Jessica Marati Radparvar
on Reconsidering Rest
Did you take a Winter Pause?
A break to recharge and reconnect with yourself, your family and your friends?
Not only had she taken such a break, but Jessica Marati Radparvar is hoping to introduce more pauses that align with nature's cycles. A regenerative voice who is doing exactly what she preaches: intentionally carving out time for rest and reinvention.
Jessica is a social impact strategist motivated by believing that doing the right thing should be as easy as possible. This is why she inspired her team to pause: because she believes that rest is a vital part of the job description for our work as change agents: “How can we be expected to come up with revolutionary ideas and boundary-pushing innovations if we’re all teetering on burnout? As we all know (and Jess confirms), rest can also be… complicated: “It takes a while for the racing thoughts to slow, to surrender to what the Dutch call niksen - the intentional art of doing nothing.”
As the founder of Reconsidered, Jessica helps impact leaders drive bigger, bolder, more sustainable change. A former journalist, founder of a social enterprise selling artisan goods made in Cambodia, a freelance travel writer across 60+ countries, she drew inspiration and motivation from her Native CHamoru and Italian roots, her upbringing in Guam, San Francisco and Rome, and her son's magical view of the world.
Alongside managing Reconsidered’s impact strategy and communications consulting practice, Jessica publishes a newsletter that curates fresh finds from the world of sustainable business. It contains valuable resources and job curation to support the next generation of impact leaders. Their Impact Interviews series has always been a source of inspiration: it features an inspiring mix of global change makers sharing their “aha” moments, career journeys and secrets to driving sustainable change.
In the years ahead, she believes companies will need to be more nuanced about how they communicate their purpose efforts. “Sustainability Marketing" is dead - now it's about being honest and transparent, which will require more bravery and boldness from the leaders in charge.
She has a very honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: “Ask yourself - what if we get it right?” What if?
Thank you, Jessica, for being a Reconsiderer!
#INSPIRATORS QUESTIONNAIRE
Name: Jessica Marati Radparvar
Company / Institution: Reconsidered
Title: Founder & Lead Social Impact Strategist
Website: http://reconsidered.co
LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamradparvar/
Country of origin: United States
Country you currently live in: Netherlands
Your personal definition of Sustainability: Doing what we can to sustain the beautiful parts of our existence and work toward a more thriving, just and resilient world.
Main business challenge you face: When it comes to the social and environmental challenges facing our world, we believe that business needs to be part of the solution. But there are so many obstacles standing in the way. Our mission is to help corporate responsibility, sustainability and social impact leaders overcome these obstacles so they can be the most effective agents of change they can be.
Main driver that keeps you going: My toddler son who will inherit the mess we’ve made - I owe it to him to do all I can to make things better.
The trait you are most proud of in yourself: Intentionality.
The trait you most value in others: Courage.
Passions & little things that bring you joy: Exploration and micro-adventures (usually in pursuit of delicious food!).
The #inspirators who determined you to take the sustainability path: So many! My onramp to the sustainability space was encountering the ingenious innovation of textile artisans while traveling — so I’d say them.
A hint or starting point for companies or professionals that are taking the first steps in the sustainability journey: Ask yourself (and your stakeholders) why your company exists. And then repeat that question five times to start honing in on your company’s purpose - the first step to any meaningful sustainability strategy.
Most used and abused clichés in sustainability that bother you: Unsubstantiated use of words like “green” and “eco” - and stock photos of hands holding up the earth.
An honest piece of advice for young people who lose hope: Ask yourself - “What if we get it right?”
Books that had a major impact on you: I’m a big reader, so it’s tough to narrow the list down! Lately I’ve been impacted by climate fiction books that give us a glimpse of what’s ahead if we don’t act urgently. The two I would recommend:
The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robertson
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
Must-reads for any Sustainability professional: My recommendations don’t concern sustainability at all! Rather, they focus on change management and behavioral science, which I believe are vital skills for any sustainability professional. Start with:
Leading Change by John Kotter
Influence by Robert Cialdini.
Movies / Documentaries you would watch all over again: “Don’t Look Up” - such a brilliant satire.
Blogs / Websites / Podcasts etc. you visit frequently: For Reconsidered’s newsletter, we frequently curate from The New York Times, The Guardian, Bloomberg, Fast Company, Grist, GreenBiz, Harvard Business Review, Stanford Social Innovation Review.
Music that makes you (and your heart) sing: Acappella from my alma mater, Princeton.
Places you travelled to that left a mark on you: Palau, an island nation in Micronesia, is a recent place I revisited; it’s not far from Guam, where I grew up. The natural beauty is out of this world, and I’m inspired by the country’s commitment to sustainable tourism.
Global Sustainability Voices you recommend us to follow: Everyone we’ve featured in Reconsidered’s Impact Interviews series inspires me to no end.
Trends in Sustainability we should keep an eye on: 2022 saw a flurry of regulatory action against companies accused of greenwashing, especially in Europe. In the years ahead, companies will need to be more nuanced about how they communicate their purpose efforts. "Sustainability marketing" is dead; now it's about being honest and transparent, which will require more bravery from the leaders in charge.
Best places for business networking (online or offline): I’m proud of the Reconsidering Business LinkedIn Group we’ve built up over the years. It was recently named one of LinkedIn’s most engaged groups, and I’m constantly impressed by the thoughtfulness of the members who participate in our dialogues.
Events we should attend: I’ve always enjoyed the Sustainable Brands and BSR conferences; it’s been a while since I’ve attended IRL, but I’m hoping that changes in the year ahead.
Associations, business clubs, tribes you belong to – and why: I’ve initiated or joined several informal “Masterminds” or peer accountability groups over the years. I think these are such powerful ways to deepen relationships and benefit from the wisdom of friends who are in a similar position. I was also a fellow in the Women’s Impact Alliance and had the opportunity to benefit from transformational coaching as a result.
Sustainable Development courses / trainings / certifications that really teach us how to have an impact: I’m definitely biased, but I have to mention the Sustainability Change Agent Accelerator, Reconsidered’s eight-week signature course. We designed it especially to help corporate sustainability and social impact professionals become more powerful agents of change. Think of it as your juiciest MBA course meets a supportive Mastermind peer coaching group, with Reconsidered’s signature accessibility and #realtalk baked in.
Reasons to feel optimistic about our future in 2030: The tide is shifting, expectations are rising and social norms are changing, making business as usual no longer an option.
Reasons to feel pessimistic about our future in 2030: It may not be happening fast enough.
Regenerative Leadership qualities much needed today: Creativity and resilience.
Quote that inspires you:
“We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was never normal other than we normalized greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding, hate and lack. We should not long to return, My friends. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all of humanity and nature.”
(Sonya Renee Taylor)
Your own quote that will inspire us:
