Hannah Alper | Activist, Blogger, & Motivational Speaker | GLAD for Change
This week, host Eva Hartling is joined by Hannah Alper, a Canadian Activist, Blogger, and Motivational Speaker who addresses issues such as the environment, anti-bullying, and social justice. Hannah writes for HuffPost, has given a TED Talk, and published a book called Momentus: Small Acts, Big Change. This would already be pretty impressive on its own, but Hannah has accomplished all this incredible work at just 18 years old. Tune in to our conversation to hear about why Hannah thinks no gesture is too small when one sets out to change the world.
This episode is brought to you by GLAD and the #GLADForChange initiative. Join the movement and make a goal to collect at least 50 pieces of litter this summer in your neighbourhood.
To take part in the GLAD for Change program, download the ‘One Piece a Day’ app to log the waste you have collected and see the national impact our efforts have had!
This season of The Brand is Female is brought to you by TD Bank - Women Entrepreneurs. TD is proud to support women entrepreneurs and help them achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship opportunities! Find out how you can benefit from their support!
Full Episode Transcript
Eva Hartling: I'm Eva Hartling welcome to The Brand is Female. Where every week I speak with women changemakers who are redefining the rules of female leadership. This season of our podcast is brought to you by TD Bank Group Women Entrepreneurs. TD helps women in business achieve success and growth through its program of educational workshops, financing and mentorship.
Visit TheBrandisFemale.com/podcast and follow the link to find out how TD can help.
Hannah Alper is a Canadian Activist, Blogger and Motivational Speaker, who addresses issues such as the environmental, bullying and social justice. She writes for Huff Post; she's given a Ted talk and she's even published a book called Momentus.
This would already be pretty impressive on its own but let me add that. Hannah is only 18. In this interviewed today. You'll hear about why she thinks no gesture is too small. When one sets out to change the world and I have a feeling you'll want to follow her. Women leading the charge in finding ways to reduce our environmental impact is one of our favourite things at The Brand is Female.
And we're happy to partner with GLAD that the new GLAD for change initiative for this episode today. This summer GLAD is challenging Canadians to participate in a movement by doing a cleanup and committing to picking up at least 50 pieces of litter to raise awareness for the importance of reducing litter.
GLAD partnered with impressive environmental activists, including our guests today, Hannah Alper, you can track your own litter collection by downloading the app one piece a day, or by sharing an image of your cleanup and using #GLADforChange. I invite you to join a challenge so we can all work together towards making cleaner and safer neighbourhoods for our communities to thrive in.
Here is my conversation with Hannah.
Hannah, it's such a pleasure welcoming you to The Brand is Female today. I'm so glad we could find time for this conversation.
Hannah Alper: Me too. I love women supporting women. I think it's definitely more needed in the world.
Eva Hartling: I agree. And I love women who love women supporting women. So, this will be a great chat. And I usually start these conversations by asking guests to go back in time.
And I asked them if they, what they were dreaming of doing later in life as a career, but in your case, you started your activism quite early. And I read somewhere that it was, you were eight or nine maybe when you started. So I want to know what was the spark, what made you?
And I don't think anybody wakes up one morning and says I'm going to be an activist, but how did that interest in environmental conservation and speaking up for environment preservation in general happened.
Hannah Alper: Yeah. And it's so funny that you said, I didn't wake up one morning and think that I'm going to be an activist because that's something that I really preach.
A lot, I guess, is that idea that people don't wake up one day and think I'm going to change the world. It really takes a little thing that adds up to make a big difference. And that's the belief that I had when I was nine years old starting. And that's the belief that I have now at 18 years old, which is.
So crazy to think about. So, I was nine years old and I and my parents went to this digital safety conference and my dad has a blog and I decided that I would tag along on this blogging workshop. And I decided that I want to start a blog, but I had no idea what I wanted it to be about. And my mom told me.
