Sharing Soap, Humanity, And Learnings On The Wise Woman Podcast

The Wise Woman Podcast usually has interesting guests who are doing something good, but with a focus also on personal growth and sharing that journey with listeners. In this episode, host Erin Rachel Doppelt, a certified functional medicine, yoga, and development coach talks to her namesake Erin Zaikis, who founded a nonprofit called Sundara, that recycles hotel soap. I felt a personal connection to this because I've actually covered their work in India, though they also operate across Uganda and Myanmar.

Sundara hires widows, victims of domestic violence and single mothers, employing them at a fair wage and training them to become community hygiene ambassadors.

The work they do is amazing: they take remnants of discarded soap and amalgamate it to make fresh soap that's distributed in the slums for kids who have never seen or been taught this kind of hygiene. 

This honest and personal chat was totally engaging and I think the story of why Erin Zaikis was moved to start Sundara is heartbreaking. The chat is inspiring and there's a great lesson on how guilt can be immobilising if it overwhelms you, but also how it can propel you to make big changes in yourself as well as your surroundings. Even if impact is small, any positive impact is so much better than none, Zaikis tells us. And then, the little lessons she learned along the way feel pretty big! Worth a listen for the engaging interview style as well as some really thought-provoking stories of understanding privilege, embarking on a growth journey, and making a difference where it's needed the most.