Big Idea: The Life Affirming Niche
Have you ever have one of those ideas that keeps popping back up in your head? 💡
As I've been developing the 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭, I revisited prior talks, work, and ideas to see what might still be relevant. That's when I found an idea that I loved, but could never find a 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, there.
Sustainability 🌍 work was my main focus during the late 90's - early 2000's. During this time I was involved in, or on the periphery of, a lot of interesting work, including:
— Biomimicry 3.8 - Innovation inspired by Nature - which I devoted years of work to.
— John Mackey and Raj Sisoda launched Conscious Capitalism, Inc. and I started a local chapter.
— Ellen MacArthur Foundation championed the Circular Economy which helped it take off, and I studied it relentlessly.
— Storm Cunningham, Executive Director presented compelling ideas in his books The Restoration Economy & reWealth. Storm and I worked together on a couple of projects.
— Regeneration, with roots in regenerative farming, started picking up momentum. I worked on regenerative agriculture projects in Europe and Australia.
During all that time I kept pondering: 'What would make sustainability irrelevant?' I wanted a paradigm that could both personalize sustainability, and work at scale, but I couldn't find one.
That's when I came up with the idea of the "𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞-𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞." 🌱
What if there were business models and career pathways that could make our lives and work more life-affirming?
But what does 'life-affirming' really mean, and how to define it? Most definitions are personal:
— Oxford Languages: Life-affirming means "having an emotionally or spiritually uplifting effect; inspiring happiness or optimism."
— Collins Dictionary: Something that is life-affirming "makes you feel positive about life."
— Merriam-Webster (paraphrased): Life-affirming describes something that promotes or enhances the value and joy of life.
I'd spent far too much time chasing big ideas - rabbit holes that often went nowhere. To check myself, I started talking to others.
I live in Charleston, SC and spend a lot of time in Asheville, NC. I met and interviewed sustainability professionals, and others interested, in both cities to see what they thought about it.
While developing 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭, I remembered it!
If the 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞-𝐀𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞 idea piques your interest, the videos I made 14 YEARS AGO 😲 are still there!
The video "What does the Life-Affirming Niche mean to you?" (link below) is a compilation of the interviews and the best starting point.
While it never went anywhere - because I couldn't find a 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, there - hopefully it can be of some use to someone.
