Courage to be conscious.
Courage: Through Conscious Choices
Every week on the Brave New Girls podcast, I ask my guests what courage means to them. This week, Ella Cooper, co-founder of Wylde Market, shared her insights:
“I think a lot of what we are doing, especially in the UK, is just conforming. It's just going with the grain. It's buying, what's convenient, what's there. I fancy this, I'll have that, and it's not taking to make those choices that would make a difference to someone else. And I appreciate that, it's a difficult time financially for lots of people. And that money of course comes into play. But I think it's just making those choices as and when you can. So I think to be courageous is to be bold and it's to go against, easy fixed choices that are there. And it will pay off in the longterm. The more people that do that, and the more we can break into the space and provide people with Another option.
So I like to think that what we're doing is courageous. It's obviously it's a difficult it's a very difficult industry to be in when you're going up against supermarkets and their whole thing is price and cutting the price down. And how can you really, how can you really fight with that? Because food is a necessity. It's not, we always have a bit of being seen as slightly A luxurious sort of brand and that, that's been a challenge, but when you meet our customers and we've had lots of interviews and done extensive sort of customer research, they're not all coming from the place that you might think they would be. We've got a real broad array of people. And they're our wild community and they just understand it and they understand what we're trying to do. And I think they're brilliant. Courageous as well. So it's it's that it's instilling that in other people.”
Ella’s perspective highlights how courage is about resisting societal pressures to conform, particularly in how we consume. In the UK, convenience often dictates food choices—industrial farming products, factory-made meals, and quick fixes dominate.
True courage, Ella believes, lies in making bold, thoughtful decisions that prioritize health, sustainability, and fairness, even when it’s challenging or inconvenient.
Creating Courage in Everyday Life
Courage isn’t just for entrepreneurs like Ella who take on broken systems—it’s something we can all foster. By recognizing the power of our daily choices, we can step away from conformity and contribute to meaningful change.
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Dare to do things differently, for a happier, healthier, impactful life.
Here are practical ways to embrace courage and support a healthier, more sustainable world:
10 Actionable Steps to Build Courage:
Educate Yourself: Learn about the food system and its impact on health, the environment, and communities.
Choose Sustainable: Opt for food sourced from organic or regenerative farming practices, even for small purchases.
Start Small: Make incremental changes, such as buying one locally-produced item per week.
Plan Ahead: Avoid convenience traps by preparing meals or shopping lists in advance.
Cook Seasonally: Align with nature by cooking with seasonal produce.
Support Local Producers: Visit farmers' markets or order from platforms like Wylde Market.
Share the Message: Talk about sustainable practices with family and friends, inspiring them to take action.
Reduce Food Waste: Get creative with leftovers to maximize resources.
Vote with Your Wallet: Purchase ethically-produced goods to show demand for sustainable practices.
Be Patient: Change takes time—celebrate progress over perfection.
Cultivating Collective Courage
Courage is contagious. By making intentional, informed choices, we influence others to do the same. Small actions, like opting for seasonal vegetables or sustainable fish, can spark larger shifts in our communities. As Ella observes, her customers—Wylde Market’s "wild community"—come from diverse backgrounds, yet they share a commitment to thoughtful consumption. This shared bravery fuels a movement toward better choices and a healthier planet.
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