People don't need more stuff to feel like they're doing something. Instead, they just need to do something

In 2016, I started a brand called One Species. The vision was to "make wildlife conservation mainstream" using something that anyone could connect with: clothing. We designed clothing after specific endangered species and 10% of sales went towards organizations working to save the species.

We sold hats, t-shirts and socks to customers around the world. We even built an ambassador program and went on trips. Everything seemed to be going great! But in reality, it wasn't. Here's what I learned...

It's difficult to produce truly sustainable clothing. I was doing the best could, but the bottom line was: more unnecessary stuff means more unnecessary waste.

The clothing sold to save wildlife required intensive material sourcing, chemical processing and a global shipping footprint. We were inadvertently participating in fast fashion (one of the world's most consumer-driven, harmful industries). 

I realized how disconnected and misaligned I was, how so many of us are, from better solutions.

I've since ditched the clothing because, seriously, f*** fast fashion. But I was inspired by the community and customer interest in wildlife conservation. There's a need for real conservation stories, the gritty and good ones, the ones making real impact. Today, I'm focused on telling those stories.