An Interview With Russell McLeod
Set Measurable Goals: If you want to reduce waste and become more sustainable, creating milestones is essential. Company-wide goals encourage greater participation and lead to faster results. In addition to setting goals, it’s important to review them regularly and measure your company’s progress.
In our current economic model, we see a lot of waste and inefficiency. Products are designed, used, and then discarded, often creating environmental and economic burdens. The circular economy offers a solution by designing out waste and keeping materials in use for as long as possible. This shift can lead to innovative business models, sustainability, and economic resilience. How are companies making this transition, and what can others learn from their journey? I had the pleasure of interviewing Tim Trus.
Tim Trus is Integrity Energy’s experienced Business Operations Leader with deep expertise in Marketing, Sales & Talent Management. He has spent most of his career building and leading teams in consulting environments, with a proven history of creating integrated strategies focused on driving impact. His passion lies in leveraging data to fuel company growth, efficiency, and sustainability.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up on the Westside of Cleveland with my parents and two sisters. We were always very tight-knit and remain just as close and supportive of each other — despite life taking us in different directions. I saw my parents always go above and beyond to support us and make sure that we always had what we needed. Their mindset and effort of “whatever it takes” was ingrained in me early on, and something that I pride myself on.
I chose to keep to my Northeast Ohio roots — attending Cleveland State University and remaining a Westsider today. I love Cleveland; the history, culture, and seasons. I really wanted to give my kids the same type of upbringing that I enjoyed so much.
Could you share with us your journey and the pivotal moments that led you to focus on the circular economy within your business?
After college I had ideas of what my life would look like over the course of my career, and as it goes, most of that didn’t, or hasn’t yet, happened. I didn’t plan on spending nearly two decades in the wonderful world of consulting, but it wound up being one of those things that happened for a reason. I was able to be introduced to so many wonderfully smart people, some really great brands across various industries, and travel to places that I would not have in another environment.
What experiences in your background have shaped your understanding and commitment to sustainable business practices?
Over the course of countless planning sessions, board meetings, business reviews, and sales pitches, it became clear to me that waste is everywhere. While nearly all waste is unintentional, I was witness to so many areas of waste that could be eliminated with some focus and effort.
We all experience waste — it’s in things as amorphous as time spent in meetings by people who didn’t need to be there to tangible things like where the budget was allocated and spent. Waste runs rampant in travel logistics for entire teams full of bloat. It even creeps down to where, when, and how budgets or resources were planned and allocated. These examples are all things that I knew I could act on, but I decided to take it a step further and join Integrity Energy to join them on their greater path towards sustainable efforts.
How has your company evolved to integrate circular economy principles, and what role have you played in this transformation?
At Integrity Energy, we’ve integrated circular economy principles by reducing workplace waste through recycling programs and transitioning to a shared drive for cross-team collaboration. Employee retention is also one of our key focal points. We actively seek out eager candidates from underserved populations, like the recovery community, providing on-the-job training and promoting from within. This approach strengthens our company by encouraging participation and growth, which is critical to what we do.
As a commercial energy brokerage, we encourage our customers to adopt sustainable renewable energy plans, supporting the shift to a circular economy. Our creative team works hard on the Integrity Energy blog, providing valuable content about energy efficiency and sustainability. As a company, our mission is to positively impact people’s lives, and we’re making great strides in promoting both environmental responsibility and personal growth.
What does ‘closing the loop’ in the circular economy mean to you, and why is it important for businesses today?
Closing the loop in the circular economy means reducing waste and eliminating redundancies by using resources more efficiently. In the energy industry, this practice involves partnering with renewable energy suppliers that minimize environmental impact and promote sustainability. It’s also about educating customers to adopt energy-efficient practices, helping them reduce their own energy consumption and costs.
Closing the loop is essential for a thriving business. It not only helps conserve natural resources but also aligns with the growing demand for more sustainable and ethical businesses.
Does designing products to be circular increase the cost of the product? What are the challenges of balancing cost with creating a circular product that has demand?”
The cost of a product isn’t just the price at which it’s sold — it accumulates throughout the life of the product itself. The costs finish tallying up when the product has been repurposed, reused, or returned back to the earth. I think a lot of businesses don’t take their product’s total impact into account in that way — how a product ultimately contributes to environmental waste or its path to being recycled or repurposed.
