An Interview With Monica Sanders
Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. Confucius really hit a home run here! I’ve taken jobs for more money and/or better perks and later realized that I was not happy. The worst part is that not being happy affected my work performance. When I took a job that gave me purpose, my entire life changed — I was happier throughout the week, I was excited about every task I performed, and, most importantly, my excitement allowed me to give 100% into everything that I did.
We are standing at a critical juncture in our fight against climate change, and it is heartening to see young leaders rising to this enormous challenge. Across the globe, they are initiating change, voicing their concerns, and catalyzing action toward sustainable solutions for our planet. These young change-makers are not just the future; they are the driving force of the present. As part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ruben Mejia.
Ruben Mejia is the Executive Vice President, Americas at SportsArt. As the pioneers of sustainable fitness solutions, SportsArt harnesses the energy of human movement to make the planet more sustainable — one workout at a time. Their mission is to advance fitness industry standards by being one of the most creative and eco-friendly manufacturers of premium quality fitness equipment.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in East Los Angeles with my family. My parents were immigrants, and I saw them work hard every day to build a better life for me and my siblings. That work ethic — and the reason behind it — really stuck with me. In everything I do, I try to think about how I’m serving future generations and making the world a better place through my actions.
Is there a particular book or organization that made a significant impact on you growing up? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
Homeboy Industries is an organization that immediately comes to mind. Growing up where I did, I knew people who made poor choices and ended up in prison. For families in my community, this felt like a hopeless cycle. But Homeboy Industries hires ex-cons to make food for their organization. They give a lot of good people a second chance, even after society has written them off. Not only are they doing good in the world, what they do showed me the positive impact that a second chance can have on a life.
How do you define “Making A Difference”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Making a difference doesn’t always mean moving mountains, it can mean small consistent steps every day to make the world a better place. From making more of an effort to recycle, to starting an eco-friendly club, to protesting to support something you believe in — every effort you make inspires others to make their own difference. This domino effect is what leads to lasting change, and it can start with just one person.
Ok super. Let’s now jump to the main part of our interview. You are currently working on promoting climate action. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
We inspire people to make easy, effective steps everyday towards a better world. Our ECO-POWR™ line of cardio fitness equipment converts human energy into clean electricity with every workout. In a space where a lot of electricity is consumed, we empower people to actually return energy to the grid while staying active. We’re connecting healthy bodies to a healthy planet in a tangible way. Our hope is that we inspire others to make this positive change, and in turn they’ll inspire even more people to make a change. As that chain reaction spreads together we can have a real impact on the Earth.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause? How old were you when you made this decision?
It all started with my wife, Carina. She inspired me to be more sustainable, since she grew up recycling and making green choices. Watching her manifest this positive energy into something that makes a real difference inspired me to do the same — and now I go out into the world hoping to have the same impact on others. Also, Paul Kuo, Carina’s father and founder of SportsArt, truly lives his sustainable values. It was his vision and passion that led to SportsArt being one the first in the fitness equipment industry to make sustainable products and enact sustainable initiatives corporate wide. From sustainable equipment to the recycling, water conservation and solar panels at our Taiwan production facility — Paul has impacted so many lives with eco-friendly decisions. I wanted to do my part in that.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. We don’t always get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
My “Aha Moment” was when I initially joined the company and started learning about all of SportsArt’s sustainable initiatives. I immediately knew that I had to get the word out. It became my mission to tell anybody and everybody about the amazing things our company is doing. Every time I see my excitement reflected back as someone realizes they can easily make decisions everyday that are better for our planet — that’s the energy and inspiration that keeps me going!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson or take away you learned from that?
