Happy Friday everyone….
As we head into the summer holidays, things are definitely starting to slow down. Out of office replies are appearing, holidays are being booked, and hopefully many of us are about to enjoy some well-earned time with family and friends.
One of the things I love most about this time of year is the space to think. Whether you’re walking the dog, sitting on a beach, driving somewhere new or simply enjoying a quiet cup of tea in the garden, summer has a funny way of giving us the headspace that the rest of the year rarely does.
Of course, there’ll be plenty of great music, podcasts and guilty pleasures on our playlists (and there absolutely should be!). But it’s also a brilliant opportunity to step back from the day-to-day and think about the bigger picture.
One statistic has really been front of mind recently.
Around 80% of a product’s environmental impact is decided during the design stage.
Let’s pause on that for a moment.
Before a product has been manufactured, shipped or even sold, many of the biggest decisions have already been made. The materials chosen. How it will be made. Whether it can be repaired, recycled or reused. Even how much carbon it will carry throughout its lifetime.
It reminds us why so much of the work we do at Products of Change starts right at the beginning. If we want to build products that are fit for the future, we can’t just focus on end-of-life. We need to think differently from the very first conversation, asking better questions, making better decisions, and designing with the future in mind.
If you do decide to give your summer playlist a day off (even if it’s just for one walk!), why not spend that time listening to what others across our industry are already doing? Our little POC podcast (or POC cast as my daughter calls it 😊)
Our From Intent to Impact Podcast isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about hearing from the people who are rolling up their sleeves every day and figuring it out. The conversations are honest, practical and full of ideas that you can take back into your own business.
We’ve been incredibly lucky to sit down with some amazing guests over the past few months, all sharing their own journeys, what’s worked, what hasn’t, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
And, if you don’t mind my northern twang popping up every now and then, I’d love for you to come along for the journey. You never know… one conversation might just spark the idea you’ve been looking for. Sometimes all it takes is hearing how somebody else approached a challenge to make you think differently about your own.
The latest episode, with guest Wendy Mather from RDP Creative, is out today; tune in now to hear Wendy’s journey to CEO and understand more about sustainability as an essential business strategy
Listen on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, or wherever you get your podcasts.
So whether you’re by the pool, walking the dog, sitting on a plane, or hiding from the kids for twenty minutes with a tea (we’ve all been there!), we’d love you to join us.
Who knows… it might just be the most useful thing you listen to this summer.
If you’re taking a well-earned break over the next few weeks, we hope you enjoy every minute. Recharge and spend time with the people who matter most and we look forward to catching up with you soon.
Until next Friday, happy listening and have a wonderful weekend.
Helena, Nicola and Team POC
