19 00:01:14.970 --> 00:01:23.040 Neha Sampat: Welcome to dream makers candid conversations with women that will change the way that you see success purpose and what it takes to bridge the two. 20 00:01:23.580 --> 00:01:39.180 Neha Sampat: I may have Sam pat a three time tech founder and CEO, with a focus on companies that are places to dream big build up and be a good human i'm CEO of content stack and also certified suddenly So yes, we drink wine here i'm joined today. 21 00:01:40.440 --> 00:01:41.430 Neha Sampat: By Jen route. 22 00:01:41.730 --> 00:01:56.220 Neha Sampat: The co founder and CMO of manifest commerce this sustainable logistics solution for retailers in her words they help clients green their whole supply chain today we're going to talk about building businesses for good storytelling. 23 00:01:56.430 --> 00:02:01.530 Neha Sampat: And a realistic approach to changing the world let's get started hi Jen. 24 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:05.370 Jen Root: hi Thank you so much for having me it's such a pleasure to be here. 343 00:49:09.840 --> 00:49:19.080 Neha Sampat: So I love for you to start with one of your favorite stories and and we had talked about this earlier tell us about what your mom taught you about changing the world. 344 00:49:19.980 --> 00:49:29.400 Jen Root: yeah absolutely so my mother was very much an inspiration to me growing up, and you know still is like my words of encouragement and my biggest cheerleader. 345 00:49:29.820 --> 00:49:37.530 Jen Root: And so you know everyone always asks what do you want to be when you grow up what you want to be when you grow up and my answer was always. 346 00:49:38.130 --> 00:49:47.400 Jen Root: While I wanted to change the world, and you know my mom would always joke and be like well Jenny you know you better get to work because there's a lot of work to do. 347 00:49:48.360 --> 00:50:00.990 Jen Root: One big feet better get to work, and so you know I think I think that's really something that like kind of shook me into gear and you know lead me in the right direction. 348 00:50:01.200 --> 00:50:06.120 Neha Sampat: and helps you focus on a specific cause, or at least to bite off a piece of a bigger problem. 349 00:50:06.780 --> 00:50:18.690 Jen Root: yeah yeah and you know, and she was always you know, like very like all right that's good well better get doing it, you know and it's just always been her approach to things Jen Root: These were hard times, back then,Michael jackson's heal the world was like a popular song and, like those lyrics are so good it's like heal the world. 32 00:03:50.040 --> 00:03:55.560 Jen Root: make it a better place yeah and then the next slide you remember the next slide. 33 00:03:55.860 --> 00:03:56.790 Neha Sampat: For you, and for me. 34 00:03:57.510 --> 00:04:00.630 Jen Root: For you, and for me and for the entire human race. 37 00:04:24.390 --> 00:04:40.860 Jen Root: And I was like wow this is going on in the world and, like what can I do to make a difference, so that would that would always be my answer is like I don't know what I want to do, but I know I want to change the world I don't know what that means, 38 00:04:41.400 --> 00:04:43.590 Jen Root: What I want to do and how I want to approach business. 39 00:04:43.650 --> 00:04:55.230 Neha Sampat: And you've obviously started to do that in more ways than Why then we'll we'll get into some of that but let's start with the wine, so I have a bottle of 2021 dead corn. 40 00:04:56.130 --> 00:05:03.510 Neha Sampat: napa valley someone you have long dead corn great vineyard we actually do a lot of work with them at content stack they host some of our events. 41 00:05:03.840 --> 00:05:18.780 Neha Sampat: And, and if you've seen decoys at the grocery store it's like the little brother little sister to deck Horn so it's kind of their one step down from from a deck Horn, but this is a really nice easy to drink simple wine great for an afternoon. 42 00:05:19.770 --> 00:05:31.440 Neha Sampat: And, and what I typically get in these I mean seven year one can general you always get some of that vicinity, the lemon and sometimes pineapple but this one actually I get a little bit of grapefruit and. 43 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:36.240 Neha Sampat: Definitely pineapples coming across to maybe a little passion fruit. 44 00:05:36.630 --> 00:05:40.620 Jen Root: um I do smell that passion fruit yeah that's good. 45 00:05:41.310 --> 00:05:45.030 Neha Sampat: Nice and fresh cheers 2021 so very new. 46 00:05:46.590 --> 00:05:47.040 Jen Root: and 47 00:05:47.940 --> 00:05:48.600 Neha Sampat: very young. 48 00:05:48.900 --> 00:05:53.160 Jen Root: That is nice that has a little like citrus to it, or something to that's good so. 49 00:05:53.160 --> 00:06:00.240 Neha Sampat: lovely yeah and you can tell when there's a lot of acidity in a wine that salvation that happens on the two sides of your mouth. 