The Thoughtful Advocate

EP23: Good News in 2025: Renewable Energy Wins, Child Labor Reform & Gun Safety Progress | Positive News Podcast

Tired of doom scrolling? Discover the positive changes happening right now in 2025! In this uplifting episode of the Thoughtful Advocate Podcast, host Elizabeth Teo breaks down real progress across four critical areas: renewable energy breakthroughs (US hits 51% clean energy milestone!), child labor accountability legislation, sustainable fashion innovations, and gun safety reforms at the state level.
Plus, explore heartwarming culture recommendations including the viral film "Nonnas" about grandmothers cooking authentic Italian food, and discover community initiatives like Little Free Libraries and dementia-friendly restaurants in Japan that are bringing people together.
Perfect for anyone seeking hope, positive news, environmental progress updates, and proof that collective action creates real change. Whether you're passionate about climate solutions, ethical fashion, community building, or just need a break from negative news cycles, this episode proves good news still exists.
Topics covered: Renewable energy statistics 2025, electric vehicle adoption rates, child labor legislation, sustainable fashion brands, gun safety red flag laws, community connection ideas, feel-good stories
Listen if you love: Positive psychology, environmental activism, social justice, hope-focused content, One Piece references, and believing in a better future

EP22: How to Break Into Sustainability Careers: Real Stories From Environmental Jobs (No Perfect Path Required)

Ever wondered how to actually get started in sustainability careers? Host Elizabeth Teo breaks down the real, messy truth about building an environmental career, no perfect path required.
What you'll discover:
How to break into sustainability jobs without an environmental degree
Why your first "green" job doesn't have to be your dream job
Real career stories from waste management, environmental nonprofits, and government roles
How side projects (like zero waste blogging) can open doors to paid opportunities
Key skills and steps to build your sustainability career from the ground up How to Build a Career in Sustainability: Key Skills and Steps – Harvard FAS | Mignone Center for Career Success
Why representation matters in environmental fields
How to handle toxic workplaces in the green sector
Perfect for:
Recent graduates wondering "what the heck is a sustainability career?"
Career changers passionate about environmental impact
Anyone feeling lost in the competitive green job market
People who want to make a difference but don't know where to start
Elizabeth shares her honest journey from crying at her first environmental job to landing a role in waste management policy proving that sustainability jobs are growing and becoming more competitive 6 Actionable Ways to Launch Your Environmental Conservation Career – Career & Internship Center | University of Washington, but there's room for everyone willing to start somewhere.
Your path doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be yours. Subscribe now and join a community of people who care about creating a better world.

EP21: Breaking Free from Perfectionism and People Pleasing: A Trauma Survivor's Guide

Are you exhausted from trying to be perfect all the time? Do you spend hours editing emails, feel sick when you think you'll disappoint someone, or say yes when your whole body is screaming no? You're not alone, and you're not broken, you're experiencing trauma responses that once kept you safe as a child.
In this deeply personal episode, I share my journey of understanding perfectionism and people pleasing as survival strategies rooted in childhood trauma and conditional love. Growing up in an environment where mistakes felt dangerous and love depended on performance, my nervous system learned that perfect behavior meant safety and everyone's happiness meant I wouldn't be abandoned.
What you'll discover in this episode:
The psychological research behind perfectionism as a trauma response
Why perfectionism and people pleasing almost always go together
How childhood trauma creates these survival patterns
Personal stories of growing up with conditional love and generational trauma
Why motherhood intensified these patterns (and how it also helped heal them)
The neuroscience of how perfectionism activates the same pathways as anxiety disorders
Practical tools for healing: setting timers while editing, practicing "good enough" standards, starting with small "no's"
How to transform survival strategies into conscious, healthy choices
Signs you might relate:
Spending way too much time perfecting projects out of fear they won't be good enough
Feeling responsible for managing everyone else's emotions
Apologizing constantly for things that aren't your fault
Avoiding conflict at all costs, even when it means sacrificing your truth
Having impossibly high standards for yourself but normal standards for others
This isn't about eliminating your high standards or empathy, it's about transforming them from survival mode into conscious choices. Learn how to be authentically yourself while still caring about quality and others.

