S3 EP15 Sustainability and Business Profits with Isabela Tatu and Carmen Hijosa

Speaker A: Sam.

Speaker B: Mhm. Hello. Hello, hello. Hello. Welcome back. This is the final episode in season three of the Lavalda show, Women of Power. But you know what? It's not done yet. This is the beginning of the final episode. And as you know, this show is all about showcasing incredible, powerful women who are out there in the world doing incredible things such that you can find the inspiration and inclination to go out and do the same. Why? Because we need to have powerful women out there that we can look up to, such that we can find the power in ourselves. And today's two guests are absolutely that both of them working in the sustainable, um, what do you want? Environmental sector in various different ways. My first guest has been working in energy for over 22 years, um, and is created some sustainable energy solutions and is now working to bring more women together to work within the energy sector. Please welcome Isabella, uh, tattoo. And also joining us, we've got a lady who's taken it upon herself to take pineapple fibers of all things, and turn it into something which is the equivalent of leather. Please welcome Carmen Ehazi.

Speaker A: Hello ladies. Hello.

Speaker C: Hi. Hi everybody.

Speaker B: My goodness, I can't believe it. Honestly, sometimes I don't know exactly how the guests are going to end up with the lineup is going to be, but the two of you together in this is just super exciting for me because I have a secret passion about and I think we could all do more about doing better things for our environment. And sometimes it often feels like this thing that's so far removed from us. So Carmen, you've gone. I know you worked in fashion for a number of years before, before you went on to develop Pintex. Can you tell us a little bit about what that journey is and why you would go to create a new fiber, a new material for creating fashion?

Speaker C: Yes, indeed. I think like all journeys, it starts without really knowing a little bit where you're going to end up. So I had a company in Ireland manufacturing products made with leather. And um, I was asked by World bank to go to different countries to upgrade products made with leather. And then I got to the Philippines and I went to visit some tanneries and I realized this was in the 90s that leather is such an unsustainable material and the processes are really such, they use so much energy, uh, so much water, so many chemicals. And I thought, what am I doing? I really need to change my life. Uh, which is exactly what I, I did. It took 12 years to change from making things with leather to developing an alternative to leather. But nevertheless, ah, seeing what I had seen at that time, it made me very determined to find a solution, which is what Pinatex is about.

Speaker B: Wow. Because I think often we can see things and then not actually be compelled to do anything different. So it really excites me that you stuck with it like 20 years. To go from seeing something and saying, um, this is not good, it's not good enough. We need to do better. And sticking with the development of a new, uh, an alternative to leather, I think is really incredible. Isabella, 22 years in energy. I mean, I don't think there's that many chicas in the energy sector. How did you come to be in energy and tell us a little bit about the work that you're doing now in terms of supporting other women to get into the same space?

Speaker A: Yes. So I have started in the business for 22 years, and it's something I always wanted, um, that I wanted to do. I remember I was 16 years old. Um, I grew up in a communist regime. I'm Romanian as origin. And I remember one day I read this article about multinational import and export. And I knew this is something I really wanted to do. So then I pursue. I went to the school who helped me to, to follow this, um, dream. And then after university I managed to get into one of the big, um, trading companies, um, in this environment. And then I moved to London and I continued on this path. But yes, I mean, I remember when, uh, I started working, I was one of the only few women in the whole world. And I used to deal with the metals. Uh, so Romania we exporting like aluminum, copper and zinc around the world. And I could work with offices from around the world, from UK to India to South America. And I was the only woman, except my colleague in the Romanian office, who was another woman. And I really enjoyed, and I'm so passionate because I really love shipping and the maritime industry and what it means. And I believe that with the recent events, what happened in Suez, whatever green people have started understanding how much, um, things are happening on the sea, that a normal person is not aware how much transportation happens, how everything we receive from another world is coming like bananas or, you know, there is a whole process, the refrigeration of any kind of products, agriculture, the grains, the oil. And I think this, um, negative incident that happened has brought a lot of, uh, ideas to people. While the shipping is. So it's something wonderful. And, uh, yeah, it's been a bit of a difficult journey, but I'm so happy to see for the last five, six years more and More women coming into the industry. M. I have to say that I had a very good, um, managers, men managers who supported me and guided me. So, uh, at one point I could even create my own team and I had a equality gender. So I had 14 teams, seven women, seven men. And that was seven years ago. And I'm very proud to say was a full diversity, not only gender equality, but full diversity. So it's something that I think is the proudest thing to date of my career to manage to achieve that. Um, wow. Yes. Um, and, uh, so for the last few years I started becoming more aware of the climate change. I think in the last five years, um, you know, you started thinking about the pollution. What I love my industry, so what is it possible to do to continue working? And I have started working with a very good friend of, friend of mine who is a scientist. So we've been working on, um, resource of renewable energy. So not only for the shipping industry, but for the communities, for the local transport and hopefully in the future for the aviation as well, which is a hydrogen fuel cell which has as a main source the waste. So, um, there is so much waste around the world. Uh, there is plastic waste. So our technology, its basis on creating hydrogen and electricity or heat from the waste.