50 00:06:00.660 --> 00:06:08.670 Neha Sampat: You can tell it's an acidic wine and it usually goes well with acidic foods and you want to cut you know kind of cut through the acidity with something that's acidic but. 51 00:06:09.030 --> 00:06:16.740 Neha Sampat: This is one of my favorite go tues for an afternoon, wine and accessible, because you, you know, being in the US it's pretty easy to get Ahold of it. 52 00:06:17.310 --> 00:06:24.090 Jen Root: yeah that's good, so what would you recommend pairing it with like something acidic like what about with the chocolate, or something. 53 00:06:24.900 --> 00:06:33.960 Neha Sampat: Usually so because of the acidity I would do less of the sweet and and maybe something maybe like a really nice cheese that cuts through that acid. 54 00:06:34.440 --> 00:06:34.770 Neha Sampat: and 55 00:06:34.800 --> 00:06:42.720 Neha Sampat: You could do something like if you wanted to do something sweet you could do like a citrusy sweet like a lemon tart or something like that, because acid acid tend to go well together. 56 00:06:43.020 --> 00:06:50.520 Neha Sampat: I mean when you have like the red acidic wines, it goes well with like a red sauce like a tomato sauce because of the city that comes through in a tomato. 57 00:06:50.940 --> 00:06:54.870 Jen Root: Oh, I never knew that very cool all right well break out the cheese's later than. 5:00 58 00:06:55.050 --> 00:07:01.290 Neha Sampat: yeah absolutely okay so let's talk a little bit more about your exposure to entrepreneurship and. 59 00:07:01.980 --> 00:07:17.190 Neha Sampat: at a very early age, and you kind of talked about it a bit you were you were exposed to the concept of environmental sustainability and your father had a business that was that was that you were exposed to as well, can you tell us a little bit about that, and how it inspired you. 60 00:07:17.550 --> 00:07:32.040 Jen Root: yeah yeah so my father was in construction pretty much his whole adult life prior to that from South Jersey, he was a mushroom farmer, so you know, there was this like very interesting kind of like two. 61 00:07:32.910 --> 00:07:42.120 Jen Root: different career paths happening, he was a farmer grew up in like Amish country basically rural Pennsylvania, then got into engineering and construction. 62 00:07:42.420 --> 00:07:48.210 Jen Root: And took that career path and eventually started a concrete company called American concrete. 63 00:07:48.630 --> 00:07:58.530 Jen Root: And we were very connected family, we would sit down and have dinner every single night, and you know talk about our day and all that and. 64 00:07:58.950 --> 00:08:09.810 Jen Root: I very fondly remember him talking about his work doing like concrete and construction around a lot of like our wetlands and. 65 00:08:10.290 --> 00:08:18.390 Jen Root: preservation and restoration reforestation that type of work, because what would happen as his company grew. 66 00:08:18.690 --> 00:08:31.110 Jen Root: They would start to you know work on roads or work on asphalt and have to do a lot of work where they're like the Delaware river comes through and there's like marsh and swamp and cranberry bogs and. 67 00:08:31.110 --> 00:08:32.190 Jen Root: blueberry fields and. 69 00:08:45.570 --> 00:08:55.680 Jen Root: And so what he would do essentially is where they could they would avoid you know doing anything with any protected. 70 00:08:56.460 --> 00:09:10.860 Jen Root: While if it was protected they couldn't do it, but there is like so much land that they would have to build through it sometimes but they would recreate it so they would basically do you know if they if they take out this, they have to rebuild this. 71 00:09:11.790 --> 00:09:23.940 Jen Root: So if they had to pave something, then, whatever they affected their they would have to rebuild. 72 00:09:24.990 --> 00:09:32.520 Jen Root: Exactly the same type of environment somewhere else, so there was a lot of like a lot of preservation happening 75 00:09:49.620 --> 00:10:03.060 Jen Root: But, like the biggest lesson really like growing up was like okay yeah if we do something and affect the land here, then we have to make sure that we're repairing it so it was kind of like 76 00:10:03.900 --> 00:10:11.580 Jen Root: What a lot of the large reforestation projects are doing on a smaller scale in South Jersey in the in westlake in the wetland area there. 77 00:10:11.910 --> 00:10:20.370 Neha Sampat: that's super interesting it's like when we were talking about Michael Jackson heal the world right if you if you break something fix it if you do something and do it. 78 00:10:20.580 --> 00:10:36.090 Jen Root: That kind of yeah it's it's responsibility and it's like accountability, and I think we need more of that so those lessons were very apparent early on and from from my household and for my father specifically. 8:18 79 00:10:36.540 --> 00:10:52.650 Neha Sampat: it's awesome but let's why don't you level set with us a little bit and paint the picture of what a dirty supply chain really looks like and what does it, you know, transforming that something green what's the difference 80 00:10:53.040 --> 00:11:00.000 Jen Root: yeah I mean that's you know that's our mission like it manifest commerce we're really looking under the hood of the supply chain our piece of the puzzle we do fulfillment so you know if a merchant or brand is. 83 00:11:21.090 --> 00:11:33.690 Jen Root: selling products online or selling an omni channel and nordstrom and macy's then we'll do the order distribution to those B2B facilities and will also do the order distribution to the customer. 