077: Kind Cup – Bringing Innovation to Menstrual Cups and the Feminine Hygiene Industry with Christine Brown

The following transcript was generated automatically. For interactive version go to: https://otter.ai/s/utda3tR5TyO59VJ9m9WGmw
Full, accurate transcript is forthcoming.

Unknown Speaker 0:00
This is a sustainable mind, Episode 77. Today I am super excited to introduce you to a new product that I have been raving about for several months now. But I kind of have been keeping the cat in the bag so to speak, because this company is just now in the midst of their national launch. So needless to say, I've been under a bit of an embargo. We're going to be chatting with the amazing founder of the company behind this product here in just a few moments. But before we get into that, I want to thank our donors. Vincent a from Las Vegas, Nevada. Elizabeth B from Oak Park, Illinois. Amanda be from Laramie, Wyoming. Jessica de from Topeka, Kansas. And David H. From Culver City, California. Thank you all so much for your ongoing donations. And also thank you very much for everyone that has been sending me emails, DMS on Instagram and text messages. I love receiving those and hearing all about how this show has impacted you your family and your community. So get in touch. I really look forward to hearing from you.

Unknown Speaker 1:08
Welcome to a sustainable mind where we delve into minds behind today's most impactful environmental campaigns, organizations and startups. Inspiring the environmental changemakers up tomorrow on your host, Marjorie Alexander.

Unknown Speaker 1:28
Christine Brown is the founder of kind cup Christine and I had an opportunity to meet earlier this year in 20. We met at a women's empowerment Expo and I saw this amazing booth across the way and what looks to me like a menstrual cup and I have been a huge, huge advocate for menstrual cups for 15 years ever since I started using them. Back when I started I remember I was going to go on Semester at Sea. I was going to be out of the country for three months. I was wondering to myself, What am I going to use for feminine hygiene products when you're traveling around the world you're not familiar with the stores you're not familiar with the products isn't going to be the right size. Are they going to have anything at all? And that's when I discovered menstrual cups. I bought one, I never turned back. And when I approached the kind cup booth, just based on the design alone, I instantly knew it was so much better than what I've been using for the last 15 years. So, Christine, welcome to a sustainable mine. I am so excited to have you with us. And just so that everyone knows, Christina is a part time avocado farmer. She does live with chickens, and roosters. So you're gonna hear a little bit of that in the background. So don't mind that we're both. I am also away from home. So you might hear some interesting sounds in the background for both of us.

Unknown Speaker 2:50
Yeah, thank you for this opportunity for that awesome introduction. You can't tell but I'm smiling because I love that story. And yes, you will likely hear it Be occasional rooster in the background because I do live in the middle of an avocado orchard. We've got chickens scratching in the garden and running around. So always an exciting moment every day.

Unknown Speaker 3:14
Awesome, awesome. So I'm going to start off with the same question that I asked everyone at the beginning of every interview and that is, how did sustainability the environment and nature play a part in your childhood growing up?

Unknown Speaker 3:27
Absolutely. I guess it just goes back to the fact that I grew up on a ranch, I come from a long line of farmers and stewards of the land. So that was inextricably linked with my upbringing, which I'm incredibly fortunate to have had that connection with the land and with nature and the environment around me.

Unknown Speaker 3:48
Yeah. And so how did you get from that to where you are now, kind of is a new company. And just so that everyone knows who's listening kind of is actually having their phones. First Kickstarter, which I'm going to have the link at the top of the show notes for this episode, go ahead and click that. I have absolutely no doubt that this is going to be fully funded possibly many times over. So, but definitely, you know, participate and you know, get a couple kind cups for you and your family members, if you are interested. But tell me about kind of the journey to founding the kind cup company. What was your experience before that? What were you hearing from friends? What was your own experience? And how did you come up with the idea?

