Black Lives Matter and Supporting BIPOC-Owned Business (with Akua Yamoah Opoku)

Welcome to the first interview of Season 2! In this season, we're talking about how to become more conscious consumers, and if I've learned anything in the past few years it's that if my activism isn't intersectional, then it's lacking. If you want ONE place to turn to so that you can be sure your purchases are supporting small, sustainable businesses owned by Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color -- our guest in this episode has created that exact platform, for free!

Akua Yamoah Opoku, an entrepreneur and creator of the AYO Business Finder, joins Katie Kurpanek, Eco-Living Coach and Podcast Host, to share about her one-stop-shop for clothing, jewelry/accessories, home decor, skincare, food, shoes and more that are all owned and produced by 200+ BIPOC business owners! This platform is set up much like a Yelp-type search engine and is a completely free resource. Akua is calling us IN to do more than just performative support for our BIPOC friends and communities -- it's time to use our buying power to make a greater impact. Akua also shares very personally how the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 really became the fuel for this platform. I'm in awe of Akua's work and the education she's also putting out into the world! I encourage you to lean in to the discomfort you may feel in this episode and listen in order to understand. If you're ready to make a real impact with your shopping habits, check out the AYO Business Finder  and see Akua's full bio below, as well. 
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More about Akua Yamoah Opoku and the AYO Business Finder:
AYO Business Finder
Follow on Instagram and TikTok @ AYO Business Finder

"Akua Yamoah Opoku is a Ghanaian-American woman with a dream to leave her planet better than she found it. Akua is committed to helping newbies in low waste living transition to a lifestyle that they love that is also good for the planet by helping people use their money to save the planet. She supports her community through providing a BIPOC sustainable business finder called A.Y.O. Business Finder and a weekly newsletter of her experiences, learnings and lifestyle resources. Akua is all about showing others that living a low waste lifestyle is possible and can be enjoyable!"

Transcript

Katie Kurpanek: 0:06

You're listening to all things sustainable, where we unpack topics related to sustainable living, as well as how to apply specific actions to your own life. I'm your eco living coach and podcast host, Katie Kurpanek. Let's jump in. Hey, everybody, welcome to the first official interview of season two of the All Things sustainable podcast. I'm your host, Katie Kurpanek. I'm an eco living coach in the Denver Metro area. And my mission is to support you as individuals who are wanting to live a more sustainable life in whatever ways that looks like for you. It's definitely not a one size fits all kind of deal. And I'm here to support you. We covered all the reasons WHY it's important to live sustainably in season one of this podcast. So if you missed any of those episodes are you are curious about why this even matters, make sure to go back and listen to those episodes. And then now we are diving into the many, many, many aspects of HOW to live sustainably from here forward within this podcast. You can also go back to the episode right before this one, which was the intro episode two season two, it's just a shorter brief description about where we're headed with my hopes and dreams and goals for this podcast. So season two is kicking off our how tos of living sustainably with a focus on becoming more conscious consumers. So in my coaching, what I tell people that this means is that this is just shopping in a way that is connected to your ethics. And of course you're going to have to look at your life and kind of reflect and assess what are your ethics, what are your values in order to know what this looks like for you and what kinds of decisions and purchases are going to align with those things for you. This is going to look different for a lot of people. So some examples. For me when I'm shopping, a lot of what I am looking to purchase is going to be vegan, I look at the packaging, and I try to choose the most sustainable packaging as far as carbon footprint goes. I'm often looking at labels such as Fairtrade certified organic, cruelty free things like that, there are a plethora of examples of ethics that might align with you. And of course, if you ever need support in that area, then feel free to reach out to me, I would be happy to coach you in this way. But bringing it back to this episode for me as I'm learning how to become a stronger ally to those around me who are most often marginalized and discriminated against historically, and unfortunately, through today, especially within bipoc, which is black indigenous people of color communities and LGBTQIA folks, I know that if my environmentalism or my feminism or any form of activism really isn't intersectional then it's not inclusive of all human rights. It's not whole or complete, it's lacking. And we need to do better than this. We can do better than this. So I am honored and thrilled to bring this conversation to you today with Akua Yamoah Opoku, who is an incredible force of nature contributing so much to the world. I'm going to just like read her brief bio really quickly, just to give you that up front. So Akua is a Ghanaian American woman with a dream to leave her planet better than she found it. Akua is committed to helping newbies in low waste living transition to a lifestyle that they love that is also good for the planet. By helping people use their money to save the planet. She supports her community through providing a bipoc Sustainable Business finder called the AYO Business Finder, and a weekly newsletter of her experiences, learnings and lifestyle resources. Akua is all about showing others that living a low waste lifestyle is possible and can also be enjoyable. So I've personally been following Akua's journey since about 2019 I think maybe 2018. But she started off with like a different name a different business venture back then, and she'll talk about that just a little bit. But really, she began to while she started this by noticing a gap in representation within the Zero Waste community. And so she wanted to start a blog in 2017, wanting to share her story and help others especially young black women in the sustainable circles. This has since turned into an LLC in 2020. It has grown into what is now called the AYO business finder. And it's also just recently changed from a paid resource to a free resource. So I cannot wait for her to get fully into what all of this means for you. It's an absolutely incredible resource that I hope you will be turning to time and time again after listening to this. And also for this episode, you will definitely want to listen all the way to the end. Akua shares how the Black Lives Matter resurgence in 2020 with the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and more really became the fuel for the creation of her business finder. We talked about the anger and the heartbreak and the disgust and all the emotions that are associated with the traumas that are bipoc Community continue to face. And we talked also about the joy and the beauty and the passion that needs to be elevated just as much, if not more so from within these cultures, and how Akua has built her AYO Business finder in order to do just that. She addresses those of us (and I say us because I'm white So I'm putting myself in here) She addresses those of us who are white, who are privileged, who say that we want to be allies. She's calling us in and not calling us out. And I love how she words that in that part of the discussion, She's inviting us in to do more than just performative support, you know, like putting up a black square only, or saying that you support black lives matter. But like, where's the action behind that. So, I know that this may feel foreign. I know that a lot of this may feel like new information. And it may feel uncomfortable at times, I understand that. And I also encourage you to lean into the discomfort or whatever emotions or thoughts may arise in you. And listen to learn and to understand within this conversation. If you have any questions that surfaced from it, don't hesitate to reach out to Akua or to me, we both have our contact info linked in this episode description. We're all in this world together. And in the fight for human rights and in the fight for saving our planet it takes all voices at the table. And it takes all of us coming together to learn from each other and to share with each other. So let's just go ahead and now kick off our season of becoming more conscious consumers in ways that sustain both the well being of our planet, and the well being of all peoples. And I hope that you really enjoy this conversation. Akua thank you so much for joining me today. I'm really excited to have you on the podcast.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 6:52