118 00:14:50.640 --> 00:15:05.460 Jen Root: We think about where product starts from like for us retail supply chain it starts with manufacturing and the making of products, so you know something is made it's created and. 119 00:15:06.030 --> 00:15:21.180 Jen Root: that's like over 800 million tons of carbon per year on average for like retail manufacturing and then you know all of that product say it's manufactured in China. 120 00:15:21.960 --> 00:15:32.580 Jen Root: Traditionally that's where a lot of product is made, then it sits on an ocean freight and it works its way over to the United States typically for the port of long beach. 11:18 but you know you see these. 122 00:15:41.160 --> 00:15:50.970 Jen Root: ocean freight Center lined up waiting because there's Labor shortages their supply stream supply chain stream like you know if you hear the news all the time. 123 00:15:51.540 --> 00:15:58.080 Jen Root: And so that ocean freight there's something called marine carbon and it's black carbon. 124 00:15:58.560 --> 00:16:05.670 Jen Root: That is bad so like in addition to the Pacific garbage patch and all that garbage is floating around. 125 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:14.940 Jen Root: This marine ocean freight like black carbon that's like another like 18 tons like some you know crazy amount of carbon. 126 00:16:15.570 --> 00:16:23.340 Jen Root: But there's a lot of there's like marine time coalition's and there's different ocean freight liners that are green so there's alternatives that exist. 127 00:16:23.910 --> 00:16:39.870 Jen Root: But a lot of times a company is just like operating on autopilot don't know that those solutions exist so it's just it's just a lack of knowledge it's not like you know and it's just how we've done things it's like oh we've always done things that way. 129 00:16:42.690 --> 00:16:52.590 Jen Root: and then port there's a lot of port the port cities typically the air is not as clean and those port cities and. 130 00:16:53.820 --> 00:17:01.230 Jen Root: Then container free that's another part of the supply chain warehousing and like that's where we take over the warehousing. 131 00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:12.630 Jen Root: So, then, the goods finally make it to the warehouse the orders come in and then that's when stuff gets distributed so as far as like the cleaner way to do that. 132 00:17:13.260 --> 00:17:28.380 Jen Root: there's manufacturers that are re creating products from ocean bound plastics, so we work with a manufacturer called platform 88 that does a lot of like upcycling for starbucks cups. 133 00:17:28.620 --> 00:17:29.070 Neha Sampat: mm hmm. 134 00:17:29.250 --> 00:17:47.070 Jen Root: And they create Barbecue utensils out of US starbucks cups they're just too strong, they were just as good and they create a number of reusable like upcycled plastic plastic in the world, we don't need to create anymore. 135 00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:58.920 Jen Root: yeah so that's the solution and manufacturing now, not every merchant not every procurement person not every supply chain director knows about these you know little pockets of. 136 00:17:59.280 --> 00:18:14.640 Jen Root: kind of Green savings that exists in the supply chain, so it's just a matter of education, and. 138 00:18:21.960 --> 00:18:36.780 Jen Root: awareness, we vote with our dollars, so the more we start like shifting towards sustainable practices, as consumers, it all like shift the supply chain and shift those merchants into that direction to. 14:00 139 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:48.030 Neha Sampat: yeah absolutely and you were talking about the origin manifest commerce as it's something that you kind of fell into, and I think you actually said Oh, I guess we're building a business. 140 00:18:49.050 --> 00:18:51.750 Neha Sampat: and share that share that story with us. 141 00:18:52.200 --> 00:19:12.150 Jen Root: my business partner George so George George a House be he's The co founder of ship Bob now ship Bob is one of the largest large three pls that you know they were founded in like 2014 and you know built built built so quickly. 142 00:19:13.290 --> 00:19:28.560 Jen Root: I partnered with George on some E commerce strategy projects that I was doing in the Agency world, so you know, I have a background in e commerce strategy growth strategy and that's always parallel paths my. 143 00:19:29.430 --> 00:19:41.880 Jen Root: Like humanitarian sustainability projects like all the stuff that i've ever done for personal and then sometimes those projects, you know yield income or another revenue stream or something. 144 00:19:42.450 --> 00:19:57.420 Jen Root: But George was a key partner of mine, when I was an agency world and he left shift and 145 00:19:58.500 --> 00:20:08.640 Jen Root: But when he was leaving I was also leaving the Agency project and we worked, you know well together as partners, I would work with the brand on growth. 