Unknown Speaker 4:32
Sure. So I guess I should start with a little bit of background. my undergrad was at Mount Holyoke College, which is traditionally all women's college, and I studied critical social thought. So in other words, thinking deeply and engaging with theories and applying them to the world around us. That's just naturally how I think and I'm fortunate to have found that that major in that that path because It's proved to be quite helpful as an entrepreneur. So I transitioned from that. And after grad school work a little bit in architecture and design, and it was around that time actually that I finally came across cups. It's odd that I didn't earlier but about 10 years ago I finally just by chance, saw cup had no idea what I was looking at, was and then did a just passionate search through all the different stores throughout to see I was living in Washington DC at the time, finally found a cup audit and haven't looked back. Hmm, that said, is incredible as that transition from pads and tampons was for me and for so many others. How did I not know about this before? And why don't more people know about this incredible option, just because have, you know for the sustainability aspect of it for the saving money for the feeling better physically, in terms of no more scratchy tampons or soggy tampon strings, and just, there's just so many things physically, that are an immediate Wow, this is amazing. But that said, the way that my mind thinks I was constantly going through, it would be great if, and I have this running list of all these design aspects of how it could be a better product, how it could be improved. Having just discovered cups, I convinced myself essentially, that the companies that were out there producing manufacturing these products, they had to have already known these things and that they were working on it and they were gonna do it because it was going to be a better product for everyone. Yeah. And years went by, literally, I couldn't figure out why they weren't doing these things. And finally I got tired of waiting but beyond just just struggling sometimes with being impatient person, I realized that it was an opportunity to go out there and attempt to make a contribution to the world of menstrual products and to the options that are available to people. First of all, so design improvements, I wanted to increase awareness and reduce stigma around menstruation and menstrual products. And then third, I wanted to increase access. That was ultimately the reason why I said I have to do this. And I jumped in and haven't looked back.

Unknown Speaker 7:38
You know, it's interesting that you brought up the fact that so many of the designs over the years have not changed at all. I will be very forthright and saying when I started 15 years ago, as far as I was aware, and of course I was on a timeline, you know, I was leaving the country and I had to get a product like now. So the options were Diva Cup. And then there was another company. I not sure what the name of the company was, but I remember very distinctly first of all the shape of it and the size of it were much smaller than the Diva Cup. But also it was like, it was like plunger orange, you know, the old school, like heavy duty plungers it has a very distinct orange rubber color. Yeah, and I remember that just looked very industrial. It just didn't look like soft and pliable and there was like, there's no way I put any of that in my body. So of course, I went with deep cut and that was really the only option at the time. Now fast forward 15 years before I met you, I was still using the same product I'd probably gone through a few you know, lost a couple replaced a couple, but it was really the exact same design. And so you know, I don't want you to give away like the trade secrets or anything. But let's start to get into why the design of the kinds cup is actually so much better than So many products that are out there.

Unknown Speaker 9:01
Absolutely. And, and, and kind of touching on how you saw from across the, the the expo across the aisle. From a distance, it's obvious it's not a traditional cone shaped cup, you know, has a an upper ring at the top then kind of tapers down to the base with some sort of removal stem, if you will. Yeah, so the cups that have come out over the years, for the most part, have been incredibly similar to the original design that came out in the 1930s. So the fact that we've gone, what, 90 years basically without significant design improvements or options, if you will, that to me was like I gotta do this. It's It's time we need to see product innovation. So one of the most obvious aspects about our design that you can just see from first glance is the fact that it is curving. It's not a cone, it has a curvature to it that's, frankly, a lot more reminiscent to the natural anonyme to the natural form fitting aspects and curves of our bodies that we need to have that effective seal to be reducing pressure on other organs and aspects of your body that, frankly, you don't want pressure on them to be more comfortable. And just to be more intuitive as well for our users so that they place their cup and even if they don't get it exactly right, it'll kind of just settle into the position that it needs to be comfortable and to be effective.

