🌱 Sip Sustainably: How One Couple's Brand Fights For Your Great Grandkids

MUGS, MOUNTAINS, AND MINDFULNESS: MEET LUKARA'S FOUNDERS 

Once, we tread lightly on the earth, our footsteps soft, our legacy clean. We held close only what we could carry, our belongings few, our lives unburdened.

Our hands shaped. Reused. Repurposed. The earth remained pure, a canvas of untainted beauty.

Then came progress. And humans said it was good, and it was and is. Sometimes. Humans are pretty remarkable, the same species having the capacity for both great creativity and dire short-sightedness. 

We’ve littered our landscape, choked our seas. Landfills swell, spilling their guts across the earth.

Luke and Tara saw the sprawl of waste, a problem they did not cause.

Improving Life. Improving Earth. 

Hardly a modest task, this whole helping an entire planet thing. For Luke and Tara, the mission is personal.

They live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. They garden. They hike. They camp. They even make friends and share breakfast with complete strangers who become fast friends. You’ll find Luke barrelling down a rocky path at breakneck speeds on his mountain bike. Tara’s going to be in the garden any moment she can be, some plants for herbal medicine and some for food.

For both of them growing up, reuse, rebuild, recycle was a way of life. They’ve always sought to live lightly on the land.

When the idea for Lukara came to them, it wasn’t just about selling some greenwashed products to guilty consumers. They wanted to make being truly helpful to the environment truly simple for eco-conscious families. To become a trusted resource - the kind that does what is right rather than what’s popular. (Bamboo cups, with your melamine resin and formaldehyde, we’re looking at you.

There were hurdles. Of course. One, every ecomm business ever faces. It’s figuring out how to acquire customers profitably. 

How Can We Do This Without Just Making More Trash?

The other hurdle’s not one most businesses ever even think about - the environmental impact of their own product, its production, and its packaging. Exhibit A: The Bamboo Steamer and Accessories… each individually wrapped in cellophane

It took a minute. But they survived both of these early challenges. Now they’ve got traction. Now they’ve got a compostable travel coffee cup that’s microwavable, heat resistant, petroleum-free, recyclable, and compostable. The EcoGo cup is made out of… get this… a material made from molded corn starch.

Use it for like three years. When you’re done? Throw it on your compost pile. 

How about that as an alternative to being one of the 219.73 million disposable cup and plate-using Americans Statista wrote about in 2020?

The EcoGo cup not only helps the people who use it… it helps everyone else, too. Ripple effect intended.

For Better Mental Health, Go Outside

By the way, did you know that eco-anxiety is a thing? We’ve probably all had that gut-punch of a moment when we had a horrible realization regarding the environment. Like, “Where IS all the trash?”

Eco-anxiety grips the heart, a visceral response to the planet's plight. It's the gnawing unease that comes from knowing our Earth is cloaked in waste. It's a modern malaise, a symptom of our times.

Yet, there's solace in the soil, a balm in the act of cultivation. Get outside, feel the earth crumble between your fingers, plant seeds, and watch life unfurl. It's a primal remedy, reconnecting us with the cycle of life and growth.

Bring a friend, share the healing. Teach them the tender art of tending to the earth, the joy of foraging, the responsibility of stewardship. Together, cultivate more than plants—cultivate hope.

And if the call to action stirs deep within, consider entrepreneurship. Create a brand that, like Lukara, champions the environment, offering products that ease the journey to sustainability. It's a path that not only quells eco-anxiety but also paves the way for a greener tomorrow.

Further Down the Path

Luke and Tara value their outside time. So, they’re building Lukara as if they plan to sell it. Which they don’t. At least not for now. 

But exit or no, they have a dream to become angel investors. Again, there’s the same ripple effect running right through their story. Like hikers at the top of a peak, they look to the long view to see what their impact will be. Building a brand that helps the earth and its people, then using that business to help other good people build a brand that… well, you get it.

Today, we raise a (compostable) cup to give three cheers to Luke and Tara. You’re making the world better for us, our grandkids, and our 10x grands, too.

Mint Your Own Remedy: Crafting a Tincture for Winter Wellness

During our conversation, Tara talked about growing herbs and making ancient medicines like poultices, smokes, and tinctures. These are the remedies people trusted for thousands of years; and even now, there’s a resurgence in people interested in foraging and natural medicine.

With winter creeping up on us, now’s a good time to make a mint tincture. You’ll be glad to have it once winter hits. 

Growing Your Greens

Mint’s a cool plant. It’s actually harder to kill than it is to grow. Mint, a robust herb, thrives with minimal fuss. Plant it in a pot to contain its enthusiastic spread, and watch it grow with vigor. Indoors or out, mint's resilience makes it a green companion even for those without a proverbial green thumb.

If you don’t have any growing, no worries. Organic mint, readily available at your local grocer, is your ticket to this ancient practice.

The Tincture Technique

To start, you'll need:

• Fresh or dried peppermint and spearmint leaves

• High-proof alcohol (like vodka or brandy)

• A clean jar with a lid

• A strainer or cheesecloth

• A dark dropper bottle for storage

Here's how:

• Fill your jar loosely with mint leaves.

• Pour the alcohol over the leaves until completely submerged.

• Seal the jar and place it in a cool, dark place, shaking it daily.

• After 4-6 weeks, strain the leaves from the liquid using a cheesecloth.

• Transfer the liquid to a dark dropper bottle for easy use.

A Winter's Gift

This mint tincture is not just a creation—it's a companion for the colder months. A few drops in your tea can aid digestion, soothe a sore throat, or provide a moment of minty meditation. As the snow falls, let the essence of summer's mint invigorate and warm you from within.

In crafting this tincture, you're not just mixing leaves and alcohol; you're blending the ancient with the modern, self-reliance with self-care, and entrepreneurship with earth's wisdom. Enjoy the minty freshness of your labor, and perhaps, come spring, you'll plant a mint garden of your own.

This Week’s Goodies

• This is the #1 highest ROI form of content. Here’s how to use it to make more sales as your customers do the selling for you (the higher your price point, the better it works).
  

• This is the #1 way to feel smart again, even if high school chemistry ‘bout kilt you. Turns out, all that drama could have been avoided for just $24.95. Give your brain a little stretch and make those “I cut chemistry class and now I’ve got finals!” nightmares stop for good.
  

• This made me nostalgic. Everyone makes a gratitude list, but this one made me sing. Kinda publicly. I regret nothing.
  

• Ready to inspire someone? Your entrepreneurial journey could be the spark for someone reading this right now. Step into the limelight, impart your wisdom, and amplify your brand. Book your feature interview slot now!

Next Friday, you’ll meet an entrepreneur who got her start selling books door to door, then built and exited a staffing company, and now… Along with recording more than 200 podcast episodes, starting an ecomm brand, and building a large, highly-engaged community of people who will follow her to the ends of the earth. You’re going to love her, too.

That’s next Friday. The Friday after that is Black Friday. No newsletter then because:

1. You might be busy hitting “refresh” to watch your sales figures

2. You might still be in a turkey coma

3. You might even have a screen-free day!