I do in-depth interviews with extraordinary people who are finding and living their purpose at the highest levels. They'll tell you in their own words how they found their calling, and then what they did to LIVE it. They'll tell you about the challenges they faced along the way, and how they overcame them.
Aimée Christensen is founder and CEO of Christensen Global Strategies collaborating with industries, governments, organizations and individuals worldwide to develop solutions for a strong clean global economy, healthy communities and protection of our natural resources. She is known as a thought-leader who also delivers results. Trained as an environmental and energy lawyer with deep experience in energy policy in Washington, D.C., she brings two decades of experience in climate change and sustainability strategy to the corporate, investment, and philanthropic sectors.
Doug: 00:05 Welcome to "What Makes Them Tick?" in-depth interviews with extraordinary people. Get an inside look at what drives them to excel. And get insights on how you can apply what they've learned in your own life. In this episode I interview Amy Christiansen, a woman who's devoted her life to creating a sustainable world both globally and locally.
Doug: 00:26 Hi, my name is Doug Greene. I'm an author and also doing podcasts about people that I find to be extraordinary in the way that they're living their purpose. These are people that have found what they're supposed to be doing on the planet. They're "singing their note," really. If you follow the work of Michael Meade in his book "Fate and Destiny". And my friend Amy Christiansen is one of those people that's doing that.
New Speaker: 00:53 I've known Amy I think for over 20 years, 25 years. I first met her in Sun Valley, Idaho actually through her father who was also a dear friend and was on the first river trip that I went on, which actually changed my life.
Doug: 01:08 But Amy is ... She's the Executive Director of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience with the mission of protecting local quality of life and to serve as a model and resource to communities everywhere. I'm just giving you some background so you can see what she's accomplished here. She's also the CEO of Christian global strategies, which he founded in 2005 and advises corporations, investors, governments, organizations. She's .... Her clients have included the Clinton global initiative, Microsoft, Ogilvy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, United Nations, Virgin. She has over two decades experience in policy
I do in-depth interviews with extraordinary people who are finding and living their purpose at the highest levels. They'll tell you in their own words how they found their calling, and then what they did to LIVE it. They'll tell you about the challenges they faced along the way, and how they overcame them.
Aimée Christensen is founder and CEO of Christensen Global Strategies collaborating with industries, governments, organizations and individuals worldwide to develop solutions for a strong clean global economy, healthy communities and protection of our natural resources. She is known as a thought-leader who also delivers results. Trained as an environmental and energy lawyer with deep experience in energy policy in Washington, D.C., she brings two decades of experience in climate change and sustainability strategy to the corporate, investment, and philanthropic sectors.
Doug: 00:05 Welcome to "What Makes Them Tick?" in-depth interviews with extraordinary people. Get an inside look at what drives them to excel. And get insights on how you can apply what they've learned in your own life. In this episode I interview Amy Christiansen, a woman who's devoted her life to creating a sustainable world both globally and locally.
Doug: 00:26 Hi, my name is Doug Greene. I'm an author and also doing podcasts about people that I find to be extraordinary in the way that they're living their purpose. These are people that have found what they're supposed to be doing on the planet. They're "singing their note," really. If you follow the work of Michael Meade in his book "Fate and Destiny". And my friend Amy Christiansen is one of those people that's doing that.
New Speaker: 00:53 I've known Amy I think for over 20 years, 25 years. I first met her in Sun Valley, Idaho actually through her father who was also a dear friend and was on the first river trip that I went on, which actually changed my life.
Doug: 01:08 But Amy is ... She's the Executive Director of the Sun Valley Institute for Resilience with the mission of protecting local quality of life and to serve as a model and resource to communities everywhere. I'm just giving you some background so you can see what she's accomplished here. She's also the CEO of Christian global strategies, which he founded in 2005 and advises corporations, investors, governments, organizations. She's .... Her clients have included the Clinton global initiative, Microsoft, Ogilvy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, United Nations, Virgin. She has over two decades experience in policy
spk_0: 0:00
welcome to what makes them tick in depth interviews with extraordinary people. Get an inside look at what drives them to excel and get insights on how you can apply what they've learned in your own life. In this episode, I interview Amy Christenson, a woman who's devoted her life to creating a sustainable world both globally and locally. Hi, my name's Doug Greene. I'm an author and also doing podcasts about people that I find to be extraordinary in the way that they're living their six in the way that they're living their purpose. These are people that have found what they're supposed to be doing on the bonnet there, seeing singing their note. Really, if you follow the work of Michael meet in his book Fate and Destiny, and my friend Amy Christiansen is one of those people that's doing that. I've known Amy, I think, for over 20 years, 25 years. I first met her in Sun Valley, Idaho, actually through her father, who was also a dear friend and was on the first river trip that I went on, which actually changed my life. But Amy is, uh, she's the executive director of the Sun Valley Institute for resilience, with the mission of protecting local quality of life and to serve as a model in resource to communities everywhere. I'm just giving you some background so you can see what she's accomplished here. She's also the CEO of Christian Global Strategies, which he founded in 2005 and advises corporations, investors, governments, organizations She's, ah her clients and included the Clinton Global Initiative, Microsoft Ogilvy, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, United Nations Virgin. She has over two decades experience in policy law, investment philanthropy, including the U. S Department of Energy, World Bank and Google, where she guided the company's first climate change initiatives, including a commitment to carbon neutrality and successfully lobbying for passage of California's climate change legislation. In 2000 twelve's, he was a special advisor to the U. N Secretary general's high level group on sustainable energy. She was on the World Climate Summit. I mean, I could go on and on here and as faras ah, background she studied. Let me see if I've got this right. She got a bachelor in arts from Smith College, and then she went on to Stanford Law School and she was on the 2011 Hillary Hillary laureate I just goes on and on Amy. Thanks for joining
spk_1: 2:36
us. Thanks. Tow the intro.