Unknown Speaker 10:42
Mm hmm. Absolutely. It's interesting, you know, coming on this trip, I've been away from home for almost a month now. And I knew that my my cycle was coming and so, you know, I throw my cup into my bag, and I show it to where I'm going and it you know, time comes I need it and I realized I brought the wrong One I brought my old one I was so upset using the Klein cup for three months. And I was just like, I am a believer absolutely through and through. And by the way, folks, this is not like a paid advertisement or anything. I mean, I just literally fell in love with this product from across the hallway, basically. Because I've been using these products in general for so long, and I just instantly knew that this was a better design. I am a customer. I bought one within I don't know a few days of meeting you. And I also offered to have you on the show you didn't ask for anything. So I want to put that out there for people. But it's interesting because three or four days into my cycle. I just happened to be rummaging through my bag and realize that I did bring the kind of cup and so Oh yeah, actually using the to basically one after the other. You know, instead of like a month apart, I was actually able to feel the difference. And like you were saying one big thing is the thickness and the just the rigidity The ring at the top for most products is so hard that number one, when you're inserting it, and it like kind of pops out, it almost is painful, or at least very surprising. With kind of cup. It's so soft. Like it's just a gentle like, Oh, it's there.

Unknown Speaker 12:16
Right? Right. And and also,

Unknown Speaker 12:18
it doesn't press against. I don't know if it's just my bladder urethra or whatever. But, you know, with other products, I constantly feel like I have to go to the bathroom all the time. I don't, but I feel like it and so I'm just going to the bathroom all the time, which you know, was wasting water. It's just unnecessary, things to think about. So let's talk about other aspects of the design, the stem, the shape of the base, and then even you know, get into the fact that you guys just came out with your smaller with your smaller cup.

Unknown Speaker 12:48
I'd love to Yeah. So to reiterate some of the stuff that you've said the upper ring, absolutely, it makes it so it's it's reducing pressure, that it's not as uncomfortable or sometimes Sometimes cups can be painful for people and why would you want that this shouldn't be a product that when you find the cup that works for you, it's comfortable and you forget that it's there. It's kind of like putting on a pair of underwear for you if you take a second to think about it, you know, you put on underwear, but you're not thinking about it constantly, you're just going about your day, right? So that's that was part of the goal behind the overall design. So the fact that the body itself does curve down to the base and that the shape of the ergonomic or more form fitting cup itself does lend to the integrity of the cup opening without that undue overwhelming pressure of an upper ring. All of that it's designed to be well balanced and and function the way it should. Absolutely. So another aspect that's definitely distinguishes and sets our cup apart from pretty much everything else out there is the removal summons, you're starting to mention is much longer, which it's adjustable. First of all, so don't let that throw you off, but it's longer and it's reminiscent of a tampon string. So it's incredibly flexible, it's comfortable. A lot of times, people who are familiar with cups, they're used to cutting off the stem, because they can be incredibly irritating. And because they're on cone shape or symmetrical cops, when they sit down, it'll create a poking sensation, which I don't know about you, but I don't want that every time I sit down, right? Or any additional rubbing against your skin or No, none of those things are pleasant or desired or so again, these are aspects that we incorporated seamlessly into the design itself. So the stem is much longer and it's a lot more flexible. So it is for the design and the comfort but it's also to encourage people to with the removal technique of gently Pulling Down and wiggling. So I decide to shimmy the cup itself into reach encourages people to break the seal safely. Because with other traditional cups, sometimes you might have a tendency to pull straight down as you might with the tampon string. But that's not necessarily the safest way to remove a cup is really important that you are breaking the seal so that you aren't putting additional suction or pressure on your body. So ultimately, overall, it will make it more comfortable and safe in the long run.

Unknown Speaker 15:34
So as we spoke about before, both of us were like, why did I not know that this was a thing sooner? So once people kind of like okay, menstrual cups, it's a thing, it's better for the planet. It's better for our bodies don't have to buy, you know, boxes and boxes and boxes of feminine hygiene products. That's all good. They look at the design and they're like so like how does this work? And is it going to fit my body and is it like a a one size fits all. Can my teenage daughter, you know, is it something that I can wear if I, you know, Emma between pregnancies, for instance, not entire cycles? Who is this product made for?

