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

Lauren, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

I can distinctly remember going over to other kid’s homes and wondering why they were using paper towel in their kitchens and then just throwing it away like it was nothing. Growing up, I only knew reusable (washable) kitchen towels. This may seem like a small and insignificant anecdote, but I feel like it’s an important one that has deeply formed who I am and who I’m growing into. I grew up in homes where single use items were just unfathomable to us. Not only that, I can remember my grade 2 teacher pulling me aside and thrusting a bag of pre-loved clothing into my hands, they were her daughter’s hand me downs. My mom worked part-time at my elementary school and had become quite chummy with my teacher who was definitely more affluent that we were. She didn’t give us the clothing thinking we couldn’t afford our own but passed them on coming from a place in her heart where she felt they would continue to be well loved in our home and passed on, once again, to someone who would love them too and on and on they would go. I believe most of my clothing was hand me downs and I am so thankful for that, maybe as I child I didn’t quite understand it or like it, but now I have a deep appreciation for keep things moving in a loop for as long as they possibly can. These are two examples that really stand out for me and which I reflect on often, but there are definitely more! My parents did a lot right, and these things have definitely made the list.

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 background and context?

About 10 years ago, I really turned a corner in my sustainability journey. I feel like I always lived differently than others but I hadn’t kicked it into full gear until one fateful day when I discovered cloth menstrual pads. Up until that point, I only knew of diva cups and although I really loved the concept, they weren’t something I was interested in. I stumbled into a local low-waste shop and there was a display of cloth pads handmade by a local woman, just calling out to me. I bought one to try it out and I was sold, I then invested in a pack of 25 and never looked back (I believe I’ve only spent $150 on menstrual products in the last 8 years). This small act really radicalized me and I really started getting preachy with my loved ones, an approach I do not recommend (I hope I’ve put those preachy days behind me). During the pandemic, I was (like may of us) forced to reinvent myself and find new ways of making a living. I learned how to work online as a virtual assistant and geared all of my focus and energy there. But after years of working in different capacities online, it’s only been maybe the last 2 years that I’ve realized I wanted my business to better reflect who I am and what I am trying to achieve in this world. I started a Substack (linked somewhere in this article) and an instagram (also linked) just for this journey. Since then, I have coached 10 people on their sustainability journey. This means I help them map out a way to reduce their waste, learn, reframe, declutter (their home and their mind) and reconnect with the world around them. Although I still do this work, I have once again pivoted and am now offering Eco Audits for small businesses to better understand their role on the planet and to maybe take the opportunity to source differently and to run their businesses differently. We start with a small audit and work our way from there. I can be involved in many different capacities including research projects and sourcing better places to get products etc. It’s still at the beginning stages but I do believe it will impact many small businesses positively and can’t wait to connect with more clients!

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

Honestly, social media has been a very powerful tool in my business. Although I don’t like it and would much rather connect with people in the flesh, there’s so much versatility online and there are so many different ways to connect with people and businesses all over the world. There’s a great opportunity to show who you really are online and people seem to really resonate with authenticity and your authority on certain matters. My Substack is also a source I have used to connect with people, it’s also a very powerful resource. Podcasts too, I’ve been a guest speaker on various podcasts but I also have my own, Enough Stuff, where I do interviews as well as just personal takes on sustainability practices etc around the world.

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

I believe I mentioned this in one of the above paragraphs, but being preachy and guilting people into my “way” of life was something I had to learn, in hard ways, not to do. It’s really easy, when you’re so profoundly passionate about something, to want everyone to know and do as you do because you believe your way is THE way. I think it’s human nature but I am working hard to not give into it. I began my sustainability journey in this way and quickly learned that it wasn’t a good way to go about inspiring people. I would often be met with pushback and reticence and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why. It wasn’t until people I loved, who were being brutally honest with me, would tell me that I was too much and that my forcefulness, negativity and guilt about their actions were actually pushing them even further away from being eco-curious. So I took notes. I learned, grew and changed. I feel the most important thing I learned was that people are much more receptive to the knowledge I have to impart when they, on their own volition, ask me about why I am doing whatever is I’m doing. Curiosity is a powerful thing! I just do what I do and people get curious and want to try it out too. I would also get the odd message from people letting me know that they were now doing something they had seen me do. It was the positive feedback I needed to keep me on my own path and let people do it, or not, when they wanted and felt it was right for them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/enoughstufflauren and www.instagram.com/eco.audits
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/enough-stuff-podcast/id1783318845
  https://enoughstufflauren.substack.com/