spk_0: 2:40
Yes, I know that on the way we talked about the anagram just briefly. It's a personality typing system. There's a type number three, which is the achiever, and I can tell just based on this rest of day and actually knowing you too, that you're probably a three. You are. You truly are its innate for you to succeed. You can't not succeed. What I'm wanting to explore is that inner world that drives you, and it would be great to do that by example, like showing me what you did and also what's going on in your inner world. How no, it's there's something that compels you, and there may be I'm guessing to knowing your father in your mom that there was probably a lot of support for you and being able to do that, too. So and that's an important piece of this. Those people that are supported in their dreams and given the confidence to pursue it, tend to do a lot better Sze than those that don't let's go back to the beginning So you grew up basically in Sun Valley, Idaho, right?
spk_1: 3:47
Well, we moved to Sun Valley when I was 13. So I started out in Marin County, California Um, really beautiful part of the country on Mount Tam, all pious, very special place and was from eight months old and my mom's Jerry pack on Nature Hikes. And she was a docent at a local nature sanctuary and Billy Nous and just really, from the very, very beginning, I was learning about nature and finding it to be incredibly credible and miraculous and intelligent. And, um, I love nature, thanks to Mom and Dad getting us out on Sierra Club trips. And my dad was a builder developer who totally self made and just was it was a get things done person who also was always fighting for justice and what was right in the world. And and I just remember knowing that there was right and there was wrong and their social justice, and that was really important. And so I think I learned to love nature and want to fight for it between my mom and my dad. And so it was definitely from that upbringing and the experiences that I had.
spk_0: 4:50
Do you remember am a key moment, though, when there may have been like a light bulb that went on and went, Wow, this is especially important to me. I mean, you've had a lot of things that were probably going well for you and had your interest in that. But you know, there's there's a point at which you sort of choose a path, or at least you get that spark of like, Well, I think I'm gonna go this way. You know, the fork branches and it's like you need to choose one. And I'm wondering if you had one of those moments
spk_1: 5:21
I'm I don't think I had one specific moment. I think there was a time when, in 1992 I was at the Earth Summit in Rio as a little volunteer, and I just saw this global negotiation of these fundamental global treaties on biodiversity, on climate change and on sustainable development. And I just saw everything for me coming together, but also not understanding why there was this struggle in this fight over these treaties went to me. Of course, we should be protecting nature. Nature underpins all of our quality of life and its It's our economy. It's it's everything. And so to me, I was frustrated by the fact that there was this apparent, uh, disconnect between our economy and this need for development and protect the environment and the stick. This, this, this separation I was very frustrated by because for me, I felt like, um that protecting nature benefited local communities, benefited all of our quality of life, the air of the water, the food we depend upon. And so, um, in seeing this global struggle among governments around these treaty agreements, it really made me clear to me that I wanted to spend my life helping to share with others what I felt intuitively understood, which is nature is fundamental to everything, and therefore it's fundamental to our economy. So we can do this and that protecting nature and whatever we do will be the right outcome for humans, our economy and otherwise. And so I was very fortunate because right after that, I ended up moving to Washington, D. C. And joining the Clinton administration, and President Clinton understood that we could have economic growth and environmental protection at the same time, and that environmental protection drove deployment of new technologies, which created jobs and improved productivity because you had healthier air. And so there was this in the nineties that being in Washington, D. C. The heart of the beast on so many cases shoes to see that we had leaders who understood that. And Vice President Gore, of course. Um, I think I just I feel like I have been fortunate in that I've gravitated to these places where I've had the opportunity to be part of an evolution that's happening to increasingly recognize that nature is fundamental and nature what ice like to say. And then I've heard others say it too, is nature is the best investment. It underpins everything. So tell me
spk_0: 8:00
how you, uh I mean, you're good with the words part. I'm gonna understand how you kind of feel this. What do you feel within you that makes this right or drives you? You know what I mean? There's well, I
spk_1: 8:15
just I love nature.
spk_0: 8:17
Well, part of what I'm wanting to add here is that I think one of the key things, um, it were really driven by how we feel about something. We're somatic beings, and I think I don't know. I just wanna explore that part. It's one thing to get it in your head, but it's it's quite another to get it, uh, where it comes from within. I guess it's the best way to describe it.