At Integrity Energy, the products and services we sell aren’t exactly tangible, but they do have a cost. As a commercial energy brokerage, we help businesses of any size find cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions. While many of our customers are actively seeking out clean energy solutions with limited environmental impact, some simply aren’t. It’s the job of our energy brokers to highlight the advantages of renewable energy technology and the impact of energy efficiency and conservation.
Can you identify the 2–3 critical mistakes companies often make when transitioning to a circular economy model?
The first critical mistake is having an overabundance of efficiency and sustainability ideas without measurable goals or actionable steps figured out. While enthusiasm and brainstorming are valuable, companies must establish specific targets and a detailed roadmap to make real progress toward a circular economy. For example, a sustainability brainstorming meeting among leadership should end with an overarching goal and how each department can contribute. Those actionable steps can then be delegated to individual teams and be put into practice.
A secondary but equally critical mistake some organizations make is over-embellishing their efforts towards a more circular economy. While more common among corporations and major retailers, greenwashing can backfire by damaging a company’s reputation. Consumers distrust companies that exaggerate sustainability claims, even if real progress is made. Consumers appreciate honesty and any genuine progress your company makes towards goals. It’s also important to be transparent about where your operations fall short — providing a vision and path to get back on track.
How does your company address the entire lifecycle of a product, from design to end-of-life, to ensure circularity?
As an energy brokerage, we have the advantage of not having to worry about any specific manufacturing processes. However, the energy plans our brokers sell come from a wide range of energy suppliers. For our operations, creating a more sustainable lifecycle stems from our curated provider network. We only work with top-rated suppliers who have invested in renewable or carbon-free energy sources. Many of the providers in our network also offer additional customer services, such as energy auditing or solar buyback benefits. We aim to provide power solutions that contribute to our customers’ sustainability and energy efficiency.
What innovative strategies has your company implemented to reduce waste and promote resource efficiency?
Within our office and daily operations, there are quite a few sustainability and conservation initiatives at play. A small change that reduced a significant amount of waste was transitioning to SharePoint to reduce paper waste. A secure company drive provides seamless collaboration between teams and simplifies the process of monitoring and reporting sales metrics. While we do still print some materials, like training information, those resources will be reused until they’re ready to be recycled.
We also operate out of an older building, so our leadership team has been making improvements that not only contribute to better efficiency, but also employee well-being. One of the larger projects we’ve recently completed was renovating outdated employee restrooms on our main floor. Not only did our CEO create a modern design that employees enjoy, but the renovation also included energy efficient appliances and automated lighting. Within the last year, we’ve also made some significant improvements in our HVAC system, improving air quality, eliminating cold drafts, and reducing energy waste.
Another easy win for sustainability has been investing in water coolers and encouraging employees to use reuseable bottles. We’ve also had a building recycling program in place for several years. These simple measures have already become a daily habit with our employees. They help reduce waste and encourage more responsible resource use.
What role do partnerships and collaborations play in your efforts to close the loop and create a more sustainable business model?
Exploring industry partnerships and business acquisitions that contribute to helping our customer base develop a comprehensive energy strategy to improve their operations. As a company we’re always looking for partnerships and collaborations with innovators in the energy industry. From solar panel installation to LED lighting retrofits, we’re actively in pursuit of trustworthy partnerships that we can pay forward to our customers.
What are your “5 Things You Need To Create a Successful Circular Economy Based Business”?
1 . Set Measurable Goals: If you want to reduce waste and become more sustainable, creating milestones is essential. Company-wide goals encourage greater participation and lead to faster results. In addition to setting goals, it’s important to review them regularly and measure your company’s progress.
2 . Start Small and Deliberately: Sustainability and waste reduction is an ongoing process that builds slowly over time. You can’t expect your company to make a 180 without building a proper foundation. Start with small, habit-building improvements to foster a culture of conservation and awareness. As sustainable habits are being established, you can start larger building improvements or introduce operation changes.
It’s really important not to shock your employees with change. Changing the company culture drastically overnight is not an effective method to drive change. Employees need support and guidance throughout the process, especially if significant changes are happening.
3 . Encourage Employee Participation: Sustainability and waste reduction are most successful as a collective effort. Find ways to get employees involved, from entry-level to leadership. Providing on-the-clock energy training creates a culture of employee awareness. Furthermore, as people doing the daily work, your employees can offer helpful insights on how to improve operations or other sustainability initiatives they’d like to see.
