#45 – Mission-Driven Success: How to Achieve Work/Life Balance and Better the World through Business

with Madeleine Shaw, Founder of Nestworks and Lunapads

Bonus Material: Download the Companion for this Episode

Madeleine Shaw is an accomplished social entrepreneur best known for co-founding Lunapads, a multiple-award-winning East Vancouver-based social enterprise that is dedicated to creating sustainable solutions for positive periods. With the help of their customers, Lunapads is responsible for diverting over 20 million disposable pads and tampons from North American landfills every year. But Madeleine is not involved in the day-to-day of Lunapads at this point. 

Instead, Madeleine is focusing much of her time on her newest venture, NestWorks, a co-working space that lends itself to integrating a work/life balance between families. As both an entrepreneur and mother herself, helping others find a balance between their professional and personal lives to achieve success in both is something she is very passionate about. 

Madeleine is also working on a book that she considers a “manifesto of encouragement,” targeting potential social entrepreneurs who have either a small or big idea for how to impact the world through business but aren’t sure how to move forward. Through her own experience, she tells stories that she hopes will inspire more people to pursue entrepreneurialism and make their individual impacts to help make the world a better place.

In this episode, Madeleine shares many valuable insights from her journey in the entrepreneurial space. We learn more about the motivation behind NestWorks and her own experiences as an entrepreneur trying to find balance between work and family. She also shares key advice she would have had for her younger self, her tips for aspiring entrepreneurs, and what she’s doing to help inspire those seeking to make a difference. 

Want more episodes that focus on tips and insights for social entrepreneurs? Listen to:

• #44 – Life Mastery: Unfolding Spiritual Strategy & the Hero’s Journey with Tara-Nicholle Nelson of SoulTour

• #39 – Productivity for the Next Generation’s Entrepreneur with Chris Sparks, Founder of The Forcing Function

• #34 — Better Practices: Time Tracking, Achieving Goals, Getting Better Sleep, and More with Co-founder Cory Ames

“The way you find them is you tell them a great story about what you’re trying to create. Then they fall in love with it. You’re super nice to them, and you’re respectful of them, and you listen to them. You make them part of it, and you allow them to be part of it, and you build it together.” –Madeleine Shaw

Topics Discussed: 

• Madeleine’s newest venture, NestWorks
• Debunking the entrepreneurial lone wolf myth
• How to find the perfect potential collaborator 
• The integration of work and family
• Important life advice for young innovators

Links from the Episode:

Lunapads
• G Day
• Nestworks
• Groundswell
• Madeleine on LinkedIn

Give this article from James Christie a read to get to know even more about SustainableUX and what they do!