Melanie Adamson- The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Nothing

Today We’re excited to bring you our chat with Melanie Adamson.

Melanie is Founder and CEO of Portland Based Alder & Co.  a brand marketing and creative agency focused on energy and cleantech industries.

She is also founder of the Substack Tofu -  an online community for climate tech marketers

Let's get to work!

Transcript

The planet, we're big fans and it needs some help. We're gonna skip the part where we convince you that humans have caused a tremendous change in the climate since roughly the 1700s. We're also going to skip over a bunch of terrifying statistics and doom and gloom stories.

We know you've heard all of that. We are regular people, you might say climate curious, that wanna help and don't know where we can jump in yet. Welcome to Team Climate, a show about what it really looks like to do climate work.

This is real, and this is bigger than all of us, and it's gonna take all of us to change it. My name is Jeffrey Bryan Potter. I'm a senior product designer in the FinTech space.

My co-host, Kristen Shaw, is the head of growth for a consulting agency and the national marketing chair for a clean tech accelerator. Each episode we're gonna be talking with someone in the field doing the real work it takes to make change. We hope this inspires you to jump in, too, because we're going to need you.

Welcome back team, today we're excited to bring you our chat with Melanie Adamson. Melanie is the founder and CEO of Portland Based Alder & Co, a brand marketing and creative agency focused on energy and clean tech industries. She is also the founder of the Substack Tofu, an online community for climate tech marketers.

So without further ado, let's get to work.

Melanie, welcome, how are you today?

I'm doing great, thanks. How are you?

Good, good, glad it's Friday as well. So you are the founder and CEO of Alder & Co.

Yeah, I'm the CEO and chief marketing strategist for Alder & Co. Based in Oregon, we have offices in Boston, in California, and Portland.

So tell us a little bit about what their mission is.

Yeah. So our mission is to advocate for climate technologies until it becomes universal. And I started my career in the late 90s, and I saw how, and I worked in technology as a journalist and then also in marketing.

And I've seen how technology has come a long way, and tech is integrated into everything that we do. And that's what needs to happen with climate. Climate technologies need to be integrated into everything that we do.

So that's what we're, that's our mission.

I think that's amazing. I love that. I've thought about that a lot myself.

Sorry for interrupting. But yeah, I think the climate space reminds me a lot of like tech and then digital in the marketing space, you know, 20 years ago.

How did you come to get into this? How did you make that pivot?

Well, I, you know, I've always been interested in science. I actually started when I was in undergrad. I was a biology major because I love science so much.

And I just, you know, wanted to be in the sciences. And I thought biology was it. But then there was a point where I was like, wait, I don't think I want to do this as a career.

I don't know. I don't want to be a doctor. You know, I don't, and I didn't have a lot of guidance, so I wasn't really quite sure.

So I thought, okay, what else do I like to do? And journalism was it. I like telling stories and I like getting into, I like the research part of it.

So started out my career as a journalist working in tech. Tech mainly because again, something I'm interested in. I mean, I'm also, I love sci-fi.

I live, I love to read. So that was very much in line with what I like doing. So working in tech, following technology, this was back in the 90s.

So we were writing stories about like 3G telecommunications, mobile, and just very new things that are very outdated today. But I didn't really like where editorial and advertising were going, and no one knew what was really going on with this thing called the internet. And I didn't think that they were adapting fast enough.

And so I thought, okay, well, instead of trying to keep fighting this, I just, I'm gonna join the marketing side. So I went to the dark side, as they say, and started working in PR. And I loved it.

I loved crafting stories and positioning companies in a way that is beneficial for them in a bold approach. And I think that's something that I've had throughout my career. I didn't want it to sound like the same old same old that we hear.

And then it was the early 2000s when I had my daughter and decided that I wanted to do marketing for good. And I lived in Portland, so have had opportunities to work with sustainable companies. I launched a shoe, a sustainable shoe company.

It was a creative director out of Nike who decided to do this early on. I mean, this was like 2007. So way before its time and did an incredible job launching that shoe.

It didn't make it all the way. And then worked on some early PV. And when I was in grad school, focused all of my work on sustainable marketing, greenwashing, that sort of thing.

And then after grad school, went and worked for an energy efficiency consulting firm starting in 2009. And that's really where I went really deep into energy. And yeah, it was from that point forward that I started.

Then I went to work for a branding agency where I was focused on all the energy clients. And then after that, started Alder.

What made you say I really got to just start my own thing and not work for anybody else?