Speaker B: That is super cool. I think it's kind of, it's a little bit similar in some ways to what you're doing, Carmen, because the raw materials effectively for you to create Pintex, is that waste. Would that otherwise be waste material?

Speaker C: Absolutely. You think about 27 million tons of waste, uh, of pineapple plantations throughout the world. Hypothetically, we could use all that waste, uh, to make a new material. Uh, we could nearly replace half of the leather production with our waste, which is quite extraordinary. Uh, and this is really very important for me. And it has been from the beginning that using and developing pinatecs, uh, we don't need any water, any land, any pesticides to develop a new material. Think about cotton, think about other textiles out there. Um, we don't need to plant one single pineapple to have this huge amount of waste. Because usually these leaves, which are not the little leaves at the top of the pineapple, we know the pineapple, these little ones, these are very important. They are planted. Actually. This is the seed for the new pineapple. It's these very long leaves which are about a, um, meter to a meter 20, that usually are left to rot in the ground. Uh, we are solving a big problem as well environmentally because these leaves are usually either burnt or left to rot in the ground. Uh, so there is CO2 coming from them. It's really um, a great solution to a big problem.

Speaker B: And do you think here's, here's an interesting one. I love that both of you are creating sustainable solutions using what would otherwise be waste material that would just effectively just be dumped. But being a woman out there creating a sustainable material, do you think that you faced any unique challenges or maybe even had any unique advantages being female versus if you were say, male? Carmen, what do you reckon?

Speaker C: Uh, for me at the beginning it was difficult because, you know, we have a patent. I mean I'm the inventor of this new material, which means that people will be thinking what? That's not possible. Right. So I'm not sure if it is because a woman or a new product out into the world. But you know, people were very skeptical and I am um, not, you know, I'm a very small, I'm a small person. I'm not really very powerful in my physique. So it was like, oh, you know, amongst so many men. But I think once the product was seen as a potential, uh, and the potential that it has and me feeling very confident as I am, uh, from, you know, from the development of this product and realizing what is the solutions that bring uh, into the world, I think things um, changed, um, and today I do not see any difference.

Speaker B: So it's been a matter of you really building something that you believe in and something that you can prove to others. Isabella, what about you? Do you think being female had a positive impact, a negative impact, any impact at all in terms of you developing your solution?

Speaker A: Well, I have been working on the solution with um, my friend who is a male. So um, he's a scientist. I will say that probably uh, more than five years ago that would been um, not helpful being a woman. Uh, I think in the last few years in the climate change has been a lot of changes, more than the rest of the energy sector. Um, because women they started having lots of startups, lots of ideas and in my opinion they kind of came to the leadership of the climate change. What is very disappointing. Uh, taking UK for example, as you know in this year at the end of the year There is the UN, uh summit, the COP 26 and last year the UK government when announced the delegation there was full of men, not single woman in a leadership position. Um, so that um, kind of upset me very much actually. Uh, last year I was uh, campaigning, there was a petition, um, there's been some movement um, to get signature to change this. And I Would urge everyone that is watching, please sign the petition. The UK government needs to have more women. There needs to be equal gender and diversity in who is representing UK at the UN summit. And that is one of the most important summit in the world at the moment. Um, so it has to come from the top, uh, with these cases, right? Like as we know, about gender equality and diversity.

Speaker B: So what I'm hearing is it's getting better, but there's still definitely room for improvement. Carmen, when you were starting, what networks really kind of supported you in being able to get out? I think there might be women listening, some of whom have some incredible ideas for, for perhaps going into the sustainable space. And they're just not sure where to start. They don't have the resources. Um, what would be your advice or what really supported you in creating this, you know, creating this fiber? Because it's really starting from zero to say there must be an alternative.