146 00:20:09.060 --> 00:20:15.480 Jen Root: I would refer them to George to do the fulfillment and the warehousing distribution all of that. 147 00:20:16.080 --> 00:20:23.580 Jen Root: And now I messaged him I was like hey i'm leaving i'm going into consulting i'm working on a couple humanitarian projects. 148 00:20:24.300 --> 00:20:38.400 Jen Root: Please keep in touch you know always enjoyed working with you here's my personal cell personal email blah blah blah within like minutes he's like i'm i'm leaving ship Bob and like was just about to send you a message like. 149 00:20:38.430 --> 00:20:38.970 Neha Sampat: Oh well. 150 00:20:39.930 --> 00:20:44.070 Jen Root: So it's like what I like to think of is that Are you familiar with the term kismet. 151 00:20:44.430 --> 00:20:52.140 Jen Root: Yes, yeah it's just like when that like blessing or that moment happens and you're like what what. 152 00:20:52.800 --> 00:20:53.700 Neha Sampat: meant to be yeah. 153 00:20:53.880 --> 00:21:06.120 Jen Root: we call the business manifest like a ship manifest you know that sort of like waiting so it's like manifest destiny, you know it's like. 154 00:21:06.120 --> 00:21:06.990 Neha Sampat: cool yeah. 155 00:21:07.350 --> 00:21:15.480 Neha Sampat: yeah sometimes things just manifest into reality to when you when you start to think of them are you write them down or you know we've talked about that on on this podcast before. 156 00:21:15.480 --> 00:21:22.170 Jen Root: 200% that's part of dream, making essentially you know if you can think it. 157 00:21:22.260 --> 00:21:26.550 Jen Root: You can do it, you it starts as a thought it starts with an idea. 158 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:28.920 Neha Sampat: Absolutely, I totally agree with that. 159 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:31.500 Jen Root: So yeah happy accident. 160 00:21:32.220 --> 00:21:46.800 Neha Sampat: Accident and, in reality, your journey to to this business to manifest commerce was a result of this whole common thread throughout your life and you always knew your values what you've kind of touched on this, so what would you say is your purpose. 161 00:21:47.700 --> 00:22:03.000 Jen Root: so I believe that there is like potential for like change and transformation for challenges that we're facing as individuals. 162 00:22:03.420 --> 00:22:11.310 Jen Root: For challenges that we're facing as an economy for challenges that we're facing as a community. 163 00:22:11.790 --> 00:22:29.010 Jen Root: I believe that there's nothing that's like unsolvable by putting you know really good people on a project like together, so I think you know my purpose really is to bring people together to solve big problems. 164 00:22:30.030 --> 00:22:40.950 Jen Root: And to have fun, while doing it like when we were prepping for the show today i'm you know, I was joking with your team there's a quote from EB white that I just love. 17:20 165 00:22:41.370 --> 00:22:49.590 Jen Root: And you know, EB white is the mind behind charlotte's web, which is like such an endearing story I love I cry when i'm still like a baby. 166 00:22:50.730 --> 00:23:01.440 Jen Root: But he says that he wakes up every morning determined to have one hell of a good time and to change the world, and it makes planning his day very difficult. 167 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:02.970 Jen Root: and 168 00:23:04.140 --> 00:23:04.590 Jen Root: be like. 169 00:23:04.830 --> 00:23:18.330 Jen Root: A that is me but also it doesn't have to be planning your day difficult, what if we just combine the two what, if you do what you love make a difference, make an impact. 170 00:23:18.450 --> 00:23:21.630 Jen Root: and have fun, while doing it 171 00:23:22.530 --> 00:23:32.550 Neha Sampat: we talk about content stack, we have this whole concept of one team one dream and every now and then someone will will call me on and said well what's the dream and. 172 00:23:33.060 --> 00:23:39.960 Neha Sampat: And I always say outside of all the products up it's about it's about kicking ass having fun building a high performing team and product right it's. 173 00:23:40.170 --> 00:23:54.720 Neha Sampat: it's the journey and enjoying the journey but knowing that you're impacting people's lives along the way, and I think it's just so important like we have such a limited time here that you have to do something impactful and significant as a part of all the hard work that you put in. 174 00:23:55.380 --> 00:24:00.300 Jen Root: 100% I agree 100% yeah, we might as well, have fun, while we're doing it. 18:30 175 00:24:00.600 --> 00:24:05.760 Neha Sampat: Totally Where are you today in your quest to green the chain. 180 00:24:52.380 --> 00:25:05.460 Jen Root: when we look at the portion that we are in control of. You know we're looking at and like we're doing projects like reforestation projects and Amazon, and so that's part of the mission and part of the journey to green the supply chain. 