Capitalism for Green

Catch Up with Jessica & Andrea

Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

This week:

Shipping
Packaging - why is it even necessary, but also why does it feel like it’s necessary? And alternatives for how to work around it.
Construction, food, and medical waste
Jessica is going back to basics
The accessibility of having multiple options to meet people where they are
Sustainable period products
The longevity of products & how it both reduces waste, but also reduces the frequency of the customer visits so how does a store sustain itself through that business model
The benefits of sloooooooow intentional changes even when it’s difficult to see sometimes
Updates on BYOC’s future refill machine, delivery services, and Andrea’s plans for The Store, by CFG

Links:

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deanna Taylor-Heacock, Owner of Good Bottle Refill Shop in Maplewood, NJ

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 10:00:00 GMT

This week:

The idea of “Buying your trash” and how low-waste living can start as a cost-savings journey to cut down on the shopping trips
Getting started
Parallels with corporate retail
Operating in a co-op space (including compared to solo space)
Time management
Delivery logistics
Partnering with a branding company

Where to find Good Bottle Refill Shop:

Links:

Question from Ashby Cummings, Owner of MI-Fillosophy in Plymouth, MI (and from Episode 15): if you could go back to the beginning and change one thing about how you opened your store, what would you change?

Question to the next refill store owner(s): we have our core customers and the biggest challenge is getting new customers... We have loyal ones that have been refilling the same bottle for 7 years… How are you getting new customers? What is the process like? What are the real strategies? How can we get more people to make the switch?

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ashby Cummings, Owner of MI-Fillosophy in Plymouth, MI

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

2026 trends
Competition vs. complimenting with similar businesses nearby
Equipment access (ex: peanut butter grinder & grain mills)
Food refills - containers, packaging, suppliers, & requirements
Licensing & food sales regulations
Risks & scary things!
Swaps & events
The uniqueness of the Michigan refill community
What it feels like to a small business owner these days

Where to find MI-Fillosophy:

Links:

Question from Tiffany Sigler, Owner of Juniperseed Mercantile in Littleton, CO (from Episode 14): if you think about the way that you spend your time during the day (think of a quadrant matrix with time & return on investment for each axis), are there things in your life that you should ditch?

Question to the next refill store owner(s): if you could go back to the beginning and change one thing about how you opened your store, what would you change?

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tiffany Sigler, Owner of Juniperseed Mercantile in Littleton, Colorado

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week we talk about about different ways in which Tiffany is immersed in the refill field:

1. Retail:

Find Juniperseed Mercantile’s brick & mortar location at 5641A S. Nevada St., Littleton, CO
Select local markets (and sometimes out of her van)
Online where she sells her in-house made products

2. Manufacturing/wholesale

Juniperseed Mercantile products including

3. Coaching/consulting through The Lean Refillery

See where you’re leaking profit in under 5 minutes with the The Lean Refillery Profit Simulator to see how small changes can lead to meaningful profit gains.

We also talk about how she got to where she is now, lessons learned along the way, and how she’s helping other refill store owners and sustainability leaders work smarter, not harder.

She’s also supporting her community through local event planning and event management in downtown Littleton, and is the president of the local merchant's association.

Question from Michelle & Troy of The Eastwood Refillery: “What do you do to bring customers in and keep them coming back?”

Question to the next refill store owner(s): if you think about the way that you spend your time during the day (think of a quadrant matrix with time & return on investment for each axis), are there things in your life that you should ditch? (51:40)

Find Juniperseed Mercantile:

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michelle & Troy Stevens, Owners of The Eastwood Refillery in Syracuse, New York

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

Market vs. in store setup
Early days
Sink setup within the shop
Removing labels from Jars
Free container donations
Local food pantry support
Prioritizing local
Running a business while working another full time job
Word of mouth marketing & social media

Where to find The Eastwood Refillery

Name Drops

Question from Tiffany, Owner of Full Circle Refillery: “If you had to do it all over again from day one, is there one thing or what is one thing that you would do differently?

Question to the next refill shop owner: “What do you do to bring customers in and keep them coming back?”

