April 2025 - Taylor Scott Nelson

Defining Green Marketing & Sustainability Communications: An Hourglass Term That Shaped My Career

April 21, 2025 No Comments

In the world of marketing, buzzwords come and go — but “green marketing” and “sustainability communications” are terms that have stuck with me, not just as trends, but as defining themes throughout my career. They’re what I call hourglass terms — concepts that begin broadly, narrow into a specialized niche, and then fan out again to influence a wide range of industries, sectors, and communication needs.

Let me explain — and take you on a journey through how I came to specialize in this growing, evolving, and deeply meaningful space.

What Is Green Marketing, Exactly?

At its core, green marketing refers to promoting products, services, or practices that are environmentally friendly. It’s about more than slapping a green label on a package — it’s a commitment to transparency, sustainability, and often, behavioral change. Green marketing focuses on aligning brand values with environmental ethics, creating campaigns that both inform and inspire.

Sustainability communications, meanwhile, goes beyond the consumer angle. It encompasses the storytelling, messaging, and strategic outreach that organizations use to engage stakeholders — from the public to policymakers — on environmental initiatives, sustainable practices, climate resilience, and more.

Together, these two disciplines span a massive spectrum — from technical communications about carbon reporting to grassroots storytelling about tree planting or water conservation. Hence the hourglass.

General, Professional

A Fresh Perspective: How Google Career Dreamer Uses AI for Career Exploration

April 17, 2025 No Comments

A Fresh Perspective: How Google Career Dreamer helped me with my Career Possibilities

Lately, I’ve been undergoing career evaluation—taking stock of my experiences, skills, and interests as I navigate my next professional chapter. With a background in marketing and communications, much of it focused on sustainability and public outreach, I know I had a wide-ranging skill set. But translating that into a clear path forward? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out.

Then a friend in a networking group recommended Google Career Dreamer—an AI-powered career exploration tool that genuinely helped me shine light on potential career options.

I was curious and slightly skeptical, but once I got started, I realized this was more than just a job-matching tool. Career Dreamer helped me articulate my value, identify where my skills shine, and—most importantly—imagine new career directions I hadn’t seriously considered before.

A Clearer Career Identity

One of the first steps in the Dreamer experience is shaping your Career Identity Statement—a concise, personalized summary of your strengths where you enter previous roles and skills to inform the AI. Here’s what mine looks like now:

General, Personal Projects

From Lone Dome to Lunar Dreams: Visualizing a Space Colony Glamping Experience

April 14, 2025 No Comments

What started as a simple prompt request for a “space glamping dome nestled in the Central Texas Landscape” evolved into a refined and realistic visual journey, one that perfectly aligns with the vision I’ve been developing for a unique edutainment experience: a Space Colony Glamping Business. The goal is to offer guests a “pick your own adventure” immersion into the life of a space colonist, right here on Earth. And what better setting than the captivating landscape of Central Texas surrounded by local excursions and seasonal urban events?

Through this iterative prompting process (Google Gemini), we’ve moved from a solitary glamping dome to a vision of a self-contained and interconnected colony habitat in the Central Texas landscape. The images now depict:

Multiple Geodesic Domes: Clusters of distinctive canvas and glass domes, suggesting comfortable and potentially luxurious living spaces.
Shipping Container Tunnels: These act as crucial connectors between the domes, creating enclosed pathways and a sense of a unified structure.
Greenhouses: Lining the shipping container tunnels, these suggest a capacity for food production and a degree of self-sufficiency within the compound.
A Large Central Dome: Serving as a potential communal hub or central facility within the compound.
Sun Shade Sails with Rainwater Collection: These practical additions hint at sustainable living and resource management.
Central Texas Landscape: The setting remains the rolling, often dry, yet beautiful landscape of Central Texas, providing a context for this unique habitat.
A “Space Compound” Feel: The interconnectedness created by the shipping containers and the presence of multiple dome structures evokes a sense of a planned and potentially isolated community, reminiscent of a small off-world base.

General, Nature, Texas

Rooted in Community: Earth Day Austin 2025 at Huston-Tillotson University

April 12, 2025 No Comments

On Saturday, I revisited Earth Day Austin Festival for 2025 at Huston-Tillotson University (HT) — a celebration that brought together culture, community, and climate action in the heart of East Austin. As someone who works at the intersection of sustainability, communications, and public outreach, this event offered not only an energizing way to celebrate Earth Month but also a powerful reminder of what’s possible when people come together to support and promote conservation, equity to access and services, workforce education, and environmentalism during these current social times.

This year’s theme, “Rooted in Community,” felt strong in terms of the support of vendors, action groups, and city services — from the indoor inflatable planetarium and cultural performances on the main stage, to the various panels, interactive exhibits, and conversations I had at booths. The event was part of HT’s 150th anniversary programming, and was supported by volunteers and students, which included performances by the students too.

General, Professional, Texas

Finding Community and Creativity at #Ad2TheConvo: Hustlers Panel & Networking

April 9, 2025 No Comments

On April 9th, I had the pleasure of attending #Ad2TheConvo: Hustlers Panel & Networking at RichesArt Gallery in East Austin — an event hosted by Ad 2 Austin and sponsored by Spotter. I walked in expecting a solid panel discussion and some casual networking. I walked out feeling deeply inspired, more connected to the local creative scene, and affirmed in my own journey as a communications professional exploring new ground.

The night centered on a panel of four women entrepreneurs — all self-made, all proudly tied to their culture, and all navigating the highs and lows of side-hustling in Austin. Panelists included Julia Wezio, co-founder of ATX Grand Prix Club; Karla Martinez, founder of Betty Bobble; Kassandra Chapa, founder of Firulais Co.; and Marisa Garza, founder of KEFI by MG. Each of these women shared the story of how they launched their ventures, what keeps them motivated, and how their personal and cultural identities are woven into the fabric of their brands.

General, Nature, Texas

Texas VegFest: Celebrating 10 Years of Community and Compassion

April 5, 2025 No Comments

I spent my Saturday afternoon soaking up the energy, flavors, and creativity at the 10th annual Texas VegFest—and it did not disappoint. Held at Fiesta Gardens along the shores of Lady Bird Lake, this year’s event brought together an incredible mix of food vendors, nonprofits, musicians, and plant-based enthusiasts from all over Austin. Whether you’re vegan, veg-curious, or just hungry and open-minded, this festival had something for everyone.

The weather was a little unpredictable (classic Austin spring), but that didn’t stop the crowds. I wandered through rows of vendor tents sampling all kinds of veggie-based goodies—from BBQ tempeh sliders to vegan tamales to inventive dairy-free desserts. And of course, I picked up my fair share of stickers, tote bags, and free swag along the way.