#MAKEITHAPPEN

If you’ve ever been curious about your plastic consumption, here’s a frightening statistic for you: A new study found that we could be swallowing a credit card’s weight in microplastics per week. Yes, per week. The good news is that we can do something about it, thanks to Sarah Paiji Yoo, founder of the eco-friendly company, Blueland. As a new mother, she was shocked to learn how much single-use plastics made their way into our food and water, even the air we breathe, as microplastics. "I founded Blueland with the belief that you don’t have to sacrifice a clean home for a clean planet," says Paiji Yoo, whose eco-friendly cleaning products—all in reusable, low-waste packaging—are in high demand as more of us understand the importance of sustainability in our everyday lives. Here, the entrepreneur chats with us about her mission and what keeps her going, from a solid morning routine to, in her words, “relentless optimism.”

My hustle…
Tenacity and relentless optimism

What got me started...
After giving birth to my first son, Noah, I was beginning the transition from exclusively breastfeeding to formula-feeding. As I was doing research, I was horrified to learn how many microplastics are in both our tap water and bottled water and was shocked that I would have to use this water to make my son’s baby formula. As a result, I decided to reduce my personal plastic consumption, but soon realized how difficult it was to do so given how many household items used single-use plastic in their packaging. I founded Blueland with the belief that you don’t have to sacrifice a clean home for a clean planet. We aim to make the biggest impact by creating affordable, effective, and convenient products that make it easy for people to make the choice to reduce their single-plastic use.

What clears my head…
A quiet walk and fresh air

When in doubt, I…
Talk it through with my co-founder or husband

Greatest challenge—and how I overcame it…
The hardest part about building this business has been creating the actual product—creating effective, people- and planet-friendly tablets across a range of cleaning categories—which has never been done before. We had to be incredibly creative since these products typically come in liquid form and traditional cleaning-product manufacturers do not have tablet-making capabilities. We spoke with over 50 different potential manufacturers, across a range of industries (even candy manufacturers!) before finding the perfect set of partners. We’ve also made a number of early strategic hires, including our head of product and R&D, who was formerly Director of Formulation at Method. He’s been a critical part of finding the best manufacturers and developing the clean, effective formulas.

3 morning musts…
1. Coffee
2. Snuggles with the kids
3. Hot shower

3 life hacks…
1. Storing natural peanut butter upside down
2. Proofread by reading out loud
3. Blueland laundry oxi stain remover

3 secret work weapons...
1. A daily must-do list
2. Scheduled email sends
3. Instapaper articles to read later

Personal talisman…
Don’t have one

Best advice received…
Start before you’re ready! Most of the time, you’re not going to feel 100% ready, or 100% prepared or 100% not scared at all. Think of how far you can be by next year if you just start today. I think it's so unfortunate that these doubts kill way more dreams than failure ever will.

Favorite wardrobe hack...
Jumpsuits—easy, casual, chic

Wardrobe MVP...
Nothing beats a good cozy sweater.

What I would tell my younger self about getting dressed...
Have fun and don’t overthink it.

How does wearing Veronica Beard make you feel?
Comfortable and confident

What I'm reading/listening to/binging…
Rich Roll podcast

Beauty/self-care must-haves…
Despite my busy schedule, it is always important for me to carve out time in my day for self-care and I really value my morning routine that helps me set the tone for the day. I usually wake up a little bit before 7 AM and do not touch my phone until I begin work around 9 aM. This helps me stay present and enjoy time with my children in the morning. I’ll also take time to drink lots of water, leisurely enjoy a cup of coffee, and, when the weather permits, take a morning walk to get outside before the work day truly begins. All of these are ways in which I ground myself and invest in my well-being at the start of each day.

Favorite thing to do…
Unplug from my phone on weekends and spend time with the kiddos.

Favorite thing to make…
Hand soap—never gets old!

One mover and shaker I admire…
Kris Tompkins