You know, I have learned so much from every single job, even today, you know, with clients. I've always had that entrepreneurial spirit. I've always been that one person in the group who's like, okay, I'll do it.

And, you know, I'm going to grow this. And, you know, when I first started working at the consulting firm, I was the first commercial marketing person, which means I was the only one doing B2B work. Everyone else was doing residential B2C.

And when I left, I had like 12 people reporting to me because, you know, I just, I grew it internally because I, you know, it was an education process getting people to understand the importance of B2B marketing. So it was kind of one of those things. It was, it's just part of my personality.

I just love being able to create teams that, you know, and I also wanted to do things a little bit differently. And that is, you know, create a culture of collaboration, not just internally, but with our clients. And I wanted to give our clients practical materials and things, branding, whatever it means, whatever we're doing for them, that they can use right away.

That it's not necessarily an award piece for us, but it's practical and that they can use it.

Can you think of an example?

Oh, yeah. I mean, everything that we do. So we're a full-service marketing agency.

We do branding. And then from there, we help companies scale. We're really a growth marketing agency, because everything that we do is around growth.

And how do we help our clients grow? And that's website development, social media, newsletters, all that stuff, plus PR. And at the start of what we do, we're looking at, we're doing a bunch of research up front, really understanding who their audiences are, understanding their sales process.

So when we develop content, it's all about, how are we fitting our content into the funnel and ensuring that it's leading to growth. So yeah, I would say branding, messaging, all of that work are examples of things that they're taking and they're successful in it.

Tell us about how today went. So we're up to speed. What was going on today?

Well, I'll tell you, we just left an amazing... So Alder was the marketing partner for DC Climate Week's inaugural event. Kristina, I know you were there.

I'm surprised we didn't run into each other.

It was hectic. It was hectic. There was a lot going on.

Yeah, there was a lot going on. It was so good. And I think I still am just so energized and pumped from that conference, and it was two weeks ago.

So I'm still meeting with the team, and we're putting together some follow-up content. That's how I started my day, and it's just so great. DC Climate Week is an amazing community, that climate community there.

They're so inclusive. They're so smart. They were able to get a lot of volunteers.

It's all about for the community, by the community. And reaching out to me to ask for my help was amazing, because, you know, yeah, I'm in the Pacific Northwest, but I'm still part of their community. And that's what I mean by the inclusiveness.

It just, I love that kind of collaboration, and I'm all for it. So yeah, I started out working with them this morning and then reviewing things, you know, as they come across my desk. So yeah, it's been a great day for Friday.

You don't have to raise your hand, Kristin.

I know, I just didn't want to talk over. So, I pivoted to climate about two years ago, but you kind of started working on this back in 2009. I also came from tech, you know, started early 90s, but stuck it out a little longer.

I would like to hear from you, how has the climate industry or industries or sectors changed? Like, what was it like back in 2009, and what is it like now? Because from my point of view, I kind of started to see a movement.

I saw this kind of, watching the market, I saw this kind of for-profit companies, and I was like, oh, my skill set might fit here now. And you have kind of been there and ridden that entire wave. I love your point of view.

Yeah, I mean, 2009, that was Obama administration. And I've been referencing that a lot lately, because I feel in a lot of ways, we are going backwards. But you're right.

I think, you know, we have had it today. And what's going on today is that we have, and the difference in today is that we have a lot of momentum. We have a lot of people who are focused on climate and who believe.

And that is the major difference. I mean, back then, not a lot of people believed in climate change, that it was happening. And honestly, you know, I would say that the industry is still very nascent.

And, you know, when I was saying that, you know, I was the first commercial marketing person in that 300 person consultancy, it's because, you know, there was a lot of new learnings for how to, you know, run businesses. And that was part of a big change that was happening, is getting specialty people in to do the work that needs to be done. And even though B2B may not seem as a specialty to most industries, it was for energy at the time.

And I would say that, and even while their product teams are separated that way, you know, the marketing teams were not. So some of those specialized services were not. So it really did make, and there was a lot of education that needed to be done, right?

A lot of it is very engineering focused, and some of my best friends are, you know, mechanical engineers, you know, working in HVAC or working in refrigeration or commissioning, or, you know, because it took a while for us to, you know, establish a rapport and where they could trust that we were going to take, you know, their products and turn it into product messaging or in marketing materials that wasn't going to be flashy. It's not going to be, you know, your typical, you know, consumer marketing. And so they understood that.

