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Gen Z at the Helm

Gen Z at the Helm

Lauren Wambold Patel
May 06, 2025

Welcome back to The 2x2 - the ultimate newsletter for executive consultants!

This week, we have Cooper Wechkin - a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree who built a thriving business on helping companies become more eco-conscious.

Read on…

⏰ Today in 5 minutes or less:

ESG initiatives look different in the U.S. versus other parts of the world.
Even if you’re not a sustainability-first brand, everyone interacting with you might be.
My best LinkedIn advice? Pick a character and show up.

Forbes 30 Under 30 Cooper Wechkin’s ESG for Consultants and Small Businesses

ESG sounds like a big company problem. But it’s not.

I learned that when a big client asked for our carbon report.

(Sorry, my WHAT report?)

As part of their supplier network, we weren’t off the hook when it came to reducing their footprint.

And that’s also how I met Cooper Wechkin, founder of RyeStrategy and one of the sharpest minds in the ESG space.

He launched his firm while still in undergrad (like it’s typical), made Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact (like it’s casual), and now helps companies like mine avoid ESG-induced panic (like it’s no big deal).

In this conversation, he explains why small businesses should care, what we can actually do, and how climate reporting is quickly becoming a growth lever, not just a checkbox.

ESG wasn’t on my radar until recently, and I’m not alone. What led you to build a business around it so early in your career?

Cooper: ESG stands for “Environmental, Social, and Governance”, which is essentially a framework to measure a company's sustainability and ethical performance.

It had different names over the years, and it’s definitely a niche that’s gotten more attention recently. But I actually started RyeStrategy during undergrad at the University of Washington – officially the week COVID hit the U.S.

I studied sustainable business abroad in the Netherlands where the approach to sustainability is very different.

There, businesses fall into three categories: they’re either doing the right thing and getting rewarded for it, working toward it and being supported, or ignoring it and facing backlash. Their system encourages businesses to do the right thing.

In contrast, here in the U.S., we’re very bottom-line driven – “How do we make doing the right thing profitable here?”

The DIY tools were too complex, and the big consultancies were too expensive – especially for small businesses. That gap in the market became our focus for RyeStrategy: helping small and mid-sized businesses navigate sustainability in a way that’s accurate, achievable, and beneficial to their bottom line.

Why should a small or mid-sized business care about carbon accounting or ESG reporting – especially if they’re not a sustainability-driven brand?

Cooper: The short answer is your customers, employees, investors, and business partners are all increasingly expecting it – even if you’re not a sustainability-first company.

Eighty percent of consumers expect companies to take action on climate change, and 50% say they’ll switch to a more sustainable provider if given the choice.

That’s not just true for giant corporations – that’s true across the board.

When you do the math, about 80% of a big company’s emissions come not from their own operations, but from their suppliers like software vendors, agencies, consultants, and other product providers.

And that’s actually where a lot of our growth has come from: helping small companies respond to supplier requirements.

We met when your client committed to reducing emissions by 55% across their supplier network by 2030. Every company in that chain, including firms like yours and mine, was asked to measure and reduce their footprint.

For a lot of businesses, carbon accounting is more than just brand play – it’s a requirement to stay in the game and work with the biggest clients.

If a remote team wants to actually move the needle, where would you tell them to start?

Cooper: Start by recognizing what you’re already doing well – especially if you’re remote-first or working in a small space like yours, which is LEED-certified. That’s already a meaningful step, but it should be consistent.

In some cases, companies don’t recognize the sustainable steps they’re already taking. When some things happen, they stop continuing their sustainable efforts. In the end, their carbon emissions just shoot up again – which we don’t want.

Aside from the bigger steps, it’s also the small things that add up. We look at where your electricity comes from, how you travel, where you stay during business trips, and all these other activities.

Not everyone will love our answers. But from a sustainable standpoint, fewer resources per person means less environmental impact.

For remote teams, we advise them to be wary of “vampire power.”

It’s when electronics draw energy if they’re plugged in, even when they’re off. Vampire power accounts for about 12% of the average utility bill, so encouraging your remote team to unplug devices or use smart power strips is a win-win: it’s better for the planet and it saves money.

None of these changes need to be huge or expensive. The goal is to understand your current footprint and make a handful of smart, strategic shifts.

What We Can Learn from Cooper Wechkin:

Small firms aren’t exempt from ESG. Enterprise clients are setting ambitious climate goals and pulling their entire supply chain along for the ride. Even if you're a team of one, you may be asked to report your carbon footprint.
Start where you are. You don’t need a fancy dashboard to make progress. Cooper recommends small, practical moves: buy renewable energy credits, fly direct, unplug your gear.
Carbon accounting might not feel strategic, but it is. Clients, employees, and partners all notice when you show up prepared. Being proactive with climate data can help you win RFPs, deepen enterprise relationships, and stand out in a crowded market.

