Black Friday has spent years teaching us the same lesson: buy more, faster, cheaper. But what if the real innovation today is not about accelerating consumption – but about redesigning growth itself?
In this episode of Salto Talks, Piotr Nejman speaks with Alexandra Davidsson – co-founder of Circular Monday, the world’s largest campaign for circular consumption, which has already reached more than 100 million people, operates in over 55 countries, and achieved all of that without a single dollar in marketing budget.
This is not just a conversation about sustainability. It is a conversation about innovation that challenges the logic of overconsumption, about business models built on value rather than volume, and about why companies that fail to transition may become irrelevant.
Alexandra shares the story behind Circular Monday – from its origins as White Monday in Sweden to its transformation into a global movement. She talks about the personal loss, the responsibility of carrying the initiative forward, and her decision to make her own “salto” by stepping away from stable income to take Circular Monday into its next chapter.
Together, Piotr and Alexandra explore why circular economy is not just about waste or recycling, but about rethinking how businesses create value, how consumers make choices, and how innovation can work within the limits of one planet.
In this episode, you will learn:
🔹 how Circular Monday started and why it was created as a response (or solution!) to Black Friday
🔹 how to build a global campaign with zero marketing budget. The story of Circular Monday – from 30 Swedish companies in 2017 to 100 million people in 2025. What actually drives viral without money?
🔹 circular economy ≠ recycling. Why the industry spent years trapped in a waste narrative – and what the circular economy actually means for businesses that want to survive the next decade
🔹 which circular business models are gaining traction: repair, reuse, rental, product-as-a-service
🔹 why scaling circular businesses is harder – but also more meaningful
🔹 circular Monday is looking for its next chapter. Alexandra has put everything on the line – no salary, savings running out in months – because she believes the campaign has to reach the next level. This is a founder journey they don’t teach at MBA programs.
🔹 The resource agent – a job that doesn’t exist yet, but should. Why in the age of AI and automation, physical work and local resource networks may become one of the biggest labor markets of the next decade.
This is also the first-ever Salto Talks episode recorded in English – opening the podcast to a broader international audience.
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/salto-talks/id1884130222?l=pl&i=1000761772397
00:00 100 million people reached without a marketing budget
01:41 The first Salto Talks episode recorded in English
02:28 Who is Alexandra Davidsson?
03:19 What is Circular Monday?
03:51 From White Monday to Circular Monday
06:32 How the campaign grew to more than 55 countries
08:39 A global movement built through community, not corporations
09:15 When Circular Monday really started gaining traction
11:31 Reaching 100 million people — and making a personal salto
13:32 Is Circular Monday competing with Black Friday?
16:01 Circularity as a solution, not just opposition
18:30 What kind of companies can join Circular Monday?
22:01 What “salto” means in business and innovation
23:29 Alexandra’s leap into the next phase of Circular Monday
28:31 Circular economy is about resources, not just waste
29:16 How to define circular economy properly
32:25 Why constraints can drive innovation
33:16 The most inspiring circular business models
35:55 Product as a Service and the future of ownership
40:38 Why circular businesses are harder to scale
41:06 Are large companies really beginning to understand circularity?
45:31 ESG fatigue, regulations, and the communication challenge
49:48 Moving from compliance to real value creation
50:57 How big companies can begin their circular transition
53:48 Circular Monday as a platform for awareness and business change
54:56 “Resource agent” — a job of the future?
57:41 Can circular economy scale like traditional business?
59:14 AI may replace some jobs — circularity may create new ones
1:01:50 Is circularity a smart direction for startup founders?
1:03:45 What comes next for Circular Monday?
1:04:13 Circular Monday 2026 — how it works and how to join
1:06:10 An open invitation to companies, partners and ambassadors
Guest: Alexandra Davidsson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandradavidsson/
Circular Monday: https://www.circularmonday.com/
Host: Piotr Nejman
https://www.saltostrategies.com
Watch Salto Talks on YouTube and listen on popular podcast platforms.
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