4 . Pay Attention to Your Supply Chain: Where do your products or services come from? Do those suppliers align with your business’s purpose or sustainability mission? As a company continues through their circular economy journey, it’s important to evaluate where products and services originate. Are these products ethically made? Are your manufacturers working towards efficiency and sustainability? Your company’s environmental impact extends beyond your office walls. Once you’ve achieved a sustainable workplace, it’s important to see how you can influence the manufacturers or suppliers you work with. How can your partnership with these entities work towards closing the gap together?
5 . Cultivate Industry Partnerships: Integrity Energy is dedicated to creating supportive industry partnerships that also provide our customer base with additional services. For example, we’ve partnered with the Pennsylvania Campground Owners Association to help campground owners and managers find sustainable ways to power their businesses. In addition, we provide informative articles on how to incorporate efficient technologies and other sustainability efforts into their operations. Whether or not they choose to select an energy plan through our company, they still have access to these helpful resources. We’re always actively looking for like-minded industry partners to better serve the business community with energy industry information or services.
What is one actionable step companies can take today to move closer to a circular economy model?
As a commercial energy brokerage, I can’t recommend an energy audit enough. On average, 30% of the energy a commercial building consumes is wasted due to inefficiencies in building systems or the envelope itself. Most utility companies and energy suppliers offer cost-effective energy auditing services.
These assessments review your current energy consumption patterns, identify inefficiencies, and provide recommendations for improvement. Energy audits are a low-cost way to bring your business closer to a circular economy model by helping your operations use energy more responsibly. The insights gained from your audit help you reduce overhead expenses and your business’s impact on the environment.
Could you share a story of a business or leader who has inspired you in the realm of the circular economy?
Within the energy sector, we’re really privileged to work directly with energy suppliers who are making a significant impact on the country’s transition to renewable energy sources. In terms of inspiration for adopting a circular economy business model, a supplier in our network really shines brightly.
Chariot Energy is a Houston-based solar energy provider serving Texas businesses and residents. Their customers aren’t required to have solar panels already installed, but they’ll help facilitate the process for those interested in generating their own solar power. They also offer an advantageous solar buyback program, and the excess energy they buy is distributed to their other customers. In addition to solar energy plans, Chariot also offers battery storage and a rewards program. They also offer EV charging ports and plans to power vehicles with sustainable energy. Their entire business model is about powering life as sustainably as possible. They’re a great source of circular economic inspiration within the energy sector.
How can our readers further follow your work or your company online?
For those interested in how they can become more energy efficient, I highly recommend the Integrity Energy blog. Our writers are dedicated to providing energy saving advice that lowers overhead. We also highlight the latest industry news to keep our customers informed. Integrity Energy can also be followed on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
My personal work can be followed on LinkedIn as well.
This was great. Thanks for taking time for us to learn more about you and your business. We wish you continued success!
About the Interviewer: Russell McLeod is an experienced business leader, social entrepreneur, and mentor. A champion of profit with purpose, the circular economy and of collaboration for positive progress.
Russell is the founder of Mightyhum a Toronto-based impact enterprise dedicated to supporting growing organizations. And, while it’s not a requirement, the Mightyhum team has a passion for collaborating with purpose-driven businesses. Mightyhum specializes in providing consulting services and turning hairy audacious concepts into achievable ventures & projects. The Mightyhum team work with C-suite executives and leaders, developing new product offerings, effective go-to-market strategies, building for profitability, and streamlining operations. Before Mightyhum, Russell was involved in the world of social enterprise as the Executive Director of ME to WE, one of Canada’s best known and most awarded social enterprises. While at ME to WE, the team demonstrated that being profitable and impactful was indeed possible. During his tenure, ME to WE delivered $20M in cash and in-kind to WE Charity, helping transform the lives of over 1 million people through access to clean water; the lives of 200,000 children with access to education; and 30,000 women-led businesses launched globally.
Russell’ personal mission is to inspire others that there is ‘a better way to do business,’ ‘that through business we can solve some of the world’s problems at the same time.’ You can follow Russell’s work at https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-mcleod1/ or www.mightyhum.com.
Closing the Loop: Tim Trus Of Integrity Energy On Embracing the Circular Economy was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.