Inspiring Perspectives thinkPARALLAX

Ali Mize is the Senior Director of ESG, Belonging and Corporate Philanthropy at Neiman Marcus Group and while that might sound like a lot to juggle, Ali credits the group's sustainability advancements to a highly specific approach. And as you’ll hear, they’ve made some incredible progress.
In our chat we discuss the importance of having buy-in from the top (and from investors) and a materiality assessment in place, and about scaling sustainability progress through partnerships. She highlights the socio-ecological model for change and emphasizes the need to consider individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societal factors, and outlines step-by-step how they’re doing that very thing at NMG.


Ali shares success stories, such as a unique dual reporting system they’ve put in place, the development of their Fashioned for Change and Conscious Curation edits they’ve rolled out across all shopping channels, a perhaps surprising partnership with the Humane Society of the United States, and more. 


There’s so much good advice in here, but here are some key takeaways:
Scaling sustainability progress requires partnerships at various levels, including individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and societalEngaging customers as partners in sustainability efforts is crucial, and providing transparency and options for shopping in line with their values is keyPrioritization is essential in tackling sustainability challenges, and a materiality assessment can help identify the most impactful areas to focus onMaking difficult decisions (maybe stepping away from something old) often means there’s something new, and perhaps even more beneficial for the business right around the cornerThe socio-ecological model for change provides a framework for understanding and addressing the interplay between different factors that influence human behavior and changeCorporate political responsibility is an important topic that should be addressed in conversations about sustainability and ESGAli’s approach is thoughtful yet systematic, and ambitious yet achievable, and when you take a look at the progress they’re making across so many parts of the business, you’ll be inspired to get to work! And that’s exactly what she’s hoping.
Related Links Worth Clicking:
Neiman Marcus Fashioned for Change EditNeiman Marcus Group’s 2022 ESG ReportNeiman Marcus Group’s FY23 ESG ReportA source to learn more about the Socio-Ecological ModelSupplier Leadership on Climate Transition (SLOCT)Principles for Responsible Investing (UNPRI)The Sustainable Fashion ForumBergdorf Goodman Conscious CurationProduced by our team of experts at thinkPARALLAX.
Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.
#inspiringperspectives #sustainability #corporatesustainability #esgadvice #sustainablefashion #sustainabilityadvice #sustainabilityleadership #thinkparallax #neimanmarcusgroup #valuechain #partnerships #change #retail #luxury


Got a topic you’d like us to explore on the show? Get in touch with us at thinkparallax.com/podcast.

Duncan Meisel is the Executive Director of Clean Creatives, a movement of advertisers, PR professionals, and their clients cutting ties with fossil fuels. Their pitch to creatives: fossil fuel clients represent a threat to our shared future. And since their founding, over 900 agencies have pledged to not work with them.


In our conversation, we discuss how Clean Creatives - now a global movement - started after a realization that the creative industry plays a vital - even if sometimes unintentional - role in supporting the fossil fuel industry. Duncan highlights the importance of transparency and working with individuals and brands who are committed to climate action, and walks us through their Clean Creatives Pledge, their Smoke and Mirrors report, and the F-List. He offers advice for starting a movement and emphasizes the need to take the first step and learn from experts along the way.


Dive into the episode to learn more and to hear advice and insights on:


Why pledging not to work for fossil fuels polluters is the best way to show you are committed to a sustainable future for the creative industry.Leaning on experts who are keeping up with these issues so that you don't have to do it all yourselfStarting small - As long as your taking the first steps, you’re on the journeyAligning your climate values with your client baseThe real reputational risks associated with working with problematic industriesClean Creatives is taking a unique approach to climate action, saying that Sustainability is about your clients, not your company. In order for us to transition off of fossil fuels, Duncan says we need to wake up advertising, marketing, PR firms and agencies to say, “Hey, you can't, I guess for lack of a better word, be complicit in this with them. We need you off of these projects, so that the story can die.”


Related links worth clicking on:


Clean Creatives F-List - https://cleancreatives.org/f-listClean Creatives Learning Resources - https://cleancreatives.org/learn-2023 Bill McKibben - https://billmckibben.com/Heated, Emily Atkin - https://heated.world/Volts w/ David Roberts - https://www.volts.wtf/ University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership - https://cisl-onlinecourses.getsmarter.com/presentations/lp/university-of-cambridge-business-sustainability-management-online-short-course/ Comms Declare, AU - https://commsdeclare.org/  Creators for Climate - https://www.creatorsforclimate.com/Climate Designers - https://www.climatedesigners.org/ Produced by our team of experts at thinkPARALLAX.
Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.


