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1. Introduction and Background

1.1. About the speaker

Joe Rogan is a well-known media personality who is well known for his distinctive career. He gained initial fame from stand-up comedies and being a UFC commentator. He is involved in both broadcasting and podcasting and his show "The Joe Rogan Experience" has gained massive popularity because of his interview style, engaging discussion, and involving important topics in media and pop culture (Joe Rogan, 2023).

1.2. Company background

In this episode of the podcast, the guest is the CEO of Treecard company. Treecard is a fintech company that provides Mastercard services. The company is trying to address the problem of deforestation. Its business model is to ensure that for each economic transaction where Treecard is used, one tree is planted. Treecard is an impact-first business that donates 80% of the profits to projects of reforesting trees and restoring habitats for endangered wild species. This also allows the company to grow fresh produce which can give food security to people in need. Customers also have the opportunity to directly donate to the cause from their cards. Treecard partnered with Ecosia, a not-for-profit search engine and social business based in Germany. Ecosia manages many of the reforestation projects of Treecard and this collaboration has allowed the planting of 100 million trees. Such projects allow Treecard to reduce the environmental costs and carbon footprint of modern lifestyle and protect the 'lungs of the planet' (Treecard, 2023).

2. Business Proposal

2.1. Speakers proposed talk

The plan of the proposed talk will include four important aspects:

The unique approach of Treecard: Understand the business model and environmental impact of Treecard. Discussing the mission and vision of the company and how the business model helps to achieve them. Discuss the various ways in which the company creates a positive impact on the environment, including any data that can quantify the impact on the planet (Epstein, 2018). Partnership with Ecosia: Describing the nature of the collaboration and how it helps in reforestation projects. Talking about the credibility of Ecosia and the synergy between Exosia and TreeCard to address the problem of deforestation. Highlight key achievements of the partnership. Empowerment of customers: Discuss the importance of empowering customers to contribute to the cause of deforestation. Highlighting the importance of engaging the people in the effort to make a positive difference in the ecosystem through a B2B ecosystem (Hein et al., 2019) How Fintech can help in sustainability/conservation: Discuss various innovative approaches that can be taken by Fintech companies to work towards sustainability conservation goals (Udeagha & Muchapondwa, 2023). Developing a set of recommendations that can be followed by Fintech companies based upon the industry best standards and creative ideas of Treecard. Discuss the plans and aspirations of Treecard and any message of the guest to the audience.

2.2 Description

2.2.1. Unique approach of tree card:

The first section of the talk session will focus on the unique approaches of Treecard and what differentiates the brand from other fintech companies. The guest can discuss the unique approaches of the company to address the problem of deforestation and how it impacts the environment and ecosystem (Claro and Esteves, 2021).

First, the discussion can shed light on the vision and mission of the organization and how the business model is aligned with those vision and missions. The guest will have the opportunity to articulate how the business activities promote core values and goals. The session can then explore the different ways in which Treecard creates a positive impact on the environment. Specific data can be presented in this section that can quantify how the company contributes to the planet. Tangible evidence can help to understand the impact and how it benefits the environment (Nostrabadi et al., 2019).

The statistical data can help to understand how afforestation programs help to reduce carbon footprint from financial activities. These discussions can be used to show how the company is committed to environmental sustainability and how it promotes the success of the brand.

2.2.2. Partnership with Ecosia

The second section of the podcast can then move towards the partnership between Treecard and Ecosia and how it aims to address the vision and mission of the company. Firstly, an introduction to Ecosia can be given to the audiences in terms of the company's core activities related to conservation efforts and afforestation. Any past milestones of Ecosia can be discussed.

The guests can enlighten the audiences on the process of selecting Ecosia for partnership, explaining why Treecard partnered with Ecosia for the afforestation program. Any past achievements and milestones of Ecosia can be discussed and what sets Ecosia apart from other such organizations (Ecosia, 2023).

The discussion can then delve into the core of the partnership between Treecard and Ecosia, focussing on the shared objectives and values of the two companies. Insights can be given to audiences on the strategic decisions of Treecard that have led to the partnership with Ecosia. This can help to create a context on how the partnership has played an important role in the Treecard business model and the activities of restoring natural habitats Treecard, 2023.