When I first started, I assumed everyone would be as excited as I was about our sustainable practices. Boy, was I wrong. But it was a different world 13 years ago. It would’ve been easy to get discouraged but I kept at it. Now everyone I tell about ECO-POWR™ is excited about it and they want to learn more about what we do. Today, sustainability is playing a much bigger role in people’s lives.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
Believe it or not, college students actually help me succeed. Today’s college students arrive on campus with sustainability already hardwired into their value system. So when they learn about ECO-POWR™ equipment and our values, they want our equipment in their campus gyms. Today SportsArt equipment is in rec centers across the country, including the University of South Florida, the University of Michigan, Penn State, The Ohio State University, UC Davis and more. And in many cases, that’s because students sparked change by going to their administration and demanding a more sustainable option for their workouts. When I see their enthusiasm it reminds me why we do what we do — to spark change.
Without saying specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
- Do something to inspire change for the better
- Big or small — both add positive momentum
- Motivate those around you to make changes
- Explain the benefits and tangible ways they can help
- Stay motivated
- Let your change become your habit
Fantastic. Here is the main question of the interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1 . Follow ups are essential. I used to think that because my email was the last communication I had with someone that I had fulfilled my obligations because now the responsibility is on them to respond. I’ve learned from personal experience that in the days of email apps on phones it is really easy to delete an email without knowing I did so. Or, it could be that someone is really busy. A courteous follow-up email reminding the person you’re communicating with goes a long way and it could even prevent you (or them) from missing a deadline.
2 . If given the chance, Speak Up! Robin Williams in Dead Poets Society said, “Words and ideas can change the world.” In the proper setting, your idea can be a catalyst for change. Whether it is your idea that ends up being executed or your idea that has morphed into something else after a collaboration session, change would not have happened if you kept it in your head.
3 . Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life. Confucius really hit a home run here! I’ve taken jobs for more money and/or better perks and later realized that I was not happy. The worst part is that not being happy affected my work performance. When I took a job that gave me purpose, my entire life changed — I was happier throughout the week, I was excited about every task I performed, and, most importantly, my excitement allowed me to give 100% into everything that I did.
4 . Talk to your colleagues. I used to be shy when I first started working. Little by little, I grew the courage to talk to more people. I learned that I worked with a lot of interesting people. Had I not struck up a conversation with some of my colleagues I would have never learned that one of my colleagues was a manga artist or that one of them had been drafted by a Major League Baseball team. By getting to know my colleagues and them getting to know me, we formed a bond that extended beyond work. At work, our bond helped us collaborate better and even overcome challenges as a team.
5 . “Out of sight, out of mind” is a myth! I once had a tenured colleague tell me that it’s best to mind my business and to let things come to me. HE WAS DEAD WRONG! I didn’t realize this until I stopped following his advice because my progression was stable until then. As soon as I started volunteering for tasks where I could showcase the skills that I was confident in,I started being recognized for my talents instead of being another cog in the machine. Stepping up was even more appreciated by management at smaller companies where everyone is pulling together to make things happen.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Young people need to realize that their ability to implement change is so much greater than in years past. People are listening now, and they want to hear you. So many young people are wanting to change the world, and I would tell them that they are truly the ones in charge of making that change. Companies and universities are being dictated to by students, not the other way around. Inspire the change you wish to see.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Captain Charles Moore, the person who cleans up the garbage patch in the ocean, would be an awesome person to have lunch with. His ability to see a problem, wish to inspire change, and then actually get up and do it — is amazing. I would love to hear his story.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubenmejia/ or learn more about us at @gosportsart.
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About the Interviewer: Monica Sanders JD, LL.M, is the founder of “The Undivide Project”, an organization dedicated to creating climate resilience in underserved communities using good tech and the power of the Internet. She holds faculty roles at the Georgetown University Law Center and the Tulane University Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy. Professor Sanders also serves on several UN agency working groups. As an attorney, Monica has held senior roles in all three branches of government, private industry, and nonprofits. In her previous life, she was a journalist for seven years and the recipient of several awards, including an Emmy. Now the New Orleans native spends her time in solidarity with and championing change for those on the frontlines of climate change and digital divestment. Learn more about how to join her at: www.theundivideproject.org
How Ruben Mejia Of SportsArt Is Helping to Promote Sustainability and Climate Justice was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.