They understood that the channels are different. They understood that the, you know, the approaches that we were going to take are different. And so there's been a lot of learning and education on that side.

And, you know, and because, you know, people like you with mature experiences coming in, you know, have also brought more expertise to this field, which I think is amazing. And we need more of it, which is, you know, why we started Tofu like four years ago.

Do you want to talk about what Tofu is? Cause I love it.

Yes. So Tofu, so the name is marketing jargon for top of funnel, which I'm sure you know. And but we wanted something that was kind of fun as a name.

And so Tofu is a, it's a community for a climate tech marketers. So once you subscribe to Tofu, you get access to Substack, which is like a newsletter that you get every other month. And then you get access to a Slack community.

We have over 1,500 subscribers of climate tech marketers. And then also founders who have to play the marketing role, right, at the beginning, at least. And it's a great place for people to go and meet and share ideas, strategies, channels, everything from like last year, we had quite a few people talking about AI and what tools to use and events, jobs, everything related to climate tech marketing.

It's a great place for marketers to come, especially those who are new to the space. It's a great place to meet others.

It's a very collaborative environment as well. I was new to the space when I found Tofu, and you can be very vulnerable and ask questions. And it was also a great place.

So what I found as a marketer switching from tech to climate, the language is a little bit different, right? Like, I mean, like the words don't mean exactly the same, and I don't mean the English language. I mean, like, the way they communicate.

And marketers in general, we speak abbreviated, right? We speak very concisely, and we want to get to the point. And Tofu was a great place for me to kind of learn how to speak marketing in the climate space.

So thank you for creating that, because I got a lot out of it.

Oh, thanks.

Can I hear an example of what that would be?

Yeah, I can tell you if you don't mind. So I have learned that communications, coming from tech, like, there's marketing and there's car. And they work together, but they're different roles.

In the climate space, people will use the word comms or communications more encompassing of all marketing, which was like caused a brain misfire for me for a little while. So you know what I mean? They were like, oh, I'm like, I don't do comms.

I do marketing. I don't do comms. I do marketing.

And realizing that, you know, from their perspective, I actually do technically do comms. And that was a hard one for me to just wrap my head around, which sounds silly, but it was a big one for me. Yeah.

I think it's always a good idea to, I think that goes to the industry maturity too, right? And yeah, it's been a while since I've been outside of those and just of this industry. But yeah, that's a really good example.

How would you say the messaging is different versus-

From way back when to today?

Right.

Well, it's kind of gone up and down. I mean, I think during the Biden administration is the first time that was it? Hold on.

Let me think about this for a second. Even during the Obama administration, and I will say that we were not using the word environment. We were not using climate.

We might have been using clean tech, clean for sure. But even by talking with customers, never, never talking about the environment or any of those benefits. It's always been about savings or comfort, very tangible things.

That was all during the Obama administration. And then during the first Trump, it would pretty much stay the same. But it was during the end of the Trump era that I started, that climate tech started to become a thing.

In 2017, I actually took a little bit of a break from Alder and went and worked for a client, one of our existing clients called LO3. And I was there for a few years and we always use the word clean tech. And it wasn't until 2020, 2021 that we started using climate tech.

And I think now, depending on where you're getting your funding, it's going back to, well, not even going back, I think it's changing to energy security, and resilience, energy innovation, I've heard, yes. Yeah, and energy dominance.

Right. Yeah, I bet that will really help. So would you say it's been a bit of a navigating a minefield here, or it's just like, this is what we do when we...

Yeah, this is what we do. And you know, I mean, seriously, we're adapting and we're moving. I think the worst thing that someone can do right now, and this is the one thing I've been thinking about a lot, is sitting and doing nothing.

Yeah.

I mean, just like in COVID, there were people, companies, when I say people, I mean companies that were just kind of sitting and waiting. It's like, okay, well, we'll just wait and see, wait and see. And then, I would say that those are the companies who didn't fare well coming out of COVID.

And there's all this talk about resiliency. And I honestly don't think that a lot of people understand what that means. I mean, there's resiliency and energy where, you know, if there's a catastrophic event, you know, you keep pushing on and your lights turn back on and this and that.

But resiliency from a company perspective means that you're continuing to work on your brand. You're continuing to work on your product. All of those things need to continue to happen so that when the market does evolve to a point that you are ready for it.

And I don't know that that's happening.

Let's take a quick break.

Transitioning to a greener economy could create 24 million new jobs by 2030, according to the International Labor Organization. And about 30% of roles in the climate space don't require technical expertise. Skills in marketing, sales, policy, business operations, or communications are in high demand.

