Last week, we had the chance to sit down with Marcus Hoy, CEO of Sustainable You – a company founded to address the realization the harmful impact of over-consumption and resource depletion; Sustainable You empowers individuals to change their consciousness from self-destruction to sustainability.
With a team comprised of collective experience in renewable energy, agriculture, environmental science and management, tech, hospitality, political activism, as well as individual and community development, Sustainable You helps advise organizations and individuals on how to lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
Their services include transitioning homes to rewarding Eco-Evaluations with expert coaching, income-generating solar power, optimized permaculture gardens, and developing community resiliency projects.
Let’s get to know more about Sustainable You and their CEO, Marcus Hoy!
Tell us a little bit about you, your background, and your current role:
Marcus studied math and philosophy at SUNY Geneseo in upstate NY. After traveling through Australia and Europe and gaining a deeper, global perspective, Marcus eventually ended up moving to Washington DC.
Although he originally planned to go to law school to lobby for renewables, he became fascinated with Elon Musk and his progress on forging a more sustainable path. Marcus joined SolarCity and stayed on for 4 years with Tesla after they were acquired. He then left Tesla and started Sustainable You to help each of us evolve a sustainable lifestyle through simple and rewarding actions.
Currently Founder and CEO of Sustainable You, he is helping the team and community grow. Sustainable You is focused on communities within Washington DC with plans to expand across the country in time.
Why do you think climate change and sustainability is such an important topic today?
Unsustainable, by its very definition, will eventually lead towards its own ending.
We are no longer at the dawn of humanity where we have little impact on the planet at large. It is now the anthropocene, where humans physically move more earth than all the natural forces combined. Our planet will be fine, yet we push it towards the brink of no longer supporting us. For all the genius that we humans possess, we will destroy ourselves if we do not come together in an unprecedented way and consciously forge a sustainable path forward. Our future is the product of what we collectively choose with our actions. What future are your actions manifesting?
What do you envision your industry looking like 10 years from now?
We envision a world where a sustainable consciousness has become the norm. Individuals live for more than their own self interests or at least understand that sustainable choices are in their own self interest. Short term profits are no longer the only consideration, yet we are seeing that the people’s demands have aligned sustainable business practices with short term interests. Many leaders are doing their part to bring about change at unprecedented speed. We are no longer debating about climate change but actively working towards re-wilding and re-balancing the planet by remembering the ancient wisdoms we seem to have forgotten. Homes and cities are teeming with food, factory farming is joining coal as a thing of the past. Investments are shifting to embolden the companies driving this change. The transformation from fossil fuels to clean technologies are expanding the middle class and providing true purpose to billions of people across the planet. We are starting to see that a sustainable world is not an impossibility, but rather, the future.
What is a fun fact about you?
My favorite food in the world was bacon cheeseburgers but now I’ve been vegan for over 6 years.
What can the average person do to make a difference?
The single best thing you can do is to be an example for those around you. Talk to your friends and family about sustainable options. Try not to judge or look down on others but find positive ways to empower them to participate. Be the change you want to see in the world, it will have a ripple effect on everyone and everything you come in contact with. Start simple. Look at your own life and make choices that empower your own sustainable journey. Go solar, ride a bike or if you need a personal vehicle, go electric. Learn about how your diet impacts the planet. Consider more plant based meals. Consume less. Buy better, more sustainable products that will last longer. Take a hard look at your bank and understand where they invest your money. Look for an alternative. Invest your money in companies that are helping bring about a more sustainable world. If we all did this, it would make all the difference.
Green Success Stories is a television show, podcast, social media, and news platform, hosted by Dylan Welch, that highlights climate change scientists, renewable energy experts, and clean tech entrepreneurs by giving them a voice in the mainstream media. The Green podcast highlights leading experts in cleantech, sustainability, media, finance, and real estate. Tune in and subscribe to the podcast on Apple or Spotify to listen to interviews with leading cleantech and sustainable experts. If you are interested in being featured on Green, click HERE.