Lessons in sustainability
I’ve now worked in sustainability for the best part of 12 years, and I LOVE working in this field. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed my time in marketing with some fantastic businesses, but once sustainability became part of my life, it turned into a bit of a ‘calling’ (if that’s not too dramatic!). It’s a space that challenges me every day and offers constant opportunities to grow and learn. I often describe sustainability as a journey rather than a destination; and that couldn’t feel truer with each passing day.
Most of my knowledge has come from hands-on experience, as well as the skills I developed during my corporate career – like the knack for simplifying complex ideas. I’ve strived to educate myself as I go, but despite my on-the-job learning, I’d never had the chance to explore sustainability from an academic viewpoint.
So, when I had the opportunity to apply for a grant to invest in my own learning, I jumped at it. I’d long admired Said Business School, having encountered a few of their alumni and staff on my travels, and the Leading Sustainable Business Programme seemed like the perfect fit. It offered an intense but manageable schedule, delivered online, making it possible to balance with running my business. Plus, it promised a fresh perspective on sustainability through a business lens – exactly what I needed to better help my clients.
The diversity of attendees from across the globe was eye-opening, and from the first intro call, I felt privileged to be among such a wide range of professionals, all with their own unique challenges and insights. It reminded me that, even in sustainability, it’s easy to become narrow in our thinking. These global perspectives helped refresh my approach, while also reinforcing the idea that while sustainability challenges vary, the underlying goals remain strikingly similar.
The course itself was content-rich, with plenty of reading and videos, alongside weekly ‘essay questions’ that focused on applying the concepts to our own sustainability strategies. As a solo consultant, I opted to base my work on a client’s business rather than my own.
I’ll admit, getting back into structured learning was a shock to the system. The first week’s tasks took much longer than I expected, and I found myself second-guessing everything. It’s amazing how rusty we can get when we’ve been away from formal study for a while. I REALLY overthought those early essay questions to the point where I began to doubt myself.
When the first results came back, I was relieved (and slightly astounded) to find I’d earned top marks. From then on, it became easier to dive into the work, and I actually found myself enjoying the focus and the challenge. I particularly loved exploring governance and metrics – areas slightly outside my usual expertise — and it was incredibly satisfying to broaden my understanding of these crucial aspects of sustainability.
I’m thrilled to have completed the course with a 100% pass mark. I not only encountered brand-new concepts, but I also learned how to reframe ideas I was already familiar with. The course has given me new tools and a clearer vision of how to help my clients create meaningful change. Perhaps even more unexpectedly, I also learned a few things about myself along the way:
Carving out time to think and learn is vital: It’s easy to treat learning like another task on the to-do list, but I found I do my best work when I made space for 'proper’ thinking
Collaboration inspires me: Hearing other people’s stories, bouncing around ideas, and learning from their experiences sparked new energy in me. It’s motivated me to seek out more collaborative opportunities.
I know more than I realised: While the course taught me plenty of new things, it was also reassuring to see how much I already knew. Better yet, I was able to contribute meaningfully to the group, sharing insights from my own experience.
In the end, this course wasn’t just about benefiting my business—it was also about personal growth. Taking time to invest in my own learning felt a little like self-care - and it’s something I’ll ensure I do it more often in the future.