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Zem on Women of Green: From Asthma to Aesthetics

By: ecofabulous | Posted on: May 17th, 2011

ecofabulous founder Zem Joaquin recently sat down with Carolyn Parrs, founder of Women of Green, a multi media blog, news source and community celebrating the many women who are leading the way in sustainability and social justice. If you haven’t ever heard the full story of Zem’s transformation, read below for a quick intro from Carolyn, and then make sure to listen to the full podcast online!

When Zem Joaquin’s two children suffered from chronic asthma, she took it in her own hands and undertook a major renovation in her home — and her life. “I was frustrated by the fact that both of my children were constantly being hospitalized. I was up so many nights with a nebulizer in hand with crying children,” she painfully remembers. “The pediatricians just kept saying that it was part of childhood, that many children have asthma.” But after they recommended putting her children on long-term steroids, she said, “Enough is enough!”

Shortly after that moment of truth, Zem was cleaning her house and she couldn’t breathe. “It was like this light bulb went off.” From that moment on, Zem committed herself to creating a healthier life for her family, “and that extended out to everyone’s family,” she said during her interview with me.

Today, Zem is the Founder and CEO of Ecofabulous, a publishing and content development company dedicated to sustainability and style. “You should be able to express any aesthetic with consciousness.”

Zem proved that first-hand. After her renovation was complete, both of her children were free from asthma AND her home was gorgeous and toxic-free. See green doesn’t mean drab. That is, when Zem’s at the helm.

Women of Green is a continuous series of interviews from authors and artists, chefs and lawyers, activists, journalists, policy makers and social entrepreneurs. These women are here to make a difference and use their voices and talents to create meaningful change on behalf of the planet and future generations.