Thank you so much for inviting me. I'm always excited to talk with others in this sustainability space.

Katie Kurpanek: 6:58

Absolutely. Your mission statement, your vision for your work, there's so much that I feel like is aligned with my own mission as well. So I feel like we have a ton to talk about. But I also just love that I started following you on your Instagram account, I think back in like 2019. And you were working under a completely different name. I think it was full by less right? Yes. Yeah. Yeah. And it was all about thrifting. Like, I know, you'll probably share a little bit about that. But I just it's been a fun journey to watch your your business growth and your own vision evolve over this time. So as soon as I started this podcast, I was making like a bank of topics and speakers that I wanted to have on here. And you were definitely on there. Like right away.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 7:46

Oh my goodness, thank you so much. Yeah, you you really took me back to the beginning stages because it's wild to think have been doing this for five about five years this year.

Katie Kurpanek: 7:58

Wow. Five years. Oh, yeah. Because it's it's 2022. Now Oh my gosh. Okay, well, let's let's just dive right into that I did fill in my listeners a just a brief bit in the episode introduction with like, an overview of who you are what you do, but I would love to just hear from you know, your own perspective, like whatever you want to share with us about yourself and your work and what you're passionate about.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 8:22

Wow, thank you so much. Of course, my name is Akua Yamoah Opoku. And I am a Florida native and Ghanaian American, and a big lover of dance and being outdoors and all that good stuff, but really just started this journey of low waste minimalist living in 2017 because I was bored, no friends was in a new city in Houston, and just found this world on Instagram and just felt so compelled to share with others learn along the way. And it's really grown, as you mentioned, starting with Full By Less, where I was really focused on just kind of those simple Sustainability tips thrifting having those concrete courageous conversations with your friends about the climate crisis and how to live more low waste. And now really just transitioning to focusing more on those bigger pictures and helping people use their spending habits to save the planet for lack of better words.

Katie Kurpanek: 9:32

No, I think those are the perfect words because we I mean, we both are all about that. individual choices really do make a difference in the big picture. And especially when it comes to our shopping and our fashion. Those purchases. You know, the corporations and fast fashion industry are not going to have any kind of motivation to change their ethics if the consumers aren't demanding it. So I definitely think there's a lot to be said there.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 10:00

Yeah, for sure. And it's really a mixture of you know, they say individual action can't do anything. But at the end of the day, we drive the markets, we try what these businesses are creating and putting out to the world. So we're saying, Hey, this is what we want, this is what we value, we put our money behind it, it's going to change because a business isn't going to make anything that isn't going to sell or doesn't have customers for.

Katie Kurpanek: 10:27

Yeah, exactly. And so, okay, I have to like, slow myself down here, because I have so many questions related to the business that you've created. But I also want to back up a little bit and just maybe talk a little bit more about your personal journey. Because so you said that you are a Ghanaian American, or is it Ghan-yan American,

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 10:52

Ghanaian American, so both my parents are from Ghana, in West Africa, and they moved to the states, and then they raised my sisters and I here, and much of my upbringing, with my parents, both being from Ghana, actually influenced a lot of my low waste journey. And a lot of it was my mom was, so she cared about what she spent her money on and wasting things like my mom would always say, when we're going out to a party, or we're taking food, she's like, just take what you can get, you can always go back for more like she was just so adamant about like, don't just stuff your plate, you know, and then you can't finish it. And you know, she was also the one that said, finish what's on your plate, whether you're a full or not. So like even just those little things, reusing bags, a lot of that started very like organically, in my home with my parents. And then as I got older, language became more popular around the climate crisis, I started to change the language. But I was kind of always doing those things growing up.