That I couldn't write about how much I loved myself. And my dad told me that I couldn't write about how much I love Justin. So those were two ideas out of the window off the bat. So, they told me that had to write about something that I was passionate about, and I was nine. I had no idea what that word even meant.
And so, we talked it through right. About asking, what do you love? What do you deeply care about? What do you want to change in the world? And I was thinking about it and all I knew was that I loved animals. I have two dogs at home. I can't walk my dogs, ask me if I can pet them. And so, I wanted my blog too. Be about the things that I was learning.
And then I was doing it in hopes of inspiring other people to learn and do themselves. And so, at first, it was doing eco-friendly cleaning supplies and making an eco-friendly garage. And one of my first actions was doing a shoreline cleanup, which really comes full circle now because I'm doing kind of my own cleanup and mobilizing Canadians around, across the country to do their own cleanups because it was that clean up that really.
I saw that it's the little things that add up to make a big difference in the immense amount of change that happens when people come together, no matter what you have in common, when people come together to make the world better and the word can mean so many different things, it can mean your home.
It can mean your school, your community, your office, anything, but when people come together to make your world better, truly amazing things happen. So, since the age of nine, I've been advocating on a number of issues through public speaking through my books, through my blog, through social media, like poverty, education, homelessness, mental health, anti-bullying the environment.
And really the idea of almost activism itself. I like to say. Anyone can be an activist, quote, air quotes. I've realized that people can't see us. That idea that anyone can be an activist and that anyone has the capacity, the responsibility and the power to change the world for the better.
And that it really is the little things that ought to make a big difference. And we're living in such an amazing time. We can have conversations like these, and people can be inspired by everything, around them, by role models in their life, on social media and can find those organizations to help. It's not, we're not living in a world anymore where there's no one that's making a difference and people don't know how, because it's there.
It's everywhere around you. You just need to find them.
Eva Hartling: Absolutely. And you've touched on a few subjects that, I think are all related from bullying to poverty, to the environment. And what was it about that, cause as you said, everyone, can be an activist and stuff like if you didn't decide one morning to become one.
There's definitely something about those subjects that made you feel like you had to speak up and you wanted to be making a difference. So was, it's just and you've talked about how, it all started with a blog and your parents' involvement obviously, but for you, was it conversations around, their family table or what was it that you were observing in the world that made you say, okay, enough is enough and I got to be, making this
Hannah Alper: change.
It's so funny because I think the amazing thing with young people and young people making a difference is that a lot of young people don't look at issues and think I'm just one person or it's too hard, or the issue is too big or overwhelming or daunting and etcetera. I learned and was being educated about issues like habitat deforestation and animal issues and environmental issues.
And I didn't think I'm only nine years old. I just thought I'll I want to do something. And I did. And so that was when I started the blog. I saw other people doing commenting on posts like eco-friendly garages or shoreline cleanups or eco-friendly cleaning supplies, or when I got older and learned more about issues like poverty and clean water.
And when I learned that not everyone has access to clean drinking water and a shower and everything like that, that every, that not every nine-year-old has. I decided to start as a fundraiser on my school with what was called the, WE movement back then Free the Children. And then I shared that. And then I just saw all these people that were commenting, saying, I'm going to do this.
And they actually were sending me pictures of them doing the same. And I was thinking. Wow, this is amazing. And I truly believe that conversations changed the world. And I think that we're living in a time where conversations can either make or break relationships they can make or break truly the world.
But I think conversations need to happen, especially when we're living in such a divided world. But I think those kinds of things are so important. And that's why social media is so scary, but so great because social media can be the worst place to have uncomfortable conversations, but it can also be the best.
I don't know. I think that. Through all of those really difficult issues. I think that social media provided such an incredible space for me to be able to use my voice, but also. Other people were combating those issues. For example, when I first learned that not every kid had access to an education and that hundreds of millions of girls around the world didn't have access to education.
I learned about Malala and the work that she's done. And then later, and when I was about 14, I got to be the only one-on-one person to interview her. And that was incredible and insane, but she is learning about her made me realize that I, as a young person and a young girl could make a difference. And so, it's really, there are so many young people.