EP20: Breaking Barriers in Climate Activism: How Queer BIPOC Voices Are Changing Environmentalism with Queer Brown Vegan - Isaias Hernandez

Join Elizabeth Teo on The Thoughtful Advocate as she sits down with Isaiah Hernandez (@queerbrownvegan), the viral environmental educator with 123K+ Instagram followers who's redefining climate activism for 2025.
In this powerful conversation, Isaiah shares his journey from facing environmental injustice in LA to becoming a globally recognized climate educator featured in Vogue and The New York Times. Discover how his Mexican-American heritage and queer identity fuel his unique approach to environmental justice, why he turned down Berkeley's master's program to focus on his upcoming book "Dear Environmentalist" (2027), and how he's building sustainable income as a creator in the climate space.
Key Topics:
✓ Environmental racism and data centers - the hidden climate threat
✓ Queer ecology and challenging nature's "normal"
✓ Building diverse income streams as an environmental creator
✓ The intersection of LGBTQ+ rights and climate justice
✓ Mental health, family relationships, and activism
✓ Creating authentic content that educates and inspires
Perfect for: Climate activists, environmental educators, BIPOC creators, LGBTQ+ advocates, sustainability enthusiasts, and anyone seeking authentic climate leadership in 2025.

EP19: What Are the Benefits of Having Children? A First-Time Mom's Honest Answer to Google's Most Asked Parenting Questions

What are the benefits of having children? How do you bond with your baby? Does parenthood really change everything?
Join Elizabeth Teo on The Thoughtful Advocate Podcast as she tackles Google's most-searched parenting questions with raw honesty. As a first-time mom to 8-month-old Ace, Elizabeth shares the unexpected joy of motherhood that transformed her from an independent career woman into someone who dreams of being a stay-at-home mom.
In this episode, you'll discover:
The real benefits of having children (beyond what you expect)
Proven bonding techniques that actually work with your baby
How motherhood completely changes your perspective on life
Why going back to work feels impossible after maternity leave
The guilt, joy, and beautiful chaos of new parenthood
From first smiles to peekaboo games, from sleepless nights to unconditional love, this is an unfiltered look at what no one tells you about having kids. Perfect for expecting parents, new moms, or anyone wondering "should I have children?"

EP18: Climate Hope: How Microsoft, Patagonia & Small Apps Are Winning the Sustainability Game

Feeling climate doom from endless bad news? This episode answers the questions everyone's Googling: Can big companies really help climate change? Do individual choices matter? Which companies are actually sustainable?
Discover surprising success stories including Microsoft's $1B climate fund, a Danish company that cut emissions by 87%, and how Tesla forced the entire auto industry to go electric. Plus, learn about simple apps saving 200M+ meals from waste.
We tackle the most searched climate questions:
Are companies greenwashing or making real change?
Can 100 companies responsible for 71% of emissions actually help?
Do individual actions matter in fighting climate change?
Which sustainable brands are worth supporting?
How can I make a difference without burning out?
Get practical tips for supporting climate-positive companies, from buying secondhand to using apps that reduce food waste. Climate hope is real, here's the proof you need to keep going.

EP17: From Fast Fashion to Indigenous Artisans: How Niha Elety Built a Sustainable Fashion Empire While Working 9-5 as a Biomedical Engineer

Join host Elizabeth Teo as she sits down with Niha Elety, climate activist, sustainable fashion designer, and co-founder of Tega Collective and Understory. In this inspiring episode, Niha shares her journey from biomedical engineering student to building two successful impact organizations while maintaining her 9-5 job.
Niha shares her transformative journey from Dallas, Texas to spending 7 formative years in Hyderabad, India (ages 11-18), where she discovered sustainable living practices and direct relationships with farmers and artisans that shaped her entire worldview.
From childhood memories of her grandmother buying vegetables from balcony vendors to cutting up her grandfather's lungi at age 5 to make her first 'crop top,' Niha's India experience taught her that sustainability isn't a trend, it's a way of life many communities have practiced for generations.
Discover how Niha:
Built Tega Collective with a 15% profit-sharing model for indigenous artisans
Co-founded Understory to tell underrepresented climate stories through documentaries
Balances full-time work with passion projects and content creation
Turned cultural appropriation concerns into ethical collaboration opportunities
Uses storytelling to combat racism and build community connections
Perfect for aspiring social entrepreneurs, sustainability advocates, and anyone looking to create meaningful impact while building a stable career. Learn actionable strategies for working with indigenous communities, funding passion projects, and using your skills for climate action.
Connect with Niha Elety:
Instagram: @nihaelety
Website: nihaelety.com
Tega Collective: @tegacollective (Instagram) | tegacollective.com
Understory: @understoryorg (Instagram)

EP16: Breaking the 'Good Girl' Mold: How Katy Ho Went from Shrinking Herself to Building the Bad Asian Movement