Katie Kurpanek: 11:59

Yeah. And what was that like growing up? In? You said mostly in Florida. So do you feel like that was something that you saw within like, friends, families like that? Was there any connection between the sustainable practices that were just coming natural to your family, and then like, what you grew up around,

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 12:21

I would say what my parents were doing was pretty common amongst like other African families and friends that we had, and not so much with like my American friends. But it's funny, because I had an instance once I realized what I was doing in my home wasn't what others were doing. And we used to get Ziploc bags, but my mom would always wash them and reuse them. And we would keep them and use them again. And I was washing dishes at my aunt's house. And I said, Oh, where do you put the plastic bags, and she was like, in the trash. Like, it never would have occurred to me like that people didn't keep them because we always kept them in my house. And we always reuse them. So it was just like little moments like that, that definitely showed like, this is what I was doing in my house. But not everyone else was doing that. But also that depending on where I was living, I felt like I had more support. Living as low waste lifestyle as well. Like I spent two years in Minnesota. And in Minnesota, I felt like I had so much support from the city to be sustainable. There were composting bins everywhere, there was recycling bins, there was discussion about it and policy, like it was just so much more for facing. And so coming to Florida, back to Florida is actually a hard transition because I was so used to being able to like find a compost bin, for instance, pretty easily in the Twin Cities. And in Florida. We're just not there yet.

Katie Kurpanek: 13:51

Oh, that is so hard. Yeah, I feel like Colorado is just starting to, you know, maybe within the past decade or less, you know, include those sustainable practices and make those things more accessible. But even still, a lot of it is based in Denver, and not the outskirts of Colorado. So yeah, that are you seeing anything pop up in more areas where you're living? Or do you feel like it's still focused in like just the big cities of Florida.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 14:20

I definitely think the big cities are always gonna have that advantage. But I have seen more Zero Waste low-waste stores pop up in the Tampa Bay area, which is really exciting. I know we have to and I don't want to press them about but I know we have to for sure. And they're in different parts of the city, which is also really exciting. ones in downtown St. Pete, I believe and other ones in the Tampa Bay area. So at least they're in two cities, but I just feel like the fact that I can only name two makes me sad. But I also know like Miami's been picking up a bit, but definitely, absolutely room to grow, and I wish it was just more common, but it's really not.

Katie Kurpanek: 15:04

Yeah, that's I'm glad to hear that there's at least a start. And I feel like even you know, compared to the way that you grew up and having that realization, I love that plastic bag story where it was like, so clear, all of a sudden, that weight, a lot of people don't do this. But now my hope is that this next generation coming up, might actually not feel like that, like, I know that the way that I'm choosing to raise my child is much more focused around sustainable practices. And I think because it's becoming more mainstream, a lot of the families that I know are doing the same. So hopefully, there won't be quite as big of a gap. But yeah, I wonder, what was it like as you grew, you know, you continue to grow within your home and the sustainable practices you had noticing the differences that were around you. And then you mentioned something earlier about, like, developing courageous conversations around climate change, and what you wanted to speak up on, what was that process like?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 16:07

It's been uncomfortable, like an awkward days, you just kind of have to go through if you say, this is what you care about kind of thing. But it's funny, because a lot of the things that I was doing growing up that I didn't necessarily put a name to it, or I thought it was trendy, is what I used to have those conversations with people. So for instance, when it came to sustainable fashion, growing up, I had always used my sister's clothes, like I grew up on hand me downs, if it wasn't my sister, it was my cousin. And I used to literally call it like, my cousin's collection, like the Jasmine collection, because I just kept getting clothes from her. And that was so normal for me. So I use those moments to like, have those conversations with people because they were just like, where is this all coming from? Actually got that a lot, like, okay, cool. You're like, this is new. But funny enough, it really wasn't new, like, I've always done these things, but I was using different language. And so it was just having tremendous patience with people, as I explained it to them and took the time to relate it to words and experiences they would understand. And also having patience with myself that they're not going to just get this in five seconds. Like, if you took a couple weeks or a couple months to learn it, they will probably take a couple of weeks or a couple months to learn it. So just extending like patience and grace and understanding on both sides, I think was has been huge. For me having these courageous conversations. And then just getting comfortable with repeating myself is just non stop, like, what are you doing in why does this matter? Again? What store was that? Like?

Katie Kurpanek: 17:50

Yup, and you're like, look, I have an entire Instagram. Now I have an entire website that has all these resources. And even still, at least on my Instagram, I'm finding that I have to keep posting about the same thing with different words or different visuals over and over and over because it really just like you need to hear something. I know there's a statistic Yeah, seven times before it actually sticks. And, man, that patience piece can be so hard, but it's also like the key to these conversations and change.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 18:24

Yes. And then remembering like, we have to unlearn this. Like, if I if you're not hearing this for the first time, let's say you're 21 and you've been fed something for 21 years, like, you know, it's a process and that's if you want to learn it too, right? Not like grudgingly kind of figuring out what this is about seeing if it's for you if you want to put the effort. So it's it's like, very much an awkward dance that you just have to fill your way through and then like eventually you start seeing like, Okay, I got step one and two. Okay, I got a little turn here. Okay, I'm figuring it out.

Katie Kurpanek: 18:58

Yeah, yeah. Oh my gosh, a dance is like the perfect way to describe that. And if you're not--

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 19:06

and fall on your face, but then you get up and you're like no one saw that. Let's go another conversation.

