Category Archives: Press

Workplace Equality – It’s Not Just About Gender

By Shannon Houde | Published: 13. 6. 2010

This panel on DE&I was diverse in and of itself — with a Korean American, a Quebequois, a Canadian American immigrant and a gender non-binary representative. These speakers made us think differently and challenge our unconscious biases, as well as our use of terminology when discussing diversity. The covered issues such as representation of women in the workplace, Gen Z, getting a sponsor vs. a mentor, and non-binary gender definitions. According to Anna Blue, Co-Executive Director of GirlUp, diversity is not just

10 Ways to Practice Mindfulness at Work

By Shannon Houde | Published: 12. 6. 2010

Center yourself in 3 minutes or less Autumn seems busier every year, doesn’t it? There’s no shortage of impact conferences and organizations the world over are pouring over the last quarter’s results and firming up their strategies for the coming 12-months. For my clients, it’s also time to take stock and think about the professional position they’d like to be in when the leaves start to fall, shedding the old for the new growth. Whether you are looking for a complete career change or to

How social entrepreneur Safia Minney is designing responsible sourcing into the fashion industry

By Shannon Houde | Published: 11. 6. 2010

Safia Minney, consultant and founder of People Tree, has pioneered sustainable and ethical sourcing in the fashion industry. She has won many international awards, been acknowledged by the World Economic Forum as an outstanding social entrepreneur and received recognition from Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II for services to the fashion industry and fair trade. Minney is author of nine books about sustainable fashion and is featured in “The True Cost,” a movie that showcases her company’s best-practice sustainable work. Minney is a British citizen of Indian-Mauritian and Swiss

Land an impact job you’ll love

By Shannon Houde | Published: 10. 6. 2010

Earlier this year, I teamed up with Net Impact and Mark Horoszowski from Moving Worlds to co-host a webinar, How to Land an Impact Job You Love. The webinar was designed to share how professionals can find and create meaning in their career. To build on the discussion from that webinar (embedded below), we teamed up again for this follow-up article to share even more practical steps about how to: Figure out what you want your job to be Build the

Being remembered is about bringing your sustainability story to life

By Shannon Houde | Published: 9. 6. 2010

I always start coaching with the scariest question “What do you do?” (which is similar to the interview question, “walk me through your resume”). It is a set-up question. Which, as simple as it is, throws us off. It makes us uncomfortable. But, if well-thought through, authentic and well-practiced, will be a short and impactful career story. Many of us blow it. We either lead with our name, title and company name (boring!!!) or we drone on and on about our passions,

Sustainability specialists gaining ground

By Shannon Houde | Published: 8. 6. 2010

There are signs of a growing specialist market for senior sustainability roles According to Forbes’ latest “10 jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago” listing, sustainability experts are up there with social media managers and app developers. Currently, corporate responsibility and business sustainability roles are often filled by internal candidates who already have an understanding of the organisation they are in and make the step sideways or upwards into a sustainability role. In a recent survey by Boston College Center for Corporate

Interview with impact to land your dream job

By Shannon Houde | Published: 8. 6. 2010

‘I’m experienced, educated and articulate – so why can’t I get through interviews to a job offer?’ If I had a fiver for each time I’ve encountered a jobseeker with that problem, I’d be meditating on a beach rather than tapping away on a keyboard! Selling yourself on paper – whether through the traditional CV or on LinkedIn – is a skill in itself, and here at Walk of Life, we’ve written plenty on how to do it. But wowing

How to network better than you flirt

By Shannon Houde | Published: 7. 6. 2010

Walking up to a potential new contact at a conference, or cold calling someone on the phone, is often the most intimidating part of networking for jobseekers. It’s hard to make the first move and much easier to keep yourself out of a vulnerable situation. However, if you’re looking to make a career move into sustainability, corporate responsibility or the green economy, in-person networking remains the best way to convert potential opportunities into real jobs. So, if you tend to

When to work for free

By Shannon Houde | Published: 7. 6. 2010

So you want to make a difference? That’s what 98% of my career-coaching clients say when I ask them why they want to get into the sustainability sector. We tend to be values-led people, seeking jobs that allow us to “make a difference”, “give back” and “have a positive impact”. So it’s all the more important for us to walk the talk in our personal lives, as well as our professional ones. One way of doing just that is what

How Stanley Black & Decker is Using the SDGs to Grow a ‘New-collar’ Workforce

By Shannon Houde | Published: 6. 6. 2010

Deb Geyer, corporate responsibility officer for Stanley Black & Decker. Deb Geyer, corporate responsibility officer for Stanley Black & Decker, has a vision for a thriving workforce that meets the needs and challenges of a changing economy for decades to come. Shannon Houde, Managing Director of Walk of Life Leaders, recently chatted with Deb about how Stanley Black & Decker is using purpose, partnership, and innovation to advance its new corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. Shannon Houde: What drove you