spk_1: 8:46
Sure, and for me, that's of course, where it all started. I mean, it was It's this feeling that nature is incredible and the and the animals, the creatures I wanted to protect all the time. I always wanted to protect animals and the creatures in the plants and the animals, and I just I've always wanted that. And yet I was operating within an economic system that saw nature and as an opponent to the capitalism, so was separate. And so for me, I've I've always felt that I want to fight for a nature, but I also really quickly because I'm a sponge when it comes to information and understanding where I operate that I wanted to very quickly be able to then make that case for nature within the existing capitalism paradigm, and so so the feeling I had of wanting to fight for and protect nature. Of course, I was doing that. But I really have always also understood how doe I connect and share that in a way that people can hear it. So the government policy makers, you have the scientists who understand the need to protect nature if you have endangered species. But the more you can connected to economic opportunity and jobs, the more that we were gonna have policy support to protect nature. That's just the reality of the system in which we operate. Capitalism is the driver. And so I speak from what I believe is right. But I also understand how it has to be heard in the in the places where I live and work. Does that make sense?
spk_0: 10:23
It does want explore another little piece here. Yeah. Um, and this is again going back to that personality system. I like, Um, there's another whole section in here where there's three different ways that people tend to see the world sort of filter it or what they where they lean towards. So you go to a party, okay? When you put it in this context and there's there's three options on this choice, you go to this party there, 60 70 people there you don't know any of them. What's the first thing? Do you? You do? Do you go to the food and just kind of take care of, like, this need toe? You know your own comfort. First, do you scan the room for that one person that you might have a deep connection with? Aren't you kind of scan the whole room and get a feeling for who's who the players are and what they're doing? And you know who's got the power? Who's who the movers and shakers are, who the supporters are sort of get a feeling for the social fabric or texture of how these people are linked up together.
spk_1: 11:27
You know, it's interesting because I feel like I do, um, the scanning. But it's more of a scanning for that person who smiles and who connects to me. So I'll do the scanning to see who what's happening in the room. But I'm always looking for that connection to someone because actually, I'm kind of shy, believe it or not. And so I think I naturally go to that one person. That personal connection is where I want to be. That's where I'm most comfortable is a personal connection and then to go from the conversation to the next conversation, the next conversation, where I have this individual connections. And so, um, when I'm in a a big setting like that, that tends to be what I dio is. So I'll let one first connection then naturally lead to the others.
spk_0: 12:26
So you don't. You're not just looking for one person to connect with your looking to make multiple connections. So within that system, I think you would come out of social. There's the social one on one and self preservation. And based on what you're doing in the bigger picture, right, you're really serving legislation that's helping the whole country and helping multiples of people and things. I see you being driven socially, and that's how you're that achievement side of you is expressing itself isn't helping lots of people, and you do that through the work that you d'oh! Okay, that was his interest and
spk_1: 13:04
the relationships that, um I mean, for me, the network of relationships that have been a network based upon people with whom I fought the battles we've collaborated on projects we've had that deeper connection of work together of making impact together and those those relationships stand you and forever. And they stand the test of time. And these are the people who are Yes, it's a wide network, but I feel like it's also deep based upon real connection.
spk_0: 13:37
So let's work. Let's say you've just come out of Wood River. Did you get a Wood River? I Community school community school That goes all the way through 12. Okay. Yep. So you came out of there and you went to, uh, Smith Smith. And what did you study there?
spk_1: 13:56
Latin American studies and anthropology. We had, um, started when I was 10 years old. Started to spend time in Mexico in the Mayan region, an hour south of Cancun on that Caribbean coast. And I fell in love the Mayan culture on and went to all the ruins. My senior of high school. My project was on the Mayan culture, and I compared that civilization that they had 1000 years ago to the present culture and what they've kept and why and the connection there. And I So I always knew I wanted to work on environment and development in human rights. My senior college thesis was on Amazonian development policy and, um, really the misguided World Bank development projects building roads into the Amazon to develop ah, for industrial activities and farming and nothing that that ecosystem could sustain because the soil's aren't made for farming. Um, they're made for rain forest. It's all in the in the plant matter. And so I was the environment development. Human rights was my focus. But, you know, a deep dive economics degree didn't feel right to me. Um, what felt right to me was to have that inter disciplinary understanding of a region and a culture and a pool, politics and society to understand how decisions are being made. And so I I ended up being very fortunate because after college, doing human rights working Guatemala going to the Rio Earth Summit, I moved to D. C. And I about six months later, um, or so ended up having the chance to work on Latin American energy policy. So I feel like I was very fortunate because I was able to my first real job be placed to tap into my background of languages and knowledge of region. So
spk_0: 15:48
So the saving part? Um, yeah. Uh what does that feel like inside of you? What? Where do you use would draw responsibility? Yeah, I know. Where do you sense it inside of you that my heart, Your heart?