Katie Kurpanek: 19:15

That's exactly what I was picturing in my mind because I'm also not a dancer like that does not come easily to me. So it's like oh, that's a great analogy to apply. That is because we are going to chant we are going to stumble, but it's all part of the dancing process. Hey friends, if you know me, you know that I am all about minimizing the amount of unnecessary things and waste in your life. But there are always going to be those items that you just consider necessary. And for me one of those is definitely mascara. I spent years searching for the perfect mascara on my terms. Based on my ethics and my values. I wanted it to be zero waste. I tried a bunch I even tried making my own and it was such a fail. But I can tell you now that I have personally found the best Zero Waste mascara I've ever tried. Personally I have been using this mascara since early 2021. And recently I just became an affiliate with them because I am so behind their product and I want to share it with you. The Izzy Zero Waste mascara truly means zero waste. It comes with no outer packaging. In a reusable mailer made from upcycled materials. You get one tube made out of stainless steel and you send the old tube right back these stainless steel tubes are both American made and medical grade designed to be sanitized and refilled over 10,000 times. Izzy puts their tubes through a triple medical cleanse. Same as surgeons and dentists and they receive a certificate after all cleanses to ensure that there is no microbial or bacterial buildup. The tube itself has zero plastic and the little plastic wipers and wands are reground melted and recycled at their facility to be used again using 94% less plastic than all leading mascara brands. They have even developed an antibacterial cleansing process to reuse their water at their facility. Rather than just dumping it into the ocean, all of their manufacturing takes place within a 400 mile radius, which means that the carbon emissions from transportation of these products alone are exponentially lower than those of any other beauty brand. Compared to the industry standard. Their mascara has a 78% smaller carbon footprint after 25 refills the more that these mascaras are reused, the smaller their relative carbon footprint becomes over time to encourage reuse and these refills they have a membership model which is what I'm personally a part of so that you replace your mascara every three months. This is necessary for the health of your own eyes and skin anyway, it helps combat dryness, redness and irritation or bacterial buildup from your mascara. The formula itself is clean, vegan friendly, cruelty free, certified organic by the FDA gluten free alcohol oil, paraben free silicone free, basically free of all the bad things, their ingredients are ethically sourced, and all manufacturing is slave free. And they even have a specific formula designed so that their tubes are underfilled, meaning the formula is supposed to last you 90 days until your next refill. And so there's less waste, and then any leftover mascara is purified and reconstituted at their facility using the same cleaning process as their water. Does it work though? Yes, 100 times yes, this is by far my favorite Zero Waste beauty product that I own. It is super luscious volumizing and really gentle on your skin. On top of all of this Izzy donates portions of their proceeds to three organizations consistently the National Forest Foundation, her justice, and Pencils of Promise, could I love them more, I really don't think so. I hope that you will try this out for yourself and love them too. In the episode description, I have an affiliate link. And you can use the code THATMINIMALLIFE all caps all one word to receive 10% off your own purchase. I hope you try this out for yourself and feel like an eco goddess with luscious lashes in the process. Alright, let's get back to our show. I wonder if you would be willing to go into this with me. And if not, that is totally fine. Anything that I ask if it's ever too personal, just let me know. But when your family and the culture in Ghana is, like just already immersed in practicing sustainable practices. As you grew up, do you feel like the more trendy or mainstream it became, especially within like, the mainstream white culture, do you feel like you've had to have a lot of extra patience to explain to people that like, these practices aren't new? They're not like, they're just not this new, incredibly amazing epiphany that we've just had all of a sudden, like there's a whole history and culture that is behind this, or at least a lot of it right? Is there. Do you feel like you've had to have a lot of patience with those types of conversations? Or have you gotten into that a lot?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 24:02

Funnily enough, I've more have seen it happen and not necessarily had to have conversations about those particular things. But more so people understanding that like for instance, there's been leaders in sustainability, that are black, indigenous, Hispanic, Asian, etc, that have been in the spaces, but they're not elevated. So more of having those conversations regularly. Or, you know, when people talk about, let's say, reusing plastic bags, like, at least in the black culture, we've reused plastic bags frontwards and backwards, like literally, I've used plastic bags to make food before I've used it for protective hairstyle process we use for black hair. I've used it for trash bags, like you know, that's nothing new to the culture. And I think sometimes it just you know, rubs people a little bit some type of way that our people of color when they make it sound new when it's like, no, this has always been here, kind of tone. But I see it tend to be more in like, looking at people in leadership positions in the sustainability space that have mainly been spoken about in a white lens. And people tend to be, like, shocked that these people have been in the spaces. And unfortunately, sometimes that's even including myself, like as I'm learning, like, Oh, I didn't know that she was in this space, or he was in the space, etc.

Katie Kurpanek: 25:34

Yeah, absolutely. And I think social media has, for the most part become really helpful in that I feel like because we can be connected to more of the world than we would have before. So I feel like there was this long phase of basically just ignorance, because you don't know what you don't know. But now that we have access to following all of these different types of sustainability leaders, I think that it's really important to diversify who you're following and who you're listening to and learning from because we all can be learning from each other. And I know on one of your I think it was one of your Instagram reels I saw at one point, you talked about like, part of why you started the AYO business finder, is because there you were noticing a gap within the representation of black voices within the sustainability realm. Was that for the business you have now or was that back when you like, started five years ago?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 26:37

Honestly, it started five years ago, but it's bled into this new finder as well, like I started my blog, not only keep myself accountable, but because I felt like I wasn't seeing very many millennial women that were also relating to me as being African American, that we're living in Minnesota, like most of the people were, like, in New York or like California, and I'm like, What about Minnesota? You know, those kinds of things. So that definitely influenced me wanting to start my blog, and then further fueled me to do my finder, because when I was starting on my journey, most of the businesses I was finding were owned by white men or white women. And that was it. Like, I had not at least encounter these other sustainable businesses that were owned by Asians, Hispanics, etc. And so that field, creating a space where they can all live, and people can easily find them.

