Get ready to be inspired…in Coco Eco (Diva) Style.

Recently, I had the honor of meeting Anna Griffin, founder and editor-in-chief of Coco Eco Magazine.

At the time, Anna was smack-dab in the middle of the crazy whirlwind of activity of working towards actualizing her dream - to create a revolutionary online magazine that spotlights the tenets of sustainability, beauty, and living an organically magnificent lifestyle - wrapped up in one gorgeous, green magazine called Coco Eco.

Today, after hard work and hundreds of hustle hours, the combined forces of a talented team of designers, photographers and writers have turned Anna’s vision into a reality we can all take pleasure in.

Anna (shown above) is now working on the 5th issue of Coco Eco which promises to introduce a range of talented eco designers from around the world.

With each issue, the magazine has managed to successfully find its unique voice. Some of the faces to have graced the cover of Coco Eco Magazine include Josie Maran, Summer Rayne Oakes, and fashion journalist Louise Roe.

I hope you enjoy learning about this brilliant entrepreneur, Anna Griffin, as much as I did, in the interview that follows here:

EcoDiva: Why did you choose the name Coco Eco for your magazine?

Anna: It really is an amalgamation of different thoughts and ideas, and a lot of hours of brain storming went into it, but to keep it simple, the name Coco Eco Magazine both pays homage to one of the world’s greatest style icons, Coco Chanel, whilst still emphasizing our environmental commitment and content.

EcoDiva: Why do you feel as though now is the perfect time to launch a glossy online eco magazine?

Anna: We are living in challenging times, whether because of environmental or economic reasons, and now is the time to look for solutions to these problems.  Living an eco conscious lifestyle provides so many answers to life’s current obstacles, and it was time to create a place where women from all over the world could find the information they needed in an entertaining and beautiful format.

EcoDiva: Who is your magazine written for?

Anna: Coco Eco Magazine has been created for today’s modern woman, who is concerned with looking her best, feeling her best, and being her best.   It’s for us girls who want to be mindful of our carbon footprint, and protect our environment, whilst still having fun and maintaining our femininity. The Coco Eco woman aspires to greatness. She understands her responsibility in the word and carries herself with confidence.  And she has a sense of humor!

EcoDiva: In this new market of green magazine, what makes Coco Eco Mag stand out from the crowd?

Anna: Coco Eco Magazine is becoming known as the first publication to merge eco-conscious living with high fashion, beauty, celebrity and stylish living.  Coco Eco Magazine is also the first publication to effortlessly fuse traditional magazine content with a digital format and the first to utilize the World Wide Web in bringing relevant global information and entertainment under one easily accessible brand. Coco Eco Magazine heralds a new era in publishing, one that doesn’t rely on printed editions that tax the environment. Instead, we offer online and downloadable copy firmly backing our stance as an eco-magazine with authentic purpose. Everything about Coco Eco Magazine has been considered with deep thought and well-conceived insight with regard to the environment, personal health, and wellbeing. The purpose of Coco Eco is to deliver the latest up to the minute in eco-fashion, glamour, beauty, travel and lifestyle, along with the most stylish eco-fashion pictorial as well as editorial.  And of course ALL of our content is green, including our celeb cover girls!

EcoDiva: With all of the confusion regarding what is TRULY organic, what criteria do you have in place for the organic and natural products you feature?

Anna: The confusion is actually around products labeled “natural” as this can mislead consumers into thinking they are organic.  The FDA refers to natural ingredients as “ingredients extracted directly from plants or animal products as opposed to being produced synthetically.” If a product is organic, it will carry the USDA ORGANIC label and the same goes for Fair Trade products, and animal friendly cosmetics also.  Of course the first thing we check with any product (natural or organic) we feature are the ingredients to make sure they are clean and contain no animal products/testing, parabens, phthalates, or petroleum.

EcoDiva: What type of articles and stories can we look forward to in future issues?

Anna: Presently, we are getting ready for Issue 5, our May/June edition which features Elizabeth Mitchell from Lost as our cover girl. It is also our first annual International Eco Fashion Issue with beautiful editorials from Asia, Europe, and the US to showcase what’s happening in the sustainable fashion industry on a global scale.  We are also looking at the Fair Trade industry with features on outstanding business models People Tree and Anti-Body, and celebrate with a Fair Trade product giveaway (valued at $500) in an effort to raise awareness of World Fair Trade Day (May 9th). In addition, our beauty column focuses on getting through the summer and beating the heat (and sun damage) whilst still looking gorgeous, and we sit down with Humane Society of the United States President Wayne Pacelle, in our Men We Love column.  There is also our eco-chic guide to San Francisco, plus Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, and so much more!