spk_1: 16:03
Oh, yeah, it's definitely a heart that's about standing up for what's right. And, um, those who need it, The truth that needs to get out. It's what I feel like. I see that the people, the beauty, the creature's ecosystems, um, they need to be protected and that we need to have a system that does that. And so I've always I did human rights work in Guatemala, Um, in 1991 and that on the ground work was so rewarding Thio interview the people and to get the truth out about what was happening there. But then, to go into the System Tau work to change the policies that are undermining environmental protection that are hurting sis civilizations. Communities around the world have a better policy framework that then gets to that ground level, but on a much bigger scale. Eyes, where I've decided to spend my life is to make those system changes by making the case for business and for society.
spk_0: 17:16
So how did you. Okay, so now let's go to the system's part of this, okay? You identify a problem, you feel it. And I'm guessing that because, you know, your dad was pretty successful in what he did. Um, and probably some of that I'm guessing he taught you things about systems or stuff just rubbed off on you. Where did you I guess I'm asking where did this system's thing come into place? And how did you put these pieces together? To know that that was your path to accomplish what you saw on justice and unfairness in the world, both for people in for nature.
spk_1: 17:52
So, um, because my parents were very involved at the civic level, locally and in politics at the national level, they just really believed that who you elected to office made a big difference in our life and in our society. And so I always understood that our political structure and our policy making structure was a very played a very important rule and that influencing that mattered and because I had the education and opportunity to work in that system, I believe that's where I should spend my time and get my law degree I worked for seven years in Washington, D. C. And I went back for my law degree so I could come back and make even more of an impact.
spk_0: 18:42
You went back for your law degree. Okay, So you came out of Smith, was it Smith Smith? And then you were in D. C. And you were in that environment, and I'm sure you could just feel like that. Okay, here's the problem. And here's the solution. And it looks like the solution is I'm gonna have to go up my game or at least up my knowledge base.
spk_1: 19:07
Why? I had a lot of attorneys with whom I worked throughout policymaking and government. And I remember we were doing something very cutting edge. We were negotiating and drafting the first ever bilateral agreement on climate change between the United States and Costa Rica. And there was was a policy process where I was drafting this and running it by people at the State Department and the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy where I was working. But it was really when it got to the lawyers at the State Department, one attorney and particularly was highly respected was turned to to say, What does this mean for us legally to do this? What are the implications? And it was a broader conversation than just law it waas you know what are the risks and trusting that attorney to provide that guidance of what are the risks here and really turning to her is that resource to make that decision. And then once she gave the go ahead, it was All systems go, and I and I worked with a lot of attorneys, the secretaries of energy for whom I worked Hazel O'Leary, Federico Pena, both attorneys, And when And they both said to me separately, they didn't think I needed to do law school. They actually said, Um uh, Secretary O'Leary's thought I should do business school because you have to make the business case to get to clean energy. You're gonna make that switch. It's economically driven. And for Petteri Federico Pena, he felt like I was already in that mix. I was already having success and there was no need to go out and come back. Um, but I really felt like it was right for me, and I'd always since I was nine years old, I'd felt like a law degree was right for me to fight for nature and protected was an attorney's role and advocates role. And I wanted to have that understanding and that degree to empower me to come back and make a bigger difference. And I I am so glad I did it and led to so many opportunities I never would have had without it.
spk_0: 21:07
Okay, here's another piece on. Curious about lawyers Air off, Often considered to be contentious, um, you know, antagonistic and not known for being collaborative, necessarily accepting fighting for their case, which is against an adversary I'm sensing in this. I mean, you have adversaries for sure, and and fired it fighting for the environment. Obviously, you got big oil, and you've got companies whose best interest is in not doing global climate change, and they will fight tooth and nail. How do you navigate that? How do you know? I mean, do you even go to an adversarial relationship? Sometimes. How do you I'm just trying to get inside your head. And when you're going through these things, how you bring it all together to achieve the results you want you know, it's
spk_1: 22:05
interesting. I there are definitely the adversaries out there that people who I just think our operating against humanity and are about the bottom line and they're hurting communities and they're hurting people. And those companies, um, and those leaders, those companies, um, you know, there's a point at which you just know you can't work with, Um, that's not It's just not gonna work. I always but I do. I do like to think that I Kenbrell around almost anybody to see a piece of my picture to see a piece of division. Um, and it's become easier and easier over the years because, for instance, the solutions to climate change have become cost effective. So solar is now cheaper almost everywhere in the world than coal or oil or natural gas. This is the most exciting moment, because here I've been advocating for clean energy for 25 years, and now all I have to say, I spoke it. Michael Milken's annual conference in Los Angeles last year, Michael, it's milk and Global amazing gathering of industry and investor leaders, government leaders and I said the dollars are doing the talking. The big investors are moving to invest in solar. You just look at the numbers. We've now invested Maurin renewable energy than we have in fossil fuels and nuclear energy combined in the last several years. So it's just a shift. And so when that's happening, I've won because the system will take over. Now they're still barriers
spk_0: 23:48
the sit. When I want to go back to this, the system will take over
spk_1: 23:52
the system that we have in place. Capitalism. It puts primacy of capitalism is the price. The primacy of capitalism is job creation, pricing, what's most cost effective. And that will be that. That's the default. And so, over the years, I've had to bring a moral overlay, a marketing overlay, a brand benefit employee retention for your company. If you're a good environmental leader, it might have a longer payback than you're normally comfortable with. It might not be as cost effective as that cheap sourcing solution of something that's damaging the environment, but if you can walk that walk, you'll get better employees. You'll retain them. You have higher productivity. You better shareholders, more loyalty. Your brand will benefit, which benefits your bottom line. So I've had to use those add ons in my career to make the case for environmental protection because solar maybe was more expensive or the environmentally sound would. Sourcing option was slightly more expensive than the one that led to rampant deforestation using coconut oil or another alternative to palm oil, which is devastating Malaysian, Indonesia and the communities and the and the Rang attends and the an animal's of those ecosystems. Palm oil's cheap, cheap, fat and yet a little bit more expensive coconut oil and you can be a responsible actor. So they're still these challenges outside of solar inside of renewable energy, where I have to add principle and marketing and risk of hurting their brand.