Katie Kurpanek: 27:38

I love that. That's fantastic. I, I was looking at your website again, recently. Well, I'm going to it a lot these days. But I was looking at it in preparation for this podcast, and then your Instagram and you know, just kind of like re familiarizing myself with some of your specific mission statements. So I had written down like your vision for your brand. At least as of last year, you had said that you're you're working toward a world where no barriers exist to a healthy planet. And then your specific mission statement is to transform newbies into self sustaining Healthy Planet activists. So in that ideal world that you are like, hoping we can all contribute toward creating, what does that look like for one? And then how does your business finder contribute to that vision?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 28:30

Yes, so the ideal world looks like if you know I have the desire I decided, okay, I want to compost, I should have the ability to compost almost immediately not have to go through different phone calls, websites, wait three weeks, not have to pay for it, it is just there and I can take the food I ate and put in the compost bin and it goes to where it needs to go to. Or if like me, for instance, when I started my journey, I wanted to support sustainable fashion only. But I didn't necessarily know enough sustainable businesses that met my needs and my fashion and body size etc. To do that, but in this ideal world, you know, the businesses that can support you and your sustainable fashion journey. They have different price ranges for wherever you're at. And you can get them as quick as you get fast fashion right now. And that's the idea where it's really that easy to be able to live sustainably once you want to live sustainably. So that's really a big driver for the business planner is because so many people are saying I didn't know, it took too long to find, I've saved a business here and Instagram posts on a Pinterest board here and on my computer Windows still up like just everywhere, you know, and it was very disoriented. And this business binder says hey, I want to start my plant based diet. And I want to know what businesses I can support that are sustainable, that are out also bipoc owned, go into the finder, you can do exactly that. Because it's designed with your values of sustainability in mind, and wanting to support the bipoc community.

Katie Kurpanek: 30:22

That is so amazing. I think the the time saver piece that you pointed out is going to be the driving factor. For more people utilizing this in my opinion, because I definitely ran into that problem before where like, I wanted to support more sustainable businesses, when I was choosing where I wanted to shop. A lot of what I'm buying these days is thrifted, or secondhand. But when I need to buy something new, I want to make sure that I'm supporting a business that has ethics that I support, and is run by people that I want to support and all of that. But yeah, like you said, when it comes to just tracking down businesses through Pinterest and Instagram, it's extremely overwhelming. And it's not a good use of the time that we have that's like, you know, in between our busy lives. So. So you created this business finder. And I remember when you first put it out there, I added you to like my my partnership with That Minimal Life and the coaching that I do. And I want to say that that was in like 2020? Or was that 2021? Those years are like blending together.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 31:29

Together. I believe it was 2021. Yeah. Okay, when I was a paid resource.

Katie Kurpanek: 31:37

Okay. Yeah. And so then, recently, and at the time of this recording, you know, we're in the beginning of 2022. So you have made the decision to open up the business finder as a free resource rather than a paid resource. So could you talk a little bit about, like, what prompted that and where you're at now?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 31:59

Yes, what really prompted that, as I take moments to look at my vision, look at my mission. And I realized that I was breaching that. And that I was actually creating a barrier for people being able to get this resource that I truly believe, could transform their experience in terms of supporting sustainable businesses, not being stressed out about being overwhelmed, etc. And so after a lot of consideration, I decided to make the business finder, open to the public free resource. And I really do want to say thank you so much to the people that supported me like you and doing that. Because, honestly, without your investments, I wouldn't been able to like open it up in the way that I have, and also take it to the next level and upgraded. As you can see, now, it's so much more of a search engine experience that we're used to that similar to like, a Yelp kind of situation. And really, is there to have everybody that wants it to use their buying power to save the planet by supporting businesses that care about the planet.

Katie Kurpanek: 33:15

Yes, that is so exciting. It really just, I think it flows with the vision that, like you said, you have set out to create and to fulfill. And so I know that that decision must have been very big, you know, just very thought consuming. I'm sure it was a leap of faith in a lot of areas. And so. So I have two parts to this next question. The first is, how can we continue to support you because obviously, by using the business finder, we can support over 180, you know, bipoc owned businesses. But my first part to this question is how can we continue to support you? And then the second part is just for anybody who is not familiar with this business binder yet? You know, I'll have all of that information linked in the episode description. But could you also walk us through like, what does it look like to use the business finder?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 34:12

Yes, absolutely. To make the decision to make it open to the public was a difficult one, a big one. But now I'm using that to expose people to what they can do and their lowest journey, and also really now creating opportunities where I help and support the bipoc sustainable business owners that are highlighted on the Finder. So now I've opened up a business owner community that I call the squad for short. That is here to help bipoc sustainable business owners you know, stop stumbling at every step building their sustainable business. It's there to help them feel prepared. When business opportunities come or challenges, kind of making sure that they're informed, and making sure that they have a community because it can get so lonely as you're going on this journey. And so that's now the new way that I'm like supporting people and their journey. So if people know about a sustainable business owner that's also by in the bipoc community that is looking for support and resource like that, I would highly encourage them to check that, that program out and talk to me if they have any questions and things like that. And then also, as always, just letting people know about the business binder encouraging them to check out the website, encouraging to follow the finder on social media on Instagram and Tiktok. AYO business finder are great places to start in terms of supporting and that way you stay informed of what's coming up next and new opportunities to support there but then to your second question about like what the business finder is, it's really now even growing, it has about 210 businesses now on there. Oh my gosh, it has businesses that are indigenous owned, black owned, Hispanic and Latinx owned, and Asian owned on the platform. And really, you can just type in exactly what you're looking for clothing, swimwear, and it pulls up those options for you. And you can also look for it by categories, as well, if you're looking specifically for shoes, for instance, or specifically for jewelry, and accessories. But the best part about this new update with the business finder, since it's now gone public to everyone to use for free as that you can save favorites of businesses that you have like you can log in and create like a little profile and be able to save it and reference it. So it's more cohesive spot than like your Instagram, or Pinterest saved in different platforms.

