Breen Murphy, President of Carbon Collective Investing, storyteller, ocean lover, and lifelong learner, shares what it means to create a meaningful life by contributing authentically to a better world. From the deeply personal experience of speaking at his grandmother’s memorial — and realizing the impact one person can make — to leading a groundbreaking investment firm reimagining what it means to be a fiduciary in the climate era, Breen shares his winding path, lessons learned, and the mindset shifts that have guided him along the way. We unpack why failure can be a teacher, how patience and persistence can coexist, and how shedding rigid identities opens us up to greater impact.

• Why failure is “miserably” but powerfully true as a teacher

• How Breen’s grandmother inspired his lifelong focus on making the world better

• Why the ESG framework fell short — and how Carbon Collective is building a better alternative

• How to reframe your skills and passions to meet climate and societal needs

• Why letting go of rigid identities can help you navigate change with less suffering

• How authentic service to others can lead to deeper personal meaning and community

• Carbon Collective Investing

• Project Drawdown

• Seven Crossings Project (documentary about ocean conservation and endurance paddling)

• alongthesamelines.com and fill out a short form — we’d love to hear from you.

  Music Credit

  Music in this episode is by Broke for Free, available via the Free Music Archive.

  Final Thought

  "The good stuff in life comes when you focus on helping others in a way that’s authentic to you. That’s how you knit together a meaningful life." — Breen Murphy

Writing coach and ghostwriter MJ Halberstadt joins Ania to explore how queerness, creativity, and climate intersect. From their origins as a queer theater kid to writing plays about Antarctica and ghostwriting books on transformational leadership, MJ shares how they’ve navigated imposter syndrome, burnout, and the pressure to “have it all figured out.” Together, they explore how comparison can paralyze us, why the perfect can be the enemy of the good, and how bringing our authentic selves — flaws and all — is exactly what this work needs.

• 🌱 Why a “vague passion” for climate is still powerful—and valid

• 🎭 How MJ’s arts background shaped their approach to writing and advocacy

• 🧠 The link between burnout, transformation, and creative contribution

• ✨ The importance of storytelling and specificity in climate communication

• 🌈 A powerful call to queer listeners: your way of being is a roadmap for reimagining the future

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, rating, and reviewing Along the Same Lines on your favorite podcast app. It helps more people find the show and supports the storytelling work we’re doing here.

Want to share your own story? Visit alongthesamelines.com and fill out a short form—we’d love to hear from you.

Music in this episode is by Broke for Free, available via the Free Music Archive.

Meet Umair Surani, a bridge-builder, systems thinker, and Senior Account Executive at McKinstry, whose path into the climate world began in the most unexpected way—through a job he almost didn’t take. With a background in aerospace engineering and a childhood in Pakistan, Umair brings a uniquely global and interdisciplinary lens to decarbonizing buildings.

We explore why HVAC contractors may be the most powerful (and overlooked) agents of change in the clean energy transition, what prevents more homeowners from installing heat pumps, and how decision-making around climate technologies often comes down to risk, timing, and trust.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why HVAC contractors have more influence over climate adoption than most people realize
• How Umair's identity as a "bridge node" shapes his work and relationships
• What a heat pump actually is, and why it matters
• Why policy and incentive programs often fail to engage the people who need them most
• How cultural background and generational empathy can be secret weapons for change
• What happened when Umair tried (and failed) to install a heat pump in a new home build

Resources Mentioned:

• McKinstry – Umair's employer, helping decarbonize buildings across sectors
• AHR Expo – The largest HVAC industry conference
• Climate Vine – Climate professional community where Umair and Ania met

Note:

• In the podcast, Umair mentions that vehicles have heat pumps - for context this was about EVs, since we are both EV owners and was not meant to imply that traditional gas powered cars also have heat pumps.
• This was recorded on Nov 5, 2024 so some information mentioned may be outdated by release date.

Support the Podcast:

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, rating, and reviewing Along the Same Lines on your favorite podcast platform. It helps us reach more listeners and continue spotlighting real stories of change.

Want to share your story? Visit alongthesamelines.com and fill out a short form—we’d love to hear from you.

Music Credit:

Music in this episode is by Broke for Free, available via the Free Music Archive.

Final Thought:

“Sometimes climate change starts at the kitchen table—with a contractor, a question, and the willingness to try something different.”