spk_0: 25:32
Okay, so brings up another question. And again it's into bringing people over. Yes, to decide, Do you attach a business? Thinks in numbers, right? They're all about numbers. So when you're talking about these more kind of of esoteric there, right? Yes, soft, soft, quality soft benefits. Um, are you able to attach numbers to these? That kind of like OK, if you spend, um, you could go with a cheaper source oil. But if you go to this little bit more expensive way, here's a multiplier. Well, that will, actually, if you look at the whole spreadsheet, bring you out on top kind of thing and you get by in on that.
spk_1: 26:16
So the marketing team's in. These companies understand the financial value of brand reputation. And so getting the marketing team on board is critical because they're the ones who know what the point implications could be for their brand. What that financial implication could be for that brand. So, um, every company with whom I worked is different, and they'll have a different mix of reasons for leading on this. We have to help them get over the economic hurdle because if they're publicly held company, their shareholders are gonna fight back at anything that's undermining the bottom line in any way. They're bored, will question it. And so, being able to work with the marketing team or the legal team on the risk of environmental lawsuit, Um, and of impact on the brand side those Those are the folks who I've had to work with closely to see the whole picture of a decision. So decision isn't purely economic. There are all these other implications for a decision that accompanies making And so I have to work with those teams. Have those conversations to understand. Are you facing risks? What are those? Okay, here's how I can help solve for that. So
spk_0: 27:31
you're processing doing this, Okay. You get a live one, so to speak. Okay. Somebody to work with. How do you and I'm both interested in your interior side? What's going on inside? And the external results. But how do you How do you do this? How do you go to somebody? How do you know which options intuitively to choose for them? Is there some sort of scoping process you do on the front end? Do you do your research of the company to come see where there There may be a deficit like they're perceived as being, You know, globally, you're responsible, environmentally irresponsible. They treat their employees in ways that you know are not good. How do you How do you How do you find all that? How do you work without inside of you, and how do you know how to proceed? And what sort of your inner guidance on that on how to move forward. And what compels you to keep going? And when you do? Well, let's stop there. But the next question would be when you do make you kind of hit a brick wall and you get stopped, what do you do? But let's go back to that first part that inner world of, um I get the sense that you really think well in the big picture, you know, you're really able to see all these different elements together. Feel it. I'm not sure how you argh rocking it, but it's some level. You are. Yes. So describe that.
spk_1: 29:02
So I always do the research first and, um, before I go into the meeting. So, for instance, when Costa Rica, when the president of Costa Rica, he was newly elected, wanted to do ah bilateral agreement on climate change. This is 94. So there was no Internet to go to, um now use the internet. But then it was LexisNexis files and it was doing searches to understand what was their motivation. What were the risks they were facing from climate change? What were the renewable energy opportunities, the forest opportunities? Ah, what was the interest for them as a country to want to be entering into this agreement And what could we do together that benefited the investors and the company's the United States, that benefited the broader US goal of having strong and very more protection around the world that we could do together. And so it was really understanding Costa Rica and the fact that they had rivers that were incredibly popular for kayaking and river rafting and generated a lot of tourism dollars. They had nature that they wanted to protect, and so few Damn those rivers. You lose that tourism benefit, you lose the nature benefit and so that there were other alternatives in geothermal and wind and also solar that they could turn to and develop. And also hydro creates methane emissions. When you flood plant a forested area, the plants die, and then the and then they they become combined with water. So you have co two and h 20 you get ch four, which is methane. So I'm getting in the walkie thing. But my point is that I looked whenever I do my research, I I I see the pictures. I guess I connect the dots to say OK, I'm seeing risk here for you, but I'm also seeing opportunity, and here is therefore what we should do together. And so, But then I go into a meeting and I start and I listen to them. I ask I'm an anthropologist. So it's always asked the biggest question. You know, what's the greatest challenge facing the company? What's what do you think your opportunities are and let them take me down a road? Because they're the ones who know what is the most important issue they're dealing with in the way that I can get the to want to act on climate change around the environment is to contextualize it into their biggest challenge of their biggest opportunity where they're taking the company.
