Jonathan Mearns OBE, careers coach, sustainability entrepreneur and adventurer

Jonathan Mearns OBE, has a job role topical to the festive season.

Jonathan is a founder of London Christmas Tree Rental. The company rents out living Norway Spruce trees in England's capital city over the Christmas period. Trees are picked up by their temporary owners, then returned to their nursery after a brief encounter with the indoors. The idea of renting out Christmas trees sprang to life when, one January, Jonathan saw dozens of desiccated and discarded trees awaiting refuse collection on London's streets and thought 'There's got to be a better way than this.' Research showed that seven million trees were chucked, cast off or chipped every year and Jonathan's new business plan began.

But that's not where Jonathan's career story starts, or even where it’s going to end. A former police officer, who was awarded an OBE for services to international counter-terrorism in the King's New Years Honours 2023, Jonathan is now a life and career coach, an ambassador for IAfrika children’s home in Nairobi, where he promotes and financially supports children’s education in Kenya. And when he's not doing all of that he's an adventurer and mountaineer. In fact, it was an encounter with his own mortality on a mountain that prompted him to write a book, One Mountain, Two Minds: Taking the Mountain Metaphor to the Next Level.

Jonathan is open about his lack of glowing school reports and still recalls one parents' evening when his primary school teacher made dire predictions about his future. Instead he has had an exciting, challenging, life affirming career. He maintains a positivity that is palpable – even on a screen via Zoom connection – and he's not done yet.

Mentioned in this podcast

Jonathan Mearns

The Earthshot Prize

IAfrika children’s home in Nairobi, Kenya

London Christmas Tree Rental

You might also like to listen to:

Jo Faulkner-Harvey, head of charity fundraising S3 E5

Duncan Goose, founder of Global Ethics and One Water S1 E10

Kurt Henderson, senior product designer Byway Travel S2 E4

Rachel Johnson, student mental health social worker S3 E8

About ProGRESS:

Host Sandra Kessell invites guests to discuss their pro-Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible jobs, courses or activities and asks them to share real-world insights into the pathways and careers they've experienced.

Instagram: @theProGRESS_podcast

Original content © Sandra Kessell

Original music © Lyze Kessell

Email: hello@mypro-gress.co.uk

Expect revelations, lightbulb moments and an informative listen on ProGRESS, with plenty of insights as guests explain how and why got into their Green, Ethical, Sustainable and Socially Responsible career or course (the GRESS of ProGRESS) with plenty of tips if you want to do the same.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.