181 00:25:06.060 --> 00:25:17.430 Jen Root: And you know, these things are a challenge to measure like carbon is measured in pounds and when you do a reforestation project it's not like. 182 00:25:17.760 --> 00:25:37.710 Jen Root: One tree gets rid of that carbon because the carbon has already been exposed into the environment so you're offsetting the carbon and so there's also this proactive approach now that we're looking at to introduce biofuels as part of the last mile delivery. 183 00:25:39.300 --> 00:25:54.900 Jen Root: How do we make that part of the norm and part of the general offering for shipping like is it a you know integration in your shipping platform and your shipping choice, yes, you choose biofuels, and then the consumer. 184 00:25:55.800 --> 00:26:09.990 Jen Root: has the extra extra cost or extra charge so we're looking at the pieces that like we can control today like zero plastics in all of our packaging but it's all about partnerships like. 188 00:26:43.680 --> 00:26:53.580 Jen Root: The way we think about it is like a rising tide lifts all boats and we're all different cogs in the supply chain wheel So how do we all come together and. 189 00:26:54.600 --> 00:27:03.750 Jen Root: Create solutions as a whole, because the power of many you know is very much like you mentioned like one team one dream. 192 00:27:06.990 --> 00:27:16.290 Neha Sampat: it's a ginormous problem it's not something that one company or one team can solve it needs to be it needs to be an effort that many forces are behind. 193 00:27:16.770 --> 00:27:27.300 Neha Sampat: in what areas do you have to combat resistance, but like you know from potential retails or other prospects that you're talking to you like, where do you run into resistance. 194 00:27:27.420 --> 00:27:31.860 Jen Root: yeah so a lot of the resistance is in the resistance to change. 195 00:27:33.330 --> 00:27:34.440 Neha Sampat: status quo Always that like. 196 00:27:34.470 --> 00:27:36.120 Neha Sampat: challenge the status quo yeah. 197 00:27:36.870 --> 00:27:48.630 Jen Root: Oh it's hundred percent 198 00:27:49.050 --> 00:27:56.880 Jen Root: Sometimes one of those misconceptions is like a for doing this sustainably it's got a cost more right don't the materials cost more. 21:41 199 00:27:57.810 --> 00:28:02.070 Jen Root: But no that's not the case, you know we've found ways to. 200 00:28:02.970 --> 00:28:13.350 Jen Root: really like mitigate costs and offset costs and other areas like we have robotics in the warehouse so that helps with Labor significantly. 201 00:28:13.620 --> 00:28:24.390 Jen Root: And that also helps with energy saving, significantly, so you know the the cost piece isn't an issue 203 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:44.220 Jen Root: The biggest piece is something is working well and it's working good enough. 204 00:28:45.390 --> 00:28:54.870 Jen Root: stuffs moving and shaken on its way to consumers and they don't want to pull that plug because our piece is an important part of. 205 00:28:55.380 --> 00:28:55.920 Neha Sampat: It. 206 00:28:56.010 --> 00:29:06.900 Neha Sampat: I imagine it's a big mind mindset shift and if there's not an incentive that isn't potentially monetary there might not be a reason to do it or to make. 207 00:29:07.890 --> 00:29:24.300 Neha Sampat: And it's I guess partially a lot about just education like if you, you have it in your in your soul to do good and to make the world better, but not everybody has that thread and had you know it's a lot about just convincing and educating and shifting that mindset. 208 23:00 00:29:24.360 --> 00:29:36.990 Jen Root: hundred percent and then it comes down to branding too so like there's brands that are 100% sustainable like in and out like you look at like the tom's of the world, they don't want their products getting shipped to their customers with. 211 00:29:59.700 --> 00:30:20.070 Jen Root: tape and you know, sometimes you see like a tiny little like lipstick and a box this big and stuff like that, like it's a part of their brand integrity people are buying and making a sustainable a choice to buy something that is changeable. 212 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:25.260 Neha Sampat: And those are the change makers that are paving the path and like really showing that it's possible and. 213 00:30:25.320 --> 00:30:27.600 Neha Sampat: That it's good and it's good for business to. 214 00:30:28.020 --> 00:30:30.840 Jen Root: Absolutely and that's her that's our natural market, you know. 215 00:30:31.080 --> 00:30:38.010 Jen Root: we're not we're not working with those big brands as of yet we're still very much in growth mode but. 216 00:30:38.340 --> 00:30:56.070 Jen Root: There are a lot of brands that are moving and shaking like like thousand fell shoes they're awesome they have like upcycling component to them, where you only need one pair of sneakers after your sneakers are beat up you send them back they break them down they make a new pair of sneakers. 217 00:30:57.810 --> 00:30:58.380 Jen Root: And they're. 218 00:30:58.860 --> 00:31:16.800 Jen Root: they're doing gangbusters there and bloomingdale's are starting to take off online, so we have a lot of customers like that that are like starting to rise above the status quo and really starting to make some noise and like wave wave green flags so it's been it's been a fun journey. 