That means your experience might already be more relevant to you than you think. If you're curious about diving into climate work, here are a few ideas to get started. Research and apply for roles in rapidly growing sectors like renewable energy, EV infrastructure, and carbon markets.

These areas are booming with opportunities for fresh talent. Volunteering with climate-focused nonprofits is a great way to build relevant experience, expand your network, and see firsthand what climate work looks like. And remember, networking is key.

85% of jobs are filled through connections. Communities like My Climate Journey, Work on Climate, and Terra.do are fantastic slack communities to meet like-minded individuals and learn from others already in the field. You can find the links in the episode notes.

Yeah, I think a lot about Curbside Pickup for shopping in stores and such. And I used it yesterday at a giant orange-themed hardware store. How that would have never been a thing had there not been COVID.

And I hope we never get rid of Curbside Pickup, because it means I don't have to go into a giant orange home improvement store. And they figured it out. They kept moving forward.

And some people didn't.

Some people didn't.

Yeah. So given that, the sort of environment that we're in, whether it's social, politically, or not, or otherwise, what sort of goals does an organization like yours set for a year? And what challenges do you see to meeting those goals?

Well, we're continuing to push forward. We're making adjustments for our clients where they need to. It just makes sense.

So it's understanding the parameters, making adjustments. Never straying from our values. And that's really important.

And that is all brand work, right? So really understanding your values and being able to make decisions based on what your values are, I think is really important. So that is what we're doing.

So we're continuing to work with clients in that way. It might be challenging because some of our clients are reducing some of their budgets. So we're trying to adapt in the best ways that we can.

Yeah. So you touched on this a little earlier, but you're finding joy in your work?

Oh, yes. Absolutely.

In what kind of ways?

Well, I mean, DC Climate Week is an example of some joy. Seriously, being in a group like that, everyone has this shared vision. And despite everything that's going on around us, it's really, there's a lot of hope that came from that event.

And I think the more that we can get together and kind of use each other as ways to prop ourselves up, I think is really important, like what you guys are doing here. And then my team is amazing. And we have our daily standups in the morning, Monday through Thursday.

And those are some of the best times of my day. Because yeah, we're talking about what we need to do for the rest of the day or the week, but we're also talking about the latest movie we saw or this recipe that I just made or whatever it is, or complaining about our garden or whatever. One of my teammates has a rascal of a skunk in her yard.

And so that's been really fun, kind of talking about that in the morning. And she's got video to show, so it's really funny. So we try to stay a little light-hearted and just try to keep things fun at work.

Yeah, there's a thing that happens that really has been changed drastically since COVID and everybody's remote and blah, blah, blah, that the coffee breaks, the getting lunch, the chit chat in the office kitchen, those things are this like spider silk of connection between human beings. And you work harder and with more detail when you know the person you're working with's kids or names of their pet or whatever they got going on at home. You know, and so like, how are you, you know, supporting that workplace?

Yeah, that's a really good question. So we have a Slack channel for Alder and all of our employees, plus, you know, our people who work for us, our freelancers are all on this Slack channel. And we have like our general channel, just, you know, we have articles we need to, we share articles.

We have a pet channel where we show, you know, pictures of our pets. And like one of our colleagues had shrimp, little baby shrimp in her aquarium. It was so cute.

You know, and everyone, yeah, all of our pets, you know, just, and then kids and vacations. And, you know, we're always sharing that stuff. And I think, you know, we are able to be incredibly vulnerable with each other because what we're doing is really hard, right?

It's really hard. And the news is not so great. And so we need some, we need some time to just kind of like let it out and talk to each other and support each other in all the ways that we can.

So yeah, that's what we do.

Can I ask another question? One of the things that I found, and I'm wondering if you found this too, when I pivoted into climate, I feel those connections stronger. I work remotely, right?

I freelance, I contract, I work remotely. But I feel like it's easier for me to make those connections in the climate space. And this isn't hyperbole.

Like I feel like we have a minimally at least shared value. Do you know what I mean? And then work hard, be resilient, have a positive social impact and treat each other with respect.

That doesn't mean we like tolerate bad treat. There's still people have their boundaries and all of that. But I feel like those shared values were early in the tech space.

When I was coming up with tech and the values were not the same. But the people who were gravitating towards tech in that period had a shared value system. And their idea was to make the world a better place, right?

Yeah.