Speaker C: Absolutely, 100% starting from zero. And for me it was, um, I'm from Spain originally. I'm pretty much out there up front. Um, it was a matter of. I had an idea. I had these fibers which I knew that because they had specific qualities, strength, pliability, very fine, I could make something, uh, that it was in the future really. Right. Because it was not been done before. Uh, but because my idea, I come from the creative field, um, uh, I had the idea very clear in my mind. What I had to find out is basically people that had the skills I didn't have and go to them with my ideas, which is exactly what I did. And one of the first, this is a nice little story which I will tell you is when I was working in the Philippines, when I realized that these fibers, uh, are very strong, but fine and flexible. And I thought, what if I make a mesh because this is not unlike our skin, unlike the leather, right? So who can help me to make this mesh? And I didn't even have a name for the mesh. And I went to see this non woven company and now we, you know, I'm an expert in non woven. At the time I didn't know anything. And I went to see the owner of this company, Mr. Tan, and I said, Mr. Tan, I have this idea. Would you think this is possible? Um, would you be able to help me? Just, you know, what can you do? And, uh, he looked and he said, you know, I had ideas similar to that 20 years ago. Nobody listened to me. I didn't think it was important. But today I know this would be very important for the Filipino people. I'm going to help you. And really that was the beginning in a way of this chain of help. You know, I would be out there looking and looking and looking and eventually I would find somebody that would open the next door store for my research. And this is really how I develop things to this day.

Speaker B: We've got to be vocal, got to go out there, ask people.

Speaker C: Absolutely.

Speaker B: Because I think sometimes as women we can be a little bit shy or it's my idea and I want to keep it to myself and what if somebody takes it? But if you keep it that close and you're, you know, you, you don't. We don't have all of the skills across the whole spectrum of developing stuff. There'll be, you've got a zone of expertise and we've got to own that and find other people that we can, that can complement that. Isabella, how was that journey for you? What networks did you have to build? How did you go from you said you started with a friend of yours. Can you tell us a little bit more about how you got the ball rolling?

Speaker A: Yes. So I had um, a bit of a. I've been very lucky here because my friend has been working in this or it's been his passion for the last 35 years. Um, and only as I said only four or five years ago I started considering and looking at the alternative and it was the right way for us to work together. Um, for me was to have different support networks around me, um, from like learning everything about the technical side or from the support in sense of the technology like it or how do I do different things besides taking different courses to learn about different stuff. I have researched a lot but also network or fine groups of people with similar interests. So there is a lot on the hydrogen. So my project is on hydrogen and I search communities of women who are passionate about hydrogen, who they are working in hydrogen or they are interested in. And yeah, just being in kind of groups with like minded people, it helped me a lot to understand more about the market or the technical side, um, and from my side to really focus on my passion because this is a passion project and uh, to be able to give focus because especially during this pandemic year, it's been a bit tough. You, you think I'm going in the right way, then you have challenges and you're like, am I doing the right thing? Who can help me? Oh, I don't know. And you hit a wall and you may have a really bad day and because of the situation it may be worse than it Is but my, I think persuasion and really follow your passion. If you're passionate about something, if you just do one step each day, you'll get there. And you would meet people in your journey that will teach you something, even it's negative or positive. Because I'm saying every person we meet in our journey, uh, will teach us something. Sometimes can be even a negative incident or a challenge, as I call it, that is okay, because maybe later we say, oh, yeah, without that challenge, I wouldn't have learned that.

Speaker B: Exactly. Without that challenge, I wouldn't be who I am today. Today I wouldn't have learned the thing that I needed to learn that's made this easier. And I particularly love that you said, just take one step. You've got to have focus. You don't give it any time and attention. It's never going to get off the ground. One last question before I move m on. To understand exactly what your power tools are, because the things the two of you are doing are incredible. Carmen, this one's particularly for you, but I'm also interested to hear from Isabella. You started this project a little bit later on in life, shall we say, and there's a lot of people who will say, I'm too old or I'm too young. And so for you, what were you. Were there any unique challenges or what would you say to people who were thinking, I'm too old for this. I'm in my 40s, I'm in my 50s, I'm in my 60s, whatever the number is that they're saying is too old, that they can't get started. What would you say? Because you were not in your 20s when you started this.

