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Planting the Mustard Seed...

Planting the Mustard Seed...
Anna L. Sexton
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"...for all generations to come...that was, and is still, my goal!

This is a story of a 29 year old wife and mother of three daughters (and three wonderful kitties), who was born with the desire to save the world in her heart and soul. As a child, I could not bear to see people suffering, did not want any part of anything that hurt animals, nature, or people. I just wanted everyone to feel safe, healthy, and loved.

As I grew into a teenager and then an adult, my appreciation and concern for people, animals, and the environment grew like a wildflower seed in a field! To this day, I will not harm or kill anything, not even bugs or spiders. I rescue bees with a cup and put them back outside.

My mission to 'go green' began (slowly) and with little steps (like replacing paper napkins with washable cloth ones). My husband and I started weeding out waste, donating, recycling, reusing, reinventing old ways and items to make a newer, more eco friendly lifestyle! We make a conscious effort every day to avoid waste by precycling.

As for my business, Greetings that Grow is my way of changing the world, by planting one seed at a time. I first began working with plantable paper in 2008. I loved the idea that a card could be planted, but wanted to create something more unique and memorable.

I came up with the idea of making a plantable card that had a removable photograph print. After extensive research confirming that no one else had made such a card, I began making and selling my greetings that grow in my Amoment Amemory 28 photography shop on Etsy.com.

When I first began making the plantable cards, I used plantable paper that was handmade by etsy paper makers. During these first months, I spent much time researching paper making, with the goal that I would start making my own paper in Jan 2009.

I am very pleased and proud that in January 2009, as planned, I began making my own handmade plantable paper. In that same month, I opened up my (all plantable) Greetings that Grow™ shop on etsy.com AND became a licensed official business in the state of New York!

My goal for 2009 is to educate people about greetings that grow. It is my hope that more people will choose not only to purchase cards (and gifts) that are more sustainable (and give back to the earth!), but that my greetings that grow will motivate and inspire others to think up and create items and businesses that are more eco friendly...and in doing so, enable my mustard seed to grow into a grand and beautiful tree....that can stand proudly next those which you yourself will one day plant along side me!!!!

People-Centered Economic Development UK

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I had a friend in the US, who started a fast for economic and social rights. He'd been in Russia sourcing a microfinance initiative and recently returned from a brush with corruption in Ukraine He bloggedg from a library while living in a tent. As I was reminded today, it was 2003 and the Black Eyed Peas were often in the background.

The lyrics seem appropriate for the time, perhaps a backdrop to what we were to become soon.

A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all

I persuaded him to break the fast and join me in the UK. We created P-CED as a profit for purpose business using the model he'd defined in his earlier advocacy for more inclusive capitalism. We would demonstrate that by means of enlightened self-interest hearts and minds could be won to bring another nation out of poverty and toward democracy for less than the cost of a week spent in Iraq. This investment would be returnable, in both financial and social terms.

I made a conscious choice to go it the way I felt ethical and just to my family - Pledging for Change

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I made a conscious choice to go it the way I felt ethical and just to my family - Pledging for Change: "I moved over here from Germany with my family and joined a long time friend in business. We were three of us. The long time friend with whom I was actually more acquainted through emails than personal contact was accepted by the other two of us as the MD of the business we were in.

I loved the 'ethos' of this guy so much that I considered him literally as a mentor. Outwardly he manifested such charm and seemed well read which I always admire. In fact you can easily dazzle me if you prove to be well read and knowledgeable.

Anyhow, a year into our business, when it came to walking the sweet talks of integrity, my friend failed miserably and tried to co-opt me into cheating the third partner - a 75 year old man who had poured all his savings and that of his wife into the business. I refused. And we fell apart. The business suffered. All three people involved suffered. As the youngest of the three and perhaps inexperienced due to my age, my own family suffered too. Litigations ensued and cost were high and painful for all sides. It reached a point where I looked at the issues dispassionately and decided to break from the mould of conflict.

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Ethics Trading - pledging for change

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Ethics Trading - pledging for change: "At the end of 1999 I became pregnant with my oldest child and I decided I wanted to use cloth nappies for him. This was partly because of cost and partly for environmental reasons. When I started looking for nappies I found it almost impossible to find any decent choice.

So I became a Lollipop agent and sold nappies in my spare time after I went back to work.

By the time I was pregnant again in 2002/3 I was frustrated at my turnover and wanted to expand so I created Ethics Trading so I could sell other products as I found them, alongside the nappies.

Eventually, when both kids had grown out of nappies and I'd decided to home educate them both I needed smaller products and a website and so Ethics Trading evolved into the business you can see today.

I've found new products to sell as I've been recommended them or shown them. I make sure I try everything I sell and if I'm not prepared to use it myself then I won't sell it. A classic example is the soap nuts. My son had nasty excema and I was becoming so frustrated at not being able to get it under control. Then a friend gave me a small bag of soap nuts and said they'd work. I was sceptical but I tried them - and they did indeed work. I've used and sold them ever since.

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