468. Business as a force for good: Dr Bronner’s relentless drive to prove it’s possible.
Low Tox LifeShow Notes
What does it really take to build an ethical supply chain from the ground up? In this show, we learn from one of the very best. Note: Shows are never sponsored, ie companies paying us to appear on the show. An ad is an ad, and the show is the show. I’m publishing this because we all need to believe there are companies out there with mounting proof of concept that you can design for a better world through business.
In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Gero Leson, an accomplished physicist and environmental scientist who has worked for some of the biggest companies in the world and then met David Bronner, CEO of Dr Bronner’s. David implored him to join Dr Bronner’s in the early 2000’s, on a mission to build an ethical supply chain of the highest standards. We explore how one of the world’s most values-led companies approaches transparency, cross-cultural leadership and business ethics in practice - not just in marketing.
Gero shares how Dr Bronner’s moved beyond buying ingredients on the open market, moved beyond labels and just ‘trusting it was fine because it sounds good’. They’ve built companies that farm and produce the raw materials that they use for their famous soaps and other products, as well as selling the raw materials to other brands seeking a fully transparent and ethical, regenerative supply chain. They’ve done this in Sri Lanka, Ghana, India and beyond. From creating fair-trade supply chains where none had existed to the standard they wanted to uphold, to investing in regenerative agroforestry, community education and healthcare. This is business as a vehicle for agency and dignity. We discuss: Why radical transparency is becoming the antidote to consumer distrust How ethical sourcing is not about fixing one issue, but committing to long-term engagement The power of leadership teams over heroic individual leaders Why dignity and agency motivate teams more than rules and control The balance between efficiency and humanity in global business
This conversation is not idealistic. It is grounded, complex and honest about the challenges. But it is also deeply hopeful. Gero says, “We joke about saving the world with soap but in a way, it’s true”. If you have ever wondered whether business can truly be a force for good, this episode offers real-world proof that it can - when values are embedded at every level. Enjoy the show,
Alexx Stuart, your host.
Fancy a few more shows related to this one? Show #86: Gero Leson from Dr Bronner’s: doing our best in business for Spaceship Earth Show #2: Lisa Bronner – Sustainable business & cleaning Show #351 – Lisa Bronner: An Unlikely (and awesome!) Green Cleaning Hero Show #173 – Soap: A platform for global change-making with CEO David Bronner. Show #324 – Pela Founder, Jeremy Lang On Composting Accessibility, Soil Health, Bioplastics And Recycling Show #24: Sustainable brand close up: Ecostore pioneer Malcolm Rands Show #216 – Weleda – Planet Stewardship through Business with Annette Piperidis
Want to learn more about this week’s guest? Website: https://www.drbronner.com/ Instagram or LinkedIn: https://www.instagram.com/drbronner
Thank you to this month’s show partners for joining us to help you make your low tox swaps!
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