Unknown Speaker 16:14
Sure. So our current size regular, which you can just find directly off of our website, that is, because of the ergonomic design, there is a larger range of bodies that it will be a great option and fit for. So different brands will break their guidelines down in different ways. For me, we suggest First of all, they are guidelines because there is going to be a range and ultimately, you're going to know your body better than we will without having ever met or senior. You know, it's it's something where we provide the information so that you can make an informed decision. And then of course, if anyone has additional questions, we love it when people reach out for additional support. So that said the guidelines that we do put out there for our customer And people who are looking for more information is at the current size regular, has been incredibly effective for individuals 20s. And up, they don't have to have had a full term pregnancy. But those who have had actually found that this cup and shape and overall size and design has worked incredibly well for them. And so 20s and up cervix height is also an important factor to take into consideration. Now I'm going to say that there are still cup users who have no idea where their cervix is. And so it's a factor. Mostly if you have a lower service. If you have a medium to high server, it's gonna be fine. It's not even going to come into play. That said, your service can move. It can migrate if you will. So the position of your servers typically can be at its lowest point during your cycle, which means you have that much less height. To work with in terms of the type of cup, that's going to be a good fit for you. That said, if you do have a lower cervix, then you can still use this kind of a product, no problem, you just might have to insert a clean finger prior and gently feel for it to go. Okay, that's from our services. And then when you're inserting the collapsible cup that's kind of around the sides of a tampon probably just a little bit larger than that when you're inserting the collapse cup. In your vaginal canal, you're doing so at the appropriate angle so that when your cup does open, it's not going past your cervix or pressing against the side of it. Because for a cup to properly work, it's collecting the fluids. It's not like a tampon or pad it's absorbing. The cup opens the upper ring creates a seal along your vaginal canal and sits below your cervix so that it can collect the fluids and then go up to 12 hours at a time to empty remove it. Rinse it Insert, keep going. So the size regular, it's great for that demographic, we are now just coming out with our new size small, which I am super excited about, because that's going to open up options for younger users. And individuals who have a slightly lower cervix like a medium to low. And for anyone who has a slightly smaller body or need for a smaller cup in general, both of them are great starter cups. I can't tell you how many first time cup users don't like they just try it and it works. It's the way that it should be. Now that said the learning cycle can be anywhere from one cycle to three cycles, again, drastically better than the sometimes frustrating process of going cycle after cycle, sometimes even years of trying to figure out how to get a cup to work. So we've been very fortunate so far with this design working so well for people

Unknown Speaker 20:00
Right, right I would say that the learning curve for myself was like a day and a

Unknown Speaker 20:06
half.

Unknown Speaker 20:07
Now obviously, I've been using a similar product for a very long time. And instantly I could tell that I was like, Oh, it's different in this way, it's different in this way. So those are things I don't have to think about. I remember getting my very first cup and at the time, the company that I bought it from had two sizes already. I got the smaller size I was what 1819 years old, like got the smaller size and did not have a good experience with that and then had to go out and get the larger size. But the great thing that I like about kind cup is like when you're because and I'm actually holding them side by side and I'll take a photo of this for the show notes for this episode. So that's, you know, people can have a side by side of the two. But the great thing is that the top ring, you know, to create that really good seal, when you push in with your fingers, it really does conform to any shape. Whereas other companies, the ring is so hard, it might, I mean, you can you can squish it into to an oval one way or the other, but it doesn't quite conform to your body, you know, if there's a little bit more pressure on one side than the other. And so that leakage issue, I instantly knew it was not going to be a problem. So it was like, I felt great swimming, you know, at home in the pool. out in the ocean, I felt comfortable, you know, sleeping in a bed that wasn't my own, because that's kind of always a worry, like, I never want to be on the first day or two of my period, even wearing a cup in you know, a bed that's not my own, whether I'm in a bedroom or with a partner, like I can't do it. You know, I got it. You know, I got to schedule my dates around this.

Unknown Speaker 21:46
But I never have to worry about that anymore. with clients. That's great.

Unknown Speaker 21:50
Yeah, that's great. Yeah, I mean, it's something we're ultimately that's our goal. And I thank you for sharing that because we want people to feel not only confident about their bodies, but confident about that. product itself so that they can go about their life and not have to think about it. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 22:06
You know, listening to an episode or two like this people can look at a product and and understand how it's going to work. And so you might be looking at two different products, trying to make a decision, but you don't really it's like, I can see how the design aspects are different, but I still don't know what that's going to be doing inside my body. And so hopefully hearing this conversation, people can look at two different designs if they really are deciding between one company or another or one size and another and say, okay, that's actually going to work for any, anything additional, you'd like to say about that.

