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Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to AUSTIN POTTS. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

AUSTIN, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

When I was 18 I became much more aware of the food I was eating, what was really in it, and where it all really came from. I realized that what I was eating every day was directly affecting the way I felt all of the time, and I didn’t feel very good. Part of me always knew that there was so much more I could get out of life, and I realized that my health is truly my wealth. I chose to move forward mindfully with my food choices which eventually led me to start gardening and growing some of my own food. Through organic gardening I realized the importance of compost and adding back in organic matter to the soil to continue to enable your plants to continue to thrive season after season. I started composting our kitchen scraps in a small pile at our home, which didn’t yield much compost to be honest. It wasn’t until a friend of mine asked for my help with a compostables curbside collection service she had started that our piles began to get bigger.. Coming from the restaurant industry years ago, I have witnessed firsthand the alarming amount of food “waste” that gets thrown out every single day. All of it has the potential to become compost and good soil for organic growers and gardeners. My mission is to support this process and bring awareness to the massive amount of resources we are throwing away all of the time. The day came when my friend had to move out of state, so I took over the composting service fully and now it is my baby.. The more I learn the more passionate I become about repurposing our waste streams into something great.. The change starts in ourselves and our perception of our “trash”..

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My vision with KarmaPharma is creating a system of reusing our waste in a great way, and spreading this awareness and ability to as many people as possible. All of our compost community members have access to our compost for their own purposes, and we encourage and support this. Part of my services is also helping people to start their own garden, and teaching them how to maintain it.

KarmaPharma is all about taking in “trash” and turning it into gold. I believe we all have this alchemical potential inside of us, just waiting for us to remember our power. Imagine if everyone knew their ability to transform the “trash” we absorb from our world into some seriously beautiful gold, what would our world be like?

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Some of my community members come through my website, but most of them have come through face to face interactions and I am realizing more and more that going in person to speak with people and spread my message is really going to be the key to my success and growth. Which is perfect because that’s exactly the type of business I wish to create. I choose to create a community of gardeners and composters and I believe face to face interactions is the best way for me to do this.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I have gotten to completely unlearn everything I thought I knew about “trash” and our systems for handling it. When I first learned of how much food waste we are throwing away in the Unites States alone I was blown away and flabbergasted. If you’re not aware, nearly HALF of the waste we send to our landfills is organic matter that will actually rot anaerobically and cause the release of large amounts of methane gas into the atmosphere.. The potential energy renewal we have at our finger tips every day is astonishing. Just imagine if we were to compost all of that matter and turn it into fuel for our own personal gardens to feed ourselves fresh food! This is part of my vision with KarmaPharma.

Contact Info:

• Website: Karmapharmatx.com
• Instagram: Karmapharmatx
• Facebook: KarmaPharma
• Youtube: Shogi’s World