219 00:31:17.940 --> 00:31:22.620 Jen Root: So resistance really is in the you know desire to change. 220 00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:27.900 Jen Root: something that's already working good enough for for brand. 221 00:31:28.290 --> 00:31:29.400 Neha Sampat: and settling really. 222 00:31:29.970 --> 00:31:30.780 Jen Root: yeah yeah. 24:53 223 00:31:31.800 --> 00:31:45.720 Neha Sampat: So manifest commerce isn't your first company you've you've kind of have this common thread of doing good and making change and and pushing things forward and you've started a couple, so what other tell us a little bit more about those other do good companies. 224 00:31:46.230 --> 00:31:59.640 Jen Root: yeah so I, my first business, I had a cosmetics line in Hawaii it was called lady be cosmetics and we were all. 225 00:32:00.240 --> 00:32:05.970 Jen Root: It was sourced from like all natural materials and everything I did some work with Dior for quite a bit so like I learned. 226 00:32:06.420 --> 00:32:14.940 Jen Root: You know, like kind of what was in stuff and how to formulate stuff and you know we did well, we had a good wholesale business going. 232 00:33:07.320 --> 00:33:22.590 Jen Root: So that was like kind of the first venture that I did on my own and then also in Hawaii I became interested in the news and media, I think, as I mentioned earlier, I don't watch the news anymore. 233 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:30.150 Jen Root: I scroll to make sure the world's not going to blow up that day or that you know there's no weird weather or anything and then like okay. 234 00:33:31.260 --> 00:33:33.840 Jen Root: Know what's going on not good. 235 00:33:35.550 --> 00:33:44.790 Jen Root: What can I do, I can do this piece of it, so the second company was a was a media program it was called under the Rainbow. 236 00:33:45.510 --> 00:33:53.220 Jen Root: And we would share the good news of the Community people that were giving back people that were making a difference, and it was more just like a community. 27:48 240 00:34:32.760 --> 00:34:43.260 Jen Root: And then, when I moved to San Diego I ended up starting a news publication here as well, called delmar lifestyle local publication. 27:58 241 00:34:43.890 --> 00:34:53.370 Jen Root: As part of that too, we did a radio show, and that was more business focused people that we're giving back in the business community, making a difference and share and getting the awareness out. 242 00:34:53.880 --> 00:35:14.160 Jen Root: And that was the the business that did well and I ended up selling back in 2017 and ended up going into consulting and advising 243 00:35:14.790 --> 00:35:20.250 Neha Sampat: Have no background in media really and you just kind of jumped in and try to figure it out, because it was a passion. 244 00:35:20.640 --> 00:35:22.800 Jen Root: It was like i've always wanted to do this, why not. 245 00:35:24.150 --> 00:35:34.980 Neha Sampat: And it like it's interesting because it comes back to telling stories about philanthropy about what's going on in in a neighborhood in it in a Community why Why is telling those stories so important to society. 246 00:35:35.490 --> 00:35:42.750 Jen Root: Well, I mean I think it's like inspiration like, if you think about you know somebody who. 247 00:35:43.830 --> 00:35:53.370 Jen Root: it's like it's a dream maker thing if someone has a dream and they are like oh my gosh I want to do this, and I feel like it could really make a difference, but like. 248 00:35:53.760 --> 00:35:59.970 Jen Root: i'm here how do I get from like here to here yeah what does that look like so it's like that. 249 00:36:00.300 --> 00:36:11.130 Jen Root: That spark of inspiration, or like you know that little bit of like hope that makes you feel like you light up like you know when you're doing something you feel like you just kind of like bloom inside for a minute you're. 250 00:36:12.030 --> 00:36:26.700 Jen Root: Like that's your whole soul telling you to like bloom and lean into that you know so encouraging others to hear that acknowledge that and then, what do you do with that so like. 251 00:36:26.760 --> 00:36:30.480 Jen Root: yeah yeah okay yeah do something it's like the hero's journey. 252 00:36:30.960 --> 00:36:32.190 Jen Root: Yes, the Campbell. 253 00:36:32.430 --> 00:36:41.190 Jen Root: it's the it's the call to greatness it's the call to greatness okay so like the calls there you're going to answer because, like that phone could just keep on running forever. 254 00:36:41.550 --> 00:37:03.600 Jen Root: And you're not to do anything you can you know you can sit and because some people are okay with being okay and that's Okay, you know so, but my hope is that you know it'll inspire those that do want to transform do want to move that energy and that desire in a way towards action. 255 00:37:04.920 --> 00:37:06.180 Jen Root: will know that it's possible. 