Rephonic
Artwork for Two Steps Forward

Two Steps Forward — Sustainability Meets Business Reality

Joel Makower and Solitaire Townsend
Sustainability
Circular Economy
Climate Change
Financial Services
Carbon
Artificial Intelligence
Greenwashing
Sustainable Consumption
Neurodiversity
Climate Change Communications
Corporate Sustainability
Innovation
Creativity
Carbon Neutral
Resilience
Storytelling
IKEA
Consumer Engagement
Environmental Challenges
ESG

Being a sustainable business professional is both exhilarating and terrifying. Lots of steps forward…and back. To succeed you need deep insights, real experience, lots of inspiration, maybe a few laughs. Each episode, sustainable business veterans Solitaire Townsend and Joel Makower delve into the complexities of the moment and introduce you to provocative and inspiring people you need to know.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes26Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Business

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Two Steps Forward

Latest Episodes

Climate scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe — Nature Conservancy chief scientist, Texas Tech professor and author of "Saving Us" — joins Joel and Solitaire to explain why hope beats doom as a climate strategy, why more disasters don't produce more action,... more

What can climate communicators learn from stand-up comedians? Quite a lot, it turns out. Joel Makower and Solitaire Townsend sit down with Stuart Goldsmith — climate comedian, podcaster, and Live at the Apollo veteran — and Esteban Gast, the Colombia... more

Soli and Joel ask an uncomfortable question:sustainability professionals are trained to track trends and build momentum —but are we actually prepared for wild cards?

We went through some big ones: a 90% probability El Niño that most supply chains ar... more

Joel and Soli dig into the new State of the Sustainability Profession report, which reveals a field under pressure — shrinking CEO engagement, shifting reporting lines, and budgets in flux. Then, author and activist Katharine Wilkinson joins to discu... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate PodcastPersephonica and Global Optimism
Climate Rising
Climate RisingHarvard Business School Business & Environment Initiative
Pivot
PivotNew York Magazine

Recent Guests

Stuart Goldsmith
Climate comedian, keynote speaker and podcaster
Climate comedian, Live at the Apollo appearances
Episode: What climate comedians can teach us about storytelling
Esteban Gast
Award-winning Colombian-American comedian and writer
Climate-related comedy and education initiatives
Episode: What climate comedians can teach us about storytelling
Katharine Wilkinson
American writer, climate change activist and executive director of All We Can Save
All We Can Save
Episode: Why the inner work of sustainability is a key to professional success
Linda Freiner
Head of Global Sustainability, Zurich Insurance
Zurich Insurance Group
Episode: Insurance isn’t the back office of sustainability. It’s front and center
Ava Medina
Senior Program Manager of Sustainability and Impact at Blue Cross North Carolina
Blue Cross NC
Episode: The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Cal Krause
Sustainability Manager at Train Technologies
Train Technologies
Episode: The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Tyler Kobian
Senior Engineer at Amgen
Amgen
Episode: The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Dylan Siegler
Head of Sustainability at Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Episode: Why the music industry holds sustainability’s biggest untapped lever
Liz Minné
Head of Global Sustainability Strategy at Interface
Interface
Episode: What Interface still gets right about sustainability

Hosts

Joel Makower
Host involved in guiding sustainability conversations and business strategy discussions.
Solitaire Townsend
Co-host driving exploration of sustainability storytelling, creativity, and leadership.

Reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars from 9 ratings
  • Great podcast!

    Joel and Solitaire provide deep insight into the challenges and opportunities of being a sustainability-focused business leader in this engaging podcast. Their top-tier guests are full of useful nuggets of wisdom for those both inside and outside the business world. Highly recommended!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Michael Ethan Gold
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Balanced, credible analysis that helps brands move beyond buzzwords.
Insightful conversations with practical takeaways for leaders.
Thoughtful guests and high-impact sustainability discussions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#53
Colombia/Business
Apple Podcasts
#181
Belgium/Business
Apple Podcasts
#195
Spain/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What climate comedians can teach us about storytelling
Q: How do you win over audiences that aren't already engaged with climate issues?
By building a bridge with the audience, using crowd work, and framing climate topics as relatable human experiences rather than distant policy talk, while showing authenticity and vulnerability to invite participation.
The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Q: What would you tell leaders about the next generation entering sustainability?
Ava emphasizes creating spaces for young professionals to contribute ideas, challenging assumptions, and increasing transparency around cross-disciplinary skills needed to succeed in the field.
The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Q: What has surprised you most about the reality of working in sustainability?
Cal describes the surprise of how much cross-functional collaboration and program management are required, beyond the initial science/technical aspects, highlighting the need to influence and align many stakeholders.
The next generation of sustainability professionals is ready — and they're watching us
Q: When did you first think this could be a real career for you?
Ava shares that her path began with a passion for the environment and a shift from traditional engineering toward sustainability through a targeted degree in quantitative energy systems, explaining how her trajectory evolved from personal interest to professional focus.
Why the inner work of sustainability is a key to professional success
Q: Yeah, that's an interesting piece of this, is that wayfinding is about navigating without a fixed map. But given that most business planning requires exactly that, a fixed map, how do you reconcile that with the book's philosophy and the operational reality of corporate sustainability programs?
Wayfinding is about navigating with curiosity and a compass when maps fail or lag behind reality. It involves integrating the emotional, human aspects with the rational planning of targets and timetables, so organizations can adapt without losing sight of long-term purpose. The book frames this as a leadership and cultural challenge as much as a methodological one.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Two Steps Forward

What is Two Steps Forward about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Explores the real-world tensions of making sustainability central to business, from carbon accounting and greenwashing to circular packaging and consumer engagement. Episodes frequently feature senior sustainability leaders and industry thinkers debating moving beyond buzzwords toward measurable reductions, authentic communication, and practical execution. Distinguished by candid conversations, data-backed insights, and a focus on how companies can balance profitability with meaningful environmental impact, the show often highlights bold ideas, collaborations, and the evolving vocabulary shaping sustainability practice.

A standout thread is the emphasis on turning vision into execution, whether through integrating sustainability into core ... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Two Steps Forward?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Two Steps Forward. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Two Steps Forward and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Two Steps Forward get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Two Steps Forward, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Two Steps Forward?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Two Steps Forward, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Two Steps Forward have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Two Steps Forward has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Two Steps Forward?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Two Steps Forward:

1. All Things Sustainable
2. Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
3. Zero: The Climate Race
4. Climate Rising
5. Pivot

How many episodes of Two Steps Forward are there?

Two Steps Forward launched a year ago and published 26 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Two Steps Forward?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Two Steps Forward?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Two Steps Forward from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Two Steps Forward?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Two Steps Forward. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Two Steps Forward?

Recent guests on Two Steps Forward include:

1. Stuart Goldsmith
2. Esteban Gast
3. Katharine Wilkinson
4. Linda Freiner
5. Ava Medina
6. Cal Krause
7. Tyler Kobian
8. Dylan Siegler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days