entirely present with those around me.
Main driver that keeps you going: LIVING - in the moments of 'feeling alive', when you peel back the layers and see a more authentic reality waiting for you on the other side.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Giving-a-dam!
The trait you most value in others: Tenderness & Action.
Passions & little things that bring you joy:
Early mornings
Swimming in the ocean - (When I am supposed to be at 'work')
Walking barefoot
The #inspirators who determined you to take the sustainability path:
During my childhood, I was always camping, fishing and making dens - I still do, and it plays a big part - so nature and my inner child.
Books, lots of books! When it comes to academia, Victor Papanek was most likely my earliest key influencer. Then the more I learnt, my inspiration shifted many times.
Right now, I am inspired mainly by my friends and clients - working hard towards the holist-mix of regenerative action required - people rooted in the dirt with a smile on their faces.
But most of all, my partner Hollie - moving countries with me, holding me together and supporting me through growing two start-ups and now again, on my latest adventure, she's always leading me through - even in the toughest of times - never with a bad word to say.
A hint or starting point for companies or professionals that are taking the first steps in the sustainability journey: Do you - Not them. Find your groove, don't subscribe to someone else's playlist.
Most used and abused clichés in Sustainability that bother you:
Clichés are acceptable; those who don't join the conversation are what makes me worry; how this topic is still so inaccessible for some - it's 2023. We need to start opening doors more widely - not just leaving them ajar.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope:
Play, laugh and have fun with it. Trust in the hours; it will come.
Books that had a major impact on you:
Doughnut Economics - Kate Raworth
Less is More - Jason Hickle
Limits to growth - MIT
Design for the real world - Victor Papanek
23 things they don't tell you about capitalism - Ha Joon Chang
Then go and play outside, study the soil, taste the ocean and feel the sunlight on your skin.
Must-reads for any Sustainability professional:
It's not about must-reads; it's about picking the right reads for you, your skillset, your drive and your values. Whatever will lead you to go out and do something, to take action.
I always return to one classic: Let my people go surfing by Yvon Chouinard.
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again:
Century of the Self by Adam Curtis (Thank you, Leyla)
180 degrees south, directed by Chris Malloy
Also, anything food related.
Blogs / Websites / Podcasts etc. you visit frequently:
I used to, but honestly, I've fallen out of love with podcasts and blogs. I have reshuffled much of how I spend my time recently - 'online hours' replaced by 'community hours'. The hours I post online and interact with LinkedIn are now under 'work hours'. I will let you know how it goes.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: I recently got introduced to Oil-Frost; he's a genius - go check him out. I even got my dad singing along.
Money - The Drums
What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club
This Charming Man - The Smiths
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you:
Honestly everywhere. Iceland and New Zealand stand out so far, but there's a small island near Guernsey called Herm; no matter how far I travel or how great the new place is, I always miss it.
Global Sustainability Voices you recommend us to follow:
Follow my friends: India Hamilton and Minou Schillings. They rock!
Some early mentors of mine were Jane Penty & Sonia Thimmiah very influential when I was finding my feet and still now. Jane's book: Product Design and Sustainability Strategies, Tools and Practice - is fantastic.
I have also chatted with some Sustainability A-Listers, like Leyla Acaroglu, Kate Raworth and Bruce Mau, so a big shout out to them too.
Trends in Sustainability we should keep an eye on: All but not too seriously - be present, absorb, test, fail, learn and move on. Don't obsess; acknowledge and keep focused on the impact you can make.
Best places for business networking (online or offline):
Shameless plug: The Regenerative Painting.
I've just joined WONDR!
Over food sat at a dining/kitchen table in someone's home.
Events we should attend:
If a sustainability event it's happening locally, go. Show up. Regardless of the scale, forget the ego; support and meet new people and take action together.
Associations, business clubs, tribes you belong to – and why:
The Regenerative Painting - So I don't ever feel alone.
The island of Guernsey's SBI committee CC. (Sustainable Business Initiative - Chamber of Commerce) So I can help the island of Guernsey with its regenerative transition as a sustainability advisor and founder.
Member of the Ellen MacArthur community - To help add momentum and expertise towards a viable circular economy model for us all.
With my previous company, I was part of the B-Corp and ReLondon community, which I aspire to rejoin with Make-Honey in good time.
Central Saint Martins university (BAPD) - I owe them a lot, and I love giving back to the students when I can; it's a place of drive, integrity and pure creative talent.
More to come - watch this space!
Sustainable Development courses / trainings / certifications that really teach us how to have an impact:
If I put my degree aside, building companies with their founders was the best way to learn and build from the ground up - Progressive London Start-ups with good values. They were learning by doing.
I am well-read, don't get me wrong, but I have chosen a path of action, learning from failures and letting the good work I do - speak for itself. Channeling ten years of 'fighting in the trenches' into Make Honey so my clients can root themselves firmly in the earth and take action too.
Other out-the-box courses that have helped me are holistic health, wellness and nutrition workshops I took locally.
However, I have seen some courses that do excite me:
Erin Remblance and Ra James: (re)Biz.
Ben Kimura-Gross: Negotiations with Goliath.
Dr. Leyla Acaroglu: The UnSchool.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030:
Sustainability has reached every corner of the industry; it's taught at universities, discussed in the board room and become light lunchtime discussions among employees.
It's no longer an uphill push but becoming normalized - sustainability is becoming the status quo. That is exciting - in the run-up to 2030, there will be less fear and less resistance to change, with more people stepping up to take action. It will require fewer 'experts' and barriers to entry and instead open the doors for a more diverse set of people, skills, talent, new ideas and knowledge sharing - the start of building a better world together.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: The speed of trust may be slower than we'd like.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today:
All of them - this is a game of diversity. It will take every type of leader.
It requires more than good leaders too. It requires communities who can balance judgement/multi-task and systems-think compassionately. Shifting cultures towards; altruism with self-care, the ability to flip between convergent and divergent thinking at any given time and to see oneself as nature and not above it. And finally, it requires hand-holding.
The patience to take frequent small steps together - pick each other up from failures and always keep moving forward whilst holding back from giant leaps, shortcuts and misdirections that either others can't follow or are in the wrong direction entirely- which takes foresight. People who understand that sometimes going backwards is the best step forwards, going slow is going fast, and less can often be better.
Quote that inspires you:
“Distrust everything if you have to. But trust the hours. Haven't they carried you everywhere up to now?”
(Poet Galway Kinnell - Thanks, Tom!)
Your own quote that will inspire us:
It may seem childish and strange, but if we can all find ways to get mud under our fingernails, sun on our backs and fresh air in our lungs, all whilst keeping a smile on our faces, others will do it too.
It just takes one crazy animal to inspire the rest - so sell mud pies, build a barefoot shoe factory and be 'crazy' enough to rewild your mind. We are nature, the mud pie and the smiling barefooted monkey - it's not irrational or crazy. It's our favoured state of play.
So put a smile on your face and step outside - you crazy animal.