Katie Kurpanek: 37:10

Oh my gosh, that is super exciting. I'm already thinking now about even just like for myself and my family. And I'm like, Okay, I've got birthdays coming up and you know, other holidays and like, I know where to go now. So that I can actually create this profile have like saved items for, you know, myself or someone I think that you know, they might like this. And you have so there's a lot of different like clothing and accessory options. Last time I was on it. I think I saw also like some home decor options. And then what are some of the other categories?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 37:43

Yes. So we have jewelry and accessories, home decor, body and skincare shoes, and food expanding to technology came is coming up as well to the space. So it's about what six categories or so but it's literally always growing. And the nice thing is on the website, I have new businesses added to the Finder at the bottom. So you can always be able to see what's been updated. But the best way is to sign up for the email lists. So you always know when new businesses are being added or when the new biz highlights coming out when you get to hear me talk with the founders of these businesses and learn more about their mission vision and products and services that are here to help you.

Katie Kurpanek: 38:36

That's so great. I'm really I'm very excited about this. And I'm just happy that we get to share this conversation with everyone. Hey, just wanted to jump in real quick to talk about Patreon. Patreon is an online platform that allows you to become a patron of the arts, so to speak, a financial supporter of the creators who enrich your life with their content. Thanks to the generous support of my patrons starting as low as just$3 a month, I'm able to continue empowering individuals like yourself through these educational chats with various experts across the spectrum of sustainable living. As a patron of this podcast, you will have the privilege of joining the discussions with guest speakers via zoom and taking part in the exclusive q&as with them too. If you can't make the actual interview live, that's okay. You'll have access to the full recorded episode early before anybody else gets a chance to hear it. You also receive the added bonus of personal shoutouts in podcast episodes, and other behind the scenes content sent your way. Plus, you'll receive unique discounts to more than a dozen sustainable businesses that have partnered with me so that you can save money and the earth while you shop. If any of the content that I create adds value to your life or the perks alone have piqued your interest, check out patreon.com/all Things sustainable to join our community and become a patron today. Thank you so much for your support of this journey to minimize our carbon footprint while maximizing our positive impact on this planet we call home. Okay, let's get back to our show. So you so you launched this within, you know, the 2021. Year, that's coming off of a really heavy year within 2020, as well. And within the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, it's not like that ever went away, but there was definitely like a global level resurgence within 2020. And if you have the bandwidth to expand on this, if not totally fine, but would you be willing to share about how the events of that year ended up impacting or influencing your business with the AYO business finder?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 40:52

Yes, no, I absolutely want to speak to this because not only did 2020 make me so angry, so disheartened that I had to sign up for kickboxing, so I wouldn't end up in jail. It also inspired me to do this finder. It was really the fuel. Because as I'm looking at my own personal journey, realizing that I'm not supporting as many black businesses that I wanted to, and knowing others were searching for this as well. I wanted to create a place where people didn't have excuses, because the reality is the murder of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor and so many others was always going on. But something about this one was a perfect storm with COVID-19, people being cooped up in their house, it was just like, explosion, you know. And I was mad that it took this global pandemic and people losing their lives to do it. But also, you know, more focused on okay, how do we make something beautiful out of this disaster, basically, that happened. And so I began that journey of like, when anyone would post a black, sustainable business to follow, just save it, I was saving them, saving them. And then I realized, as I'm getting on this journey, I'm getting closer to the end of the year, I'm like, this really shouldn't even just be about black individuals and empowering them and supporting them and sharing love this should be for all people of color, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian indigenous, especially as like indigenous day came up in October. So then I expanded, I started saving all those researching those businesses. And knew I got to the point where I was like, I have to get this out there. Because I know people don't know about this, because I'm learning as much as I'm building this finder. And then I knew that 2021 was the year that I was going to share this with the world and even more so this year with it being open to everyone to use, but it was hands down the fuel, that that created this finder that motivated me to finish this finder and get it out to everyone because the truth is, the bipoc community is often more influenced negatively by this climate crisis, because of historical discrimination and systematic racism, like it matters even more for our communities, because our neighborhoods are built in potentially flood zones, are put by, you know, power plants and oil rigs etc. So I think is more important than ever, for people to, you know, continue to support the bipoc community, especially black communities. And you know, not to do performative support, we don't need that. I know with black history month coming up, people are going to do that they're going to come out of the woodworks and say they're supporting Black this, this and that, and then die off. And then what? The next ethnic group holiday, probably would be Hispanic Heritage Month in September, October then they're gonna rise up again. You know, and it's more of like this should be 365 days a year where we're supporting all people, we're supporting Black, Asian, white, Hispanic, everybody should get your access and support. And so I firmly believe that and that's why I've created this business finder for people to be able to do that 365 days a year.

