REPLAY: Candidly Confronting Brand Ethics and Sustainability with Calen Otto

REPLAY: This episode is from the vault and originally premiered on August 2nd, 2023.

Join me for an enlightening chat with Calen Otto from the Unruly podcast, where we confront the challenges of being creators, sharing our lives, beliefs, and imperfections while trying to make a living. Listen as we explore the idea of living more mindfully and eco-consciously and the struggles of being a recovering perfectionist in a world that isn't set up for that. The conversation takes an interesting turn as we discuss our journey of discovering eco-friendly period products and how we both became advocates for sustainable menstruation. We shed light on the lawsuit against Thinx and how it has influenced our approach to talking about period products. We also share our thoughts on how we can consciously approach life and be comfortable with it. Navigating brand partnerships and sponsorships as content creators can be complex, but it's a topic we tackle head-on. Calen and I discuss the ethical considerations involved and how certain brands' questionable practices have posed dilemmas for us and other creators. We also explore the importance of meeting people where they are for real and lasting change, and the need to stay true to our beliefs while navigating the intricacies of online content creation and brand partnerships. Jump in as we share our experiences and insights in this engaging and thought-provoking episode.

Guest Bio: Calen Ann Otto is a queer, anti-speciesist travel blogger who explores the big wide world on a very small budget. After completing a solo trip across the USA at the age of 19 with only $300 and a bike, Calen discovered that there are so many alternative ways to travel that cost less. Inspired by their love of meeting strangers and sharing their incredible stories, Calen created the Unruly Travel blog. There, they share photos, videos, articles, and podcast episodes from their unique travels in hopes of inspiring others to get out and grow. Calen has been to 5 continents, 35 states, 20 National Parks, and more than 20 countries as a vegan and is passionate about doing the least amount of harm wherever they go. They wrote and published 'The Art Of Unruly Travel On A Budget' travel guidebook to make travel more accessible to all. 

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Music by M Baxley.