At its heart a compelling, irresistible, personal exploration and wholly revealing look at a woman who knew enough was enough, the book is also - in and unto itself - a valuable read of practical tools and tips that will help any business leader launch and run a business that is fully committed to making the world a better place. ~ Exclusive Magazine, Review

Passion can drive small or even large miracles, as Lisa Foster discovered when she had one of those life changing moment at a supermarket in Melbourne, almost twenty years ago. She stood in line at a supermarket, jetlagged, not really happy to be in Australia and was asked a simple question by the checkout operator, Would you like a bag? That simple question was to change her life irrevocably, setting the pathway into a career as an entrepreneur who became known throughout America as the Bag Lady. Lisa Foster has written the Bag Lady in the hope that it will encourage anyone who has a deep and real passion to make change happen, to simply go for it. As an English teacher with a Ph,D she had no idea about business at all, but had a driving passion to introduce reusable bags into the American market. She was told many time she would not succeed as ‘American’s don’t do that’. But Americans, as it turned out, were beginning to understand the destructive force of plastic on the environment and in a few short years, were definitely doing reusable bags. She had come into the marketplace at the right time. Hard work, many mistakes, and a fatal attraction to what is known as Mission Drift and Hubris almost saw her lose everything she had worked so hard for, but once again, she faced up to the hard work of rescuing what she had created, spoke her truth, contacted her clients and slowly, little by little, worked her way out of the financial black hole she had inadvertently created. The Bag Lady is her journey into creating a company that delivered a top quality product into a market that was ripe for change, the real work that has to happen to succeed and the requirement to always honour your commitments. She stresses the massive importance of creating a business plan, seeking expert help and guidance when required and never, shirking the hard stuff. She also learned the hard way the difference between being a Boss or a Leader, a vital, but essential component to good business structure. Eventually, realising it was time to move on she wondered what next until a friend said why not use what you have gained to be a Business Coach. Once she understood what a Business Coach did, she understood that if there had been such a person for her to talk with over the past years, she may not have made so many mistakes. The Bag Lady is a real, honest, entertaining, enjoyable and very personal look at what it takes to set up in business and succeed, often against serious difficulties and makes you believe, as well as understand, that if you have a passion, the drive and are happy to work hard, you can succeed; that you too can help change the world, maybe not one bag at a time, but in a way that will have an impact, large or small, on the world’ so trouble environment. ~ Blue Wolf Reviews, https://bluewolf-reviews.com/books/biographies/bag-lady/

Bag Lady is a great read for someone starting a business with a purpose. The book contains interesting personal anecdotes, sound business advice and leaves readers with useful knowledge and enhanced confidence to step out on their own in a meaningful pursuit. ~ Kenneth Cole, Designer and Social Activist

If you want to make a difference in the world but aren’t sure how, grab this insightful book. From the first eye-opening pages about the harms of plastic bags, to inspiring stories about finding the confidence to build a climate-friendly business, Bag Lady is a compelling read. With charm and candor, Lisa Foster spells out the important personal and business lessons that helped her overcome impossible odds and succeed. ~ Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Harvard Business School professor and award-winning author of Confidence and Think Outside the Building

Today, there is endless opportunity to join the movement for sustainability, and BAG LADY shows you the way! The story of one woman's quest to do good leads her in an unforeseen direction that eventually kick starts a movement! Read how an eye opening moment of clarity was marshalled into a passion that ultimately made a huge difference on our climate crisis and our plastic pollution problem. ~ Laurie David, Producer, environmental advocate, and author of, Imagine It: A Handbook for a Happier Planet

Bag Lady is an inspiring read that makes you want to find out what happens next. Lisa Foster offers a compelling personal exploration of imagination, growth, hardship, and triumph that will resonate with every entrepreneur. More importantly, she demonstrates how a social entrepreneur who commits to a larger purpose can literally change our world for the better. ~ Tom Bowman, founder of Bowman Change, Inc. and author of What if Solving the Climate Crisis Is Simple?

Lisa Foster’s book “Bag Lady” is a master class for all who wish to make a difference in the world. As she recounts her journey from English teacher to eco-entrepreneur, the reader will be inspired by her courage, persistence and values--all necessary to the process of positive change. Readers will also get an instructive look at the management skills one has to master to successfully grow an enterprise. And, finally Lisa’s honest account of successes, setbacks and lessons learned are invaluable gifts to guide all who seek change whether it be in building a business or transitioning a life. This story is both timely and essential as the world awakens to the transformational benefits female owned businesses offer society. ~ Bob Rosenberg, 35 year CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts and Author of “ Around the Corner to Around the World”

You must read this book. It takes you on the remarkable journey of an amazing Eco-Entrepreneur who’s committed to changing the way we shop. The valuable and practical tools and tips Lisa Foster shares will help any business leader launch and run a business that’s committed to making the world a better place. ~ Jeffrey Hollender, Co-Founder & CEO, American Sustainable Business Network, Co-Founder & Former CEO, Seventh Generation, Adjunct Prof, Stern Business

Written with warmth and verve, Bag Lady is a marvelous tribute to entrepreneurship’s power to change the world. In telling the story of 1 Bag at a Time, Lisa Foster shows the gift, so rare among business leaders, of conveying wisdom without platitudes and guidance without jargon. This is a book to inspire innovators and idealists alike. ~ Joseph E. Aoun, President, Northeastern University

Cheers to Bag Lady! It is a clear and poetic testament to what one person can do, and it is also a very clear and prosaic testament to the glories and challenges of starting a business. Following the simple idea that one person can change the world, she started One Bag at a Time. As a result, my grandchildren will not have to see nearly as many plastic bags wrapped around fences, drifting into the ocean, slowly decomposing into the dangerous molecules of plastic that are so toxic to our world. This book is resonant with Lisa’s pride in her progress and with her scrupulous self-admissions of her failures. It will be inspiring to anyone who has an idea for a business and even more so if that idea has a goal within it of leaving this world a better place. And that is, without a doubt, exactly what Lisa Foster has done. ~ Mary Steenburgen, American actress, comedian, singer, and songwriter.