(re)connect

Valentine Aouad
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The next world is being built right now. This podcast is where we talk about it. Each week, Valentine, founder of Green Socials, explores what it really means to live well on this planet — because she believes the stories we tell about the future shape the future we build. Solo episodes dig into the ideas, research, and tensions she can't stop thinking about. Guest conversations bring in the founders, activists, and changemakers quietly doing the work in community, ecology, wellness, and business. The question we always end on: what does the world you want to live in actually look like? 30 minutes. Best listened to on a walk. More information about Green Socials: www.green-socials.com Follow us on Instagram to never miss an episode: @reconnect.pod

  1. 3d ago

    We Got 2 Million Views. Here's What We Learned.

    On September 4th, Green Socials released a reel on the Instagram account of our client Parayma, a Switzerland-based company working with change workers worldwide. Ten days later, it had reached 2 million views, 163K likes, 22.7K reposts, 3,440 comments, and over 40,600 shares in DMs. The account grew from 700 to 4,500 followers in that window. In this episode, Valentine breaks down what actually happened: the origin of the reel (built around a voiceover by Instagram creator Bobby Opp imagining a hopeful vision of 2035), why the messaging worked, what the comment section revealed, and what it takes to be ready for a viral moment before it hits. What we cover: The reel that started it all, built from a client-shared voiceover and existing stock footageApplying Donald Miller's three levels of problems (external, internal, philosophical) from Building a StoryBrand to explain why the reel's opening line workedReading the comment section: tears, hope, skepticism, and a wave of bots and trollsWhat "being ready for virality" really means: DM automations, freebies, a clear bio, and a pinned post that actually represents the brandWhy chasing virality for its own sake is a mistake if there's no offer or resource behind itMoving from awareness to action: how to respond to a community suddenly asking "what do we do now?"Turning a one-off spike into a repeatable content format through continuous testingWhy monthly reporting matters even more in the weeks following a viral moment Links mentioned in this episode: The reel that went viral: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dc3LOXXIF_f/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&stkn=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==Parayma: https://www.parayma.co/Bobby Opp (voiceover creator): https://www.instagram.com/itsbobbyopp/Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen by Donald Miller Connect with (re)connect:green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  2. Sep 2

    [KEY MOMENTS] Creative Routines, Journaling, and Nervous System Care with Charlotte Gomes

    Charlotte Gomes and Valentine Aouad discuss how to build a sustainable creative routine instead of forcing consistency that drains you. The conversation focuses on aligning work with your creative season, using journaling as a reflective tool, and incorporating nervous system and somatic practices to support mental and physical health. Key topicsCharlotte Gomes shares that consistency matters, but only when it is built into a system that fits your real life and creative season.She emphasizes that sustainable routines must account for mental health and physical health, not just productivity.Valentine Aouad asks about personal creativity rituals and grounding practices that help create consistency without burnout.Charlotte mentions her "find your path" practice as a core ritual she uses and says it can be adapted by anyone.She explains that assessing your creative season can help guide the kinds of rituals you need, and that she offers email guidance based on that assessment.Journaling comes up as a major practice for both speakers, especially for introspection, processing emotions, and understanding what shapes your work and life.Charlotte highlights the value of learning about brain energetics, nervous system work, and somatic worK.She shares that somatic experiencing has been life-changing in her own experience.Charlotte describes using a personal container ritual to avoid feeling drained online and to stay tuned into her body. The episode closes with Valentine’s signature question about the kind of world you want to live in, setting up a reflective ending. Want the full conversation? Go over to (re)connect wherever you get your podcasts. green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  3. Aug 27

    [KEY MOMENT] Jenny McCarty Reveals How She’s Reshaping What Sustainable Art Can Look Like