#inspiringperspectives #sustainability #corporatesustainability #esgadvice #climateaction #sustainabilityadvice #sustainabilityleadership #thinkparallax #renewableenergy #cleancreatives #cleanenergytransition #marketing #pr #agency


Got a topic you’d like us to explore on the show? Get in touch with us at thinkparallax.com/podcast.

Maisie Ganzler is the former Chief Strategy & Brand Officer at Bon Appétit Management Company and author of the new sustainability leadership book You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime: And Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable Company.
An expert strategic advisor with deep experience in scaling organizations, branding, cross disciplinary management, forging supply chains, and sustainability, Maisie paints a picture of what it takes to not only embed sustainability into every aspect of a company, but to also (perhaps most importantly) get credit for it. Her advice: align systems, be radically transparent, and tell your story.


Dive into the episode to learn more and to hear advice and insights on:
What makes for an effective sustainability leader in an organizationEmbedding sustainability and ESG work into every department because, spoiler alert,  it’s not just the responsibility of a sustainability team (she argues you might not even need one)Why getting credit for sustainability efforts is important for both customers AND internal stakeholdersTurning sustainability costs into revenue driversCapitalizing on your sphere of influence for quick winsTackling the tough stuff head on (and there will be tough stuff along the way)If you’re looking for advice from someone who’s been there and has built programs that scale, consider this: Maisie has nearly three decades of leadership experience and helped grow Bon Appétit Management Company to over $1.7 billion in annual revenue. The company operates 1,000-plus cafés for corporations, universities, and cultural institutions in 33 states, serving more than 250 million meals per year! 
Related links worth clicking on:
The book, You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime: And Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable CompanyMaisie Ganzler on LinkedInHow the Humane Sausage Gets Made: Maisie Greenawalt at TEDxManhattan 2013Maisie Ganzler, Bon Appétit Management Co.www.maisieganzler.com Produced by our team of experts at thinkPARALLAX.
Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.
#inspiringperspectives #sustainability #corporatesustainability #esgadvice #sustainabilityadvice #sustainabilityleadership #thinkparallax #esg #stakeholderengagement #sustainabilitystrategy #foodsystems


Got a topic you’d like us to explore on the show? Get in touch with us at thinkparallax.com/podcast.

Kristine Richmond is Sr. Director, ESG & Sustainability Impact at WM and she’s all in on the idea that it’s time to move from data to action; from the what to the how.
With an impressive background in corporate sustainability Kristine has seen what it takes to build and maintain strong programs, and bring the entire organization on board to help drive commitments forward.
In this episode you’ll hear advice and insights on:
Moving from data collection to action on that dataMaking sustainability relatable Dealing with the answer, “No”Finding allies in the organizationReaching employees where they’re atHow best to prepare for the future role of sustainability practitionerWM has been tracking and reporting on sustainability data for years and has a comprehensive program that’s focused on just 3 priority messages featuring 9 key words. Learn more about their commitment to building a world where material is repurposed, energy is renewable, and communities are thriving at sustainability.wm.com.

Related links worth clicking on:
Sustainability at WMKristine Richmond on LinkedIn ESG Resource Center (NYSE) The decade of action (SDGs)Produced by our team of experts at thinkPARALLAX.
Intro/Outro music by QubeSounds from Pixabay.
#inspiringperspectives #sustainability #corporatesustainability #esgadvice #sustainabilityadvice #sustainabilityleadership #thinkparallax #esg #stakeholderengagement #sustainabilitystrategy


Got a topic you’d like us to explore on the show? Get in touch with us at thinkparallax.com/podcast.

Fresh ideas on corporate sustainability from leaders at some of the world’s most respected companies. Hosted by Derek Sabori, produced by thinkPARALLAX.

Regardless of where you're at on the journey, if you're in the corporate sustainability space, this show is for you...

Inspiring Perspectives is a sustainability and ESG podcast featuring fresh takes, bold ideas, practical application, and real-world sustainability challenges and solutions as told by sustainability leaders from a variety of industries who are doing the work. Produced by the team of experts at the sustainability strategy and communications agency, thinkPARALLAX, Inspiring Perspectives gives you a sneak peak behind the sustainability scenes of some of the world’s most respected brands and companies. Hosted by Derek Sabori, a Senior Director at thinkPARALLAX, new episodes featuring valuable takeaways drop every other week.

https://www.thinkparallax.com/podcast

#sustainability #corporate #strategy #communications #triplebottomline #esg




Got a topic you’d like us to explore on the show? Get in touch with us at thinkparallax.com/podcast.