Medium Well

Latest Episodes:

74: Creating a more size-inclusive ethical fashion landscape and fat activism with Marielle Elizabeth Sep 23, 2020

Show notes

Marielle Elizabeth is a writer, photographer, blogger, and fat activist. I had the pleasure of chatting with Marielle in today's episode all about her journey towards where she is now as an ethical fashion blogger and influencer fighting fatphobia and advocating for size inclusivity in the industry. I really enjoy Marielle's no-BS approach to her work and how she's not afraid to say things how they are. We talk about her work building community, different business models for being an influencer, and how brands can move towards being more size-inclusive in a holistic way.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Marielle got into size inclusivity in fashion and ethical fashion
How Marielle got started in advocating for size inclusivity in ethical fashion
If and when the word "fat" is appropriate
Marielle's thoughts on how ethical fashion has evolved over the past 5 years in regards to size expansion
How to approach expanding sizing as a brand, including the barrier
How to make expanded sizing a core tenant of your business
How to course correct when you make a mistake and use it to learn and grow
How Marielle's business model has evolved as a blogger and influencer with her move towards Patreon
What's inspiring Marielle
How small brands can work with influencers without a budget
Advice for bloggers and influencers looking to get started
Lessons Marielle's learned from improv

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode 69 with Hanna of ethical fashion brand Sotela on expanding sizing for small businesses
Brands mentioned: ARQ, Sotela, Free Lable, Nettles Tale
Everlane Ex-Wives Club
Maries beech's post
Marielle's response to Lululemon's expansion
Influencers mentioned: Lydia of @Styleisstyle, Lydia Hudgens

All the deets:

Learn more about Marielle and her work at marielleelizabeth.com, and support her Patreon
Follow Marielle on Instagram at @marielle.elizabeth to learn from her and her important work.

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Marielle on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and what type you are— we'd love to hear!

Related episodes:

Episode 69: Building and growing a size-inclusive slow fashion brand with Hanna Baror-Padilla of Sotela
Episode 47: Ethical and sustainable fashion 101 (solo series)
Episode 30: The history and heritage of artisan fashion and why fast fashion is a threat, and getting started with ethical fashion with Livia Firth of Eco-Age and Marianne Hernandez

73: Forging relationships with plants, evolving as an herbalist, and building an herbal apothecary brand with Lauren Haynes of Wooden Spoon Herbs Sep 16, 2020

Show notes

I am elated to chat with my friend Lauren Haynes on today's episode. Lauren is an herbalist and the founder of Wooden Spoon Herbs, an herbal line she started over five years ago. We chat about a bunch of things related to herbalism, her background, how she formulates (for insane efficacy!), and more, as well as her journey with entrepreneurship and building Wooden Spoon Herbs to be the much-loved and trusted brand it is now, including her recent rebrand and new tea line launching this week!

In this episode, we discuss:

How Lauren found herbalism and how Wooden Spoon Herbs came to be
How herbalism shapes Lauren's lens and world view
Plants Lauren has deep relationships with
How she's balancing her political views and her response to civil unrest with showing up as a business owner
Wooden Spoon Herb's brand relaunch and how it came to be
What the new brand means to Lauren
How Lauren artfully balances selling products with avoiding over commercialization
How Lauren built her community and have such deep brand loyalty, including marketing tips and how to approach collaboration
Lauren's approaches formulation
The importance of having fun
What continues to keep Lauren motivated
What Lauren's finding nourishing lately
The new products in her line including herbal coffee and the herbal tea line that launches this week!
Lauren's process for evaluating products and supplements
The challenges with safety of herbs as they become more and more trendy
What's inspiring Lauren lately and what she hopes we carry forward from this time
Lauren's quick and passionate thoughts on essential oils

Mentioned in this episode:

Sarah Chappel's podcast, So you want to be a witch
Erin Lovell Verinder (she's been on Medium Well twice, listed below!)
Alexis Smart Flower Remedies
American Herbal Products Association newsletter
PubMed for research studies
Rosemary Gladstar— Sage Mountain + The Science and Art of Herbalism school, plus her books
The Kosmic Kitchen Cookbook
Chestnut School of herbal medicine
Woke without the work by Rootwork Herbals
Dive In Well's Pivot into Equity course

All the deets:

Learn more about Wooden Spoon Herbs and shop her herbal line at woodenspoonherbs.com, use code MEDIUMWELL15 for a discount (not an affiliate code!)
Follow Lauren and Wooden Spoon Herbs on Instagram at @woodenspoonherbs and check out her gorgeous guides, tips, and more.