Katie Kurpanek: 44:38

100%. And thank you for taking that on. That, The fact that like you said it took a global level, disaster and like awakening, to then have a bunch of people coming around together to create something beautiful out of it, it's it's really, really heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. And I think that the amount of responsibility that you had to take on during that time to create this business finder as well and to like, educate people on these businesses, and then also like, why is there this importance to support them? Why do we need to be supporting our bipoc communities? Why are they being hurt more often than not by the climate crisis? like that education is a lot to, to have to explain to people. And I think that there's, thankfully, a really huge surge in different resources of education going around right now that I've seen, especially on social media. So but you know, but we, those of us who have not been directly a part of this community, or impacted by the climate crisis, in the same ways, like we need to take on that responsibility to do the learning for ourselves, so, but I want to say thank you for the work that you've done, because that is not something that needs to be on your shoulders. And it's not something that like... I'm just sure that it weighs on you a lot of the time, as well. So I want to be able to just say thank you for what you do.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 46:20

Thank you so much, I really appreciate that. And, you know, I have to have tough conversations with others that are part of the black community that are like, you don't have to do that. That's not your responsibility. And I agree it's not my responsibility to do that. But I want to do that I want to be a part of the solution, I want to be part of sharing love. And this business finder is one of the ways that I'm able to do that. And being able to call people in like, that's been one of my biggest things is like, I'm not calling you out the world called everyone out in 2020. I'm calling you in, I'm calling you in to take action, and to use one of the most valuable resources you have, which is your money to do exactly that. To do exactly that. And so I hope this is a nice way of me doing that to people.

Katie Kurpanek: 47:17

Oh, yeah, I wrote that down just now. I was like you're calling people in not calling people out. I think that that language difference, too, is just enough to hopefully pique people's interest or attention, you know, because I think that especially within a white culture that is often steeped in white fragility, we can, for one easily be offended. We can take offense to things that we actually don't need to or we just don't understand, like, what's the depth behind what was being said? I think that there's a lot of feelings of being called out as an individual, when really, it's an entire system, and an entire history that's being called out a lot of the time. But then, like you said, there is also a very big difference. When there's a shift right now, where a lot of people are being called in to join the work. They're not just being called out and then left alone, like, Okay, what do I do now? Or how do I, you know, how do I fix this, I think we often jump to trying to fix our broken systems and problems, but we want it immediately. And like, that's just not possible. So if all of us can be joining together, and listening and learning from each other, and really like elevating the voices that we should be listening to as well, then I think that that's gonna make a huge difference in like, the direction our history is headed.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 48:48

I agree with you, Katie. I mean, it's really, those are the key points that you've hit on. And I've noticed a lot of people take that approach of calling people out and then saying that, like, that's not my job to educate you. Google is there. And yes, to some degree, that's 100% True, but I also feel like I can contribute to helping you. And that's what the business finder's there for, because it opens your mind. Like, I mean, starting just even 2019 I could not even name five sustainable businesses, by people of color. And that's just the truth. You know, but now to be able to say, in my brain, I have seen, looked through and captured 200 plus sustainable businesses owned by bipoc individuals is awesome to me, it's freakin awesome.

Katie Kurpanek: 49:39

is absolutely awesome. And I am really I just keep saying it over and over. But I am really excited that this tool is out there for people to access and thank you for making it free as well so that you know, you're contributing to that vision of like, we're all striving towards a healthy planet and we're all striving towards supporting all people And this just removes a barrier in order to access it.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 50:04

Right? Absolutely.

Katie Kurpanek: 50:06

I, how are you feeling? By the way, before we, I have one last question.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 50:10

I'm doing good, I could talk about this business finder all day, I can talk about the importance of using your buying power out there, which is, you know, a language that people are not really using that much. Because, you know, we don't want to skew people to think, to be a part of the sustainability movement, to be a person that starts living low-waste, that you have to have the money to do it. Right. Like that is far, far from the truth, you know. But really, what it's about is like, at the end of the day, we are people that need materials, and we consume things. And no matter how low key you live, you got to buy something, eventually, you gotta use something eventually. And when those moments come, how can you be the most intentional you can possibly be with that? Like, how can you know, like, okay, my$20 my $100 is doing something that I agree with, that I alignment that's gonna make my present future better. You know, it's really just looking into that more. And yes, I'm not gonna lie, that's a little daunting, sometimes like to put all that weight on your money. But the truth is, even if you haven't been putting the weight on your money like that, businesses have, leaders have. Like, just because you weren't doing it doesn't mean it wasn't done. But at least now you're more part of that process. And I think that's what's so exciting. It's like, now I'm a part of that. Now, when I buy, like my stud earrings I recently got from Lucille and CO, it's like special because I know I support an Asian, sustainable, woman business. Or like when I recently got my Eco DESA necklace, from, no, my Eco Queen necklace from Ecodessa, it was exciting, because I knew I was supporting a Black, woman owned sustainable business. Like it just hits differently, you know, and all these are moments of being able to spark courageous conversations. Because if I'm wearing my necklace, or wear my earrings, or I have my sustainable water bottle, and someone asks, Oh, where did you get that? Oh, that's cute. Oh, thanks. I actually got it from you know, and it just starts conversation so easily in a way that's not intimidating. In a way that's not like, okay, there she goes. But it's more like No, like you, you should check it out, I go to the business finder, they got a whole bunch of other ones on there. And then you know, you leave it there, and you let people make that decision for themselves.

