Cath Shaw Truelove

Business adviser, Business mentor, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Consultant, Designer, Educator/Teacher, Entrepreneur, Environmentalist, Job-seeker, Marketer, Photographer, Project manager, Writer/Editor

Cath owned Bees on a Bicycle, an award-winning urban garden center with a sustainable approach. There, she led communication efforts online and off, coordinated and motivated teams, and oversaw sales efforts. She is the author of the best-selling book 'Bees on a Bicycle' as well as a recognized speaker and writer. Prior to Bees, Cath built a viable communications agency from the ground up, employing 54 people over 12 years with clients ranging from the U.S. Senate to CareerBuilder.com. She coordinated nationwide efforts to recruit, train, schedule and acknowledge 700 volunteers for the AIDS Memorial Quilt. In another speaking tour, she led efforts nationwide within the interior design industry to increase capacity by 1,000 new beds in homeless shelters. She led a nation-wide effort to educate over 50,000 architects on the Americans with Disability Act, creating a suite of educational tools and organizing a network of information outlets. Currently Cath lives in a bungalow in Chattanooga with her husband, Graham and her two dachshunds, Jonathan and David.

-- Going forward instead of backward with women's rights. -- Writing. I love writing more than ice cream. There. I said it. -- Animal wellbeing. So many wonderful animals need care and homes. -- Settling down the heat politically. How much longer can we go on like this? May we all find a way to find common ground and live more peacefully. -- Good design. A comfortable chair, beautiful view, garden path, or well laid out space is often behind good times, healing, among other worthy pursuits.

Regenerative soil practices used at home, in addition to farming, can create vital change in the earth's atmosphere and reverse climate change. How we garden (the #1 US pastime) can change our planet. Last year, I closed an award-winning and influential garden center called Bees on a Bicycle. Here in Tennessee, a red state, we taught and championed regenerative gardening techniques, pollinator awareness and environmental methods. When we closed, I handled what we called "the criers" who were miserable that we were moving on. The Instagram feed continues, a year later, to gain followers despite the shop being closed. It wasn't just a garden center, but also a community. Now that I've rested a bit, I am ready to investigate next steps for where to take the 7,000 social media followers and see what we can do to help the world beyond our immediate geographic area. I am here at this conference to connect with big thinkers and see what is possible. This is bigger than what I can do alone in a small garden center.

... is just beginning. Let's just say TED has been lurking in the background for many many years. I've done a nationwide speaking tour. I'm thinking about it again. I've been Fast-tracked by the National Speakers' Association. All this, and TED and I are just now crossing paths. I will use my time at this conference to show me the way within the TED infrastructure that makes sense for me as well as the organization. I tend to jump in, so this is me being aware of that and seeing what is possible with finesse. : )

Renovation. I have moved plenty of times and each space is left better after I've been there.