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Lauren on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and what type you are— we'd love to hear!

Related episodes:

Episode 43: Connecting with the energies of plants, nature, and our bodies through herbalism with Erin Lovell Verinder
Episode 61: Balancing wellness with real life, relationship building, and evaluating trends with Rachelle Robinett
Episode 70: Plants for the people, celebrating local plants, and nourishing yourself with Erin Lovell Verinder

72: Using Human Design to navigate your career and business with Shaadi Oreyzi Sep 09, 2020

Show notes

In this episode, I chat with Certified Human Design Business Advisor Shaadi Oreyzi all about using human design to navigate your work environment, how you show up in your business, and beyond. Shaadi shares about my chart and how I am wired and explains how to use the powerful Human Design system for navigating all things work and career.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Shaadi found her way to working with Human Design
Why Shaadi decided to focus on HD for business
What the five Human Design types are called in a business framework
Shaadi breaks down my chart, my strengths, shadows, and beyond

All the deets:

Learn more about Shaadi and her work, grab your free career map, and book a session with her on her website, ElevateHumans.com
Snag a career map and report here, using code MEDIUMWELL for 10% off
Follow Shaadi on Instagram at @elevatehumansofficial and check out her gorgeous guides, tips, and more.

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Shaadi on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and what type you are— we'd love to hear!

Related episodes:

Episode 3: What is human design and how can it help me? with Jaclyn Michelle
Episode 57: Digging deeper into human design with Erin Claire Jones

71: You can't be an environmentalist unless you're anti-racist with Leah Thomas and Sabs Katz from Intersectional Environmentalist Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

We're back with more episodes! I am so honored to speak with Leah Thomas and Sabs Katz, founder and co-founder respectively of Intersectional Environmentalist, in today's episode. We chat about several topics regarding how being an advocate for the environment must be in tandem with doing anti-racism work, how sustainability has been commoditized, and more. This is such an important episode, and I hope you learn from it as much as I did when recording!

In this episode, we discuss:

How Leah and Sabs got into environmentalism
Why Leah and Sabs focus on environmentalism over sustainability
How we need to move past zero waste and "mason jar" sustainability
How to be more intersectional in your environmentalism and ask harder questions
How to call out and call in individuals
Why Leah chooses compassion over shaming
The challenges of "Columbusing"— people reclaiming things that BIPOC or other cultures have been doing for awhile
Cultural appropriation and its impacts on the environmentalism movement
The future of Intersectional Environmentalist
And more!

Mentioned in this episode

Kimberle Crenshaw and her TEDTalk, The Urgency of Intersectionality

All the deets:

Learn more about Intersectional Environmentalist and support their work on their website, intersectionalenvironmentalist.com
Check out Leah's blog and Sab's YouTube
Follow @intersectionalenvironmentalist, @greengirlleah, and @sustainablesabs on Instagram and share their important work

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and IE, Leah, and Sabs on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

70: Plants for the people, celebrating local plants, and nourishing yourself with Erin Lovell Verinder Jul 29, 2020

Show notes

Erin Lovell Verinder, herbalist, naturopath, and author of Plants for the People, is back for round two on Medium Well! In this lovely winding conversation, we discuss what this time of lockdown has meant to her and the planet, how plant medicine feels more important and relevant than ever, what the process of writing her book was like, how she has grown her business, and so much more.

