May 15, 2025 • 27 mins
In today’s episode, Stephanie McLarty sits down with Julie Cole, co-founder of Mabel’s Labels to uncover the story behind the business. Julie shares how Mabels Labels integrates eco-conscious practices into everything, from product design to operations. This episode offers real-world insights and actionable advice for businesses looking to embrace sustainability while staying true to their values.
Takeaways:
✅ They have successfully repurposed non-recyclable material into insulation
✅ Teamwork and shared values are crucial for achieving sustainability goals
✅ Businesses should start small and gradually incorporate sustainability into their practices one step at a time.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Mabel's labels burst onto the scene in the early
2000s with waterproof labels forkids' stuff.
They became, and still are, aninternational hit.
But did you know Mabel's isalso very environmentally
innovative.
Welcome to the Circular Futureyour access to thought leaders
and innovations.
(00:20):
To help you be a businesssustainability champion, even if
it's not your core job, I'myour host, stephanie McLarty,
(00:43):
head of Sustainability atQuantum Lifecycle Partners, your
trusted partner in electronicscircularity.
I love the origin story ofMabel's Labels.
Basically, four moms werefrustrated by their kids losing
their stuff.
Wow, do I get it?
There was no good solution onthe market at the time, so they
(01:05):
made their own cute, durablelabels and started to sell them.
Mabel's has become a covetedbrand by moms for moms.
But what you probably didn'tknow is that Mabel's is also
very environmentally progressiveas a company.
Behind the scenes, they've madetheir product operations
packaging all of thatsustainable with a number of
(01:27):
initiatives, and I'm so excitedto dig into how.
With me is Julie Cole, one ofthe four moms who founded the
company.
Julie is co-founder and seniordirector at Mabel's Labels.
She's an award-winningentrepreneur, best--selling
author and a go-to expert forparenting and business talk, and
I'm lucky to call her a friendas well.
(01:50):
Welcome to the podcast julie.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, stephanie, so good to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I'm so glad we're able to connect yay, and I'm so
glad to tell the story because Ihave a feeling it probably
doesn't get told very oftenaround sustainability.
But first let's peek into yourworld and talk about what would
be three things that the worldwouldn't necessarily know about
Maples Labels.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Well, that's a really good question.
So there's probably lots ofthings.
But yes, you're right, we havebeen around a while.
We just had our 22nd birthday.
And yes we did start for acouple of reasons.
One, as you mentioned, we wereinnovative moms who noticed a
product missing from the market,so we filled that gap.
(02:33):
And the second reason has to dowith the fact that you know
we're moms, and for mespecifically, I actually have
six kids, as you know, but yourlisteners don't.
I actually have six kids, asyou know, but your listeners
don't, and I'm a recoveredlawyer.
My eldest child, at the age ofthree, was diagnosed with autism
and I really felt I wanted toleave the traditional workforce,
(02:54):
so I needed a little moreflexibility and that's what
entrepreneurship offered.
So that's when we said let's gowith Mabel's Labels.
And a fun fact there too isthat I started it with my sister
.
We first started making labelsin her basement in Hamilton
Ontario, and then also with twoof our friends from university
(03:14):
who went on to marry my brotherand I have a young uncle.
So we're all friends and familyfrom the start, way back in the
basement.
And a lot of people assume thatour labels are made overseas,
but they were made in ourfacility, our production
facility right here.
I'm in the building right nowat Mabel's headquarters in
(03:35):
Hamilton Ontario, and we alsohave a production facility in
California.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
That is so cool and that speaks to itself like
buying local, you're actuallybuying.
If you're in the greaterToronto area and like that
speaks to itself like buyinglocal, you're actually buying if
you're in the greater Torontoarea and then, in California if
you're in the States, Right.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And it's great because then we can supply to
our.
You know, our market is split,really, between Canada and the
US, so it allows us to make ourlabels in the place.
That makes sense.
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So we're going to talk today about the
sustainability elements ofMabel's Labels, and I want to
first start talking about thefact that your product is an
enabler for sustainability initself, because it helps kids to
lose less stuff and families tolose stuff right.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Absolutely.
I mean at the very core of ourproducts.
It's about keeping things outof the lost and found.
Or, if they land in the lostand found, they make their way
back to their little human sothat they don't end up in
landfill.
So we find that, kids, theyreally have a lot more
stewardship over theirbelongings.
They take better care of theirbelongings when it's labeled.
(04:46):
So parents know they're sendingthese lunch boxes, they're
sending these containers, snackscontainers, these ridiculous
water cups that cost a fortune,and these are making their way
home because of Mabel's labelsand they're not ending up in
landfill.