The podcast can then discuss the scale of efforts achieved from the partnership and the significance of such partnerships in addressing important global issues like climate change, deforestation, and habitat destruction (Aufderheide et al., 2020).

2.2.3. Empowerment of customers

The third section of the podcast will highlight a core principle of the company of engaging the customers to actively contribute towards the mission of conserving the forests and natural ecosystems.

Highlighting the importance of empowering customers to take initiative has been considered to be a useful strategy Auh et al., (2019). Such an understanding can be used to discuss how the company gives the customers the unique opportunity to make a difference to the planet through their financial transactions and how the customers can act as advocates and supporters of sustainable activities and the conservation of ecosystems.

The discussion can delve into the mechanisms of how the company promotes the empowerment of the customers, elucidating on how a part of each of the transactions powers the planting of trees. This can help to establish a connection between financial decisions and activities with the creation of a positive impact on the society and environment (Xie and Keh, 2020).

The discussion can also touch upon the various options available for the customers to further take their commitment to the environment by making donations to Treecard, which the company then uses to enhance its reforestation programs. This approach can resonate with not only the global efforts to prevent the effects of deforestation but also show a broader shift in society towards a conscious form of consumerism (Adrita and Mohdin, 2020).

2.2.4. How Fintech companies can help in sustainability/conservation

The fourth section of the discussion can focus on the important aspect of how fintech companies can work towards sustainability and conservation. This section can start by highlighting the importance of collective action to address global problems. The guest can discuss the potential of fintech companies to address global issues (Zheng et al., 2021).

The section can involve underlying the importance of the fintech industry as a potential force for the growth and development of the economy and livelihood of people and how such factors are also related to the well-being of the planet and the ecosystems. The guest can discuss how fintech platforms can harness the strengths of online transactions to bring about sustainable changes (Udeagha & Muchapondwa, 2023).

The discussion can then delve into the practical aspects of the strategies to showcase how the fintech companies can help in the protection of the forest covers and join hands in a collective action to achieve sustainable development. References can be made to the UN Sustainable Development Goals to create a context of collective action (Zetzsche et al., 2019).

This section of the discussion can highlight new opportunities for fintech businesses like Treecard to promote conscious consumerism and eco-friendly spending habits among customers and how the industry can overcome geographic barriers to engage people around the world towards a common cause even through their day-to-day activities.

Finally, the session can end by emphasizing how Treecard's business is not only to provide support for financial transactions but tease each transaction as an opportunity to create a positive impact on the planet help people in need, and also create value for the brand (Merello et al., 2022).

2.3. Commentary

In the initial contact, the guest speaker was approached through email, showing interest in having him as a guest for one of the podcast episodes that focussed on environmental issues and solutions. A comprehensive plan for guest speakers was then shared that reflects on the gathered information about the company and its strategies. The email also had an outline of the proposed topics for the discussion that can guide the speaker on the flow of information and points that would be covered in the session.

The activity included the development of a reference list for discussion and a structure for the discussion being formulated for the proposed talk. Four key elements were identified that can be the major sections of the talk. These sections are the unique approaches of Treetechm partnership between TreeTech and Ecosia, empowerment of the customers, and how fintech companies can work towards sustainable goals and objectives. The significance of each of the sub-topics of the discussion was elaborated and can give the guest speaker the option to explain how the activities of Treecard address each of these aspects.

During the process of changing emails, the readiness of the CEO to take part in the podcast was assessed including all the information he might need for the session. This included focussing on the expertise and experience of the guest and preparing the sup topics for the discussion accordingly. This ensures that the guest can provide valuable insights from personal and professional experience.

The invitation was responded to by the CEO with enthusiasm and appreciation for the effort and thought being given to structure the session and the effort to raise awareness about the problem of deforestation and how Trecard is trying to address the issue. The CEO also appreciated the importance of discussing the approaches of Treecard and its partner Ecosia and how that can inspire more such collaborations and initiatives in the industry.

3. Conclusion and recommendations

3.1 Conclusion

Treecard is an innovative startup company in the fintech industry that provides Mastercard services to customers. However, in addition to financial services, the company also has a focus on sustainability. From each transaction using the card and a significant part of the company's profit margin, Treecard uses the funds to plant trees in partnership with Ecosia. The CEO of the company has been to the Joe Rogan show to discuss the company, its mission, and how it works towards it.