In this episode, we discuss:

What's on Erin's mind as of late
What Erin learned in the process of writing her book, Plants for the people
How this time is uniquely aligning people with nature
Her second book and what it's about
Launching her book during COVID and the challenges
Erin's tips for medicinal herb gardening and connecting to nature at home
Erin's recommendations on how to decide what plants to start with
How to balance the trendiness of herbs with deep inner knowing and history
How Erin has build a business outside of Instagram for business
How Erin deepens her learning as an herbalist
Erin's advice for building intuition and tapping in
How Erin finds inspiration for formulating and medicine making
What she hopes remains post-COVID from this time
What Erin's finding nourishing right now and what tea she's drinking lately
Dealing with skeptics
Erin's views on being a teacher versus an influencer on Instagram
Audience questions since we recorded this live on Zoom!

Mentioned in this episode

Erin's gorgeous book, Plants for the People: A modern guide to plant medicine
Rosemary Gladstar's online courses

All the deets:

Learn more about Erin and her work, and book a session with her, on her website, erinlovellverinder.com
Follow Erin on Instagram at @erinlovellverinder and check out her gorgeous guides, tips, and more.

Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Erin on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode— we'd love to hear them!

69: Building and growing a size-inclusive slow fashion brand with Hanna Baror-Padilla of Sotela [Live!] Jul 15, 2020

Show notes

In today's episode, I chat with my dear friend Hanna Baror-Padilla, founder of Sotela, an ethical and sustainable, size-inclusive fashion line. Hanna and I connected over ethical fashion five or six years ago, when she was an ethical fashion blogger, and I was just starting my ethical fashion journey. Since then we've become very close friends, and supported one another in growing our businesses. We chat about her journey starting Sotela and as an entrepreneur, her decision to pivot to made to order, how and why she doubled her sizing, and much more.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why Hanna decided to launch her own fashion brand after being a blogger
Working full time while launching a business
How has Sotela evolved since she started it
How Hanna decided to pivot to made to order
How getting her own studio contributed to her growth
How Hanna decided on which risks are worth taking in her business
Hanna's mistakes with Sotela, and what she's learned from them
How Hanna decided to double her sizing and what it entailed
The demand for her extended sizes
Hanna's thoughts on the evolution of ethical fashion
How to justify the cost of ethical fashion
How Hanna has approached financial decisions in her business, and her advice for seeking part-time jobs as an entrepreneur

Mentioned in this episode:

Marielle Elizabeth
Brands that inspire Hanna: Elizabeth Suzann, EILEEN FISHER
How I Built This podcast
Sotela's blog post breaking down their pricing

All the deets:

Check out Hanna's clothing like Sotela.
Sotela's blog has lots of fashion inspiration, as well as behind-the-scenes look into how Hanna approaches many aspects of her business.
Follow along with Hanna at @sotelaco on Instagram
Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Hanna on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!
Sign up for my newsletter, Sara… lately, for curated resources, sustainability and mindful living tips, and to keep up with my podcast and work.

68: What is your wellness routine in service of? (solo episode) Jun 24, 2020

Show notes

In today's episode, I dive into a topic that's been on my mind for some time now in regards to wellness. If you're keeping up with trends, taking fancy supplements and powders, doing the face masks, and beyond— that's great. But what is it in service of? What are you using your now resilient mind and strong body for? If we aren't taking care of the collective, showing up to do anti-racism work, and protecting others, what is the point of our wellness?

In this episode, I discuss:

What is wellness, really?
Why you should care about anti-racism work if you care about wellness
How wellness has become commoditized and is oppressive
How wellness can be overly individualistic and why I believe wellness is about the collective
What is your wellness is in service of? Why do you take care of yourself?
Why I engage in wellness practices
What questions I am reflecting on during this moment
How I am part of the problem and what I am working on to unravel that

Mentioned in this episode:

Sophia Roe
Starter, my live 8-week mindful business fundamentals course
My newsletter, Sara… lately. Subscribe to keep up to date with what I am thinking, writing, learning, exploring, and launching.
Rasa adaptogenic coffee alternative (discount MEDIUMWELL)

All the deets:

Given the state of the world, my podcast may be released on a less-than-regular basis. Thanks for your patience while I navigate how I hope to evolve this podcast.
Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well at saraweinreb.com/podcast
Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your takeaways!