EcoDiva: So many people are changing their lives to be more earth friendly. Tell me about your personal journey to choosing green. When did you start getting involved in the environment?

Anna: I’ve always lived in balance with nature and been sensitive in my lifestyle choices, but felt an overwhelming call to action three years ago when the news about Global Warming was becoming so frequent, I couldn’t ignore it.  To imagine our planet being without such simple things that we take for granted, such as clean drinking water, or the thought that one day polar bears might only exist in captivity really shocked me. And of course after watching “An Inconvenient Truth,” there was no turning back.  I was compelled to get involved and make a difference.

EcoDiva: What are your some of your “green” personal and business practices?

Anna: I very rarely print anything anymore and I always reuse paper.  We also use a black screen for the Coco Eco Mag website as it uses less energy to light.  At home, I follow all the usual practices; reuse, recycle, switch off my tap when brushing my teeth, take reusable bags wherever I go, have short showers, unplug all my appliances, keep the lights off, use old rags for cleaning, carry a reusable bottle with me, have a water filter jug, buy local, etc.  The list goes on!

EcoDiva: How important do you think these kinds of changes are for you, personally?

Anna: For me, it was life-changing because once I started paying attention to my actions and making small changes, it infiltrated every area of my life, and I started to approach everything I did from an eco conscious perspective.  Plus, it feels good to know that in my own small way, I am making a contribution.

EcoDiva: What organic beauty/fashion products do you use & recommend?

Anna: Definitely the Nude Skincare line, especially the Replenishing Night Oil and the Advanced Eye Correction.  These are products that compete very well with their chemically laden, department store counterparts, but are good for you and the planet, and will leave your skin looking and feeling absolutely fantastic! Both Josie Maran Cosmetics and Jane Iredale top my list for both green and glam appeal. As far as fashion is concerned, I love Leila Hafzi whose gowns are as ethical as they are glamorous.  And of course Linda Loudermilk.  She is so innovative with fabrics and tailoring, and her pieces are exquisite.  When I’m feeling more cazh, I love pieces by Edun and the hot new tee line, LIV GRN.

EcoDiva: What books, movies, or CDs have been most helpful or inspiring to you?

Anna: The ultimate movie is of course “An Inconvenient Truth.”  Who wasn’t moved by that? And there was “Who Killed the Electric Car” and “The Eleventh Hour” which are also great films. My favorite books are Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability, The Green Book, Green Chic, and Sophie Uliano’s Gorgeously Green.  My most inspirational CD experiences definitely come from Dr Wayne Dyer.  I always listen to him when I need a bit of help.

EcoDiva: What’s the biggest eco falsehood you would like to correct?

Anna: Definitely that’s it expensive to live eco-consciously.  It’s really important to educate the mainstream that being green and eating right doesn’t have to cost anymore, and is accessible to everyone. Plus it’s so much fun and better than the conventional route, especially for us girls.  We are really spoilt for choice now!

EcoDiva: What’s your current obsession?

Anna: The Soap & Paper Factory’s All Natural Green Tea Body Scrub and Velvety Body Cream which are amazing products that are handmade and leave the skin silky smooth.  I’m also a huge fan of Tysa’s new bamboo collection which is a sexy line of dresses, and Love Heals jewelry.

EcoDiva: Who inspires you?

Anna: Al Gore, my parents, Gandhi, President Obama, Jane Goodall, and the many everyday people out there hustling to make the world a better place!

EcoDiva: How do you get things done?

Anna: I’m usually juggling a thousand things at a time and am definitely a huge multi-tasker!  I’m a list-maker also.  I find it really helps me to stay organized, and I always carry around my trusty notepad.

EcoDiva: What would you like to revolutionize?

Anna: Media!!!

EcoDiva: What’s the biggest green change you’d like to make in your life—even if it’s impossible right now?

Anna: Eventually I look forward to living in a green home, completely off the grid.

EcoDiva: What’s your favorite eco-friendly tip our readers should know about?

Anna: Change your deodorant!  There is no coincidence between the aluminum found in antiperspirants and the rise in breast cancer.

EcoDiva: What music is in your iPod or CD Player right now?

Anna: A bit of everything – John Coltrane, Thievery Corporation, Paul Van Dyke, Chopin, Frank Sinatra, Beyonce, Kanye, the Stones, U2, Prince, Radiohead, Oakenfold, Lenny Kravitz, Radiohead, and St. Germain.

EcoDiva: What’s the best green advice you ever received—and who gave it to you?

Anna: The best green advice I received was the first tip I ever got, which was to recycle.  My older sister Sarah inspired me to start doing it about 13 years ago, and it shifted how I related to the planet and my personal footprint on the environment.

For more on Coco Eco Magazine., follow this link.