How did you meet your co-founder?
Aneta and I met in the spring of 2014 at a concert and then bumped into each other a few months later in the bathroom at a bar (poetic, I know!). We decided to meet up to do English-Czech language tandem, and those meetups evolved into long discussions about our visions and dreams of what we wanted to do in the future. We had a lot in common in that we had both spent a few years working for corporations and wanted to develop a lifestyle that felt healthier, more in touch with nature and to somehow contributed positively to society. Greenglasses, the blog and online directory of sustainable businesses in Prague that we launched in the beginning of 2015, kind of became the embodiment of that mission. And later it branched into our sustainable lifestyle festival (Sustainability Day) and now our travel guidebook (Prague Green City Guide).
Who do you say no to?
I say no to mindless consumerism and the destruction of our planet’s natural resources, biodiversity and beauty, solely in the name of profit.
Do people have false prejudices towards you because of how you position your self with sustainability?
I guess that’s part of being human, but I try to not let it bother me. And in fact most people I talk to about what I do respond positively. Maybe it’s because I’m in a bubble, or because on some level the concept of sustainable living (i.e. a lifestyle that’s healthier for people, society and the planet), is universally appealing. It’s possible that people think I’m some kind of modern-day hippy, which does come with certain connotations and presumptions that may not apply to me, but that’s ok. People who listen to what I say or read what I write will have a better idea of my particular worldview, and know that I’m not an eco-extremist. On the contrary, people who know me, know that I am not a fan of extremism and that I think a more moderate approach, one that acknowledges we are all human and make mistakes, is more likely to spread and succeed. At the end of the day, I know what’s important to me and I’m trying to focus on that.
