↠ T H E   S P I N D R I F T E R   S E R I E S ↠

I am very excited to introduce you to our next Spindrifter - Sarah Tait from Wanderlightly. I have been following Wanderlightly on Instagram for a while now and I just love Sarah's passion and incredible drive to make a difference in our world. At Wanderlightly Sarah's purpose is to empower & inspire others to reduce their plastic footprint through education, DIY workshops & creating natural, ethical products that enhance & support our everyday lifestyle without costing the Earth. I just love what Sarah does and I was so excited when she agreed to be part of our Spindrifter Series. Let's jump in and ask her some questions...

↠ How did you come to be on your 'Wander Lightly' journey?

I’ve always been environmentally minded but in 2014 I went to Tonga on a yoga/whale swim retreat where I witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of Plastic Pollution.  Pristine islands with trash washed up on the shores.  Trash that didn’t belong to the surrounding Islands or inhabitants.  I woke at 4am one morning & decided that I needed to be part of the solution, not the problem & set myself the task of going completely Plastic Free for a year.  Nearly 5 years on & I have a range of Plastic-free mindfully made small-batch skincare + lifestyle products + facilitate workshops to help others reduce their waste.

↠ What’s your big vision // dream for the next few years? 

To be doing this work as my everyday day job. I currently work full time & do the Wanderlightly in the evenings & weekends. I would love to be connecting & empowering people to make lifestyle changes full time! 

↠ Tell us what typical day for you looks like?

I'm an early riser so I start the day with some mediation, its short & it doesn’t happen all the time, but I find my day flows better if I ground & connect in with myself first.  I head off to my day job, working for a Natural supplement company. Some days I do yoga at lunch when there is a class.  After regular work, I get busy on the Wanderlightly stuff. Whether is admin, packing orders, making products or setting up Social stuff. I’m a one-woman show so it’s a bit of a balancing act. I’ve struggled at times to keep the balance but I avoid working on Sundays to spend time with loved ones. It's important to set clear boundaries for some self-care!

↠ When you’re not busy making amazing products and running workshops, where can we find you?

Out & about connecting in with nature, digging in the garden, drinking chai with friends or the beach…always the beach in Summer!  It’s really important to take time out to connect with what you love to recharge & keep your mental health in check!

↠ What has been your most important & defining moment so far?

It would have to be Tonga.  It was my reset button.  I’d always been environmentally minded but this was THE defining moment to start Wanderlightly.  To empower, educate & share practical solutions for people to reduce their waste.

↠ Tell us about your personal connection to our wild and beautiful natural landscapes + what do you do to minimize your impact on them?

My belief is that we are all custodians of this Earth.  We must honor her, whether it’s our immediate space or further afield & we have a responsibility to care for her. I’m from NZ which is one of the most spectacular places on Earth & so different from Australia.  I love the colours of this country, warm, smoky tones & into lush greens.  Sounds cliché, but everything we do has an impact, from what we spend our money on to how we spend our time so I ensure that 5% of all sales from my online store, workshops or seminars go to conservation initiatives.

↠ What two key things have you learnt in your path which continue to push you forward?

Don’t compare yourself to others + don’t judge others journeys.  We all have unique gifts & are at different points along our journey. To compare yourself to where someone else is or what they are doing can be really demotivating.  Judging others without understanding the full picture can be demoralizing for them.  We need to spend more time celebrating changes, however big or small. 

↠ Who/what do you look to for inspiration? // Who/what makes your heart light up? 

There are so many inspiring people out there! From Sir David Attenborough to Greta Thunberg to people I work alongside to the kids I see calling for Climate action. There is so much inspiration around when you align yourself with it.

↠ What is your favourite quote and why does it particularly resonate with you?

I can’t go past a good quote from Sir David, but this one from Wendell Berry has been in my head for the last few weeks.  Simple & to the point!  “What I stand on is what I stand for”

↠ What’s next on your horizon? // What can we expect to see?

I would love to offer an online version of the workshops I do. To reach out to more people looking to reduce their waste that can’t join me in person. To enable people to shift their lifestyles at their own pace & enable them to share their knowledge with others.  To create a ripple effect of positive change.

↠ What advice would you have for someone who is inspired by your journey?

Do what you can with the resources & energy you have. Your journey will look completely different to someone else’s.  If switching from a takeaway cup to a reusable cup is all that you can do right now, great!  Surround yourself with people & accounts (on social media) that celebrate change & leave out the judgment. Your changes will inspire others to create change.  It’s a ripple effect.

Thank you so much for your time Sarah, its been amazing to get to know your journey a little more. You can connect with Sarah and find out more about Wanderlightly in these links below...

Instagram :: @wanderlightly

Website  ::  https://www.wanderlightly.com/

Facebook :: https://www.facebook.com/wanderlightly/