In this episode of CarbonSessions, Olabanji, Kristina and Jenn dive deep with speaker, coach, advisor and writer Lorraine Smith.

Lorraine has spent over two decades navigating the world of corporate sustainability. From her early career in ESG reporting with Fortune 500 companies to stepping away from the mainstream narrative, Lorraine now champions a bold new paradigm: industrial healing.

Lorraine shares her personal journey of disillusionment with conventional sustainability frameworks and the moment she realized that mainstream ESG wasn’t just ineffective: it was part of the problem.

She introduces us to her concept of Matereality, a more grounded and holistic way of evaluating corporate impact that moves beyond surface-level metrics and buzzwords.

Together, we explore:

1. The concept of industrial healing vs. mainstream sustainability
2. What’s missing from traditional ESG narratives
3. The dangers of sustainability jargon like “net-zero” and “circular”
4. Her vision of Matereality and why it matters
5. Mindset shifts for business leaders and individuals
6. What she teaches in her Practice Change Program
7. What a life-serving economy could look like by 2036

Lorraine invites us to rethink not just business strategy, but our relationship with the systems we live and work in. Whether you’re a sustainability professional, corporate leader, or curious changemaker, this conversation will leave you with more questions—and inspiration—than you came in with.

Learn more about Lorraine’s work at https://www.blorrainesmith.com/

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac, visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Olabanji Stephen, Jenn Swanson, and Kristina Horning

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer, and community Connector, helping people help themselves.

Kristina is currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Lilli Querker, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.

Episode Summary: In this powerful and moving episode, we welcome storyteller and social entrepreneur Carl Gough, founder of the Nexus project. Carl shares his deeply personal journey through grief, identity loss, and rediscovery during the lockdown, and how storytelling became his way back to meaning, connection, and agency.

Through bonfire tales, barefoot performances, and a growing international presence, Carl has developed a unique approach to storytelling as a tool for emotional resilience and climate engagement. He explains how myths and folktales offer vital breathing room in a media-saturated world, and how the act of sharing stories, rather than drowning in despair, can rekindle a sense of purpose.

We also explore:

• The alchemy between storyteller and audience
• How stories can help us reclaim agency in the face of climate paralysis
• Why grief, when acknowledged, can become a doorway to action
• The origins and power of the Nexus storytelling project
• The challenges of translating a deeply emotional in-person workshop into an online space

Listen in for a timely reminder that we are not too small to make a difference—and that the stories we choose to tell ourselves shape the world we live in.

Update:

Since we recorded this episode, Carl Gough has taken on a new role promoting the protection and restoration of seagrass—a crucial marine habitat—to help safeguard our ocean environments.

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Mentioned in this episode:

Carl’s performance storytelling website: https://storytelling.wales

TEDx Talk: What if stories could change the climate? – Carl Gough at TEDx Nantymoel

Beyond the Border Festival (Wales International Storytelling Festival)

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Steve Heatherington, Tania Marien, Rob Slate and Leekei Tang.

From a beautiful valley in Wales, UK, Steve is a Podcast Coach, Producer and Alpaca Shepherd. Steve is fascinated by the ideas of regeneration beyond sustainability and is still a biologist at heart.

From Riverside, California, Tania is an independent environmental education professional and hosts and produces The Talaterra Podcast.

Rob is from Birmingham in the UK, he is an orthodontist, triathlete, coach and podcaster.

Leekei is a fashion business founder, a business coach, an international development expert, and podcaster from Paris, France.

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington and Rob Slater.

In this episode of CarbonSessions, we welcome Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy—educators, spiritual leaders, and nature advocates—who co-authored Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees, a deeply reflective guide to reconnecting with the natural world.

Rooted in ecology, theology, and lived experience, their book invites us to see trees not just as beautiful beings, but as teachers, companions, and mirrors of our own spiritual lives.

Through stories, reflections, and accessible practices, Beth and Leah offer a path back to wonder, attention, and a renewed sense of belonging within the living world.

🌳 In this episode, we explore:

• Childhood memories that sparked lifelong reverence for trees
• How trees model resilience, community, and mutual care
• The meaning of stewardship
• Simple, powerful practices to connect with nature—even in busy lives
• Lessons trees offer us about grief, healing, and wholeness
• How to reawaken wonder and attention in a distracted world
• The power of collaborative authorship and collective wisdom
• A vision of a future shaped by interconnection, not extraction

This is a soulful conversation at the intersection of ecology, spirituality, and action—reminding us that learning from trees can guide us toward more grounded, generous, and hopeful lives.

To connect with:

• Beth Norcross: https://www.bethnorcross.com/
• Leah Rampy: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/
• The Center for Spirituality in Nature: https://www.centerforspiritualityinnature.org/

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For more information on the project and to order your copy of the Carbon Almanac (one of Amazon best-selling books of the year!), visit thecarbonalmanac.org

Want to join in the conversation?

Visit thecarbonalmanac.org/podcasts and send us a voice message on this episode or any other climate-related ideas and perspectives.

Don’t Take Our Word For It, Look It Up!

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Featuring Carbon Almanac Contributors Leekei Tang, Brian Tormey, Olabanji Stephen, Jenn Swanson, and Kristina Horning

Leekei is a fashion business business coach, an international development expert, and podcaster from Paris, France.

Brian is a Real Estate Title Insurance Professional and Goat Farmer in the US.

Olabanji is from Lagos Nigeria. He’s a Creative Director and visual designer that helps brands gain clarity, deliver meaningful experiences and build tribes through Design & Strategy. He founded Jorney - a community designed to help people stay productive, accountable, and do their best work.

From Langley in British Columbia, Canada, Jenn is a Minister, Coach, Writer, and community Connector, helping people help themselves.

Kristina is currently in Prague (that it is where she is originally from) and her base is US.

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The CarbonSessions Podcast is produced and edited by Leekei Tang, Steve Heatherington, and Rob Slater.