What if changing the world really was as simple as doing your laundry?
For Brad Liski, CEO and co-founder of Tru Earth, it’s the foundation of a fast-growing, values-led business that’s helped eliminate millions of plastic detergent jugs from landfills.
On a recent episode of The Conscious Capitalists podcast, Brad sat down with Raj Sisodia and Timothy Henry to unpack how Tru Earth went from a lightbulb moment to a global sustainability movement. His insights offer powerful takeaways for CEOs looking to align purpose with performance.
1. Make the better choice the easier choice
Tru Earth’s flagship product, an ultra-concentrated, water-activated laundry strip, was designed to solve two problems: the environmental toll of plastic packaging and the friction people face when trying to live more sustainably. The result? A product that’s cleaner, simpler, and drastically more eco-friendly than traditional detergent.
But the real innovation was behavioral.
According to Brad, they wanted people to feel good about the small steps they were taking, not judged for not being perfect. He calls this ‘environmentalist light.’
This framing removed guilt from the equation and invited millions of consumers to participate in sustainability, without overhauling their lives. It’s a lesson for any company: if you want to change behavior at scale, reduce the cognitive and emotional load.
2. Design your brand around your values, not just your product
From day one, Tru Earth embedded social impact into its business model. One of its proudest milestones? Donating more than 30 million loads of laundry detergent to families in need around the world.
For Brad, this wasn’t an afterthought. It was a strategic decision to deepen trust, build community, and make purpose visible through action.
3. Forget perfection. Focus on momentum.
In a landscape saturated with eco-marketing and corporate greenwashing, Tru Earth took a different approach: transparency over perfection.
They didn’t come out saying we were the most sustainable solution in the world. Instead, they emphasized that they were simply working on a better way, and invited people to join them.
This humble, iterative approach resonated. It created a culture of progress over purity, internally and externally, that empowered the team and the customer base alike.
4. Simplicity scales. Complexity stalls.
One of the most tactical pieces of advice Brad offered was about scaling impact without overengineering the process. The simpler you make the change, the easier it is to scale, both for the consumers and for your team.
In a time when businesses are navigating increased ESG scrutiny, shifting consumer demands, and economic uncertainty, leaders may be tempted to layer on complexity. Tru Earth’s story is a reminder that the clearest path to growth may be the most obvious one, if you stay focused on your values and your customer.
Brad Liski and Tru Earth didn’t wait for perfect conditions or an eco-conscious elite to spark a movement. They started with one question: “What if we could make doing good as easy as doing laundry?”
For CEOs and leaders charting a course in conscious capitalism, the answer isn’t just inspiring. It’s actionable.
Because when purpose is clear, simplicity is a strength, and every load counts.
If you’d like to listen to the entire episode, head on over here -> https://go.consciouscapitalism.org/podcast/brad-liski