Speaker C: No, no, I wasn't in my 20s. I was in my 20s when I left my country. I was 19 and Spain and started from zero. Uh, I'm kind of a serial entrepreneur. This is my fifth company, actually. Uh, but, uh, you know, to me, age has nothing to do with energy, enthusiasm, and joy of learning. And every time you learn something, I can see other possibilities, you know? Yeah. Uh, to me, it's nearly incomprehensive that people think that they're too old, because you are never too old. You can be too old at 20 if you really think, oh, you know, I heard young people coming out of university, 23, 25, thinking, Wow, I have to get a job, I have to get a pension, I have to get. And I thought, what are you talking about? I don't have a pension, I don't have anything. No, it's about believing that you've got an idea. And this is very important for me that that idea, it's really bigger than yourself and it really relates to people, um, and planet, in my case. Meaning that whatever we do, if it has a positive impact in the world, there is no age whatsoever. It's really, you believe your energy, your wisdom, because this is the good thing about getting, oh, don't forget we get wiser or at least we've got more experience. And this really builds on what we can do.

Speaker B: I love that it's having something that's bigger than yourself, um, an idea that's bigger than yourself. And arguably, if you've had more life experience, you've got enough experience to probably make that happen with fewer mistakes. Your path to success is a little bit smaller than those of us who are running a little bit more on, dare I say, what do we call it? You know, not the not knowingness of it. Um, Isabella, what about you? What do you think? What would you say to those people where they're either, they're either too young to get started or they feel like they're too old to get into a sector? Because there is this thing where, especially when it's a new idea, what's the perfect number? What do you say to those people whose, um, resistance is age?

Speaker A: Well, I actually am in my 40s, and when I turn 40, I actually left my career before I left because it wasn't. I didn't fit with me, with my principles, with what I wanted. So I kind of started fresh again from the age of 40, which many people, they consider daunting. But the age is, as I said, uh, age is like a good wine, you know, good red wine. Um, and for me, one of the reason I created this, one of my projects I'm working, um, because I have seen a lot of women in the energy sector worrying about the age. Um, and more than that, because of all the changes in the industry, um, they concern about what the future is going to bring for them. So one of the reason I created one of the projects actually to help the women to find their passions about the climate change, renewables, and even to give them a different perspective to start their own business. Because in the end we, uh, can have a job and then we can work on a passion project and hopefully that passion project can become our full time, uh, so the age doesn't matter. I will say, um, that most probably the society is changing already with a pandemic, uh, because so many people have become entrepreneurs in this year of pandemic. I know lots of people, right, come. And I see lots of people, young people, who suddenly they started doing a lot of online business. And, um, for the young people, I would say try it. I mean, again, go to have a job, to have that financial security, but at the same time, try whatever ideas you have, go for it. And for this, the. The older regeneration, the same. If you have an idea, even you spend an hour every other day on it, is something, time consumption, something to

Speaker B: keep us going and keep us excited about life. And especially, as Carmen said, if it's something. If it's an idea that's bigger than you, you just put some time and focus behind it. It really doesn't matter how old or young you are. Um, the messages go out there and get some started. So, as you know, ladies, this is the Women of Power show. We have two powerful women. And part of the reason why I do this show is not only to showcase the incredible work that women are out there doing, sometimes that others don't even know is happening, but also to get to pull behind the curtains of who it is that you are, such that we can find some sort of similarities. Hence why I asked all of my guests this question. If we were to take everything that you've done to date in your life and business and boil it down to just three things, and we'll start with the first two, one each. And you were to say, this thing here has been absolutely fundamental. It can be a tool, a strategy, a way of being that you can say, it's been absolutely fundamental to me, having the success that I've had. Isabella, what would your one thing be?

Speaker A: To believe in my dreams. Um, and I can. And I was thinking recently again about this. The power of the dreams, the power of imagination. So. And again, I'm not using my native country or my background, but it is quite important because I came to England, um, after I finished my university, after a year of work, I really wanted to come and it was such a difficult process. Uh, and I felt it was something I really need to do and I really wanted, because I felt London was a place I can continue my career. I can do things more in a way than I could do in Romania. And I read, I imagine I used. I really believed I could come to London. And at the time, there was a difficult process. We're talking about 22 years ago. Um, there was a lot of visas and m. Very, very difficult process. And in the end, it happened, um, many years ago. I wanted to work with wonderful people on a project that can Change the world. And I am working on it now. And just feeling and believing, uh, that you have a dream and no matter how crazy can be at a time, just go for it.