spk_0: 31:23
Would you say that you see this, feel this or hear this? How do you You know, people. Sometimes I
spk_1: 31:31
feel it, and I definitely feel it, and I hear it. I mean, emotional intelligence is everything to be able to hear what I'm hearing and seeing the body language, Um, when you start to talk about something, whether it's resonates or whether it's you know, it's doesn't that's not a fit, um, to being able to quickly into it, whether there's a fit there, whether going down the right road for something that could resonate for them and be a win a way for them to move on
spk_0: 32:03
into it. Let's talk about that word you just used into it. How do you know when you intuited something? Probably correctly. And what are you? What is your, um, in a world? Like when you're into eating, you know, do you sort of let go? Do you feel into them? How do you feel into them? What are you looking for? What are you sensing? What? Your experience. How do you let go of yourself and your own biases so that you can, you know, get honest information that's not being filtered by your view of the world?
spk_1: 32:36
Hello? I think it's impossible to not have it be filtered in some way given my, um, beliefs which are founded, in fact, a swell a ce feelings. Um, but I do. I do realize that I don't know a lot of things that I need to understand and know. And so to be able to hear honestly from them, what's going on for the company, why their leadership wants to even have a conversation about the environment what's bribed? What's driving it. Um, but I have to hear it from them or I'm not gonna get the right answer. And so for me, 1/2 to hear and feel and see and see the dynamics among the players in the company to understand what's gonna work for them for the environment. So I have to listen and feel in order to get to the right answer. And I feel that in all of my work, I guess I used it is more of a head thing than a heart thing. But it is a matter of saying okay, I have to step back. I have to go really, really deep in the substance. But I also have to go deep to understand the culture and the operating environment to come up with the right answer. So and I think that I mean, my work. A Google taught me so much about not assuming I had the answers because I was a lawyer in a land of engineers and that coming up with a policy answer that Google was gonna lobby for California's global warming bill. That is a big solution for climate change that Google has a big economic actor in California and an innovator with a great reputation. 2000 6007. We could make a big difference, and we did, but we weren't just gonna be doing policy and weighing in on policy. We were in a meeting technology because these guys have amazing day products, that Google Earth, that it could help people learn and take action and trust the science of climate change. But they also had engineers who we could. But they organize themselves onto a teen to hack cars and make plug in hybrids and track the performance of those cars to show the potential of this technology to reduce a mission. So the the culture, the passion and the culture not to fight it, but to hear how. That also is a way to solve this problem. And that's consistent with what Google's going to do to solve the climate challenge. They're going to do great policy work. They're going to do great investments. They're also gonna do a bunch of great technology and innovation, actively soak
spk_0: 35:29
Okay, so let's say you're yeah, there's things going on multiple levels. There's the tactical strategic actual doing parts and you know the systems that do that I get. What I'm sensing is that you're working on multiple levels here and you're able to at the same time that you see this system that can help this happen. You're also taking in this intuitive feeling about how people are feeling about it, and you can kind of sense where there kind of hit and, you know, in a sense bumping up against themselves or bumping up against it system and you have a way to sort of a swatch that or to smooth it out in some way and presented in a way that I don't know, go ahead
spk_1: 36:17
well into work, I think, to work with them if there if it's not an either or, UM, and to give them a path for how their company, their organization, can help solve climate change. There's a really important rule that Google can play that Microsoft complained that Virgin can play and everyone's gonna be different. But all of it's important, so it's not either or and it's saying, Yeah, yes, I want Virgin and Google and Microsoft weighing on policy to support global action on climate change by governments, and I've helped support them and how them write their statements and have those platforms to make those arguments to governments to say Lead. We want you as companies won't you lead. We need those policies. But I also see how they threw their operations, and their technologies can also make a huge difference on climate change. So I don't want to. It's not fighting them. It's working with them to direct their help. Support them.
spk_0: 37:25
So when you were a kid, were you a collaborator or were you a lone wolf or were you a fighter? Were you What? What were you like when we were going through? Ah, community schooler,
spk_1: 37:36
I think. Well, growing up when I was little, er I would say, um I definitely had achievement succeed success. But I also was really collaborative. I had a ton of friends from all different groups. You know, Not I wasn't member of a single click, which was the thing. You know, in junior high school, I was friends with people across all different groups, and so I definitely had that. I didn't see it as either, or I didn't see it as one group. Not another was. I was friends with a lot of people. And but I also felt really strong drive to succeed until when
spk_0: 38:12
did it? Okay, so when you win, um, let's go back when you were young. And now how much recognition do you feel that you need or want as you succeed on? Is that part of the The drive, you know, is that part of the itch, so to speak, that you want to be seen as being successful, viewed as being successful, accepted as being successful?