Katie Kurpanek: 52:43

Such a big yes to all of that. And I think it also contributes to kind of something that you and I are both passionate about, too, is like a more minimalistic approach to our living as well. Because that often tends to be low waste living, but when you own things that like you've chosen to purchase this, you've chosen to own this, and keep it rather than whatever you may have, like decluttered before, now, you're surrounding yourself with things that you truly care about, and that truly have like a deep meaning within your life. And I think that that's really fun. And, you know, it's, it's gotta affect the way that you live too, when like your home, your own clothing, what you're walking around in every single day is like, speaking to you and, and filling you with joy and meaning. I think that's so important too.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 53:37

And I think also, when you do that, you're less inclined to just be buying stuff in your house to just buy stuff, like you're just thinking more about your actions, which you know, in return, people say, living sustainably is expensive. But I would argue that you actually save a lot of money, because you're not wasting your money on foolishness that you used to be wasting it on. And now you're investing it into something quality. You know, it's like something where you were going to forever 21 buying these $20 purses, but you bought like four of them, you know, and one year, but you just buy that one quality bag. That's like$100 but you wear the heck out of that bag. It takes up less space in your closet, because it's one bag. Like all these benefits as a conversation starter, you're proud about it you're excited about it shares your values, like it just becomes so much more of a healthier relationship, I think to all the things that we put in our lives.

Katie Kurpanek: 54:39

Absolutely. Yeah, I totally agree with you. I wonder if with this final question, I ask the same type of question to each speaker, just the wording is changed a little bit depending on like who I'm speaking with, but obviously utilizing the A-Y-O-- do you call it A-Y-O or Ay-Oh, business finder?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 55:01

I was like, I go back and forth, but we're just gonna call it A-Y-O business finder. Yes. Okay, keepin me honest.

Katie Kurpanek: 55:13

I've just for the past couple of years, I've been saying it both ways, like the entire time. So. But yeah, obviously, shopping with the AYO business finder is an extremely important step that I think all of us should be taking. And so there's going to be all that information linked in the episode description. But for my final question, what would be your top 1-3 actionable steps that you would recommend for listeners to take that just jive with your vision of advocating for a healthier planet? Without barriers of accessibility?

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 55:51

Yes. So the first thing I would encourage people to do is to work on your mindset and not have a limiting belief. So many people think, oh, once I get money, I can live sustainable. Once I save up this money, I can live sustainable. But in fact, there's a lot of free ways that you can live sustainable by having conversations by doing trash audits by seeing what you're spending your money on, that can start you on that journey. So I'd highly encourage people to start there, getting them from that mindset, right, is going to be the foundation to you having a long term, low-waste lifestyle. And then I'd also encourage people to make sure that you're following people on social media that align with this lifestyle that you're trying to do and the way that they're doing it. You know, so I always encourage people to follow AYO business finder on my Instagram and my Tik Tok, and I share sustainability influencers that you all can follow, that are bipoc individuals, male and women, etc, that are doing incredible things and slow fashion and nonprofit work excetera. So making sure that you're surrounded and seeing things that make sense that align and make the journey easier. And then I would also encourage you all to really look at your money and how you're spending it and where you want it to go. And getting the right resources to do that, which I firmly believe is the business finder. Because once you're in there, you know, that's already aligned with your values. And so when you're starting that journey, before you even click add to cart before you even search anything, you're already in aligned with your values.

Katie Kurpanek: 57:47

I love it. And I think that all three of those tips that you just shared are, they're accessible for everybody here. And now no matter where you're listening in from, you can work on those exact things, and then it's going to benefit your future. And then in relation to that it'll indirectly impact all the other people that you probably want to support, the different business owners, you know, the communities that are most impacted by climate crisis, like all of this is so interconnected. So I'm so appreciative of your time today Akua. And that you just were able to share so much like wisdom and insight from your own personal experience. And then this incredible business tool that you've created. I think that you're just starting, you know, this is still the beginning of your journey. And there's so much exciting adventure ahead. So I'm, I'm happy for you, and I'm happy that you were here today.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 58:42

Thank you, Katie, I really appreciate your support over these years, asking me to be on here and talk about my story. Because I haven't talked about some of this stuff really, especially with like the Black Lives Matter resurgence in 2020, and how it's influenced what I'm sharing with everyone what I've invested in over the last couple years. So I really appreciate it. And I hope that this helps someone feel like living a low waste lifestyle is doable, and it's for them and that they have a space that they can play. And you know that we can all do our part to save the planet and that we remain positive because we got to we have to believe that it's possible, I feel like, to make it in the in the long game.

Katie Kurpanek: 59:29

Oh yeah, you really have to otherwise the world can become a very, very hopeless and sad place. But looking for the helpers, looking for the people who are lighting up the world, I think is what keeps us going. So thank you so much.

Akua Yamoah Opoku: 59:44

Absolutely. Thank you so much for inviting me.

Katie Kurpanek: 59:53

I hope you enjoyed today's episode. If so please consider sharing it with a friend and subscribing to the podcast so you never miss a new episode. Check out the description for important links and if you'd like to benefit from the perks of becoming a patron to the show check out patreon.com/allthingssustainable Until next time Do the best you can with what you have and remember that you can make a positive impact on this world one day at a time!