Unknown Speaker 22:43
Have at it, please. Awesome. And yeah, so with our distinct, ergonomic form fitting design, as much as that already lends itself to being more comfortable being more effective and easy to use for our customers, For our users, it's not always going to be 100%. This is the only cup that you're ever going to need. There are variations in terms of people's bodies and within their needs. So I highly encourage folks to look at the options out there, see what might fit your needs, sometimes it's going to be a matter of your your flow. So you might need a cup that just has a larger capacity. Or maybe you're a much younger user, or you understand that you're going to need a much smaller cup. That's perfectly fine. There are other options out there. We just launched last November. So we're doing everything we can to build this brand, increase the options for our users, but there are still some other great companies and some other great designs and products out there. So I hope that folks who go out there and find what's gonna work best for them.

Unknown Speaker 23:52
Absolutely. So before we get into our seven sustainable questions, I do want to bring this conversation on Back to the sustainability aspect of Heinz cup. So when we met initially, you talked about some of the design aspects of the cup itself, but also the packaging, the people that you were working with to manufacture it. Tell us a little bit about, you know, where this stuff is coming from and how these products are being made. Where are they being made? And how does it get to customers?

Unknown Speaker 24:26
I'd love to, yeah, so the designer. So as we touched on, there's over 20 unique elements that are seamlessly incorporated into it, so it does what it should, right. Now, that said, I would love to at least give a little bit of insight when I sat down and had conversations with different potential contract manufacturers and specialists already in the space. The design that I wanted to pursue was a complete theory. It had never been done before. So even people who have had years of experience in this area they didn't know before. could be done. So it was kind of a leap of faith. And fortunately, throughout that process, it was incredibly effective. And even in those conversations with the manufacturers in terms of the tooling and, and all of those aspects of it, I approached them and would make suggestions so that we can minimize the waste that can sometimes be produced in the manufacturing process. So every single step of the way, that was at the forefront, not only having an exceptional design, but also reducing our impact from an environmental sustainability perspective. And that's with the manufacturing of the cup itself, the selection of our materials, everything is as sustainable as we could as we could find and within a two hour radius of the actual company itself, so everything sustainably sourced and manufactured and in That says, I think we are actually leading the industry with regards to the environmental footprint overall. Nice.

Unknown Speaker 26:07
I absolutely love that.

Unknown Speaker 26:09
Absolutely love that. You know, when it comes to food and hygiene products, I think a lot of companies put the emphasis on the founders, or at least they did that initially. And then as new companies have kind of come on board, they've been a little faceless, I'd say, but your company, kind cup, it feels very personable. Like when I go to the Instagram page or the Facebook page, like I know, the people that are bringing me these products, and also you do a great job of or you know, maybe it's just such so much of a great product it would happen anyway. But a lot of video testimonials like from different people who have different backgrounds and body shapes. And experiences prior to using menstrual cups with other feminine hygiene products and hearing their experience. You know, using kind cup makes me feel a lot more comfortable that it's going to be something that might work for me, not some faceless company out there that happens to be huge. But like when it comes to something that you're inserting into your body, I don't know, to me it matters, that I know who's making the stuff. So that might not be everybody. But that makes me feel good. And of course I was I was lucky enough to meet you face to face. So that of course, was a bonus.

Unknown Speaker 27:38
Absolutely. And I appreciate that feedback and that sense that you're getting because it's so important to me and to us as a company that people feel they can trust what's going inside their bodies. And to be perfectly honest, until I got into this world. There's a lot that I didn't know, but getting into the world and learning more From the inside, what's currently going on and what's currently going out there, it became pretty clear that not everyone had the same values that I was bringing into the approach. And I can't tell you how many times I would be told you can bring your cost down if you use these other materials or pursue these other options and time and again, it's like, Alright, I'm not going to say no, because I want to be fully informed in the direction that we're going. But if it wasn't really, truly the best quality, the safest, most extensively tested material, the most sustainable that if it wasn't reaching all of my standards, high standards I'd met but if it wasn't reaching that, I wouldn't use it. You know, we have a choice in terms of what we're going to create. And to me that was as important as the end product itself. So all those aspects going into it. It matters, what goes into my body into our bodies, it matters and the fact that I had an opportunity to make that decision. Yes, it means that my margins are way lower. But that's not the route. Like that's not why I got into this in the first place. I really didn't want to create a new standard across the board because I saw an opportunity to really create a new standard and raise that standard and I hope that it encourages other companies not just in this field, but just in general to do that