The LinkedIn Laws of Attention: Be Seen Without Selling Your Soul

We all know how useful LinkedIn is for our careers.

But let’s be honest – using it can be a little too awkward. A little loud. A little too… look at me!

And yet, here we are.

Because whether you love it or hate it, attention on LinkedIn equals opportunity.

And if you’re an indie consultant, that attention could mean warm leads, closed contracts, or a DM that changes everything.

But how do can you do that past the humble brags and (un)inspirational quotes?

By learning to play by the LinkedIn Laws of Attention.

Let’s break them down.

Law #1: Play a LinkedIn Character

Yes, this is a little weird. But stay with me.

The biggest shift I made on LinkedIn? It’s when I stopped trying to be me and started showing up as a LinkedIn version of me.

Not fake. Not performative. Just intentional.

Think of Beyonce turning into Sasha Fierce before a performance.

Christmas Netflix GIF by Beyonce | Giphy

Now, picture your professional alter ego and use it on LinkedIn. It’s the version of you that knows your audience and shares what they care about.

Because when you play a character, you post with purpose.

You write like someone’s watching. You stop making content for “everyone” and start showing up for the right people.

Law #2: Visibility Over Perfection

Whether you post or not, people are watching.

They’re not liking, commenting, or giving you gold stars.

But they’re there – clients, former coworkers, podcast guests you forgot to follow up with.

Lurking. Watching. Seeing your name in the feed.

Remembering you exist.

Which means if you don’t show up, someone else will show up in your place.

The good news? Your job isn’t to go viral or win a Pulitzer.

It’s to be remembered or at least stay top-of-mind for the 50–100 people in your orbit who matter most. That’s it.

Which means you can stop chasing likes and start chasing trust.

Law #3: The First Line Does the Heavy Lifting

If the first line doesn’t hook, the rest might as well be invisible.

Your hook is the part of your post that shows up before the “See more.”

If it doesn’t stop the people from scrolling, the algorithm sends your post to the graveyard.

Some great first-line formulas:

🧨 A bold opinion: “Most client dashboards are a complete waste.”
🧠 A curiosity builder: “I almost lost a $200K project over this one sentence…”
🙋‍♀️ A question: “What’s the most expensive mistake you’ve seen a client make?”

I also use a handy tool called Taplio, which helps me come up with great hooks for my posts.

It’s a bit expensive, but it’s a great investment – especially if you want to up your LinkedIn game.

It’s useful for writing posts, banking ideas, and keeping track of what’s working.

Law #4: Play to the 7 Fs (Because Your Brain Is Wired for Them)

In my pursuit of nailing my LinkedIn game, I signed up for a few online courses including Demand Curve’s Un-Ignorable Challenge.

And one of my biggest learnings is The 7Fs of Un-Ignorable Content – a list of what our brains actually pay attention to online.

The 7Fs of Attention-Grabbing Un-Ignorable Content by Demand Curve | Facebook

And spoiler: none of it is “3 lessons from my morning latte.”

Here’s what work you can write about on LinkedIn to catch attention:

Fun – memes, one-liners, light sarcasm.
Fears – mistakes, risks, bold warnings.
Fables – short stories, lessons learned the hard way.
Faces – yours, your team’s, or your client’s (with permission, of course).
Fascinates – hot takes, teardown posts, spicy opinions.
Familiarity – recurring formats, catchphrases, visual style.
Future Me – “here’s where I started, here’s where I am” transformation posts.

You don’t need to use all of them, all of the time.

Just pick one, lean in, and build a post around it.

Law #5: Repurpose Everything. Seriously.

Let’s kill the myth: not every post needs to be original.

The truth is most people don’t remember what you posted three weeks ago.

And frankly? Your best ideas deserve more than one shot.

A comment can become a post. A post can become a carousel. A DM can become a headline.

Say the same thing in five different ways.

Repetition doesn’t annoy people. It reinforces the message.

And no, you’re not “being annoying.” You’re being visible. And that’s the point.

Law #6: Consistency Is Key (The Rule of 100 is Your Friend)

If there’s one law that powers all the others, it’s this: keep showing up.

Even when it feels awkward. Even when no one clicks ‘like.’ Even when the algorithm seems like it’s punishing you for having taste.

Your job isn’t to go viral. It’s to be present enough that when the right person is ready, they will reach out to you.

And if you need help staying consistent, you might find my Rule of 100 useful.

Spend 100 minutes a week on LinkedIn – that's 20 minutes a day, for five days a week.

Here’s the breakdown:

10 minutes engaging: comment on posts, reply to DMs, write recommendations.
10 minutes reaching out: reconnect with an old contact, ask for a referral, send follow ups.

No tricks. No hacks. Just a system that gets you seen without burning out.

Follow the Laws, Reap the Rewards

My advice? You just need to show up as a slightly louder version of yourself – one who has something useful to say and says it often enough to be remembered.

The right people are already watching. Even if they’re not liking.

So play your LinkedIn character and show up.