    The artist who turned eco-friendly materials into activism, and a viral sticker into $27,000 for national parks.Jenny McCarty reveals how she’s reshaping what sustainable art can look like - from choosing watercolors and gouache over harsher mediums, to building a smarter, more ethical art practice that considers materials, packaging, shipping, and even what happens after a piece hangs in your home. If you’re an artist, collector, or just trying to make better choices with the supplies you already have, this conversation gives you a clear, practical way to start.Valentine Aouad pushes Jenny to get specific about the easiest path toward greener art, and Jenny breaks down the real-world strategy: use what you already own first, look for reuse centers like Boulder’s Art Parts, and then transition toward eco-friendly brands that are changing the market with earth-based acrylics, water-based oils, and lower-toxicity pigments. She also shares the checklist she created for asking artists the right questions about sustainability. You’ll also hear the story behind the viral sticker that got over a million views after Jenny responded to a controversial national parks pass design. What started as a creative protest became a community-powered movement, with volunteers packing orders at her kitchen table and a full 100 percent of proceeds going to national parks.Jenny and Valentine also dig into the bigger question: what can art actually do? They connect the dots between creativity and activism, why artists often spot social problems early, and how expression becomes more powerful when it’s rooted in the world we’re living in right now.If you care about sustainability, public lands, or using your creative work for something bigger than yourself, this one is essential listening. It’s a grounded, hopeful reminder that small acts, made well and shared widely, can create real momentum. Jenny McCarty is an artist and activist known for her eco-conscious watercolor practice and for creating a viral sticker campaign that has raised nearly $27,000 for national parks. Her work blends sustainability, community response, and visual protest into one powerful creative message.Valentine Aouad guides the conversation with a focus on practical sustainability, community feedback, and the future of art as a force for connection and change.Want the full conversation? Go over to (re)connect wherever you get your podcasts. green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  4. Aug 19

    [KEY MOMENT] Improving Indoor Air Quality on a Budget with Alex Shield

    The conversation covers practical ways to improve indoor air quality and create a healthier home environment. It emphasizes the importance of small steps, awareness, and informed decision-making. Takeaways Small steps for healthier indoor airAwareness and informed decision-making Want the full conversation? Go over to (re)connect wherever you get your podcasts. green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  5. Aug 11

    [KEY MOMENT] Uncovering the Truth about the Climate Crisis' Capitalisation with Audrey Barucchi

    Audrey shares her 10-year journey within a company, revealing the capitalisation of the climate crisis, her interest in financialisation and engineering, her realisation and transition, and her understanding of the climate crisis. Want the full conversation? Go over to (re)connect wherever you get your podcasts. green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  6. Aug 5

    Why Your Marketing Should Start With Your Nervous System, Not Your KPIs with Charlotte Gomes

    Most people start with visibility. What if the work actually starts underground? In this episode of (re)connect, Valentine sits down with Charlotte Gomes, founder of Collective Roots PR, to talk about what it means to build a creative practice from the roots up instead of chasing KPIs first. Charlotte's path started young, booking over sixty live music shows across Europe at eighteen, then shifted a decade later when chronic health symptoms led her to somatic work and nervous system awareness. That thread of "invisible connection" became the foundation of Collective Roots, a practice blending storytelling design, nervous system work, and brain energetics for creatives, visionaries, and changemakers who don't want to burn themselves out to be seen. They get into: Why "well marketed" and "deeply rooted" are two different things, and what changes when you tune into a project's felt sense before you promote itCharlotte's four creative seasons (winter, spring, summer, autumn) and how they map to her five-pillar framework: root, express, embody, connect, expandA simple personal / public / sacred exercise for figuring out what's actually safe to share online before you're dysregulated by itA grounding ritual to run before you open Instagram, so you're not scrolling from a place of dissociationWhere AI fits in, and Charlotte's honest take on the line between using it as a tool and letting it swallow your own voiceThe "find your path" creative ritual for getting unstuckCharlotte's answer to the podcast's signature closing question: what does the world you want to live in actually look like A note from Charlotte: We Root Before We Rise is a seven-week self-paced journey for creatives and changemakers who want to tend to what lives beneath their work, before it is asked to be seen. Across seven reflective workbooks and ten guided audio practices, you move at your own pace, reconnecting with your creativity, your nervous system and the deeper roots of your work. Everything is gathered in one Notion space you can return to whenever you need to slow down or begin again. Early-bird pricing is open until 10 August. 🔗 collectiverootspr.com/werootbeforewerise Connect with Charlotte: Collective Roots PR → collectiverootspr.com Connect with (re)connect: green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  7. Jul 21

