—Systemic change begins with personal change—
Michael brings over fifteen years experience as an advocate, fundraiser and consultant to his role as Executive Director.
As the Project's lead program developer and fundraiser, Michael focuses on providing the over 500,000 members of the Story of Stuff community with the tailored content and tools they need to engage in collective learning and social change efforts.
Prior to joining The Story of Stuff Project, Michael developed fundraising and communications strategies for environmental, civil rights, reproductive justice and media reform organizations as the principal of Channing Way Consulting. He also served as the Development Director of two San Francisco Bay Area-based advocacy organizations: Global Exchange and Pacific Environment. He can be reached at michael (at) storyofstuff (dot) org.
First, if you haven't watched Story of Stuff, as much as I love my podcast, watch the videos from the organization Michael O'Heaney leads---the Story of Stuff. You'll hear that simple things he could have always done are available and doing them improves his life, as I heard. As experienced leaders often do, he involves others---in particular, his daughter---in contrast to many others, who tend to think of other people as problems. They think, "I can't stop flying because of family," or because of work. Always someone else. Leaders involve others solutions that affect them a strategy that usually works, at least among this podcast's guests. He's not the first to find acting on his environmental values overcomes separation with children. I recommend listening to Jim Harshaw's episodes for another example of a parent using acting on his environmental values to connect with people he cares about. Read the transcript.
Michael is the Executive Director of an organization that inspired me as much as any---The Story of Stuff. They continue to inspire me to think bigger and to focus on the details it would be easier to ignore but that matter. If you want to avoid plastic, waste, and other stuff, you'll find Michael's perspective and experience helpful. Having cut my waste a lot, talking to Michael leads me to cut it more---not out of guilt, shame, or other unwanted emotion but to live more by my values. Integrity. Michael shares a lot of facts, grounded in passion. Many people who have thought and acted long and deeply on environmental issues feel an initial resistance in acting more: Haven't I done as much as I can? What more can I do? If you feel that way, you'll be glad to hear Michael shares that resistance. You'll also be glad that he overcomes it, which, I hope, will help you overcome yours. We'll hear in his second conversation if the increased challenge burdened him, as many claiming "awareness" and "balance" tell themselves to expect, or enliven and liberate him. Read the transcript. http://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-stuff https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water https://storyofstuff.org/movies/the-story-of-solutions https://storyofstuff.org/movies https://storyofstuff.org/about