67: Embracing courage, the art of demanifestation, and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary with Deborah Hanekamp of Mama Medicine [Live!] May 20, 2020

Show notes

Today's episode is the first episode in the Medium Well… Live! series and it was such a joy to chat again with Deborah of Mama Medicine. We chatted about her experience moving her business to 100% virtual, the themes she's seeing in her medicine reading, why courage is so important right now, and Deborah answered questions from the audience. It's such a helpful and assuring listen during this chaotic time.

In this episode, we discuss:

Deborah's experience working from home
What her shift to a virtual business has been like
What grief is teaching us right now
What Deborah is finding comfort in, and how she's spending her time during quarantine
What is demanifestation? And how to practice it
How to connect to nature at home
What is unity consciousness?
Themes Deborah is seeing in readings right now
How to integrate more fun and play into daily life
Deborah's advice for mindful Instagram consumption
Deborah's advice for entrepreneurs looking to start a wellness or healing-based business
Deborah answers the audience's questions!

Mentioned in this episode:

Jane Goodall's conservation work
Poetry Deborah is reading: Joy Harjo, Rumi, Hafez
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
Join in on a future Medium Well… Live! podcast recording.

All the deets:

Connect with Deborah and her work at Mama Medicine, or sign up for her new membership, SPACE.
Follow along with Deborah at @mamamedicine on Instagram
Tag me (@saraweinreb) and Deborah on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!
Sign up for my newsletter, Sara… lately.

66: An introduction to herbal actions (solo episode) May 06, 2020

Show notes

I'm diving into herbal actions in today's episode! I break down what herbal actions are, discuss some of the most common herbal actions like adaptogens, nervines, and alternatives, and give you examples for the different herbal actions I discussed. I also discuss why understanding herbal actions are important, and how we can use them to pick the right herbs to take or formulate with.

Nothing in this episode should be taken as medical advice, always consult your doctor or holistic practitioner to ensure you find the right herbs for you!

In this episode, I discuss:

What are herbal actions?
An overview of some of the most common herbal actions we work with, and relevant hers
Why herbal actions are an integral part of herbalism
How you can use herbal actions to pick the right herbs for you

Mentioned in this episode:

Medical Herbalism by David Hoffman (my current herbalism textbook)
My newsletter, Sara… lately. Subscribe to keep up to date with new program launches.
Rasa BOLD, new caffeine-free adaptogen-powered energy tonic from one of my favorite herbal brands, Rasa (discount MEDIUMWELL)
Episode 16 with Lopa van der Mersch, founder of Rasa, where we talk a lot about herbal medicine and adaptogens!

All the deets:

Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well at saraweinreb.com/podcast
Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your takeaways!

65: Quitting Instagram as a business owner and content creator with Davida Lederle of The Healthy Maven Apr 22, 2020

Show notes

Today I chat with Davida Lederle, the founder of The Healthy Maven, all about her decision to quit Instagram as a content creator. We recorded this a couple of weeks before the pandemic shut down most of our country, so while the world we live in is quite different now, this episode is full of insight into the question "how could I possibly run a business in 2020 without Instagram?" Davida shares her experience as a blogger and content creator moving off the platform, how it's impacted her and her business, and more.

In this episode, we discuss:

How Davida decided to leave Instagram and what impact it's had on her and her business
Davida's takeaways from being off of Instagram for over six months
How Davida's business, The Healthy Maven, has shifted since she transitioned off of Instagram
Davida's revenue streams, and why Instagram only played a small role
The challenges Davida faced when moving off of Instagram
How Davida redefined her metrics
Her decision to end her podcast, That's So Maven
Davida's advice for people thinking of starting a blog

All the deets:

Check out Davida's blog, The Healthy Maven, for tons of wellness and healthy lifestyle content
Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode!

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