What do you care about these days? 

Caring is the currency of leadership, but here’s the paradox: when we care too much about too many things, we can lose sight of the things that truly matter. 

So the question is: How do you direct your energy toward what you value, without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer volume of things you could care about? 

The most effective leaders are those who can connect deeply with their teams, foster trust, and create a sense of safety and belonging. They lead with empathy, not just strategy.

But perfectionism and overfunctioning can lead us to feel like we need to be everything to everyone, at the expense of our well-being and, ultimately, the quality of our leadership.

For many of us, the path to effective leadership begins with finding your enough. When you shift your lens to honoring your enough, you stay connected to your values and to the people and causes that matter most to you, without tipping into exhaustion.

My guest today offers a model of what it’s like to care deeply without losing yourself in the process, and of finding joy and community along the way. 

Ashlee Piper is a sustainability expert, commentator, and speaker whose work has been widely featured on television and in print media. She is the author of Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet. and No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity.

Piper has spoken at the United Nations,  SXSW, and has a popular TED talk. She is the creator of the #NoNewThings Challenge, for which she received a 2022 Silver Stevie Award for Female Innovator of the Year, and is a professor of sustainability marketing. She holds a BA from Brown University and a master’s degree from the University of Oxford. She lives in Chicago in a home that’s 98 percent secondhand and can often be found singing Seal’s “Kiss from a Rose” at any not-so-fine karaoke establishment.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• How #NoNewThings grew from a personal 30-day goal to attracting thousands of participants and becoming a book
• How taking a break from consumption helped Ashlee refocus on the values and relationships that matter most
• How marketers game our mental and physical states to sell us things, and a simple way to bring awareness to our own consumption patterns
• Why #NoNewThings emphasizes intentionality with purchases over strictly not spending
• Why “sustainable” is the new “natural” and tips for making more informed choices
• How recognizing our “enough” makes space for building community, getting involved, and living our values

Learn more about Ashlee Piper:

• Website
• Instagram: @ashleepiper
• Substack: The Ethical Edit
• Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet.
• No New Things: A Radically Simple 30-Day Guide to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity

Learn more about Rebecca:

• rebeccaching.com
• Work With Rebecca
• The Unburdened Leader on Substack
• Sign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader Email

Resources:

• Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman
• Interpersonal Neurobiology – Dr. Dan Siegel
• EP 02: How Self-Leadership Saves You From The Relentless Drive To Succeed with Dr. Richard Schwartz
• EP 72: Identifying and Addressing the Burdens of Individualism with Deran Young & Dick Schwartz
• EP 131: Leadership, Accountability, and the Self: A Special Anniversary Conversation with IFS Founder Richard Schwartz
• Why ‘Underconsumption’ is a wild term – by Ashlee Piper
• Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail, Ben Montgomery
• Usher – Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)
• Temptation Island
• Out of This World
• Small Wonder