Those are truly making a difference and groundbreaking, and that inspires me every day. And again, you really just need to find them and having those conversations and find that community, really that community of people who will support you, who will be your ally, who will amplify
Eva Hartling: your voice. And you touched on a lot of points I want to bring up.
So, we'll unpack some of the things you've talked about, and I did want to highlight, your interview with Malala and you've been on, you've been on global stages. You've spoken to in front of very influential people in front of large audiences. And you're also, became a published author before the age of 15, which is really impressive.
And it does seem like there is a generation of girls out there. And I often feel my, my generation, we, there, there has been I like to think that women have been paving the way for, for the next generation one group after the other, but it's very encouraging and I find it, it gives me a lot of hope when I see, your generation and girls speaking up and being part of the movement and leading this movement So what is it?
And it does seem that there are a lot of girls, at the helm of that movement. You're one of them, there's Malala, there's Greta, and a lot more on the list. What is it about girls specifically? Do you think that and not to say there are men and boys doing amazing things as well and being great advocates, but I think there is something about the role that girls take on?
And I'm curious to know from your point of view why is it that girls are setting out to change the world?
Hannah Alper: Because I think we were taught by the woman before us that we could use our voice. And you don't, like you said, me Malala, Greta and so many incredible women out there whose voices are so are being heard.
We wouldn't be here today. If it wasn't for women like Gloria Steinem and it wouldn't, we wouldn't be here even if it wasn't for conversations like these. I think it's amazing that there are platforms and a podcast around women supporting women. And that's something that couldn't have happened decades ago.
And so, I think even this is truly proof that we've moved so much more forward in, in that way. But I think that what's changed really is that people are listening to the voices of girls and women. And I think that's so powerful and incredible and amazing. But I remember specifically like I wasn't, I was really passionate about the idea that women and men should be completely equal, but I really didn't understand that we're still at a place where.
There still needs to be that shift in gender equality. I remember when I think I was in grade nine or 10, I was in a photography class and I was doing a project with my friend who was a boy and we were walking and he was talking, we were talking about my activism and he was like, but you're not a feminist.
And I was like, and I identified as a feminist because I think that this definition of feminism and it's a completely different topic and I'm sorry.
Eva Hartling: No, that's great. Cause that was going to be one of my questions is your definition of feminism.
Hannah Alper: I think that so many people define feminism as, or so many people think that feminism means that women are superior to men and that's not what it is.
It's. Being it's about quality and who isn't for that. And the prime minister of Canada himself is a self-proclaimed feminist because he believes that women and men should be equal because why shouldn't they be? There's absolutely no reason for it, but I thought it was just so interesting and the way that he said.
You're not a feminist, are you? And it was just so wow. And so, I think that's one of the big issues that I'm personally passionate about because I think that in Canada, a lot of, besides obvious things like the wage gap in pay and pay gap and everything like that. But one of them in Canada we're really lucky to be women.
But it's really that social and cultural thing with feminism. And so many of my friends in high school have that mindset, that feminism isn't about equality. I don't really know how we got there to feminism being about equality to people thinking that it's about one being superior to the other, which it's simply not, but it really is because of people like Ruth Bader Ginsburg is a huge role model of mine, but it's really because of women like those.
We're able to pave that way for girls and women like me to be able and to be comfortable and proud sharing our voice before it was daring to share our voice. But now it's powerful and everything like that. And even remember, a few years ago, I was honoured to be one of Bloomberg's 51 to watch for 2018 or 19 or something like that.
And I was invited to the New York gala. And people kept coming up to me and asking, who are your parents? Because they thought that I was my parents plus one. And I said, actually, I'm on the list. And then I had the chance to really tell my story and things that I was passionate about and the issues that are still there for young people and for what, and for young girls and women around the world and issues that.