spk_1: 38:38
The reason my success and being seen as being successful is important to me is because it gives me power to impact, to make a difference for nature and to then influence the next company. So if I am successful in my work with helping to support Microsoft's leadership on climate change and another company wants to do something similar, they will say, Hey, can you help us do that? And then I can help make them even Maur effective and more successful, and they would be hopefully without me, so to have a platform to help make it having success leads to more success because more people want that help for they themselves to be successful when the CEOs of Duke Energy and Mike and, um, Coca Cola and Dow Chemical and Fence a big, big Latin American companies, they wanted to speak out in support of action on climate change. Your after Copenhagen, right for the next talks. Um, the team that brought me in brought me in because I'd had been successful with them and other.
spk_0: 39:47
Sure, I guess so. Yes, success breeds success.
spk_1: 39:51
It does, and it's important because it drives impact. The more success I have, the more I'm legitimized in my world view that nature matters and that nature is good for business and that allows me to have more of an influence.
spk_0: 40:03
Okay, so got that part. Okay, I do want to study this, you know, let's bring it to you to your own feelings about being recognized in this. Forget about that. It helps you accomplish more. What does it do for you personally? To be recognizes, being successful and all of that in your personal life and your day to day interactions? I don't know. In your relationships and your friends, the circle of friends that you hang out with him, all of that drop inside you might have to drop in a little deeper to find an answer to this.
spk_1: 40:40
You know what I'm doing now? I've chosen to focus on the local community, through the institute. And when people thank me and appreciate what I'm doing, it means a lot.
spk_0: 40:57
How How does it mean a lot to you? What is it? Um,
spk_1: 41:03
it's I'm, uh, the just the, um thanks and appreciation and the because this was a big decision toe shift from more of a global platform, even though I'm continuing to do some global work, but to spend a lot of my time focused on our local community and what we can do here, it's different, Doug. I mean, I think that the global thing sounds so sexy And so, you know, working with all these big companies and the U. N. And Oh, that's so you're so afraid for doing that. That's very ego, right? That's really this local work. Some people don't get it. Why has she got local? What does she know? What is that? People have been out my ego world of working globally on these issues. And so for me, I think it's been really important for me Thio. Let go of that ego reward that I've had a lot of. And to have that personal connection and making a difference in a community that's riel and appreciate it on it's ah bit, it's more grounded and, um, it feels truly connected. Two individuals
spk_0: 42:29
in
spk_1: 42:29
the community and the community is a whole. And as people get to know me, you know, I think people can have suspicion that you're doing something for reward or recognition or power or whatever. And as people get to know me on this local level, I mean, people know me globally, kind of know that, too. I've never made money off of what I do in the world. I could have taken a number of other paths that would have been far more lucrative. Just eat it. The law firm at Baker and McKenzie. I could have stayed at Google like it is. You know, there are a lot of things I could have done, so I don't sue. People who know me kind of get that anyway. But, um that I I'm driven about what I see is needed and trying to be there to help make it happen and in our local community that's needed. And so for me, I think that personal connection and appreciation has become more important to me personally in my heart, here on
spk_0: 43:25
And what shifted inside to to, um, you know, after all those years of being out in the grant in the sexy big world to come in, did did something shift inside of you that wanted you to feel more. You know, this heart space you describe and connection one on one, the grounding. All of that, um, was what shifted inside of you. Was there something that caused that shift? A relationship that ended or, uh, I don't know what
spk_1: 43:58
I think it was when my dad passed away being here and, you know, because I moved home to be with him. And But it was also such a gift to be able to be here in this beautiful place and to connect with it and to see that I could do things here that really mattered. Um, it allowed me to realize that I could have a quality of life that didn't depend upon traveling 80% of the time and that, um was grounded and in place and then I want to create a quality of life that can't be created when you're traveling like I waas does not make sense. So I think I saw this. Um, I just wanted to have a more grounded presence and place to be to create a community and family. Whatever that looks like with my mom and my sister and the people here are my friends here. I'm from, um and to have a more place based career would allow me to have that quality of life, um, and connectivity
spk_0: 45:16
place based. I like that. Um, I like the sound of that. The feeling of that. Describe what that means to you Place based, uh, and describe it from more from your heart place than just, you know. Yeah, but it looks like,
spk_1: 45:34
um, that I can look out and know that I've been part of shaping the quality of life that we have in this community. That I'm part of a community that, um I walk around and see friends and people. I a door and 20 I saw what you're doing. You know, that's so great. Let's talk about that. How can we work together on that? to be ableto speed here in this community and have that connection and feel that person a person connection. I mean, when I feel that when I go to the conference circuit and then go to certain events that I will go to every year and I'll reconnect with my tribe,
spk_0: 46:24
Yeah, your peeps out there
spk_1: 46:26
and I love it. I'm so happy. I mean, in Paris, the climate talks. But seeing all my old friends reconnecting new ones, this one event I went Thio and ah, Al Gore was keynoting. And I swear it was everyone I worked with in the Clinton administration. Mmm. Loss. All these global collaborators have I adore And I was just a old home week. You know, it's just that feeling of being where you belong, where people get you and what you're passionate about and here being able to walk around and have building that community, my tribe of a bigger sense of, ah, place of a lot of us who care about this place and and care about spending our time on it and making a difference here. It's just making. I'm creating a building, a new try, a new set of relationships. And, um, yeah, it's just being part of what makes the place what it iss
spk_0: 47:32
Okay, one, uh, question I'm I'll throw at you is when I mentioned earlier. If you could Pat, if you could write a letter back to yourself when you were just coming out saying coming out of community school, or maybe, um Smith. What? Top three suggestions would you right back to yourself, based on what you've learned along the way, and the reason I'm asking this is what three tips could you give people out there as faras finding and acknowledging And, um, I don't know, living, you know, singing their note. So this big went top three tips. Could you give on that? Because I think you've done it quite successfully. Um, and I'm curious. What?
