100 Catherine Weetman – never too old to be bold

Catherine Weetman shares a bit of her backstory, including why she ditched her corporate career to help businesses get clear on how going circular is better for people, planet AND profit:

Today’s episode is a bit different – Peter Desmond, who has been a great mentor and supporter over the last five years, was encouraging me to tell people a bit more about me and how I came to do this – my ‘why’, if you like.

I was feeling really uncomfortable talking about my story, and then fate stepped in to lend a hand… someone I’m a big fan of – Sarah Archer – invited me to be a guest for her very popular Speaking Club Podcast.

Sarah Archer is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, and ex-HR Director. This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach us how to create content that makes our audience stop, engage and fall in love with our message.

Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality! I’m trying to make more impact with my talks, and Sarah’s been helping me out with that.

In this episode, you’ll hear Sarah’s interview with me, asking what sparked my interest, why I decided to call time on my corporate career and go all-in with helping people shift towards the beautiful, fair, regenerative future that we know is possible.

Podcast host Catherine Weetman is a circular economy business advisor, workshop facilitator, speaker and writer. Her award-winning book: A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business includes lots of practical examples and tips on getting started. Catherine founded Rethink Global in 2013, to help businesses use circular, sustainable approaches to build a better business (and a better world).

Stay in touch for free insights and updates…

Read on for a summary of the podcast and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.

Don’t forget, you can subscribe to the podcast series on iTunes, Google Podcasts, PlayerFM, Spotify, TuneIn, or search for “circular economy” in your favourite podcast app. Stay in touch to get free insights and updates, direct to your inbox…

You can also use our interactive, searchable podcast index to find episodes by sector, by region or by circular strategy. Plus, there is now a regular Circular Economy Podcast newsletter, so you get the latest episode show notes and links delivered to your inbox on Sunday morning, each fortnight. The newsletter includes a link to the episode page on our website, with an audio player. You can subscribe by clicking this link to update your preferences.

Links we mention in the episode:

A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business – buy from any good bookseller, or direct from the publisher Kogan Page, which ships worldwide (free shipping to UK and US) and you can use discount code CIRCL20 to get 20% off. It’s available in paperback, ebook and Kindle. If you buy it from online sources, make sure you choose the new edition with an orange cover!
Sign up to get the podcast player and shownotes for each new episode emailed to your inbox

Sarah Archer Social Media & Website Links:

Signature Talk Masterclass: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk/masterclass
Website: https://www.saraharcher.co.uk
Podcast: https://www.thespeakingclub.com
Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saraharcher15/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saraharcher15/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahArcher15

Books, organisations and people we mentioned…

Sense and Sustainability by Ken Webster and Craig Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7522358-sense-and-sustainability
The Wicked7 Project: As the world faces a growing number of existential challenges, our governments and institutions are failing us precisely at the moment we need them most. What if we could come together to work on identifying and developing public, common-good solutions to the world’s most urgent wicked problems? https://www.wicked7.org/about/
Peter Desmond https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdesmondce/
African Circular Economy Network https://www.acen.africa/
Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts (2008), by Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson https://www.amazon.com/Mistakes-Were-Made-But-Not/dp/0156033909/
Mark Steel – on BBC Radio 4 with Mark Steel’s In Town https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00rtbk8/episodes/guide

Catherine was interviewed by Sarah Archer…

Speaking is the most powerful marketing and motivational tool, and we use it everywhere in business, from pitches to presentations … but people often make mistakes that can sabotage their success, and that’s what Sarah Archer helps you avoid, so that you can get more success when you talk.

Sarah is on a mission to show authors, experts, coaches and aspiring change makers how to create a signature talk that uses stories to get more compliments and conversions. This is so that you can have more impact, invitations and income as a speaker – in a way that aligns to your values and without losing your personality!

Sarah is a speaking and marketing coach, writer, comedian, performer, ex-HR Director, and host of The Speaking Club Podcast, (which is in the top 1.5% of podcasts and in over 190 countries). This mix means she is uniquely qualified to teach you how to create content that makes your audience stop, engage and fall in love with your message.

Interview Transcript

Click here to open the transcript…

Want to dig deeper?

Why not buy Catherine’s award-winning book, A Circular Economy Handbook: How to Build a More Resilient, Competitive and Sustainable Business. This comprehensive guide uses a bottom-up, practical approach, and includes hundreds of real examples from around the world, to help you really ‘get’ the circular economy. Even better, you’ll be inspired with ideas to make your own business more competitive, resilient and sustainable.

Please let us know what you think of the podcast – and we’d love it if you could leave us a review on iTunes, or wherever you find your podcasts. Or send us an email…

Podcast music

Thanks to Belinda O’Hooley and Heidi Tidow, otherwise known as the brilliant, inventive and generous folk duo, O’Hooley & Tidow for allowing me to use the instrumentals from the live version of Summat’s Brewin’ as music for the podcast. You can find the whole track (inspired by the Copper Family song “Oh Good Ale”) on their album, also called Summat’s Brewin’. Or, follow them on Twitter.

Episode 37 – Lieke van Kerkoven of FLOOW2

27th September 2020 Circular economy healthcare reuse sharing sustainability

We talk to Lieke van Kerkhoven, Co-founder of FLOOW2 Healthcare. Lieke aims to drive the global change towards a circular economy, by bringing the innovative concept of sharing to the healthcare sector. FLOOW2 is a business that helps other organisations to share all sorts of resources. It helps ‘intensify’ resource loops, so we can get more use and productivity out…

Episode 36 – Dan Dicker of Circular&Co

13th September 2020 Circular economy design entrepreneur materials recycling sustainability upcycling

In this episode, Catherine talks to Dan Dicker,the Founder and CEO of Circular&Co, the new brand name for ashortwalk Ltd and rCUP®. Dan began his career as a product designer at Dyson, but had a strong desire to live and work a short walk from the sea. So, back in 2003, Dan founded a pioneering Circular Design practice ‘ashortwalk’. Now…

Episode 35 Sophie Segal – the power of play

30th August 2020 Circular economy purpose SDGs sustainability

We talk to Sophie Segal, founder of the Reading chapter of the CEC, in the south of England. Sophie uses games to engage people in sustainability and encourage us to think differently, to think about the system that we’re all part of. Sophie wears a few hats, including with Co-CREATE ImpACT - providing innovative social impact training, and Together Dragonflies…

Episode 34 – Noreen Kam and Michael Brown of LUP Global

16th August 2020 asset management Circular economy resell reuse sustainability

Catherine Weetman talks to Noreen Kam and Michael Brown about the circular asset management solution they’ve developed for LUP Global’s customers. We hear about the opportunities for companies to reduce their capex, improve the performance and lifetime cost of equipment, and to recover value from the equipment at the end of its service period. Michael explains how this approach is…

Episode 33 – Greg Lavery of Rype Office

2nd August 2020 Circular economy remanufacturing social value sustainability

We talk to Greg Lavery of Rype Office, which remanufactures high quality office furniture. We hear why Greg decided that office furniture is ideal for a circular business, how Rype’s customer base is evolving and why people are switching to remade furniture. A civil engineer by training, Greg has focused his career on improving the sustainability of the built environment.…