And I feel like I'm reconnecting with that and finding that. But I was wondering with your team, do you think there is that shared set of values that allows more vulnerability?

Yeah, I do. And I think the industry does have that. I am just as competitive as anyone else, maybe a little more so, and maybe more with myself than I am with others.

But starting Tofu was also a giant exercise of opening it up to every other marketer and agency out there that's doing what we're doing. And there were moments of cringe and I just, you know, it's not like I'm not human or not feeling that. But yeah, I mean, it was a little like, everyone's got to do it

Everyone's got, we need everyone in climate. Everyone needs to be a climate person, you know? And every marketer needs to share and be a part of, because it's the only way that we're going to actually make change.

And so, yeah, for sure. I really call people out when they're being competitive or they're being nasty. I'm like, there's no place for that here.

And, you know, we were, yeah, I don't think anyone should tolerate that.

I've been in cultures where that was encouraged. Do you know what I mean? Like coming out of the tech, it was very like kill or be killed.

And I almost had to like, it's what I wanted. But when I got into the new culture of aligned with my values, like it was a shock to my system. I was like, yeah, like I almost had to relearn how to trust coworkers, if that makes sense.

Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I think it was, it's almost like trauma. Yeah, I've worked in tech.

And I don't want that for our industry. And it's definitely not for Alder and or tofu. We will not tolerate that kind of, which just means, you know, no showboating, or I think everyone should talk about their wins.

Because when they win, we all do.

Right.

And I think people just need to understand that.

Yeah, it takes that whole zero sum. If I win, you lose. If you lose, I win.

Like that zero sum mentality goes away. And I am happier as a human. You know what I mean?

I wake up in a happier place. I go to sleep in a happier mindset. I treat the people in my personal life better.

And I engage more when I am surrounded by that. And I have heard great things about Adler. Very great things.

So I think you have done that. And I think not only have you done that, that is reflected in your external brand.

When I was in school for graphic design, it was all about the individual and what I could do myself. And I did all the color and the this and this and this and this. And name a job where that exists, where one person just stands up and like, I did everything.

It's all about collaboration from day one. And it doesn't matter that you picked the font. And what do you know?

Well, that's what the Co stands for in Alder. So the Co in Alder is about collaboration. It's about cohort.

It's about community. It's about all of those things. I mean, a lot of people say, oh, it's Alder & Co.

But it could also be all these other things, too, that are about our brand, which is, you know, that this is a shared experience. And so, yeah, I try to explain that to people, is that Alder is not just, we're not just doing the work. It's really a team effort.

One of the main reasons we want to do this podcast is to push back against this perception that environmentalism and people who are working in climate are living in trees and eating granola, you know? And they're the fringe, they're the weirdos, you know? And we're just trying to hear it, trying to say it's everybody and we're living a normal life and we're making a living and that sort of thing.

So like, what would you say to that to push back against that?

Well, you know, I live in Portland, Oregon, so, you know, I do have a garden, I make my own granola and I have my Birkenstocks on, no, I'm joking. No, yes, but yes to all those things. Yeah, I mean, we're also regular families who go to the movies and, you know, my son plays basketball, my daughter is, I have a daughter in college, you know, I play squash on the weekends.

I don't know if that's environmental, you know, like, yes, and all the things, you know, I have a garden that's really important to me. My husband grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, and so, you know, we're just, that's what we do. I think if you haven't tried any of those things or in addition to all the other ways that you're living your life, I would say that, you know, start.

Go to the farmers market, get some strawberries and start making jam for the first time and see what it's like.

I mean, I think it speaks to sort of what fascism does to win, is slowly chip away at humanity, and our humanity, and separate us in small ways until, you know, we're stormtroopers.

We're so much more than that.

Yeah. Yes, exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah. We try to continue to maintain the humanity. And so like, you know, what's this unplugging look like for you?

I love to read. I just started reading this book called Abundance. It was recommended to me by a bunch of different people at the DC Climate Week.

And then Sir Andrew Steer was the one who actually recommended that book. So I encourage everyone to, I've just started, so don't even ask me what it's about, but it's a good one. And then I love to get, one of the things I love to do is entertain.

Oh, cool. And so, and I love to cook. So I like to make these big, elaborate meals and have a bunch of people over at my house and just have my friends over and just talk about all the things that are going on.

I have a son who's 16 and then a daughter who's in college, and so we're going to be empty nesters soon. Wow. Yeah, so we're starting to think about, oh, what does life look like in a couple of years?