Speaker B: The power of dreams, people, you are never too old to have them and never too young to have them, and never too old to let go of them, whichever way it is. I think I've mixed that up, but you know what I mean. Hold on to your dreams and follow them. Carmen, for you, what would you say has been the essence of your power? What's your number one power tool?

Speaker C: Yeah, I think, uh, what you said, Isabella, is absolutely right. Again, coming from the creative field. For me, um, even when it didn't exist, this new material, I could see it in my mind. So this is really this flash of imagination that you get that you think that's it. And then you have to follow that imagination, which is really exactly what Isabella said. You follow that dream. That, for me, is just an imagination, which is already very clear in my mind. Ah. And I think another thing that really, I need to follow that imagination to call it something is to trust myself. You have so many things, so many bumps in the road to really say, wow, this is not possible, this never gonna happen, you know. No, no, no, no. But then you've got to really have this inner conviction and trust that you believe in yourself to the point of, yes, it's gonna happen. I'm going to do it because I know that this is good for people and planet in my case. And I think Isabella is the same in a way. And I think that absolute trust that again, as you said, Isabella, uh, you know, it's not about failure. I don't believe in failure. It's basically going from, you know, one experience to the other and learning about it, but believing that what you're doing has such a future and has a positive impact in the world that, ah, you just go with it.

Speaker B: Oh, I love. I mean, they're so complementary. One is, Isabella said, just dream, dream big and, and own those dreams. But not just that. Have that inner conviction that it's something that you can do and it'll make it happen. I have this saying, I say, you know, to be, to be an entrepreneur, you need a healthy level of diet delusion because. Because not everybody's gonna be on your side when you get started. You know, there's gonna be times where everybody around you is telling you it looks crazy and it's never gonna work. But that is that inner belief in yourself or if it helps you to think of it as a healthy level of delusion. Lean into the delusion, live with it. Because trust me, all of the big ideas tended to start with a degree of skepticism around them. And, and if the creator of the idea bought into the skepticism, the idea would never exist and imagines how much more boring the world would be. Because a lot of the things, uh, that make us comfortable today have come from some of these people who had that much belief and conviction in themselves, who had a dream and enough belief in themselves to make it happen. Which I think is such a beautiful note to leave the final episode of season three on. But just before we wrap up, two things very quickly because we're running out of time very quickly, so like 30 seconds each. Firstly, if you were to leave people with just one last thing that you'd say, look, if this is your closing message, what would it be? And secondly, somebody wants to dive a little bit deeper with you, what is the best way for them to connect with you? Uh, Isabella, if you go first super quick, before we run out of time and they start rolling the credit.

Speaker A: Yes. So believe in your dreams. As I said, go for it. Dream big and do every day a little bit of a step to make it happen. If you want to learn more about my platform or my energy, please email me to hello, iladyshiproundtable.com or follow us on the social media. Thank you so much.

Speaker B: Thanks, Isabella. All of those things will be in the show notes. If you're listening on the podcast on the YouTube channel. If you're watching the live stream, you're just going to have to click the link to go over there and check it out. Uh, Carmen, what about you? What one last note. Would you like to leave people with and how can they connect people with you?

Speaker C: Yes, I think particularly as women, we need to believe in our own intuition. You know, this inner force that we have inside ourselves that really usually kind of guides us really. And then this brings confidence in yourself. And I think this is really, really very important, uh, because if we don't really believe in ourselves, nobody's going to believe in it. But this comes from within. You know, it's really a quality of heart and soul that we have to develop. It's not about the world, it's about our inner self and um, how to connect with myself. I think, uh, if they put for my attention, if they go to info Nanasanan, um, it will get to me

Speaker B: info at ananasananam, um, m.comananas-annam.com and then

Speaker C: they can say for my attention, and it will get to me.

Speaker B: Fabulous. And all of that will be in the show notes. Ladies, thank you so much for gracing us with your wisdom and for the amazing, incredible work that you're doing in the world and the positive impact that you're having. For those of you who've been watching and listening, thank you. This is the end of season three of the lavelda show, Women of Power show. It has been absolutely incredible serving you. Please, please, please go back and watch the episodes. Take a little bit of action every day. And if you aren't already subscribed to find out when season four goes on, then please head over to, uh, lovelda.com podcast in order to put yourself on that list. Until next time, go out there, shine your light on the world. And it's a ciao from me. For now.

Speaker A: It.