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tiffany Grandstaff, Owner of Full Circle Refillery in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

The early days of Full Circle Refillery in Chattanooga, TN
Branding, Buzzwords, Marketing, Green Terminology and what it all means in practice
Brick & mortar as it compares to consignment booths, pop ups, home garage appointment shopping
Customer engagement through Instagram polls, especially for feedback
Finding the next best option to bridge the gap, even when knowledge and/or priorities changes while making sure products work well
Prioritizing finding a disposal method for products sold in the zero waste store
Transitions between working for someone else to working for yourself
Building up inventory
Changing your mindset about competition
How great the Chattanooga community is

Acronyms

SLS = Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
PVA = Polyvinyl Alcohol

Name Drops

Where to find Full Circle Refillery

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emma Kalakay, Founder of BYOC Co. in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

Community givebacks of all shapes and sizes
Lauren Singer’s Package Free Shop in New York
The early days of BYOC and how it all started
Initial inventory
Pricing with refill vs. solid products
Transitioning from a pop up model to brick & mortar
Shipping costs
Marketing and social media
The role of the business owner
Becoming a hub of knowledge for your community
Extended Producer Reliability Program (via Packaging Dive)

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2026 Goals

Wed, 21 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

Branding terms
Poly vinyl alcohol
Balancing values as they change
Big retailers vs. small businesses, especially exclusivity clauses
Accessibility & sustainability crossovers
Sustainability challenges
Green Business Challenge
Lessons learned:
Order while restocking and rearranging layouts
Starting with unscented products and wait to see what people request

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Your Vibes Under Capitalism”

Wed, 14 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

Business classifications
Planning ahead
Differences in work style
Flexibility in business structures and working hours
Delegation of duties
More social media discussions including time, effort, purpose, and impact
Feeling failure
The link between capitalism and hierarchy
Emergency planning

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Community Giveback Partner (January 2026)

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The January 2026 CFG Community Giveback Partner is St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

This means that 10% of all Patreon membership dollars from all projects within the CFG universe will be donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

All the ways to find, follow, & support the Capitalism for Good universe:

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"How do you get the word out in a not annoying way that’s authentic?"

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

How the podcast gets edited & made
AI & preparedness
Marketing, advertising, and the impact of different types on community building
Clothing swaps, container donation pauses, and resell parameters
Community building
Social Media
More marketing!

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I want to make people feel like a superstar, too”

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

This week:

Free container shelves
Chemistry degrees
Things you need when you’re first getting started
Why stainless steel funnels & silicone molds are the best
Sustainable stickers & tape
People pleasing
BYOC’s upcoming refill machine!
Andrea’s vibes and mission thoughts on a future store
Competition with other similar stores
Suburbs
Brick & Mortar vs. Delivery vs. Popups
The warm & fuzzies of people saying this is this is their happy place

Email CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com with your questions, topic requests, and feedback!

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Pure Scribble Scrabble”

Wed, 24 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Listen to us figure out how to introduce ourselves, talk about how to set up a business that is essentially meant to put ourselves out of business, how to organize a values matrix to evaluate potential product sales, and also how to filter feedback when it's so personal.

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BYOC Co. Store Tour!

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Welcome to BYOC Co.in Ann Arbor, MI! Take a look around. Let us know what you need. Are you curious about what it's like to shop at a refill store? We've got you covered with a tour. Follow Jessica & Keegan in as they walk us through how it works.

We'll also talk about homemade repurposed decor, knocking down walls, testing out new product manufacturing, and all the ins and outs of a refill store while Jessica shows us around. We highly recommend the video version for this one, but also do our best to talk you through what we're looking at.

Find more with Jessica & Andrea on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi Everyone, meet Jessica!

Wed, 10 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Hi folks! Meet Jessica Cichowlas, Owner of BYOC Co. in Ann Arbor, MI. Because if I (Andrea) am going to open a community-focused refill store, I'm going to need a buddy that actually knows what she's doing and can guide me through it all. She's also got her own story and her own "why." So, say hello to her and listen to how she got here to be the partner in crime of Capitalism for Green!

What questions do you have for her?? Email us at CapitalismForGreen@gmail.com

Find more with Jessica on Episode 24 of the Capitalism for Good podcast project (Apple | Spotify)

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, Hello, Welcome In!

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Hi. Hello. Welcome in. How are you? I realize that I jumped right in to what the project is and blew right past who I am. I suppose that’s an important part of this whole thing. I also suppose that it’s a pretty great example of who I am as a person. I’m Andrea and I’m really good at getting ahead of myself. In fact, I’ll tell you that the inklings for this project have been decades in the making with the details filled in long before I spoke them out loud. I’m the kind of person who goes on a reunion trip with her college friends only to skip out on a fancy group dinner because I read an email on my phone and needed to outline something that I thought I might be able to pitch to someone that I had met once over a zoom. So I typed up as much detail as I could to get it out of my head and into my computer’s brain only so that I could pull out a first next step to send to an email to this person. And just to defend my insanity, that idea is actually starting to come to light right now (and I’m begging the gods of whatever to not let me jinx it by saying it out loud here) and I also walked myself with a ridiculous wig in my hand through the streets of downtown Springfield, MO to meet up those college friends to continue the reunion celebration. So I’d argue that I skipped a fancy dinner, but cleaned by brain out, got some exercise, and still had a lot of fun. That’s a pretty good ROI on my time right there, if you ask me.

