When people think about systems change, they often imagine large-scale policy reforms, global movements, or sweeping institutional transformations. Yet one of the most important lessons from the sustainability movement is that systems change often begins with something much smaller: helping people take the first step.
This was one of the key themes that emerged from my conversation with Lacey Cadieux-McLean, founder of Rhubaia, a sustainable fashion and technology company working to make conscious consumption more accessible. While our discussion focused on the fashion industry, the lessons extend far beyond clothing. They offer valuable insights for anyone trying to create change in complex systems.
Complexity Can Be a Barrier to Action
The fashion industry is a perfect example of a complex system.
A single garment is connected to raw materials, manufacturing processes, labour conditions, transportation networks, consumer behaviour, waste management systems, chemical exposure, and environmental impacts. When people begin learning about these interconnected issues, the sheer complexity can feel overwhelming.
Many changemakers face a similar challenge. Whether we’re talking about climate change, housing affordability, food security, mental health, poverty, or democratic participation, the problems are rarely simple. The more we learn, the more interconnected everything appears.
Unfortunately, complexity often produces paralysis.
People begin to feel that if they cannot solve the entire problem, there is little point in doing anything at all. They become overwhelmed by the scale of the challenge and disengage entirely.
One of the most powerful insights from the conversation was the idea that sustainability should not be treated as an exclusive club where people are expected to get everything right from the beginning. Instead, it should be viewed as a journey that starts with small, achievable actions.
This is a lesson many changemakers could benefit from remembering. Progress is often made not by demanding perfection, but by creating accessible entry points that allow people to participate.
Meet People Where They Are
Many social and environmental movements unintentionally create barriers to participation.
People often encounter messages that imply they need to completely transform their lifestyle, worldview, or behaviour before they can meaningfully contribute. While these messages are usually well-intentioned, they can make change feel inaccessible.
Lacey spoke about how many people assume sustainability is only for those who can afford to completely replace their wardrobes or radically alter their consumption habits. In reality, most people are operating within financial constraints, family responsibilities, and competing priorities.
The same dynamic exists across many social issues.
If people feel judged, excluded, or overwhelmed, they are far less likely to engage. If they feel welcomed, supported, and encouraged to take small steps, they are far more likely to continue learning and growing.
For changemakers, this raises an important question: are we designing pathways into change, or are we unintentionally building barriers around it?
Behaviour Change Matters as Much as Product Change
Many social entrepreneurs focus on creating better products, services, or programs. While these innovations are important, systems change also requires changes in behaviour.
One of the most interesting aspects of Rhubaia’s approach is the use of technology to help people maximise the use of clothing they already own. Rather than simply encouraging consumers to buy new sustainable products, the company is also exploring how AI can help people create new outfit combinations and increase the lifespan of existing garments.
This highlights a broader principle of systems change: solving problems often requires addressing both supply and demand.
It’s not enough to create sustainable alternatives if the behaviours driving overconsumption remain unchanged. Likewise, it’s not enough to encourage behaviour change if people lack access to viable alternatives.
Effective changemaking requires working on both sides of the equation simultaneously.
Purpose Often Requires Trade-Offs
One of the realities many purpose-driven entrepreneurs encounter is that values and profitability do not always align perfectly.
Creating ethical products, sourcing sustainable materials, reducing environmental impacts, and maintaining transparency often introduce additional costs and complexity. In the short term, these choices can make it more difficult to compete with businesses operating under fewer constraints.
This tension is not unique to sustainable fashion. It exists across almost every area of social impact work.
Organisations committed to fair wages may face higher operating costs. Community-based initiatives often move more slowly than purely profit-driven models. Programs designed around long-term wellbeing can struggle to compete with approaches that prioritise short-term results.
The lesson here is not that values and profitability are incompatible. Rather, it is that purpose-driven work often requires a willingness to navigate trade-offs and make decisions based on long-term impact rather than immediate gain.
The Importance of Starting Before You’re Ready
Perhaps the most universal lesson from the conversation had nothing to do with sustainability at all.
Lacey described entrepreneurship as a process of learning through action. Like writing a book, building a business begins with a single chapter. The plan you start with is rarely the plan you finish with. There will be mistakes, revisions, setbacks, and unexpected opportunities along the way.
This is true of almost every changemaking endeavour.
Many people spend years waiting until they feel ready to begin. They wait until they have more knowledge, more resources, more certainty, or a better plan.
But changemaking rarely works that way.
The people who create meaningful change are not necessarily those with the most complete roadmap. They are often the people willing to take the first step without knowing exactly where the path will lead.
A Final Reflection
One of the most encouraging ideas from this conversation is that meaningful change does not require perfection.
You do not need to solve an entire system to contribute to improving it.
You do not need to have all the answers before you begin.
You do not need to transform your life overnight to be part of a larger movement.
Whether we are talking about sustainability, community development, social justice, public health, or systems change, progress often begins with small actions taken consistently over time.
The challenge for changemakers is not simply to design better solutions. It is to create pathways that make those solutions accessible, practical, and inviting for others.
Because lasting change rarely happens when people are made to feel guilty for what they are not doing. More often, it happens when they are inspired to take the next step.