People and girls can have the power to tackle through conversation through fundraising through everything that we truly do have that power. And so, I think that was just proof that adults are ready and willing to listen to the voices of young people and young girls. And I think that's changed so much.
And even as I speak right now on when is this July 13th, it's the girl-up campaign leadership summit and such an incredible thing. And it’s girls and women from all over the world coming together to tackle equality and also to just come together and say, you got this, I'm here for you. Let's change the world.
Eva Hartling: And I love what you've brought up about that sense of, the collective and the power that we have as a collective, and which is so much greater than what we can do as individuals. And you brought up social media, which can be, as we know, a pretty horrible place and there's a lot of big challenges that need to be tackled.
But social media, I think is also one of the great tools that your generation has been doing. Such a fantastic job harnessing. When I watched now, advocates. Influencers who are using or their power and their platform for goods. And to what sort of being true Changemakers. I love seeing activists on Tik Tok to me, that's it's not what the platform necessarily was intended for when it was first created, but the way you can reach an audience through that mode is just absolutely inspiring.
How do you approach social media and how and knowing that there are still challenges, because when we talk about bullying, for example, or issues around hate issues around discrimination, we notice a lot of that on social, but what's the balance may be that you use as you use social media for your work, of?
Hannah Alper: course.
I think that social media is honestly the best tool that anyone can use to change the world. Because with a click of a button, you can reach your message and the things that you're passionate about to people that live in your city, to people that live in your province, people that live in your state to people that live in your country and elsewhere and anywhere in the world, which is I think the coolest thing ever.
People that created movements decades ago, whether it was Gloria Steinem or whether it was the Kielburger brothers with free the children at the time and 1995. If those people had social media, it's so incredible thinking about the change that they could have made all those years ago, because back then it was word of mouth.
It was the newspaper; it was the TV. But even on the news, they weren't talking about young people making a difference, because that was unheard of. But I think it's so incredible because there's almost this level. There's this playing field where everyone is on the same level on social media, which, I think.
So powerful and such a cool thing, but I think with social media, it can be a really scary place, but I think you have a choice with everything you do on social media. I use social media to be good to share the good to spread the good, because I think social media can be a place of, as we know a lot of hate, it can be a place that does bring people down.
And it can be a place that where people see a lot of scary statistics and issues and feel really helpless. So, I feel like that what I try to do on social media and what a lot of amazing activists are doing on social media, whether it's Instagram or Snapchat or Twitter or Tik Tok and everything is that people are sharing the solution.
And I think that's, what's really important is that they're not just sharing the really scary statistics and issues and everything like that, but they're sharing. The solution. I have this formula issue, plus gift equals change. And so, you find your cause that's that thing that you're passionate about.
And then you find your gifts, that's your talent, what you can use to make a difference. And then you put that together and boom change. And for so many people's gifts can be social media, it can be communication. And whether you have a hundred followers or a hundred thousand followers, you have a voice.
And I think that is such a cool thing. I do think. Sharing an Instagram story. Isn't enough. And I think I will say that because I think there's this whole idea of slacktivism and I don't necessarily agree with that term because I think that every action count and I really do believe in little things, adding up to make a big difference.
And I never want people to feel like what they're doing isn't enough. And I think posting an Instagram story is an awesome first step and sharing what you're passionate about. I'm really big on raising awareness and taking a stand against bullying, taking a stand for mental health and self-care.
And. For education and everything like that. But then there are also more things that you can do from that you can volunteer, and you can do so many other kinds of different things. You can do fundraising. If you have those means you can be there for people truly one-on-one if you're passionate about mental health and bullying and so many other things.
And social media is such a cool place because it can be a great starting point. It can also be a place where you learn about organizations that are fighting for what you're passionate about. For example, girl up is awesome for gender equality. Malala fund is amazing for education. jack.org is amazing for bullying for mental health and everything like that.
And those are all organizations that are always opening up this space. For people to help them and people to join their community. And I love this quote from Mr. Rogers, and it's looking for the helpers and there are so many helpers on social media and without social media, we wouldn't know where to find those helpers.
