How Tru Earth's Brad Liski Is Forcing P&G and Unilever to Change

What happens when a startup dares to disrupt Big Soap—and saves over 190 million plastic containers in the process? In this episode of The Conscious Capitalists, hosts Timothy Henry and Raj Sisodia speak with Brad Liski, co-founder and CEO of Tru Earth, the eco-cleaning company revolutionizing the industry with its ultra-sustainable laundry detergent sheets. Brad shares how a side-of-the-desk idea evolved into a $100M+ global brand by leaning into innovation, empathy, and a relentless drive for impact. Tru Earth isn’t just selling laundry sheets - they’re building a movement. From redefining success beyond profit, to pushing legacy giants like Unilever and P&G toward cleaner business models, Brad takes us inside the messy, courageous journey of creating a triple-bottom-line business that actually scales. You’ll also hear about Tru Earth’s Tru Giving Program, which has provided clean laundry to over 10 million people facing hygiene poverty, and how the company has made social responsibility core to its DNA—even spending more on ESG than EBITDA. Listeners will gain insights into:How Tru Earth is disrupting the $100B cleaning industry with no plastic jugsWhy calling their customers changemakers is more than just brandingThe bold decision to evolve company values as they scaleBuilding a culture of risk-taking and psychological safetyBrad’s definition of a “critical cause” vs. a typical mission statementHow meditation and humility shape Brad’s conscious leadership approachLessons from rapid growth, failure, and staying agile in radical uncertainty Whether you’re a purpose-driven founder, sustainability advocate, or future-minded leader, this episode is a raw, honest, and inspiring look at what it really takes to lead with values in a competitive world. ** If you enjoy this podcast, would you consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes? It takes only a few seconds and greatly helps us get our podcast out to a wider audience. Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts / Spotify / Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. For transcripts and show notes, please go to: https://www.theconsciouscapitalists.com This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew Jones as Executive Producer, Rithu Jagannath as Lead Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Editor. Thank you for your support! - Timothy & Raj Time Stamps 00:00 – Welcome & Introduction 02:10 – How Tru Earth Started: A Side Project That Took Off 04:21 – Customers as Changemakers 06:15 – Competing with Big Soap: From Rivalry to Collaboration 08:42 – The Hidden Dangers of Knockoffs & Greenwashing 10:29 – Whose Responsibility Is Sustainability? 13:22 – Innovating Beyond the Knockoffs 15:37 – The Tru Giving Program: Scaling Through Impact 20:11 – Purpose vs. Critical Cause 22:26 – Evolving Core Values for a Scaling Team 27:57 – Marketing to Changemakers, Not Just Consumers 31:50 – Expanding the Stakeholder View 34:10 – Brad’s Leadership Philosophy: Be Humble, Be Kind, Get the Work Done 36:31 – Building in Radical Uncertainty 41:57 – Empowerment, Trust & Risk-Taking in Leadership 44:12 – Mistakes, Shiny Objects & Global Expansion Lessons 46:14 – The Right Investors Make All the Difference 48:41 – Brad’s Top 3 Lessons as a Conscious CEO 51:23 – Meditation, Resilience & Self-Care as a Founder 54:32 – Brad’s Book: Clear the Mind for Success 57:00 – Rapid Fire: Books, Mantras, and the Chore He Loves 59:19 – What Else Should We Clean Off the Planet? 1:00:58 – Advice to His Younger Entrepreneurial Self 1:02:00 – Closing Thoughts & Reflections