Lauren Croke began her sustainability journey at Eileen Fisher, where she worked for nearly two decades. She now leads development strategy at Kyureeosity, a consulting firm that helps leaders take steps towards integrating more sustainable solutions and practices into their business.

Croke has also worked as a consultant for CFDA members embarking on their own sustainability journeys, and authored the CFDA Sustainability Diagnostic Toolkit – a resource for designers to develop a framework for strategies to incorporate sustainability in their business model and company culture.

We sat down Croke to find out more about her thoughts on the future of sustainability and advice for brands and designers new to the topic.

What inspired you to start working in sustainability?

For me, it began almost 20 years ago when I started working with the apparel brand Eileen Fisher when they very much on the pulse of working with natural materials and learning about the impacts of the fibers processing. It was really surprising to learn that many of the processes were harmful to the environment but were also the norm in the industry. So a small group began a path to remove many of the hazards which then began an inquiry about the workers exposed to these processes. The big aha for me was a realization that there were unintended consequences to actions that we (and most in the industry) were oblivious to.

About five years ago, I had an opportunity to design an initiative to bring emerging designers into the brand and work on solving a sustainability challenge. During that time, I realized how energized I was by this work and by these designers’ ideas and passion for a thoughtfully-considered design approach. I shifted my professional focus and began helping other brands take the first steps towards learning about and integrating more sustainable solutions.

How would you define sustainability for someone who is completely new to the topic?

The simplest way to explain it is, do no harm and minimize impact on people, planet, profits.

Sustainability is about supporting the social, environmental and economic needs of the present and leaving the future world and generations in a better place than when we inhabited it.  Whether you are a business or a citizen in the world, by broadening your awareness of these three pillars of impacts and considering the effects that potential actions may have on present and future generations, more people and businesses will start to make positive changes.

What advice would you offer brands that are new to sustainability?  How should they determine their first steps?

It really starts with purpose and people. Aligning around a purpose that everyone can support is the first step. It’s like asking yourself, ”Is how we make our products as important as why we make them?”  Or, ”Is how we make our money as important as why we make our money?” If you are only focused on the bottom line, it will take a fairly transformative approach or issue to shift how you think, act and work.

The more you can include your employee community as co-creators and participants, the more your employees will be encouraged and motivated to care about the things most important to your brand and the more you can shift as a company.

Start with really focused and specific goals that are realistic. This will help build confidence and create the foundation for furthering other areas.

Don’t try to take on broad areas or too many projects at one time. Keep it simple.

It is a process. Be patient and kind to yourself.

How do you see sustainable fashion industry initiatives intersecting with sustainable initiatives of other industries?

The food industry is interesting because of the scale and size. Many of the priorities are the same as the fashion industry. Food has also been an easier topic, for people to understand the basic differences between processed and natural foods…Fast food and fast fashion.

How have you seen the idea of sustainability in fashion evolve since you started working in it?

Where I have been most surprised and most inspired is by the evolution of new brands and emerging designers who really include elements of sustainability in their thought-process when building their businesses. They work really hard to find the resources, tools and solutions to doing things better and more responsibly. One would assume larger companies would be making bigger strides, and while that is true for many, I see the impact of smaller businesses in mass that are starting off on the right foot as influencers to bigger businesses and the potential catalyst for more paradigm shifts in the industry.

Has working in fashion sustainability impacted the way you live your life on a daily basis?

It has. I am much more aware of consumption, excess and waste. I think more about purchasing decisions. I have made some big changes at simplifying life, work and habits and conserving energy (both human and environmental) to reduce impact. I’ve noticed over the years that it makes me uneasy when I see the habits of people closest to me. I don’t want to be a preacher, so I focus more on broadening awareness. Although a big pet-peeve are people leaving the faucet running when they are brushing their teeth or prepping in the kitchen. Then I have ‘sermon’ ready! I am in no way living a 100 percent sustainable life.  As I share when working with brands, or with friends, it is a process. Committing to taking steps leads to small changes that collectively generate bigger changes.

What excites you most about sustainability?

The more we can demystify and simplify what we mean when we say sustainability, the easier it will be for others to take steps and make commitments. I’ve been doing a lot of travel along coastal areas in the U.S. and have been impressed by local businesses, cities, regions and states taking steps and enacting bans on single use plastic straws, stirrers and cutlery to keep plastic from reaching beaches and oceans. But the thing that excites me the most are the newer generations (and our future leaders) who have a much more integrated mindset that considers sustainability as an important element of the products they purchase and use, and the companies that they want to work for. I am so inspired and in awe that it has recharged me and motivated me in ways that I haven’t been in many years.