Em Burnip is passionate about nature and the environment and when her daughter Grace was born she matched her business skills with her values to create Eco Wedding Festivals.
But taking control of her own career path was less straightforward than simply setting up an eco-business while she was on maternity leave. She had developed a secure, good, if not always satisfying, career as a personal assistant and events executive for a Big 4 consulting firm for 17 years, with a special interest in sustainability.
Her efforts to get into a sustainability-led role were always thwarted, however, until she was given a nudge to find her own niche as an eco-entrepreneur. With a small child to consider she paused before making taking a leap and making the necessary sacrifices to move forward.
Em advises people who want to secure a green job or to become an eco-entrepreneur to first find out what they are good at, to put in research and start connecting with people in the field they want to work in.
From her own viewpoint, while she is passionate about nature and biodiversity, she considered where her skills and training would be best used, knowing that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her working life in a job she didn’t enjoy.
As she puts it: “At what point do I go for something that I really believe in and love?”
Having her daughter Grace put perspective around that decision, as she considered what she would say to her own child when she was making future career choices.
“I’d rather she was happy in a job and loved it than earning lots and not being happy,” says Em, who gives credit to Helen Jennings-Petz and Kerry North for the nudges and support.
Grace, now aged 10, currently wants to be a marine biologist. Em talks about the importance of teaching young children about the environment in a way that doesn’t scare them. She believes in helping people discover the green jobs they'll find in every sector and she volunteers at an eco learning charity, Greener Stourport, and completed a course in environmental studies at the Open University.
Em explains that as people are becoming more eco-conscious, they are demanding more sustainable choices to spend their own money on. But weddings are notoriously expensive and it is possible to buy cheap unsustainable alternatives online. She delivers the shocking statistic that the average UK wedding has a carbon footprint similar to the annual footprint of a UK family of four – and there are around a quarter of a million weddings in the UK alone.
Em encourages couples who want to put the planet on their guest list to come to one of her Eco Wedding Festivals to speak to eco-friendly, ethical businesses as they showcase their offerings. Done right, it makes for a music-filled fun day out with sample food from caterers, displays from florists, and a chance to meet sustainable suppliers in beautiful venues.
Links mentioned in this episode:
You might also like to listen to:
Dr Jess Tipton, head of the National Education Nature Park S6 E1
Beccy Dickson, co-founder of Branded Bio and eco entrepreneur S3 E12
Don Weatherbee, CEO RegenX S3 E7
Shaheer Hafeez, Director of sustainability advisory at KPMG S3 E2
Lydia Carrington, sustainability manager at Edgbaston Stadium S2 E1
About ProGRESS:
Host Sandra Fraser invites guests to discuss their pro- Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks for real-world insights into the pathways and careers that led to them.
Instagram: @progress_green_careers_podcast
Original content © Sandra Fraser
Original music © Lyze Kessell
Email: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk
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