Interested in starting your own journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Christopher Banas, Founder of Natural Dividends, located in West Hartford, CT, USA.

What's your organization, and who are your members?

Natural Dividends started on one simple mission Increase Nature's Share.
We are a 501(c)(3) environmental sustainability nonprofit that provides sustainable solutions to organizations and individuals through accountability, education, challenges, and action while hosting in-person clean-up and community meet-ups to exchange ideas and solutions and implement strategies to protect Earth's environment. We are not looking for bought passion but involvement from the community to give back to nature from their hearts and souls. Solutions to solving environmental issues are often complicated and involve many stakeholders. Our aim is to get each person to contribute, creating a holistic and inclusive approach to change.

You may not know, but you are a shareholder of the Earth. Being here, you've been given a share of its resources. Being a responsible shareholder means taking a look at your relationship with nature. We encourage you to look at nature differently. Each of us has a different level of resources and lifestyle, which plays a big part in what we can do. Becoming a shareholder is realizing that you and your choices make a difference. We encourage small sustainable changes to Increase Nature's Share. That being said, it's often hard to visualize the effects humans have on the plant. We spend most of our time indoors and mostly in our local environment. Being so disconnected from nature, we often lose the scope of our actions to the ancient ecosystems of plants and animals. We forget that Nature has been there forever and will still be there long after we are gone. However, we, as humans, need guidance. Otherwise, we will destroy our own habitat. The solutions start within oneself, from being less concerned with "I" to thinking about "WE."

Tell us about yourself

Hi! I'm Chris, an outdoor enthusiast passionate about travel and exploration. I've been fortunate enough to travel to some of the world's most beautiful places. This helped me develop a strong connection to nature. Over the years, I would return to places and see the conditions deteriorate. I hope this positively affects one person to make a change. Then I succeeded. This story causes something I'm very passionate about. Earth Day is a day when we're supposed to (think about) and give back to the Earth. Earth doesn't need one day. It needs attention every day. I have this sense that I need to see the Earth now before it's gone. If I don't hurry, the fires will burn the rest of the old-growth forests, the actions of others will turn once remote and pristine locations into congested attractions, glaciers will melt, species will be extinct, and… Let me stop there. It's crazy to even talk like this! These things stood for hundreds of thousands of years, and now we debate how long they will be left?!

I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS SENSE OF URGENCY! We might only be able to enjoy what once was nature through this screen. Is that something to look forward to sharing with family, kids, grandkids, and friends? I played many video games and was transfixed in virtual worlds where life and nature seemed magical. It wasn't until I stopped playing and paid attention to the magical fantasy surrounding me that I realized I had been living behind a screen. Why would someone want to live behind a screen? There is an amazing magical world right outside your door. See the Earth, explore your local park, experience wildlife in its natural habitat, and feel the magic it brings. Before long, it might not be left, and then you'll only be able to experience it from behind this screen. I've done too much living behind this screen and can't watch another documentary, listen to another podcast, or see another example of nature being destroyed. I've watched hundreds of documentaries on our environment! Just ask yourself how your life and views would change after watching so many. Well, mine changed tremendously, and there's nothing left for me to learn there.

Here's what I've found:
The economic system encourages endless growth and the conversion of nature into property and property into profits. That's it; we can get more detailed, but why waste thoughts on that complication? The environmental, economic, and social crises we face are daunting. The issues are global, but many of the solutions are local. The solution is simple, so simple that it doesn't seem like it's possible. It is to Increase Nature's Share. That's it! Just do the opposite of what is happening and locally. Ways to help our earth heal, grow, and become a wonderful community. That might be to pick up trash, use less water, or do anything you feel inspired to do.

I now take action and will live the change in the face of overlapping crises. Not because no one else is doing it or gaining anything, but because I want to. Every day I repurpose items from the streets; every day, I take part in a Buy Nothing Community; every day, I eat plant-based; every day, I reuse plastic; and every day, I continue to act. Not one day but EVERY DAY. I'm not saying these are things you have to do, but they are what I do. Change doesn't happen with one day a year but with consistent daily action. Every time we stop, we have to start over, which happens on Earth Day each year. Let this year be the year we stop starting over on Earth. If you're looking to make a change and don't know what to do, know that you can make a difference that counts no matter where or how small. You just need to start TODAY.

What's your biggest accomplishment as an organization?

Starting the business. So many individuals live in the land of theory and not action. It's not about how many sales you hit or how many people you served. None of that would have happened unless you started. I encourage you to take action and get started today.

What's one of the hardest things that comes with being an organization?

A work-life balance, or as I like to say, a work-life harmony. You may have to stay up late, work on weekends, and at some times grind it out. If you approach it from a "balanced" perspective, you always sacrifice one thing for the other. Your business will never grow, and it must become harmony with your life.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow an organization today?

  1. Get started and take action.
  2. Stay consistent. Every time you stop, you have to start over.
  3. Know when to stop and cut the anchors loose. You may be holding onto things that are holding you back.

Where can people find you and your group?

Website: https://naturaldividends.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/naturaldividends
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naturaldividends/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/natdividends
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/naturaldividends/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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