About this show:
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
Founder of Low Tox Life and the Low Tox movement
Join me on Insta @lowtoxlife
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: https://www.instagram.com/drbronner
Want to support the show?
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Thank you to this month’s show sponsors for helping you make your low tox swaps easier:
Receive 50% off your first @zestinyfarmlife Box when you sign up to Compact, Classic or Bounty – Regenerative grown fruit and veg delivered to your door weekly or fortnightly. Pause or cancel any time. Head to https://bit.ly/zestiny to get started. Available for locations Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Blue Mountains, Central Coast
Our first podcast partner offer of the year with @ediblebeautyau – 30% off site-wide! My top reco’s? The Super Stem Cell concentrate serum, Exotic goddess serum, Enzyme peel or microexfoliant for some healthy skin regeneration! Or the new up-sized sunscreen in 200g to carry you the rest of summer. Enjoy! CODE: LOWTOXLIFE. https://bit.ly/Edible_Beauty
@ausclimate is our major partner giving you 10% off their range for the whole of 2026, with brilliant Winix Air Purifiers, the best Dehumidifiers I’ve ever used and their new energy-efficient heating, air-circulating and cooling range. code LOWTOXLIFE (also works over and above their sales – pro tip!) https://bit.ly/ShopAusclimate
Be sure to join me on Instagram @lowtoxlife and tag me with your shares and AHAs of this week’s episode.
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About Gero Leson
Gero Leson is Vice President of Special Operations at Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America. Since 2005, he has been responsible for Dr. Bronner’s sourcing of major ingredients from certified fair trade and organic projects.
Thank you to this month’s sponsors for partnering with our show and helping you make your swaps with their special offer:
Ausclimate’s highly recommended range of WINIX Air Purifiers is the ideal solution for cleaner, healthier indoor air. Easy to use, reactive features and settings with a truly comprehensive 4-5 stages of purification, including Hospital Grade True HEPA Filtration and Winix’s unique PlasmaWave® technology. Perfect for smoke, dust, pets, viruses, bacteria, household odours, and allergies (covering a variety of allergens). Breathe easier, sleep better, and feel better. Winix; is the most complete air purifier on the market!
Offer: Ausclimate is now giving all Low Tox Life followers an EXTRA 10% OFF their already discounted prices. Simply enter the discount code of LOWTOXLIFE on check out via: https://www.ausclimate.com.au/
This discount can also be redeemed for over-the-phone orders verbally.
Website: www.ausclimate.com.au
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ausclimate
Instagram: www.instagram.com/ausclimate
About Zestiny Farm
Yay a podcast partner FARM! Excited to share Zestiny Farm with you all, where we’ve been getting our weekly produce from since the past few months. NOTE: They deliver Certified Organic Produce Boxes to Sydney, Newcastle, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains and Wollongong only at this stage.
They are a lush oasis on the NSW Central Coast, blending over 50 years of traditional Mediterranean farming with regenerative practices and modern innovation to cultivate something truly special – a future of food that’s organic, big on flavour, high in nutrients and grown with purpose.
Zestiny Farm offers a subscription model for produce boxes in 3 sizes. You can set your subscription to weekly or fortnightly, you can pause when you need to, AND my fave feature: You can swap out your 3 lowest volume produce items for your favourite ones you eat a tonne of, each week. This week, for example, I swapped out kale, apples and garlic for double carrots, zucchinis and herbs instead. Super handy and avoids waste!
” Slow down, eat seasonally, and rediscover the joy of real, earth-friendly food, delivered to your door.”
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zestinyfarmlife
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565680347839
Website: https://bit.ly/zestiny
About Edible Beauty
Edible Beauty, an Australia-founded & made, naturopath-designed range that has been a fave in recent years. 3 of their products make my ‘I don’t run out of stock’ skincare list: Their new Stem Cell Concentrate, the Exotic Goddess Serum and The Fruit Enzyme Peel – Honestly you must try it – it’s like your face gets a dip in a rejuvenation clinic (that I’ve never been too of course, but it’s how it feels that it might be like!) I’m a big fan of their excellent sunscreen, now in both 100g and 200g sizes, which passes all independent testing and can be trusted for its SPF50! Other notables are their ‘core 4 simple skincare routine, the dessert lime microexfoliant & the Cacao moisturiser if you have dry skin or the Native Collagen Boost… enjoy exploring the range. There’s definitely no skimping on performance here while being truly good food for your skin!
Alexx x
Website: https://bit.ly/Edible_Beauty
Code: LOWTOXLIFE
Instagram Link: https://www.instagram.com/ediblebeautyau/
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/EdibleBeautyAu
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Title show track, by LIOR.
Love the podcast music? You will hear excerpts from Lior’s track “Caught Up” – go check it out on iTunes or Spotify if you want to hear the whole song or album, Scattered Reflections. Co-written with Cameron Deyell, it’s a great song and I love the reflective energy of it – perfect for the show, right? Enjoy. Lior is always touring, so do check out his website. It is wonderful to hear him sing live, trust me.
Low Tox Club – The place to bring your low tox life to life.
Want to join a community of like minds and enjoy all the perks of being in the Low Tox Life inner circle such as an online membership platform, 50% off all our Low Tox courses, an awesome chat group, my monthly Q&A, and special guest star interviews for just $49AUD ($29USD/28EUR/23pounds) per YEAR? We have created a special place and set of resources to help you achieve your goals and it’s a wonderful place to be – MORE DETAILS AND REGISTRATION HERE.
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If you would love reading like me or you just simply want to go through the full transcript, you can check below.