256 00:37:06.420 --> 00:37:15.630 Neha Sampat: That goes back to your childhood conversations with your mom when you said, want to change the world, but this adds like that reality to it like what is, what does that mean, and how much impact can I have and. 257 00:37:15.870 --> 00:37:20.220 Neha Sampat: How do I choose something and take some action to actually start to move the needle in that direction. 30:25 261 00:37:42.150 --> 00:37:52.830 Neha Sampat: And so you also studied musical theatre in college and that probably played a role in your view of the world and storytelling and all of that, you know tell us about that. 262 00:37:53.820 --> 00:38:05.790 Jen Root: yeah so I studied musical theatre, and you know all through high school even back to when I was like 12 I started singing at a very young age, playing count and also. 263 00:38:06.480 --> 00:38:18.300 Jen Root: My vocal coach was on broadway with Carol burnett she had done like once upon a mattress like her whole music studio is like pictures of her on her and Carol burnett like. 264 00:38:18.570 --> 00:38:29.940 Jen Root: Her dress like a bird she was like this caged bird in it, and like Carol burnett was like this big barn it was like oh so I got really into Carol burnett as as a young woman, too, and I was like oh. 265 00:38:30.630 --> 00:38:42.330 Jen Root: I like what she's got going on, like i'm inspired by this woman, so you know that kind of paved the way for me to have like how I showed up. 266 00:38:43.350 --> 00:38:44.820 Jen Root: As as an individual. 267 00:38:45.000 --> 00:38:56.550 Jen Root: And then just really love music, so you know I sing in a band, and you know do some stuff here and there, with like jazz clubs here. 268 00:38:57.570 --> 00:39:15.450 Jen Root: But studying musical theatre when it came time to like hey, what do you want to be when you grow up when like that actually happened and I was going to college, it was like oh my God I gonna do I don't think I can like survive in the real world 271 00:39:50.760 --> 00:40:01.380 Jen Root: But really like it's still a part of me I still do like improv and stuff so it was the ability really like to dance in the moment like that's really what I what I learned, just like you could be doing something, and you know, then all of a sudden, you know this happens okay like an improv we call it, yes and. 275 00:40:35.310 --> 00:40:39.240 Jen Root: You fall into the moment and you're like all right well. 276 00:40:39.900 --> 00:40:50.520 Jen Root: we're here now So what are we going to oh okay well we're here now So what are we going to do so, the ability to like dance in the moment and be like flexible agile, I think, like. 277 00:40:51.060 --> 00:41:00.120 Jen Root: The emotional intelligence that I learned from like auditioning and you know getting rejected for stuff and all of that it builds grit. 278 00:41:00.390 --> 00:41:07.290 Neha Sampat: And so it does yeah and it's cool that you've also figured out a way to keep something that you're so passionate about incorporated into your life. 279 00:41:07.590 --> 00:41:13.320 Neha Sampat: Being in a band and being in theater and being involved in in the Community that way it's pretty it's like. 280 00:41:13.980 --> 00:41:23.730 Neha Sampat: Similar with wine like I spent a lot of time studying it, but I never intended to do that, as my day job, but I love that I can bring it into my life and still have it as a part of it. 281 00:41:24.210 --> 00:41:25.950 Jen Root: that's so awesome cheers to that. 282 00:41:26.070 --> 00:41:26.940 Neha Sampat: cheers to that. 34:26 283 00:41:27.360 --> 00:41:28.680 Neha Sampat: And so. 284 00:41:30.240 --> 00:41:35.370 Neha Sampat: We talked about this a little bit right when we were before we even started recording but. 285 00:41:36.510 --> 00:41:47.340 Neha Sampat: it's doing good has become such an important topic for for businesses today and what i've found at least at content stack is that when we're attracting talent. 286 00:41:47.760 --> 00:41:57.840 Neha Sampat: They actually care that the companies are doing good and that there's values that they can align with and for us that's been a competitive advantage because it's always been just a part of who we are. 287 00:41:58.470 --> 00:42:03.120 Neha Sampat: But i'm curious what you think like is that a trend is it a millennial thing, or is it here to stay. 288 00:42:04.110 --> 00:42:22.860 Jen Root: I think it's here to stay and you know there's a lot of shifts and a lot of movement that needs to happen to make it stick, but I think we're trending in the right direction, like when you look at global trends and you look at where 40% of commerce is happening. 289 00:42:24.120 --> 00:42:30.450 Jen Root: it's happening from that millennial age group so 40% of this age group now. 290 00:42:30.780 --> 00:42:40.170 Jen Root: As you mentioned they're looking at careers they're looking at what that long term decision is going to you know get them to where they want to be professionally. 35:32 291 00:42:40.590 --> 00:42:57.480 Jen Root: they're making their buying choices based on sustainability so 40% of that age group they're buying product based on is it good for the environment, and is there a social justice element to this like they deeply care about the world and what's going on in the world. 