Women With Impact #7 - Jemma Wong
Welcome back to Women With Impact, a newsletter all about the journeys of ambitious women and how they have a positive impact in our world.
I’m Clara Richter and this is the 7th edition of Women With Impact. If you enjoy this issue, please share it with a friend and like it above.
For this edition, I interviewed Jemma Wong, CMO at PlasticFree, who is based in London. With PlasticFree, Jemma builds a tool for the global creative industry, accelerating the use of toxic-free products on our planet. She brings 13+ years of strategy, innovation and branding experience across industries ranging from the workspace ecosystem Huckle Tree, the Australian Football League, Nike to the Sydney Opera House.
Wishing you a pleasant read!
Best,
Clara
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The Journey
Who are you and how do you spend your time?
I identify as an advisor, systems-change marketer, mother, and projector. I spend most of my time as the Chief Marketing Officer of PlasticFree, a tool of change for the global creative industry. Newly launched, we are helping designers everywhere to design plastic out at source and create what’s next, by unlocking thousands of scalable solutions, next-gen materials, and daily intelligence on circular design. When I’m not building PlasticFree I’m either chasing nature, chasing speed on the track or chasing my son around to music.
What does impact to you?
I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on this lately. Impact means leaving something in better condition and a better place than when you found it. It’s a material equation. We need to give more than we take. We need to restore and replenish, not simply borrow. It applies to energy, time, resources, asks, relationships and of course, how we think about our planet. I wish more people were asked this question, so thank you for asking.
How do you make a positive difference in the world?
I think about this through the lens of design. We have a finite number of hours in our lifetime, so I try to intentionally design a life of optimism, empathy and opportunity, whether that’s through making introductions, solving problems or helping others. That’s what led me to working for a climate positive business. I truly believe PlasticFree is the gateway to how we redesign everything, and if we can empower 160 million global creatives to design without this addictive toxic chemical and design better systems and products, then we can move the needle at pace and scale.
The Lessons
How has your journey of making an impact changed you?
Impactful work is the ultimate teacher. It exposes your limiting beliefs and it pushes you to remove ego, and at the same time it opens you up to everything and everyone at once which can be incredibly enlightening. I think it also changes how your mind works on a chemical level. It’s not perfect but my mental load is lighter, my decision making is faster, and I’m more discerning of how and who I give my energy to, because when you’re focused on planetary health or the health of communities around you, there is no time to waste on smaller details.
What's a challenge you have encountered most often and how did you tackle it?
Driving systems change is hard, and it often means you’re pushing two pedals at once; changing both macro behaviours and individual perspectives. The biggest challenge then becomes staying the course when the impact appears invisible and when the payoff may not happen in one season or budget cycle. Impatience is impact’s worse enemy. I try to remind myself that I’m a carrier of change, not the sole driver of it, and so building a team or a community of people around you who can pick up from where you’ve left the work becomes extremely important. It is advice I often give to solo founders.
What's the biggest lesson you have learned on your journey so far?
Firstly, disruption isn’t anarchy in disguise. To disrupt anything right you need to master and learn the rules of the system like a pro so you know how and when to artfully break those rules. Secondly, there’s a difference between responding and reacting and the minutes you take between can make all the difference.
The Inspiration
Who did you recently inspire to create impact? How?
A recent connection of mine. I helped them to use your talents, creativity, empathy, energy and time to contribute to positive climate action. The fight to dismantle what we have built for centuries and to build something different is going to take so much of us, but I feel more and more that feminine energy could be the thing that helps to tip the scales and bring more of us together.
What advice would you give to other women who want to have a positive impact?
Bravery is in scarcity, at a leadership and a human level, and I think it is one of our purest human qualities that has the power to change the world. When I was building the Women’s League for AFL, I remember thinking that if we expected our athletes to be heroic on the field, then we needed to mirror that inside the administration. When you see a company or leader act with bravery, from a place of deep knowing and purpose, it fundamentally changes the energy in the room, and it makes people sit up and believe in that belief with ten times more conviction.
Enjoyed this or have any feedback? Let me know in the comments!
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