Finding my community

Jul 02, 2025

Last week at People Like Us I was struck by a statistic that award winning LBC journalist Sangita Myska quoted during her talk. She said loads of smart, insightful things, mind you -- as did many of my fellow speakers. But this is the one statistic that I can’t stop thinking about when I catch myself doomscrolling on social media.

Edelman conducted a study in late 2024 asking respondents in 28 countries if they trusted the media. 31% of Britons said that they did (vs 39% in the U.S.)…one of the main points of Sangita’s talk was encouraging and ensuring the stories covered in traditional news actually represent the interests of a diverse and dynamic public. To do this, we must have representation, and this will help to ensure the media covers the stories that matter.

I was (doom)scrolling recently when I was not surprised but saddened by the number of people who did not believe that climate change was real, and a threat to our circumstances as humans.

I have worked in climate for *decades*, I have listened to climate scientists when I attended Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), I have worked on advocacy campaigns when I consulted for the Environmental Defense Fund, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Interfaith Power & Light — and yet the message is not cutting through. Why do you think this is?

To Sangita’s point, are the stories that SHOULD matter to us being covered?

After working for so long in these industries, I’ve decided that perhaps no matter what is shared across traditional or digital channels, humans tend align themselves with the narrative and value system that suits them. I once read that a climate scientist at NASA couldn’t convince her father on climate change using scientific facts; he was convinced only because insurance companies’ used climate data in their valuations.

Sometimes it is the messenger that matters and not only the message.

It is a universal truth: we crave community.

I think you’ve got to meet people where they are without judgment, find common ground and shared values in order to tell your story and also listen to theirs, their concerns, their fears. That has become my priority and the cornerstone of my brand: finding my community in people who value my art, who value themselves, who want beauty in their lives, and who won’t sacrifice the environment for it.

I’ve used to work on reinvigorating high streets, and I did a lot of listening in order to build community and empower people to act on the issues that mattered most to them. Since I have left this work and am building something new, I am not sure how much people truly care about sustainability — whether this is a tipping point for them. But I certainly do. If something doesn’t align to my values, I just don’t do it.

I would rather live my values any day than buy one more piece of polyester.