We wouldn't know where to find those organizations. And I think social media again, can be a scary place. I remember that after. First, the US election and between Clinton and Trump, I posted a blog post taking a stand against bullying, everything like that. And I think it ended up getting posted on AP and Yahoo.
And there were about 400 comments and I think 380 of them were all negative. They were saying things like you can't vote. So, your voice doesn't matter. And you're too young to have any comments about this and everything like that. But I think everyone likes to focus on it. Those negative comments, because I just, I remembered mine why.
And even when I was in grade eight, I was getting bullied a lot for my activism. But in response, I wrote a book, but I truly remembered, I remembered me why and my, why was that I wanted to make a difference and help make the world better, but just because I loved it and it doesn't really feel like work to me, but.
It's all just to show that through all of those that hate and everything like that, there are a million more people who will support you in everything that you do. And just to really just find your community. And there are so many of those people on social media, which is such a powerful thing.
And there's this community here right now, which is proof of that
Eva Hartling: today's episode is brought to you by GLAD and GLAD for the change initiative. Join the movement and make a goal to collect at least 50 pieces of litter this summer in your own neighbourhood to take part in the GLAD for change program, just follow these steps.
You'll want to organize a cleanup in your neighbourhood. You'll download the one piece a day app to log the ways you've collected and see the national impact our efforts have had. You could share a pic or post from your cleanup and encourage other friends and family. To join in a cleanup of your own using the hashtag GLAD for change.
Don't forget to follow environment activists, Alper for more tips on reducing your environmental impact. This season of The Brand is Female is made possible with the support of the TD bank group, women entrepreneurs, confidently building you. Take sound advice, plus guidance to the right connections, tools, and resources.
As a woman, entrepreneur myself, I know I need all the support I can get. What's great about TD services for women in business is their collaboration-based approach. They work with both internal and external partners who can provide education, financing, mentorship, and community support. TD employees are able to be proactive in the advice and guidance they give to women.
They can facilitate and connect you to workshops, coaching, and mentorship, and they engage other like-minded business leaders in an offensive way, so we can share experiences and learn from each other. And I love that you have that, that philosophy of turning a negative into a positive, just as you say, by focusing on your why and remembering.
Yeah, I'm getting that sense that I just, after a few minutes, speaking with you and I interviewed earlier a few months ago, I interviewed Dr. Britt Wray who has a newsletter called Gen Dread, and she spent a lot of time studying echo dread, right? So, the fact that there is a huge wave of mental health issues associated with the dread that comes with all of the, with the climate crisis, basically and the negative impact this is having on our lives and how we can be very scary, especially for the younger
Hannah Alper: generation.
That's our world. Yeah.
Eva Hartling: So, I'm curious to ask you how, and you've partly answered that I think in your previous and answering my previous question, but how can we turn that gen dread or that that echo gloom into something positive, because it's, it seems for you to come very much from empowering ourselves.
Fighting for the change to happen, as opposed to staying feeling like victims and in this context, for everyone that's listening, how do we turn that around?
Hannah Alper: Yeah. You exactly hit it on the mark. I think that. I'm definitely not always happy and I'm definitely not always solutions-based because I think it can be really easy to get down about the issues in the world, especially when it comes to environmental issues like climate change.
It's a really scary issue. And especially for young people, as we see, and we see different statistics about the climate and we see a new endangered species or an extinct species, it's really, truly scary. But I think that. I get skeptical skepticism from people saying, you know what you do, it's not going to change anything.
And my response to that is always, I'd rather do something than nothing. And I think that. Or honestly, just when people ask me why I do, what I do. I always just say, why not? It's true, if you can do something it's truly better than doing nothing. And my goal is to really inspire other people to do something rather than nothing and use whatever they can to make a difference.