And all my friends are in that same spot. So that's, it's fun to think about.

Wow. Congratulations.

Thank you.

You have little ones?

No, Kris and I are both aunts and uncles.

The best aunt ever.

I forgot to add that part.

Obviously.

I thought that was obvious. Yeah.

Yeah, so that's what it is. I mean, going to basketball games and during the season and yeah, that's our life. That's winding down.

We talked about mentoring a bit and obviously, as this captain of your ship, you're mentoring constantly. So what kind of advice do you try to give someone trying to branch into climate work or if they're just starting their career to lean that way?

Well, if they're just starting their career, I would say try a bunch of different things before you find the one thing that you know or to try to find the one thing that you really love to do. I think being young and doing a bunch of internships is really great. It's a great way to figure out what you want to do.

And the climate is so vast. You can work in energy, electricity energy, or water energy, or there's all the fuels, plus there's circularity and transportation. There's so many things.

I don't think you need to just pick one. I think you can go and explore as much as you can. I would say meet as many people as you can too.

Just informational interviews, I think are great. I meet with a lot of people all the time. And then, if you're trying to get into climate and you're having a hard time, and maybe you're at a job that you don't love because it's not sustainable or climate-minded, I would say become the champion within and try to get as many people as you can that have your same values and become that person and organize, whether it's going to the beach and picking up trash or getting a bunch of people together to get the right kind of recycling inside of your building or whatever it may be, there's still a lot of things that you can do.

And I think that matters.

Can you think of something that you were really challenged by that you were able to overcome recently?

Yeah, I mean, I think the challenge that we're all sort of facing right now is a lot of ambiguity. I would say that I think it's okay to... Marketing is not so much a...

It's not an event, it is a process. And I think everyone needs to remember that. If you make changes to your website, you can make changes again.

You can iterate. Iteration is part of the game. It's testing, it's all those things.

Keep going, keep trying, keep, you know, see what works. Keep learning, you know, especially for my generation. Let's keep learning and keep being relevant to all the new things.

I mean, marketing has changed so much over the years. And, you know, we're starting to use a lot, not starting, but have been using a lot of AI tools, figuring out what works best for what client. And, you know, it's not so much a challenge as much as it's an opportunity for us to learn and see what's best.

So I would say just, you know, keep learning, keep trying, testing, and iterating.

Do you feel like you've become a better person because of the work you do?

No, I don't think I am my work.

Great, great answer. I love that. I love that.

I mean, it is a big part of my life. But it is, no, I think, no. There are good people in other industries too.

Yeah, true. Yeah.

But we have to recruit them. We're trying to recruit them to climate. Yeah.

Yes, that's exactly right. Yeah. What I like to say is like making passion and paycheck one pursuit to use the alliteration there.

So your workplace is a sitcom. Who would play you?

That's a good one. I think I'm a little bit Elaine from Seinfeld.

I can imagine, I'm always trying to get, I share an office with our creative director and I'm always trying to get her to do a dance party.

She just looks at her eyes.

Elaine. Yeah.

We do share a lot of music though. Even on our Slack channels. We also had like an Alder Slack Spotify playlist for a minute.

Nice.

Yeah. I don't know that we shared that out, but yeah, it was pretty good last summer. Maybe we need to do that again and send that out to everyone.

Yeah. You should share that out on Tofu.

Okay. Good one. Good idea.

Yeah.

I imagine I'm probably her. Yeah

Melanie, it's great having you and great chatting with you. That's all we got today. Kristen, do you have any other last questions?

No. Just thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us, and I really admire what you're doing in the space and what you've been able to build, and kind of marketing is not, I feel like marketing isn't as revered in climate as it is in some other sectors, and the skill set. They've been burned by it enough times.

Marketing is a tool and people have not always used it for good, but just wanted to thank you for putting climate marketing out, or clean marketing out there in such a positive way for those of us who are pivoting in is like, that's the light, like you're the lighthouse, right? I can do this. There's a space for me here.

So thank you.

Well, thank you for that. That was a very nice compliment. I appreciate those kind words.

Yeah.

That is exactly what inspired this is, Kristin and I were taking that class and said, the planet needs better marketing. And someone showing us that, oh, that's a job? Oh, cool.

I want to get in on that. So thank you for what you do.

Well, thank you for having me. I appreciate it.

And say the name of the organization one more time.

Alder & Co.

And thank you. Yeah. And tofu as well.

And tofu, yeah.

Yeah.

All right. Bye-bye.

Bye.

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