Jessy, one of our German based ambassadors, is showing how she is investing in our planet by collecting plastic from the beaches in Hawaii. Jessy is the founder of Nörd Alört, which focuses on learning through storytelling and is an ad-free platform dedicated just for education purposes!
Welcome to Agood Community! We thought now was the perfect time for us and our community to get to know you better.
We want to know a little more about you! Who is Jessy?
Well, the answer depends on how much time you have to read the answer. Ha! Let’s just say, my identity is a multitude of ideas, creativity and job descriptions. First and foremost: I am a human, a woman, a mom of four and a not so perfect change maker in the online world.
What does your recent participation in The Great Global Cleanup mean to you?
I want to show people that a regular person CAN make little changes with big effects. We all do what we can individually and together we will bring big change.
I got tired of all the “you don’t do it right!”- sayers who react with criticism towards my family’s little changes in daily life that lead to more sustainable choices.
Perfectionism kills progress!
I for example became a vegetarian for various reasons but I still travel by plane as my family lives on two different continents (since we are a German American family). My friend, however, gave up travelling by plane but eats meat.
EVERY little change counts and what matters even more is that we as consumers show the big corporations who make today’s goods that we want more sustainable products. It is the global manufacturers responsibility and also livelihood (literally ha!) to listen to us and protect our planet, the climate, wildlife and humankind.
Where consumers put their money matters!
Earth Day has to be EVERY day!
We don’t own the planet, we SHARE it with nature and wildlife. We can’t exist without oceans, animals and healthy soil. We can only coexist. Take care of the land. Take care of the community. Water is wealth!
We LOVE Nörd Alört and its mission to inspire and educate people! What inspired you to create Nörd Alört?
Somewhere humankind made a wrong decision. We caused today’s problem. I simply knew that if we are part of the problem, we can also be part of the solution.
Nord Alört is an edutainment platform for children and the whole family. Imagine documentaries and Interviews that entertain and educate. No boring books. No “you MUST watch or read or write this.” No “you have to sit still or fill out a questionnaire and then get graded on it.” We believe that grades don’t say anything about the education of a person.
Nörd Alört is a new way of learning. One that values intrinsic motivation, which means an individual learns about a topic NOT because of a reward like a grade or candy but because it simply enjoys learning about it. Children want to learn about topics that have meaning in their world is not about topics out of context. A child on an island is intrigued by the underwater world in front of their door and wants to learn about it because it applies directly to their daily life. A child in Germany, however, might want to know about forests and mushrooms because their grandma takes them to pick mushrooms in the woods every fall. Both children are interested in topics that apply to their immediate world and they don’t want it taught to them by an adult. They want to explore it themselves and will ask for additional help or resources if they want or need them.
Humans are born with curiosity and a drive to learn and explore. By telling them through an old fashioned education system what and when and how to learn a certain topic we take all the fun away!
And our children need fun and hope and motivation in order to believe in change. And man, if we don’t believe in change and foster intrinsic motivation how do you think we can save the planet?!
Our content inspires and entertains with stories coming straight from the scientists, explorers and experts themselves in video, audio and print content. No middle man.
Children deserve to pick and choose for themselves what topics they want to explore and what currently moves and interests them.
What children don’t deserve is a constant stream of clickbait videos that derails them and advertisements across their screens.
We decided to go against what most online platforms for children do in order to grow and make profit. We said NO to the easy way of sponsorships by companies that promote overconsumption and the idea of “the more things I own the more valuable I am”. Our small team behind the platform is financed by the parents, teachers and families who trust and value us. They either donate to us, purchase our digital products or books and/or buy a membership with unlimited access to our content.
What was the main reason you joined the cleanup and why are you focusing on plastic specifically?
The answer is simple, plastic is visible to us.
My children and I see it everywhere on the beach and in the ocean when we dive. We see sea turtles who are wrapped in thick plastic fishing lines and who even lose flippers to trash in the ocean. I was raised by parents who value a “if there is a problem, let’s pull our sleeves up and start working on it” - attitude. Plastic was the first thing me and my children witnessed in our daily lives and so our sleeves went up and will never roll back down ;)
How big a role does sustainability play in your daily life?
I think a lot about it. I believe that many of us suffer from climate anxiety because frankly, it’s scary what we humans are doing to the planet and if we don’t do something now our future looks pretty grim.
However, I still want to enjoy my life and stay level headed. I don’t let the idea of living more sustainably paralyse me. Standing still out of fear to do the wrong or “not perfect thing” isn’t bringing change. The will to do better is!
I am not your zero waste blogger, I am a regular human and mother who implements doable changes toward a more sustainable daily life for me and my family.
That’s why I don’t call myself an activist, I simply say that I am a changemaker. Because that’s how you turn a ship headed toward a cliff around, you change the course.
We saw a really good fit between us and that we could build a strong collaboration together! But what was the main reason why you decided to partner up with us at Agood Company?
I value that you are willing to do the extra work it takes to find new and more sustainable ways to produce goods we humans want and need in our lives.
Most companies choose fast money and easy profit over doing it the right way. It’s not only about how we treat our planet, but also about how we treat other humans. I don’t want a less expensive item produced in places with questionable treatment and protection of workers. I rather spend my money on a product that was manufactured well by a well treated worker and that is a more sustainable choice.
In short, I’d rather buy from Agood Company because you simply have your priorities straight!
We are also keen to know your favourite products from Agood?
As a writer and artist I love stone paper notebooks. Drawing and writing on stone paper is a lot of fun. Plus I can get it personalised through you which is a fun add on.
I also love the design and ingredients of my plant-based phone case for my phone. Still can’t believe that no non-biodegradable plastic went into the manufacturing of it.
The bamboo toothbrushes are also a hit in our house. The kids each have their own kids bamboo toothbrush with their name on it. They do their job and are fun to look at.