Maybe it's changing your products and your everyday life to have things that are more environmentally conscious, I'm going to university in September. So, something that I'm really conscious of and what I'm thinking about is how I can reduce my own waste in my own individual life because I know that I can't change the entire world and I can't change every person's waste and how they use their own products, but I can change mine and maybe I can convince
a couple of other people, or even one other person to maybe change how they live just a little bit more. And maybe that person will convince a friend and it's truly a ripple effect. So, I think that the whole thing of conscious consumerism is a really important idea. And whether it's getting eco-friendly notebooks that are made.
Bamboo or masks even or anything like that. I think that's that kind of stuff is truly important. Looking into renewable energy. I know my family is doing that, looking into solar panels because it's true, it's the kind of thing that, you know, when maybe when you're driving by a house and you see it, it's those people that actually maybe look at and think I'm going to look into getting solar panels or renewable energy and everything like that.
But it's, you're exactly right. I think that I am a very solutions-based person because I would rather do that than sulk and mope about the world. And I think it's very easy to do that. And it's impossible not to get overwhelmed and sad about it because it is sad. Why not do something to help fight it and empower other people to do something, to help fight it, whether it's researching other organizations, whether it's environmental offence who have created incredible laws and policies in Canada, like banning microbeads in Canada.
And that was all through petitions of everyday people like you and me signing and standing against it through our words and through writing letters to our politicians. That's something you can do. You can write letters too. People in power and you can vote, you can use your voice, use your vote. So, I think those things are truly so important.
Maybe they don't seem like they make a difference, but they do, especially if you tell someone else to do it, then it truly does become that ripple effect. And soon it will impact the whole world. And I think that through the actions of young people, that's what we've seen, especially with an issue like gun violence, for example, March for our lives, the youth-run movement after suffering such a tragic loss, they came together for change, and they haven't knocked it.
I think they've changed it over 600 laws or something like that across the country. And I think that is such an incredible thing. And that was all from young people and all through conversations and education. And that is just such a powerful thing. And that's proof that young people are powerful.
People are powerful and that are solutions. Every single issue. And there are people fighting every single issue and we can join them and do the things in our everyday life to tackle.
Eva Hartling: I love that you bring that up because first of all, you've turned 18, so you, yeah. I'm excited for you. And this makes me think of a conversation.
I had very recently with Maxine Bedat who just wrote a book called Unraveled and she's the head and founder of the New York standard Institute who does a lot around awareness and reducing impact overall for consumer products and Her in her book, she talks about cause her book, she basically she's spent a lot of time in the fashion industry.
So, a lot of people she's speaking to are in the fashion industry. And she basically followed kind of a pair of jeans. How a pair of jeans is made from textile and thread all the way to how we get rid of our genes, but they never fully disappear. And she brought up in our conversation the concept of being citizens, considering ourselves, remembering that we are citizens and not consumers.
The consumer is just a term. It's just a concept that was, made up. But we forget that we are citizens. So right. We elect government and government, is it's our job. It's literally our responsibility to keep our governments accountable. So, as you said, writing petitions, phoning our MPs, phoning the PM,
speaking up for issues that we do want our government to tackle is something we need to be doing.
Hannah Alper: And even you mentioned textile waste and those that the journey of the jeans. And I think that's such a cool concept. And you can even talk with that by going thrifting because that saves the amount of water because you're not going to the mall and buying that pair of jeans that took an incredible amount of water to make and energy and everything like that, which I think is just so cool.
And even right now, The front of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust studies and I'm at the office right now. It's my first day of work and their organization. Thank you. They fight online. They fight online and in-person hate, including antisemitism, racism and everything like that.
And they've also changed laws through petitions and through education. Even today, they're having education workshop with teachers that are all passionate about including anti-hate conversations in the classroom. This is really proof about starting off young and that it's those ideas of it's being a global citizen.
I completely, love that being a citizen rather than a consumer, because we can. Consume everything that we see, everything that we watch, everything that we read, but it's also about how we interpret it and being a citizen is really about how we act with that information. I love that.
