MISGIF named a Sustainable Earth Awards Winner
EXCITING NEWS!
MISGIF has been named a winner in the Sustainable Earth Small Business Awards (SESBAs) for its commitment to creating a more sustainable future for the planet and community!
MISGIF was one of just 15 small businesses throughout the US recognized for its innovative solutions and approaches to sustainability, which aimed to reduce waste and water use, conserve energy, and increase equity and accessibility, among other initiatives!
A NOTE FROM SUSTAINABLE EARTH
“We were blown away by the innovative solutions these small businesses and individuals have developed to positively impact the environment and the communities they each serve,” said Sustainable Earth Program Manager Katelyn Armbruster, M.Ed. “It was challenging to select just 15 winners, but these businesses really rose to the top for the difference they’re making and the commitment they’ve dedicated to sustainability.”
Sustainable Earth, powered by Arizona State University (ASU), is a sustainability-, knowledge- and idea-sharing website created to empower individuals, businesses and educators to contribute to a more sustainable tomorrow. The platform provides sustainability information, news and education presented in an approachable format, and includes sustainable-focused micro-courses, educational tools and learning activities, and new research coming out of ASU and other institutions. Sustainable Earth is a collaborative effort, funded by Wells Fargo and developed by Arizona State University (ASU).
For more information, visit sustainable-earth.org.
A NOTE FROM MISGIF CEO
“We’re so grateful and excited to be recognized for the Arizona photo booth business transformation we’ve gone through over the past couple of years! Below is a short recap of some ways we’ve been moving towards a more sustainable events business model:
Enrolling in Local First Arizona’s SCALE UP sustainability program
Developing a transparent Environmental Policy with measurable 2022 goals that keep us accountable
Receiving our Arizona Green Business Certification (and being honored by Tempe City Council!)
Taking Sustainable Earth business courses to further our sustainability education
Re-imagining our office space and Arizona photo booth services to be more sustainable
Committing 50% of our GIF Back Club donations ($10,000 donated to-date this year!) to local Arizona nonprofits dedicated to sustainability initiatives such as Trees Matter and Waste Not Arizona
The work required to transform into a sustainable business never ends, but we are so very happy to be where we are today and to celebrate this huge honor and the progress our Phoenix, Arizona photo booth business has made thus far!”
— Jessie Whitfield, CEO of MISGIF
Checkout a sneak peek of Jessie’s Arizona podcast interview with Sustainable Earth below where she shares some exclusive details about MISGIF’s sustainable business journey along with helpful tips for how to get started:
MORE ON OUR SUSTAINABILITY JOURNEY
What prompted your company to become more sustainable business?
We have always been mindful of sustainability at MISGIF, in part because our photo booth business was created based on our desire to find a solution to eliminating unnecessary waste left over from events. Specifically, prior to MISGIF when I worked at nonprofits planning events I noticed many event attendees would leave their printed photos behind. My photo booth business MISGIF was created to offer Arizona events a more sustainable and marketing-savvy, all-digital alternative to traditional Arizona photo booths that print.
With that said, we really took a deep dive into transforming our Phoenix photo booth business into a more sustainable one in 2020. Like many, I became very aware of the positive (and negative) impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and decided to take an even more committed approach to sustainability when we re-emerged from an event industry shutdown in 2021.
What challenges have you experienced along the way and how have you overcome them?
I think the three biggest challenges to running a sustainable events business are:
If you’re a small business owner with a small team the reality is that it’s difficult to get everything you want done in terms of “sustainable switches” in one month, much less one year since you have limited man-/woman-power. This requires a lot of patience and dedication, especially since you don’t always see immediate or tangible effects of your “sustainable switches.” I imagine this can deter some business owners from staying the “sustainability course.”
Ultimately, becoming a sustainable business does require a financial investment in certain situations if you want to embrace more sustainable solutions. This can at times be stressful for a small business with a limited budget, time or resources.
As much as the event industry and general public speak about wanting to move towards a more sustainable future, you run into a lot of “green washing,” or pushback about embracing sustainable event options, simply because the alternative with a larger carbon footprint is easier and cheaper.
To overcome the above three obstacles we’ve taken the following approaches:
Develop a detailed Environmental Policy along with measurable sustainability goals that break down into realistic monthly goals, making them more manageable.
Develop a budget specifically for “sustainable upgrades” or investments, as well as embrace more affordable sustainable options such as utilizing natural lighting vs. buying LED light bulbs, seeking out local city/state rebates and grants, etc. to fund sustainable projects
Ignore what everyone else is doing and focus on what is working for us here at MISGIF. Taking what we learn from various books, courses and organizations and translating them into our day-to-day operations as well as sharing on our website, social media, e-newsletter, etc. helpful sustainability tips and resources.
What’s one tip or piece of advice you’d share with fellow business owners who may be thinking about pursuing sustainability initiatives?
I have a few tips that I always recommend:
Enroll in Local First Arizona’s SCALE UP Sustainability Program, then apply for your Green Business Certification. They’ll also help you create an Environmental Policy which will shape your sustainability goals moving forward for your business.
Enroll in Sustainable Earth’s small business sustainability courses online (they’re free and amazing!)
Watch documentaries about sustainability, read books about sustainability (I recently really enjoyed This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate by Naomi Klein, Inconspicuous Consumption : The Environmental Impact You Didn’t Know You Had by Tatiana Schlossberg and The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living With Less by Christine Platt!), follow accounts on social media like @sust_earth, @environment, @intersectionalenvironmentalist, @treesmatter, @wastenotaz, @localfirstaz, @arizonaforward and @greengirlleah, join local Arizona organizations that are passionate about moving Arizona toward a more sustainable future like Local First Arizona and Arizona Forward…just immerse yourself in as much sustainability education as possible, you’re bound to find actionable tips that you can apply to your business and home life along the way!
Don’t be afraid to start sharing what you learn online with your clients and followers! Even though “sustainability” is a buzzword, a lot of people don’t fully understand how sustainability works or the core pillars to it, or how their small actions can have a really big impact…we sure didn’t when we started out! So the more you learn from experts…share those helpful resources with others to help combat misinformation about sustainability and green-washing!
VIEW OUR EVENT SUSTAINABILITY TIPS
Looking for an easy way to get started when it comes to being a more sustainable Arizona events business? We’ve got more helpful tips for this that we recommend checking out!