Unknown Speaker 29:34
as well. Absolutely. And just one more note in terms of you know, demographics and, you know, customers, you are a an American Sign Language, teacher and advocate. So there are many reviews and videos on Instagram about how to use the product that are in sign language. So anyone that's listening or reading the trailer script of this episode, which there will be a full transcript linked to the show notes that you can send it to anyone that you know that is hard of hearing that's looking for a menstrual cup product, send this episode over to them. Also, you can watch those reviews and instructional videos on the Instagram page in Spanish and in sign language. So really appreciate the accessibility aspect of kind cup as well.

Unknown Speaker 30:26
Thank you. Thank you. Yeah, that was very important to us. And if I can just briefly mention, I'm incredibly grateful that the response has been so positive. With regards to the reviews and individuals we've been able to organically connect with and collaborate with. I often don't see those until everyone else can see those. So it's a little bit of a just, you know, surprise moment of Okay, I hope they like it

Unknown Speaker 30:55
worked out.

Unknown Speaker 30:56
I mean, we frankly we just don't have a marketing budget at this point. So, yes, connecting with people. And so far, it's been an incredible experience to just not only have a product that's been so effective for such a wide range of people, but that they recognize and appreciate the overall vision of our brand.

Unknown Speaker 31:17
So before we get into our seven sustainable questions, I want to make sure that everyone can get in touch with you online. So you can visit kind cup.com that's their website, and also on Instagram kind of period cup or kind cup. And on Facebook, just kind cup. If you search it on Google, it'll pop right up. Also, like I mentioned earlier, there is a Kickstarter campaign going on. I'm going to put that link at the top of the show notes for this episode. So go ahead and participate in that. Grab a couple for yourself for friends, family, and if you are on your phone or any device like that just fine kind of cup on Instagram and The Kickstarter link will be in their bio. Yes. So Christine, let's get into our seven sustainable questions. The first of which is, can you share with us one long standing habit that you believe has significantly improved your life?

Unknown Speaker 32:17
Sure. So I would say gardening, it's a great way for me to have an excuse honestly, to go outside, take a break from work and connect with nature in a way that's nourishing not only in the moment, it's meditative, but also nourishing in the sense that I can then enjoy those fruits and vegetables that are grown. That would be one and then a second briefly, if I may, is going on walks in nature, just trying to get in some movement. And typically during those walks, I sometimes call them my ideal walks or I do this walk. I'll be listening to podcasts. Sometimes it's yours. Just to just get good ideas going and learn more about that. What's out there and other perspectives?

Unknown Speaker 33:02
And what is one new habit that you're cultivating in your life right now?

Unknown Speaker 33:07
a new one. It's, well, this one's more of a process. And I would say it's trying to continue to educate myself about ways that I can reduce my impact. So I know it's a journey. I know it's a process. I know there's ways in my everyday personal life, that I can be better. So that's something that I'm constantly challenging myself to pursue to how I can change my my everyday habits to reduce my impact.

Unknown Speaker 33:37
What has the founding of the kind cup company and the process of coming up with the design? What is one unexpected gift or something that it taught you that you're like, Wow, I didn't really think that that would be something that I got out of this experience, but you were pleasantly surprised.

Unknown Speaker 34:01
I would say the feedback that we get from, from our customers is one of those things, you know, someone who reaches out and and shares it, they've tried 12 other cups, and this is the first one that works for them. Or just the fact that we can create an opt in and a product that has that kind of an impact. That's awesome. I love that I love that we've been able to, to do that. And similar to that our nonprofit partnership with a local nonprofit director leave they distribute the donated cups, to those underserved traditionally underserved communities and individuals. That's something that has been so important to me from the beginning. So I'm really hoping that that's something we can continue to increase as we grow.