Yeah.
Eva Hartling: And I think maybe I just, I gave you the concept, but it's what you've been embodying, in your work literally. And I'm curious to ask you. We are talking in the context of GLAD for change and it's a movement where we're calling on citizens to again, take their own responsibility and make those concrete gestures.
And just doing a cleanup operation. And we know in the summer things like, beaches and national parks and spaces that, we all use again as citizens. Unfortunately, bear witness to our poor management of. Of just garbage disposal and so on. So, tell me a little bit about that initiative and also why you feel that this is the kind of thing that can help make a difference when it comes to the environment
Hannah Alper: conservation.
Of course, I'm super excited for GLAD for change. And really the challenge is so simple pickup, 50 pieces of garbage. Truly. Who can't do that? It's so easy. And it's not just about beautification because it does make our areas and wherever you live look nicer, but it's all about protecting it for people, for animals, et cetera.
And we talked about all those scary statistics in the images of the animals in the garbage, and this is a way that you can make a difference. We were talking about those solutions. This is the solution. These are the little things that add to make a big difference. And at the beginning, I was talking about the start of my journey and truly.
One of the first actions that I took was to shoreline cleanup. We went to a trail right by our house. We got some friends and family some garbage bags, some gloves and went and picked up garbage. And we ended up collecting about two dozen bags of garbage. But really more than that, it was. Just such an incredible way of showing that it is the little things that apps make a big difference, and what happens when people come together for change.
And this is something that even in a global pandemic that you can do to help the world. And I think that's been such a hard thing in COVID is how you can. Still make a difference and make the world better and give the world some light in such a dark time. And this is truly a way that you can do that, and you can do it by yourself.
You can do it with your family, you can do it with your bubble. And it also is a little bit of a more of a celebration because as the world finally is starting to open up a bit more, this is that way of starting to really make a difference, especially because as people are going.
They're going to restaurants, they're going to patios, they're going to stores and they're littering. And so, this is something that we really, we truly can do to help. And all you have to do is download this app called one piece a day, which I think is so fitting, I think, for being GLAD for change. And I think we can all be a little more GLAD for change in our everyday lives.
And I think that this is such an awesome start. And again, it was my first action. And so now as I'm entering adulthood, it's becoming a bit more full circle. And I went on a clean-up the other day with my parents, took some garbage bags, but actually, what I think is cool about the GLAD for change campaign is that.
They're really encouraging you to get the garbage bag, but to also get the recycling bag too, because picking up garbage is great, but it's also not, it defeats the purpose, if then you're just throwing all of it into the garbage, if it's not actually garbage, so you can get the blue bag and the white bag and really do it all.
And so, I went with my parents and it's true also such a thing to get a little bit of a taste about what making a difference is because you just feel so good from it.
Eva Hartling: Yeah. And that's the energy we want to keep repeating. And it's. The snowball effect we're looking for.
I wonder what is next for you. Because you have done so much, you're still at a young age and what are some exciting milestones? And you've just started work. I know you're starting university. You just mentioned. So, what are, what are some goals that you're you want to tackle for yourself over the next few years?
Hannah Alper: Something that I was really excited about when I turned. 16. And then 17 was the idea about volunteering because a lot of places when I was a lot younger, I remember when I was really young, I really want to volunteer, especially at animal shelters. And I called and they said I was too young. And so, then I kept checking and then as I got older, then this awesome thing called COVID came.
And the idea of volunteering, at least in a building was completely out of the picture. And I and my family were. Really happy to do things like we made 150 sandwiches and 300 cookies to give to an organization to people experiencing homelessness. Again. Awesome. An example of things that you can do at home that actually makes a difference in homelessness is something that I'm incredibly passionate about.
And it's something as simple as having a conversation with someone and recognizing that people experiencing homelessness are people too. And whether it's bringing, a sandwich or a scarf or gloves in your bag with you and giving it to someone that you see. Anyways, completely off-topic, but so I'm really looking into doing volunteering more now.