292 00:42:58.590 --> 00:43:06.090 Jen Root: And you know I don't blame them look at like what's going on, so they're they're the groups that are like. 293 00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:15.960 Jen Root: let's do something here and I want to support other folks that are doing something so it's I mean it's no surprise that they're vetting their career choices in that way too. 294 00:43:16.320 --> 00:43:28.200 Neha Sampat: it's so awesome that we can we can kind of place a bet on that generation, because we you know we need them to step up because let's face it, our generation didn't do as much as they should have, or we should have so. 295 00:43:29.130 --> 00:43:42.000 Jen Root: yeah I mean like like liam's 14 he's an eighth grade, and you know he is like very much in tune about like what's going on with like monkeys chimpanzee it's like. 296 00:43:42.570 --> 00:44:00.690 Jen Root: ecosystems in like the jungle like he's like super interested in that, and then he will create something and be like I think I found a way to have like perpetual energy come through like a watermelon like through this whole thing and i'm like wow okay well. 297 00:44:01.080 --> 00:44:01.770 Jen Root: awesome. 299 00:44:02.610 --> 00:44:06.690 Neha Sampat: i'm sure you've had a little bit of influence on him to think that way too. 300 00:44:07.200 --> 00:44:26.850 Jen Root: Well, like his father to is a scientist and is working on projects in labs a lot so he's seeing you know the like pragmatic physical application of science and, like the social application and then you know, with this new venture that's you know what he hears all day long is. 301 00:44:26.850 --> 00:44:27.360 Jen Root: Like. 302 00:44:27.660 --> 00:44:34.410 Jen Root: Packaging and biodiversity, you know, like all of it he's exposed to it so. 304 00:44:37.260 --> 00:44:41.010 Neha Sampat: Exactly, and we have to, we have to bet on them and help and. 37:30 305 00:44:41.070 --> 00:44:54.810 Neha Sampat: Help them be successful and i'm going to move into rapid fire since we're about to run out of time, so I usually ask my guests for have the same questions at the end of every show so i'm going to start with this one, and that is what is your wake up song. 306 00:44:55.170 --> 00:44:59.370 Jen Root: depends on the day and but I listen to, like Paul Simon a lot in the morning, like I love like you could call me out I don't know why it's upbeat so like I listened to that in the shower. 308 00:45:08.400 --> 00:45:17.910 Jen Root: But there's also a song i've been listening to lately called a feel good by Paulo and pan it's kind of like ambient like down tempo and, like the lyrics are just great. 309 00:45:18.390 --> 00:45:26.370 Jen Root: So i'll like crank that in the shower in the morning, and you know that'll be like my rah rah song and hey jude is also a good one. 312 00:45:31.800 --> 00:45:37.020 Neha Sampat: And if the 19 year old you asked you today what you should read or what you should listen to what would you say. 313 00:45:38.640 --> 00:45:52.440 Jen Root: probably this like Ray dalio principles I don't know if you know his work, but it's really good. 314 00:45:52.980 --> 00:46:07.080 Jen Root: And he has a really like a psychological and you know, like business view and talks about principles in work in life so it's very much in alignment with like building something on purpose. 315 00:46:08.520 --> 00:46:20.190 Jen Root: personally like Philip K Dick like I love SCI fi and she's like Blade Runner minority yeah. 316 00:46:21.360 --> 00:46:22.440 Neha Sampat: Can you recommend a wine. 317 00:46:23.940 --> 00:46:32.970 Jen Root: Oh, a whalebone winery is our latest obsession in the home, and they have a wine it's called Bob it's like. 318 00:46:33.540 --> 00:46:43.560 Jen Root: The guy's name is Bob he's from New Jersey and my dad is named Bob and i'm from New Jersey so that's probably why I connected with it feels like this is really good it's like a red blend. 319 00:46:44.760 --> 00:46:53.460 Jen Root: And whalebone winery there was like a whole like whale skeleton that was found in the vineyard and it's out near pasta robles area. 320 00:46:54.720 --> 00:46:58.920 Jen Root: To beautiful beautiful winery and the wine is good red blend. 321 00:46:59.220 --> 00:47:05.790 Neha Sampat: awesome have to check that one out and the last question What should our listeners do tomorrow to help them become dream makers. 322 00:47:06.630 --> 00:47:24.270 Jen Root: just keep swimming just keep going like you know that's really it like don't give up just keep on keeping on and learn every step of the way, is that you know get up brush yourself off and you keep on keep on. 326 00:47:30.630 --> 00:47:37.740 Neha Sampat: thank you for all of your authenticity and for sharing your stories and for being on the show we really appreciate it. 327 00:47:38.070 --> 00:47:41.280 Jen Root: yeah Thank you so much for having me this is a lot of fun awesome. 328 00:47:41.340 --> 00:47:42.990 Jen Root: cheers cheers.