{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Building Doors with Lauren Karan","title":"91. Sustainability Is Everyone's Problem: Engineering, Values, and Raising the Next Generation with Ashley Hernandez","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4585,"description":"In this episode of Building Doors, host Lauren Karan sits down with Ashley Hernandez, a civil engineer turned sustainability consultant who has worked across Australia, the Middle East, and the United States. Now a key member of the boutique consultancy Losee Consulting, Ashley brings a rare blend of technical engineering knowledge, sustainability expertise, and mindfulness practice to her work.Ashley opens up about her unexpected journey into engineering, her time in Abu Dhabi chasing the mysterious “green kilometre,” and why she walked away from big consultancies to align her career with her values. She also shares how becoming a mother reshaped her perspective on work, leadership, and legacy. From the power of single-tasking to the importance of turning cameras on, this conversation is packed with practical wisdom for anyone navigating the human side of infrastructure.What You’ll Learn in This Episode:Sustainability as Integration, Not Silos:Why sustainability isn’t just “something the enviros do”How infrastructure rating systems (like Greenroads and ISC) create a common languageThe challenge of moving goalposts and why that’s actually a sign of progressCareer Transitions and Values Alignment:Why Ashley left large consultancies to join a boutique firmHow saying “yes before thinking” led to a board role and a new career pathLetting your RPQ lapse and why that was the right decisionMotherhood, Activism, and Legacy:Why “motherhood in and of itself is activism”How raising the next generation is the most influential work we can doThe shift from selling your soul for a paycheck to building a life aligned with your valuesMindfulness for the Overwhelmed Professional:Why burnout builds from micro-stresses, not just major crisesPractical techniques: box breathing, single-tasking, and the “rubber ball vs. glass ball” analogyHow to transition between meetings (and why a minute of breath work matters more than being on time)Workplace Culture and Human Connection:Why...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/rcJTQ5eXITvLdAogYDlhRpa2ZvZlMeipr6w7MvQqkqs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzM1NTExLzE2Njgz/OTU0OTQtYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}