Four sub-topics or themes were proposed in their discussion outline along with a brief justification to the guest to help him understand the flow of the conversation and create a framework to guide the talk.

Throughout the email conversation, the guests expressed a keen interest and readiness to take part in the session and showed appreciation for the approach used in the show to raise awareness. In

3.2 Recommendations

3.2.2. Improving the approach

The approach of the session can be further improved by conducting a pre-interview preparation based on thorough research on not only the company but also the guest and their areas of interest and expertise. This can facilitate the discussions to be in-depth. The content of the discussion can be further diversified to attract a broader audience. The sessions can be made more interactive where the guest can directly respond to the questions made by the audience during the session. Elements like QA sessions can be useful elements to make the sessions more dynamic and interactive (Gunderson and Cumming 2023).

3.2.3. Briefing modifications

While briefing the guest, the goals and objectives of the session can be clearly stated to ensure a holistic understanding of the intention of the podcast session and its intended outcomes. In each of the segments of the podcast, a specific time can be allocated to ensure that all the discussions are spaced evenly and none of the important aspects of the discussion are rushed. This will give appropriate time to explain each segment before moving to the next. Furthermore, it would also be useful to ensure transparency and accountability in the roles of the podcast team to ensure the best standards (Gonulal, 2020).

4. References

Adrita, U.W. and Mohiuddin, M.F., 2020. Impact of opportunity and ability to translate environmental attitude into ecologically conscious consumer behavior. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 28(2), pp.173-186. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10696679.2020.1716629

Aufderheide, P., Lieberman, D., Alkhallouf, A. and Ugboma, J.M., 2020. Podcasting as public media: The future of US news, public affairs, and educational podcasts. International journal of communication, 14, p.22. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/13548

Auh, S., Menguc, B., Katsikeas, C.S. and Jung, Y.S., 2019. When does customer participation matter? An empirical investigation of the role of customer empowerment in the customer participation–performance link. Journal of marketing research, 56(6), pp.1012-1033. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0022243719866408

Claro, P.B.D.O. and Esteves, N.R., 2021. Sustainability-oriented strategy and sustainable development goals. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 39(4), pp.613-630. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/MIP-08-2020-0365/full/html

Ecosia., 2023. Ecosia. https://www.ecosia.org/?c=en

Epstein, M.J., 2018. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental and economic impacts. Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781351280129/making-sustainability-work-marc-epstein

Gonulal, T., 2020. Improving listening skills with extensive listening using podcasts and vodcasts. International Journal of Contemporary Educational Research, 7(1), pp.311-320. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1148724

Gunderson, J.L. and Cumming, T.M., 2023. Podcasting in higher education as a component of Universal Design for Learning: A systematic review of the literature. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(4), pp.591-601. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14703297.2022.2075430

Hein, A., Weking, J., Schreieck, M., Wiesche, M., Böhm, M., and Krcmar, H. 2019. Value co-creation practices in business-to-business platform ecosystems. Electronic Markets, 29, 503-518. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12525-019-00337-y

Joe Rogan. 2023. https://www.joerogan.com/

Nosratabadi, S., Mosavi, A., Shamshirband, S., Zavadskas, E.K., Rakotonirainy, A. and Chau, K.W., 2019. Sustainable business models: A review. Sustainability, 11(6), p.1663. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/6/1663

Treecard. 2023. Who we are. https://www.treecard.org/the-mission

Udeagha, M.C. and Muchapondwa, E., 2023. Green finance, fintech, and environmental sustainability: Fresh policy insights from the BRICS nations. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, pp.1-17.

Xie, L., Li, D. and Keh, H.T., 2020. Customer participation and well-being: the roles of service experience, customer empowerment and social support. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 30(6), pp.557-584. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/JSTP-11-2019-0228/full/html

Zetzsche, D.A., Buckley, R.P. and Arner, D.W., 2019. FinTech for financial inclusion: driving sustainable growth. Sustainable Development Goals: Harnessing Business to Achieve the SDGs through Finance, Technology, and Law Reform, pp.177-203. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781119541851.ch10