From "good Asian girl" to unapologetic activist, Katy Ho's transformation will inspire anyone who's ever felt caught between worlds. In this powerful conversation, the writer behind Bad Asian and contributor to Feminist opens up about growing up in conservative Calgary, meeting feminist icon Gloria Steinem, and why being "bad" is actually revolutionary.
What You'll Learn:
How to break free from the "model minority" expectations that keep Asian women silent
Why intersectionality matters for building stronger communities across all identities
The real impact of fetishization and racism on Asian women's daily lives
Practical steps for finding your voice when you've been taught to shrink yourself
Why speaking up for your community actually helps dismantle systems of oppression
Katy shares raw, honest stories about distancing herself from her Cantonese culture as a teenager, the moment feminism changed everything, and how she turned her pain into purpose through writing and activism. Whether you're Asian, a woman of color, or anyone navigating multiple identities, this episode offers hope and actionable wisdom for taking the lead in your own story.
Perfect for: Activists, writers, Asian Americans, women of color, feminists, anyone interested in social justice and personal growth
Guest: Katy Ho - Writer at Feminist, Founder of Bad Asian, storyteller and activist challenging expectations for Asian women everywhere
Host: Elizabeth Teo - The Thoughtful Advocate
Listen now and discover why being "bad" might be the most authentic thing you can be.

Ep15: Living on a Wildlife Reserve: How Eugenia Chow Redefines Climate Action Without a Science Degree

In this episode of The Thoughtful Advocate, host Elizabeth Teo sits down with Eugenia Chow is an environmental educator and content creator who went from growing up in Hong Kong to living and working on a wildlife reserve in Kenya. Eugenia shares her incredible journey into climate advocacy, showing that you don’t need a science degree to make a real impact in conservation and environmental education.
 
We explore how she uses food as a tool for climate justice, what it’s like to live on a wildlife reserve, and why culturally informed climate solutions are key to building a better future. From founding her Instagram page @eugreenia to partnering with local communities and schools in Kenya, Eugenia proves that activism can be personal, creative, and deeply rooted in love for the planet.
 
Whether you’re a sustainability advocate, aspiring environmentalist, or just curious about how to make meaningful change this episode will leave you inspired to take action in your own unique way.
 
✨ Topics Covered:
• Living and working on a wildlife reserve in Kenya
• How food systems connect to climate justice
• Bridging conservation with community outreach
• Starting climate activism without a science degree
• The power of cultural and community-based solutions
• Navigating climate burnout and staying hopeful
• Creating impact through social media and storytelling

EP14: From Actress to Authentic Creator: Christine Lan's ( Eco-Amical) Journey to Slow Living, Healing, and True Representation

From Actress to Sustainability Content Creator: Christine's Journey to Intentional Living
Join host Elizabeth Teo on The Thoughtful Advocate as she sits down with Christine, better known as @eco.amical, an actress and mom turned sustainability content creator who's inspiring millions to live more intentionally. In this candid conversation, Christine shares her unexpected journey from auditioning rooms to viral TikTok videos, proving that authentic content creation can change both lives and the planet.
What You'll Learn:
How Christine pivoted from acting to becoming a successful DIY sustainability content creator
The viral TikTok moment that changed everything in 2020 (she now has almost 200k followers there)
Why frugal living and environmental consciousness go hand-in-hand
Practical DIY makeup and skincare recipes using kitchen ingredients
How to build an authentic online community while staying true to your values
The connection between gratitude, intentional living, and environmental sustainability
Tips for content creators on maintaining authenticity while growing their platform
Key Topics Covered:
Sustainable living tips and zero waste lifestyle
Content creation strategy and building genuine community
Asian representation in media and breaking stereotypes
DIY beauty recipes and natural skincare
Frugal living as environmental activism
Work-life balance as a content creator and mom
Intentional consumption vs. overconsumption culture
Christine's story resonates with anyone feeling overwhelmed by society's pressure to constantly consume and achieve. Her approach to sustainability isn't about perfection it's about finding joy in simplicity, gratitude for what you have, and making mindful choices that benefit both your wallet and the planet.
Whether you're interested in zero waste living, sustainable content creation, or simply want to hear an inspiring story about following your authentic path, this episode offers practical wisdom and genuine inspiration.
Connect with Christine:
Instagram: @eco.amicable
TikTok: @eco.amical
Website: https://www.ecoamical.com/
All platforms: Search "Eco Amical"
Featured Guest: Christine (@eco.amical) - Sustainability content creator, DIY expert, former actress, and mom of two content creators
Host: Elizabeth Teo (@thethoughtfuladvocate)
The Thoughtful Advocate features conversations with changemakers from around the world who are turning hope into real action. Subscribe for weekly episodes that inspire purposeful living and positive impact.