    Painting With Purpose with Jenny McCarty on Water, Wildlife, and Going Viral for the Right Reasons

    Jenny McCarty is an ecologist and artist based in Colorado. She holds a master's in stream ecology, works as a watershed program manager for local government, and paints wildlife and nature scenes in her own eco-friendly studio practice. In this episode, she talks about picking creativity back up after nearly a decade away, why she switched her entire painting practice to protect the same water she manages professionally, and how a sticker she made in frustration ended up raising nearly $27,000 for national parks. In this episode: Why Jenny was pushed toward STEM and away from art growing up, and what it took to call herself an artist againBurnout, a career coach, and the moment painting came back into her lifeLiving and working in East Africa, New Zealand, and across the US, and how it reshaped her view of conservationThe 10% giving framework baked into her art business from day one, and the four organizations she supportsGrowing up on ranches in Colorado, and why horses and mountains show up in her paintingsThe hidden heart in her whale shark paintingWhat most people don't know about acrylic and oil paint (hint: it's petroleum) and why she switched to watercolorPractical, low-cost ways to start transitioning to eco-friendly art suppliesThe story behind her viral National Park Pass sticker: over 6,000 sold, close to $27,000 donated to national parksArt as activism, and what it means to turn a personal decision into a movement Resources mentioned: Free guide: What to Ask an Artist About Sustainable Art — a checklist covering materials, packaging, and shipping, useful whether you're buying art or making itBook: The Artist's Way Connect with Jenny: Instagram: @sage_leaf_studio Connect with (re)connect: green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod

  8. Jul 8

    You Don't Know What You Don't Know: Redesigning Homes for Health with Alex Shield

    Alex Shield is the founder of Alex Shield Design, an interior design firm focused on creating healthy, sustainable interiors. She's a mom of two boys and the host of the Design with Impact podcast, where she educates interior designers on bringing sustainability into their practice. She's also building an online training program for designers, launching in early 2027, and runs a community for sustainability-minded interior designers on Skool ("Design with Impact"). green-socials.com | @reconnect.pod Businesses Alex RecommendedFabric All Wood (Montreal) — Handcrafted custom wood furniture, zero-waste productionStudio Bâte (Montreal) — Light fixtures handcrafted from reclaimed and found materialsSage Leaf Studio (Jenny McCarty, US) — Eco-friendly art with sustainable, low-impact packaging; donates proceeds to national parksUrs (Canada) — Eco-friendly furniture Certifications to Look ForGREENGUARD Gold — Tests furniture (wood and upholstered) for thousands of chemicals and off-gassing; certifies the finished product, not the full supply chainOEKO-TEX 100 — Tests textiles and fabrics (including polyester) for harmful chemicals; a newer "OEKO-TEX Green" certification is in developmentMADE SAFE — Screens products against a list of chemicals of concernGOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) — Certifies organic cotton across the full supply chain, from farming through the finished productGOLS (Global Organic Latex Standard) — Certifies natural latex foam used in upholstered furnitureGoodWeave — Certifies rugs and textiles as free from child, forced, and bonded labor, with supply-chain inspections

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About

The next world is being built right now. This podcast is where we talk about it. Each week, Valentine, founder of Green Socials, explores what it really means to live well on this planet — because she believes the stories we tell about the future shape the future we build. Solo episodes dig into the ideas, research, and tensions she can't stop thinking about. Guest conversations bring in the founders, activists, and changemakers quietly doing the work in community, ecology, wellness, and business. The question we always end on: what does the world you want to live in actually look like? 30 minutes. Best listened to on a walk. More information about Green Socials: www.green-socials.com Follow us on Instagram to never miss an episode: @reconnect.pod

Information

  • Creator
    Valentine Aouad
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Valentine Aouad