My Sustainability Journey with Nest Earth

Hi, I’m Gabi Fiorentino, founder of Nest Earth—a community and consultancy that helps families create healthier, low-tox homes and live more sustainably without the overwhelm.

I come from the world of sustainable design, but everything changed when I became a mom. Suddenly, I wasn’t just thinking about buildings and systems—I was staring at product labels during nap time, questioning the plastic in sippy cups, and wondering what kind of world I was handing to my kids.

Nest Earth came from that shift. I couldn’t find a space that made it simple and supportive—so I created one. Now, we work in every way that matters: supporting families at home, guiding schools toward healthier environments, partnering with trusted experts, and helping businesses take aligned, authentic steps toward impact.

Through personalized home resets, community resources, and strategic guidance, Nest Earth is here to make sustainability feel practical, personal, and rooted in what matters most: the health of our families and the future of our planet.

I don’t think I ever “chose” sustainability—it’s just always been there. As a kid, I was always outside. I loved animals. I paid attention to what I was eating and what I was putting on my skin, even when no one else around me was really thinking about those things. I didn’t call it anything. I just noticed things. I cared.

That awareness grew over time and eventually led me into architecture. I believed we could design better systems and spaces that actually worked with the environment instead of against it. That’s where the concept started to take shape. It was still mostly theory, but it had structure—something I could build on.

But when I became a mom, that’s when everything changed. It was no longer about designing sustainable buildings—it was about living it. It was the food I brought into my house, the crib mattress I bought, the laundry detergent I used. I was now responsible for a tiny human and the future he was going to grow up in. And suddenly, all the theory in the world wasn’t enough.

Trying to live sustainably as a parent is a different ball game. It’s messy. It’s overwhelming. And even though I “knew” a lot, I still felt lost in the day-to-day. That’s when it all clicked: I wasn’t the only one. And if I needed support, others probably did too. That’s what pushed me to take what I knew and turn it into something useful—not just for me, but for other parents who wanted to live with more intention too.

The heart of Nest Earth is the community—and building that has been the most meaningful and impactful part of the work. The community is the most impactful part of Nest Earth, and honestly the most intentional thing I’ve built.

In the beginning, I knew I could just offer one-on-one consulting. That was straightforward and familiar. But every conversation I had with parents pointed to something bigger—they were exhausted, trying to make the best choices for their families and the planet, but felt isolated and unsure where to even start. They didn’t just need advice. They needed a support system.

So I paused and asked myself, what would that look like? I sketched it out in Notion. I mapped out the kinds of guidance people search for—nutrition, non-toxic products, parenting support, waste reduction. Then I made a list of experts I trusted, reached out to them, and invited them to be part of this idea. I set up live Q&As, topic-based workshops, and created a space where parents could actually ask questions and get answers from real people, not just blogs.

But I didn’t want this to become another content dump. So we structured the community around real-life support. We offer curated resources, live and virtual events, and spaces for parents to share what’s working for them. I also built in ways to tailor the journey to each person’s life—whether they’re brand new to sustainable living or further along.

We use simple tools—mostly Circle, Loom, and Google Drive—to deliver everything in a way that feels easy to navigate and not overwhelming. The vibe is casual, supportive, and real. No perfection pressure. Just steady progress, together. Building this community wasn’t just a strategic move. It was a response to a gap I felt deeply in my own life. And the way it’s structured now is very much the result of listening, testing, and constantly asking, “Does this feel useful? Does this feel doable?”