Unknown Speaker 34:52
Nice. So many people, it seems like look up to you, they enjoy the product. They're so Happy they're so excited and grateful that kind cup is a thing now myself included with the work that you've been doing for the community and for the environment. whose work do you admire?

Unknown Speaker 35:15
Yeah, so I would love to plug intersectional environmentalists with an S at the end. They were created in June of 2020. So just just recently, but they are a phenomenal platform. And part of the reason why I love to plug them is because of their recognition of intersectionality which means that it's so important to view and approach things in everyday life from a lens recognizes all the ways that power and actions in our daily lives overlap. And that we're just one part of that larger ecosystem. And our individual choices and actions do create an impact on the earth and and With those who inhabit it.

Unknown Speaker 36:02
Nice, I am looking at their Instagram. And yes, it will definitely be linking that up in the resources section for the show notes for this episode. Thank you so much for sharing that. That's awesome. Speaking of Internet's resources, do you have an internet resource that you find helpful on a regular basis, it doesn't have to be equal related, but something that you use on a regular basis that you think would be helpful for others.

Unknown Speaker 36:27
Right. So I would say, I'm pretty regularly plugged the web platform put a component.com or their Instagram or their Facebook page or their company community group. They have an incredible platform in terms of the educational resources that they put out there and the community that they've built. So they they can be a fantastic resource if you want to learn more about cups in general. I'd say check them out.

Unknown Speaker 37:02
Nice. And what's a book that you would recommend for sustainable minds out there? And I'm definitely interested in this based on what you said you majored in, in college and kind of just the way that your mind works. What would you recommend to sustainable minds out there that are hoping to shift their mindset specifically to become the change that they want to see in the world?

Unknown Speaker 37:25
Right, so I would actually suggest the book The Alchemist. I've read it. I mean, I love theory and all that stuff. But But for me, the alchemist I've read it a couple times, in different stages of life. And part of that book is encouraging you to find and live your truth. And I personally am a strong believer that if we all pursued authenticity, and celebrated and supported each other in that quest, that it would be incredibly beautiful and empowering Not only to see and individualize, but as a collective community.

Unknown Speaker 38:04
Well, I know what I'll be using for my audio gram for this episode, not that sound clip right there. Beautiful. I love it. I love it. Okay, last question. So what is one piece of advice that you would give to environmental entrepreneurs out there? Maybe they're just starting out, maybe they're a couple of years in and they've hit kind of a rough patch? What's one piece of advice that that you would pass on to people that are really trying to make both of social impact and also impact for the planet in a beneficial way?

Unknown Speaker 38:39
Mm hmm. I love that question. My advice would be to remain curious to question if you see something that you should change, or that could be better, and you're passionate about it, I think Go for it. create it, collaborate support opportunities that you see, that can create positive change. And to just remind, especially the youth remind them, you are more capable than you think. And don't be afraid to share that with the world.

Unknown Speaker 39:13
Excellent, excellent. So I'm going to plug all of your your websites and social medias one more time here go to kind cub.com You can also find them at kinda cup on Instagram, and kind cup on Facebook as well. And of course, as I mentioned earlier, they do have a Kickstarter going on right now. That is, let me see. It ends on

Unknown Speaker 39:40
it ends on International Women's Day, our inclusive company. I mean, the 19th amendment 100 years. I mean, why not? So yeah, and on August 26, for those of you who don't know which day is International Women's Day, but August 26

Unknown Speaker 39:54
fantastic. Yes. Thank you so much for reminding me of that date because I did not have my link straight in front of me. All right. So Christina, do you have any final words or parting pieces of guidance to give sustainable minds out there?

Unknown Speaker 40:08
If you're inspired by something, don't let anything stop you.

Unknown Speaker 40:18
I hope you've enjoyed this week's episode. If you're interested in learning more about Christine am crying cup, as well as all the other resources mentioned in today's episode, you can check out the episode description on your device or at our website at a sustainable mind comm Ford slash 077. Thank you so much for joining us and we'll catch you next time on a sustainable

Transcribed by https://otter.ai