For anyone who enjoys these long winded stories about myself, I would suggest reading The Blog on the Capitalism for Green Patreon. For anyone who wished that I would have just given a 30 second elevator pitch or 3 fun facts about myself, I would suggest not reading The Blog on the Capitalism for Green Patreon.

Alright. That’s enough. Let’s go leave this place better than we found it.

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ground Rules

Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT

The basic rules of Capitalism for Green:

There’s a landing page for the whole shebang which is linked in the Show Notes (the pile of words under the podcast picture and likely what you're currently reading). That landing page takes you to what I call “The Patreon.”
If you have a question, ask it.
You get bonus points for questions.
If you’re interested in the audio podcast, then just follow/subscribe as normal through whatever podcast app you use.
Please be nice and respectful especially to the folks that join.
There might be swearing.
You can watch on video found on the Patreon website.
Information shouldn’t be gate-kept, so the barrier to entry here is free for the basics.
There’s a weekly blog that you can pay for also on the Patreon website.
When there's more to know, see, and do, I’ll let you know. (This is really a rule for the host, aka me.)
Follow the project on Instagram. That’s not really a rule, but more like a request that I’m attempting to disguise as a rule.
Final rule: please don’t complain to me that these aren’t really rules. I know, but, again, I make the rules here, so that’s what I’m calling each of these points.
I lied, there’s another rule, but again it’s for me: I’m going to do my best to thank you and everyone involved as much as possible. Because I truly appreciate anyone and everyone that answers all my questions, listens to me, reads what I write, and laughs and my mediocre jokes. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Relatives:

Capitalism for Good is a multimedia series of 100 interviews with business leaders making a positive impact on their community. You can listen to the interviews in your podcast players, watch it on YouTube, read the transcripts on the Patreon website (it’s a whole other series + a bonus Between the interviews series), and do what you do with social media on Instagram, TikTok, and BlueSky.
Bittersweet Paradox has a Writing Club for you to join, if you wish. It also has a podcast where we talk about the kinds of things in our lives that make us cry ugly tears and then also laugh 2 minutes later because life is complex and absurdly funny things happen even when your world feels like it’s crumbling down. New episodes will come out when they’re good and ready to come out.

Alright. That’s enough. Let’s go leave this place better than we found it.

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Capitalism for Good Goes Green

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Hi folks! I’m Andrea and I’m the woman behind the Capitalism for Good project which led me to start the Capitalism for Green project. I have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m here to figure it out and you watch me figure it out. I’m determined to surround myself with folks smarter than me who can help guide me and lead me through this process as I attempt to open an impact-focused sustainable shop. I’m putting the lessons of Capitalism for Good into practice in real time with some extra help from folks that have been where I’ve been. So if you have opened or want to open a refill store, zero-waste store, impact-driven values based store, or just want to follow along to watch me bumble my way through it, you’re in the right spot. Enjoy!

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Capitalism for Green!

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 11:00:00 GMT

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

November Announcement!

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 01:13:51 GMT

Hey folks. I promise to be real quick here. I’ve been thinking a lot about how to use capitalism for good as the name of the project suggests by putting all the lessons I’ve learned from the leaders I’ve interviewed so far into action. I’ve also been thinking a lot about how much the need in our community is likely to continue to increase in the coming months. So in the spirit of using capitalism for good, I’m officially launching a give back program. To kick it all off, I’ll donate 50% of all dollars from Patreon memberships split between Feeding America because they have a national reach and address food insecurity and then a charity of choice by the Patreon members so we funnel some money to somewhere near & dear to you all.

So, if that sounds like something you want to get on board with, we’ve got a few options for you to join on Patreon. Bittersweet Paradox has a Writing Club and a podcast. That’s your touchy feely thinking writing personal project.

Capitalism for Good has 2 podcast series, one exclusive to Patreon members and some early releases. That’s 100 interviews with business leaders making a positive impact on their community.

Capitalism for Green has early release video episodes and a Patreon exclusive blog. That’s where I put what I learn from capitalism for good into action by attempting to open a store of my own.

There's a link to all of these in the show notes for you to join so we can make some really big donations together.

Moving forward, each of the projects will continue with a monthly donation to a charity of choice so we keep this momentum going.

So, spread the word. Tell anyone you think might be interested.

Alright. That’s enough. Let’s go leave this place better than we found it.

Early Release & Video Episodes can be found at Patreon.com/CapitalismForGreen

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.