Getting models, celebrities, and people who influence popular culture to stand for sustainability

Oct 24

What if more people with great influence on popular culture were to more boldly speak up for sustainability? What would it mean for our world if we had models who were role models, who stood up for public health, social and environmental welfare, and who represent brands that actually align with their personal values?

Sharing her wisdom with us on this episode is Anne Therese Bengtsson, a former New York City model and Co-Founder of Role Models Management, which is on a mission to redefine what it means to be a model. The agency represents models who are activists, who embrace the causes they want to help champion, and work primarily with companies they feel proud of. Anne is also the host of the podcast, Hey Change, where she inspires people to embrace curiosity and positivity and promotes an ethical and sustainable way of life. Let's dive in.

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This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights

[2:32] What first inspired Anne's love of nature.

[4:22] How Anne took her passion for the environment and made it into a career.

[7:46] Anne: "Everything I had always dreamt of had come true to me, and I was still so stressed out and I felt so lost. I was like, Why is it that everything I ever wanted is reality, and I still don't feel happy? And I think it hit me in that moment that, of all the things I was doing, I wasn't following that inner voice that I wanted to speak up for the environment..."

[8:28] Anne gives a summary of how the modeling industry works and how Role Models Management sets itself apart.

[10:09] Kaméa: "What do you think having models whose personal values align with the brands they work with (and vice versa) will make possible for our world and for consumers?"

[12:10] Anne's biggest personal challenge in being a pioneer in this industry.

[13:22] How Anne gets past imposter syndrome.

[14:13] Kaméa: "What did it take for Role Models Management to come to life and become a pioneer?"

[15:49] Anne shares a few social issues from the modeling industry we should know.

[17:12] Kaméa: "What can we do as consumers to support these positive trends in the industry?"

[18:07] Kaméa: "What's something you've learned from the modeling world that we could use to help strengthen the sustainability movement?"

[19:25] Anne: "We need to understand that not knowing isn't bad. And if we can take that layer off of feeling ashamed of not knowing enough, then we can really be curious and go out there and learn more... So just ask questions, be humble with that, and be okay with not knowing."

[22:10] Anne: "Sometimes, the only thing you need to do is speak up once, and plant the seed in someone's head, and then that's going to grow... and we need to plant the seeds today."

[22:43] Anne talks about her own podcast, Hey Change.

[25:23] Kaméa: "What are you most proud of having accomplished in sustainability so far?"