What it takes come out stronger from a crisis / Lilli Graf / Ep #201

Service Design Show

My daughter dared me to 15 meters free-fall... I was on a climbing track with her, and this was one of the "attractions." Of course, she had taken the plunge without shedding a sweat. So, there I was standing on the edge, ready to take the jump, while everything in my body was screaming NO. I hesitated, terrified... but backing out was not an option. Especially not when a 10-year old girl is cheering dad on from the ground. Sometimes, you just have to leap into the unknown and trust that things will turn out alright. Our guest this week, Lilli Graf, also took a massive leap. She left a safe job at a respected design agency to go independent and start her own business. Why? Because she knew 'less bad' isn't good enough anymore when it comes to our climate crisis. Her journey in the last few years has thrown up many challenges. So, I wanted to know what kept her going, what she had learned so far, and what she would have done differently, looking back. Of course, we also had to talk about what pushed her over the edge to make the leap in the first place. This episode is about way more than climate solutions (though those are fascinating). It's about YOU... As service design professionals, we champion change. We push our clients to step into the unknown. But how often do we do that same? I hope this honest and open conversation will inspire you to leap more often. What fascinated me is how well Lilli's story shows the ripple effect of our choices. From childhood to career, it all connects. What will your next ripple be?

--- [ 1. GUIDE ] ---

00:00 Welcome to Episode 201

03:00 Who is Lilli

04:00 how Lilli heard about SD

05:15 Lightning Round

06:15 Community needs to reflect

11:15 Why Lilli needed to Step Back

13:30 Moving to the sustainability spectrum

19:30 World that's not going to be here

22:30 Black foot tribe

25:00 The responses / the results

29:15 Crisis to nature and to ourselves

33:15 How do I preserve this life?

39:15 What Imma Collective is doing

45:00 The biggest challenge

49:00 Do it with Joy and patience

50:30 The journey most proud of so far

51:30 One piece of advise

54:30 How to embark in this journey too

--- [ 2. LINKS ] ---

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/elisabeth-lilli-graf/
• https://www.immacollective.com/
• Change by Design by Tim Brown (Book)
• Everyday Utopia: What 2,000 Years of Wild Experiments Can Teach Us About the Good Life by Kristen R. Ghodsee (Book)

--- [ 3. CIRCLE ] ---

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