And I actually already have, I volunteered at my local food bank the other day. And I'm planning on doing that again next week. So, I'm really excited about that. And it's just an awesome thing. Woke up early, did it for a few hours and I felt amazing. And it's actually something that you can see the impact of it.
And it was truly, really easy to do. And also, every Monday and Friday, I'm volunteering at a camp called camp lifeline and it's part of high lifeline Canada's organization. And at the camp, every kid there is going through a life-threatening or lifelong illness or disease and everything like that.
And so, the camp is really the happiest place on earth with them, honestly, there, I feel like I'm at Disneyland because they are all so incredibly happy and amazing, and it's just such an incredible place and it's all completely free too. So, I'm just there to help out and truly get a connection with the kids.
And I think I'm like a kid's best friend there. He tells his mom about me. So, it's really sweet for a six-year-old. So that's really awesome. And then I'm here, which is amazing. And I'm at the front of Simon Wiesenthal center and I'm doing what I love, which is advocating against hate and for tolerance, for conversations, for understanding.
And it truly is just it's what I'm passionate about. And so, I feel like right now, Kind of the best that I am, that I've ever been, especially in the past year and a half, however long it's been. And I was really worried that I wouldn't be doing anything for the summer, but I think I was wrong.
And then I'm getting ready to go to university. I'm heading off to Western for media information, techno culture. So, I'm super excited about that. Fresh start. I definitely think that it's going to be an explosion of social everything because everyone has been locked up in their houses since March of 2020.
So, I think it's going to be a really exciting time.
Eva Hartling: And I want to ask you my favourite question to ask guests on the show and it's, what do you wish women and girls would do less of? And I use as a question as what you wish women would do more of, but it's been pointed out to me that women already, pile things up for ourselves and we already put so many pressures on ourselves that I prefer asking it that way, but you can choose to answer it and whatever want
Hannah Alper: that's a really good question.
think as I'm thinking, I will say, I think women should apologize for less. That's something that I'm working on. Personally. I apologize a lot. And people say that's a very big woman and girl’s thing and very much equality and everything like that. So, I think that's something that we should be unapologetically loud and use our voice unapologetically because I think when a lot of women, I see use their voice or disagree about something, they.
Sorry, but I have to disagree, and I don't think you have to apologize for that. And I think that if you, oh, when I wish that also women, this also might just be a personal thing, but I wish that women would advocate for. Ourselves more than other people. I think that women often don't feel that they can save what they need to be successful in whether it's in the workplace or in school or in life or truly anything.
And I know that I personally, I've been in a ton of different leadership positions. And I'm very good at advocating for other people and advocating for what other people need and what other people's beliefs are. And it's funny because I'm even though, with everything that I do, I'm very bad at advocating for myself.
So that's something me personally, as a strong woman I'm advocating for or working on doing more. So, I think all of us could definitely be doing that more and having that balance because to take care of the world, we also have to take care of ourselves.
Eva Hartling: Absolutely. Those are very wise words. Thank you so much, Hannah.
So, we'll follow you on all platforms and keep up with what you're up to. And Dwayne of course the GLAD for change challenge wishing you a great summer and looking forward to seeing what you're up to in the next few months in the next few years. And thank you for all of your advocacy and thank you for.
Leading this revolution that we're seeing right now, it makes me
Hannah Alper: hopeful. Thank you for having these conversations and let's keep truly supporting other women. That's something that we also need to do more of. And I love that this is a space for that to happen.
Eva Hartling: Absolutely. Thank you so much. I really hope you enjoyed today's conversation.
And if you did, as always, don't forget to subscribe, rate and give us a review wherever that is possible. Thank you to TD Bank Group, Women Entrepreneurs, for their support of The Brand is Female. You've got it in you to succeed. Let TD help guide you. Visit TheBrandisFemale.com/podcast and click on the TD logo.
Thank you for listening. I'll be back in a week with a new guest.