spk_1: 48:18
Always learning lessons, Doug, Life is not just, you know, that smooth roadway. Still some bumps that teach me some good ones fit.
spk_0: 48:30
So tip one would be was bumps along the way.
spk_1: 48:35
Tip one would be, um, even where there are bumps along the way. No. Trust yourself. You trust your gut. Trust your instincts, trust your beliefs. Um, and that you will be right you know, you may see it sooner than others, but just trust it, be with it, and it relates to my second tip, which is that it's okay to have enemies, you know, Not everyone will get it and agree. Now, I think eventually a lot of them will come around. But the 1st 1 of really trusting and knowing, you know, trust that heart and that intuition and that that belief of the vision of where I think we need to be going is the right path and listen and learn along the way, of course, but trust and not don't let opponents or difficulty, you know, make sure just believe. And I feel like I have my whole I've always intuitive. My heart has always known that protecting nature was the right path and that we figure it out eventually. It's humans that that was really important and that, um, so trust myself. And and, um and then second, I have a great early boss, Hazel O'Leary, who said to me, Amy, we're defined by our enemies. And what she meant to me was that how I took it was it's okay to have enemies. If the person who's your enemy stands for something that you of horror and you would never believe in. Of course, they will not be your friend. They're not gonna be your ally. They stand for damaging the environment, polluting at will. You know, uh, undermining communities for the sake of the dollar, whatever it is that your enemies, that that if you stand for something, you're gonna have enemies, and we're defined by them, because then that sets your place on. So I remember when I was running environment 2004 which was an environmental political campaign, you know, we had opponents. I went on Fox News, and you should have I had death threats. I had hate mail. I had It was scary. Lot of intimidation came in, I think, because in the debate kind of kicked the guys, but I think it really riled up the audience of it, uh, so that just remembering that that they're gonna be people don't get what you're about and don't, and that's okay. And they stay the course and trust, and it will be okay. And so enemies are okay. And then I think, uh, there's probably two more, actually, but listen, and, uh um, that I don't have to do it all myself. So listening and learning and listening. And that's always I mean, as an anthropologist, I know this, but I have to always remind myself. Listen, learn, listen, learn That's where the information and the watch and take it in not do all the talking, Um, but the, uh, but then you don't have to do it all yourself. That's been one that's really more recently in the last 10 years. Five years even, and I learned a lot all the time. There are incredible people out there who are playing different roles or who I can work with so I can hire who will be even better than I am parts of this work. You are a better researcher, a better power point producer. Um, we'll ask different questions that I can build a team and delegate and collaborate, and each of us take different parts of this. I don't have to do it all, and that's I'm so grateful because when I started this work, I felt like 20 years ago. 25 years ago, there were about five of us working on climate change in renewable energy and energy efficiency, especially globally. And now there are millions and millions of people working on all different aspects of solving our environmental challenges in building a new economic model that works for humans and nature together. So I'm so grateful because now I'm Aiken. I don't have to do it all.
spk_0: 52:42
And I think it's
spk_1: 52:42
just once again learning that and that you can trust others to to do a lot of it. So it's not all on my shoulders. I guess that's hard. That's a hard one, because I constantly feel like I need to be doing more. But yes, all
spk_0: 52:58
right. Um, thank you, Amy. And if people want to find out more information about you, your projects, where can they go to get more information?
spk_1: 53:10
Christenson global dot com has Mike Mike notifies re firm website and, um, and, uh so, as my name spelled and then, um, Sun Valley Institute dot or GE is our local work in the Wood River Valley, Blaine County of Idaho, central Idaho, but also being a model in a resource toe. Other communities I'm super excited about what we're doing to build new models. New, innovative approaches, investments and policies. And so those are my two main places to get to know me.
spk_0: 53:39
Great. Amy, it's been wonderful. Thank you for your time and for, you know, for opening up about this because these aren't all the normal business questions. I'm really wanted. And my goal is to find out the insides of story behind the story, so to speak.
spk_1: 53:57
Yeah, yeah, sure. There's a lot more, but good. Thank you. Um, I figured I should give you my Twitter name, because that's I do a lot of tweeting. I think that especially when I go to conferences. I really love to tweet. Um, and it's at Amy Global, so A I m e e global. So it's really easy.
spk_0: 54:14
And people have questions. They could just send you
spk_1: 54:16
tweak there. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Or, um, my email spine. It's Ah, Amy. Uh, Christenson global dot com. Okay. Thank you.
spk_0: 54:27
Thanks.