And it's why schools, daycares,camps absolutely love us from
(05:07):
the perspective of they'rehaving less waste.
And parents love it because,from their perspective, the
items they're spending a lot ofmoney on are coming home and
they're not having to replacethem.
And Mother Earth loves itbecause we're keeping ourselves
out of our landfill.
So that is, you know, that isthe core of our product.
(05:28):
But another kind of interestingthing too and this is about when
you start a company and youknow about this, stephanie too
is that when you have the uniqueexperience when you start a
company to bring to it thethings that are important to you
.
So for us that was a lot ofthings Like.
One was about flexibility,because that's what we as young
(05:50):
moms wanted and we knew that wecould be highly productive at
very strange times and verystrange places.
So we knew that we wanted aculture that supported that.
We also cared aboutsustainability, we cared about
the earth, we care aboutteaching that to our children,
and so by bringing that corevalue also to the company, it's
(06:12):
easier for it to become a partof your company culture.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, I totally agree .
I remember when I startedReficient, we became a certified
B Corp, a benefit corp, forthat very thing.
This is what I want to create,this is what it's important to
me, and when you run your owncompany, you have that within
your control, so that makes somuch sense.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
And having that certification is no easy feat.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Right, you know, you know, yeah, so then it just
becomes a part of your culture.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
And, of course, you're going to have people in
the business who are sort of thechampions, you know, with you
at Quantum.
You know, stephanie, you'releading the charge in that here.
It's not me, it's Marianne whois our production and operations
manager, and thankfully,because she's the one who's
touching the product all thetime and she is a total nerd.
(07:01):
But I'm going to do my best,sharing what I know about what
we're doing.
But I do think that a reallyimportant piece of this is
making you part of your companyculture.
So it touches so many points,not just your product, but what
you're doing.
You know, as far as education,what you're doing in your own
building and all of that so thatit all ties in together.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, yeah, and just to that point, before we move on
, one of Quantum's core values,one of our stakeholders, is the
planet.
So we think about the planetand all that we do, and that's
such an important signpost ofour journey.
I love that.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And for us, one of our core values is we're all a
part of something bigger.
So, for us that applies to, youknow, we're a part of our
bigger outside community.
That's why we have a park thatwe've adopted, that we take care
of, that's why we do, you know,other volunteerism and things
like that, and that's why we'reall a part of something bigger,
all part of the earth.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
You know, we're all here we could nerd out on this
stuff all day long.
We you, before we move on thesecond time I've said that can
you just share what your impacthas been in terms of your labels
themselves, either like sinceyou started, or like how many
labels, how many basicallythings are you preventing from
(08:12):
being lost and ending up in thelost and found every?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
year?
Oh gosh, I would need to.
I couldn't tell you an exactnumber, but I will tell you.
You know, like we obviouslylike through our sales.
We know that we are reachingand we are a very loved product
and brand all over the world.
You know, in Canada and the USwe've sold in 100 different
countries.
There are millions and millionsof Mabel's labels out there and
(08:35):
we hear we get user generatedcontent sent to us all the time
about you're not going tobelieve what made its way home.
We'll have somebody send us apicture of a label that's been
on a pair of goggles that was inthe lake for 10 years and then
they find them and they send apicture and send it to us.
It is a riot.
It is a riot what we see comeback and what people send us.
So it's just, it's just beensuch a fun journey.
(08:57):
Oh, that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Okay, let's start by talking about your recycling
program and some of thesustainability wins you've had,
and I know for most companiesyou start off with recycling
cardboard the easy stuff, but Iknow Mabel's actually does a lot
more than that.
Now.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, you know, we did start off with just
cardboard, but then we're like,okay, we've got to do better
than this.
So it started with, you know,the Nerd Green crew, Marianne,
really doing a big researchproject and looking at companies
around our location that hadthe capability and were able to
(09:38):
recycle more products, and so,after doing that research
product, we were able to alignwith a company that had a more
comprehensive recycling programand we aligned with them and we
hired them and now we work.
That's the company that wechose and you know what, for us
even if things are a little bitmore expensive or they're, you
(09:58):
know, this is just somethingagain aligns with our core
values and we want to make surethat we're recycling as much as
we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, that's really cool, I mean.
So it sounds like you startedwith research and understanding
what your options were andlooking at what was local to you
and then being willing to paymore for certain things because
it's part of your core value.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
For sure, and I think also, like that comes to you
know, we're thinking about, like, what kind of things do we want
to bring into this building?
Right, and it feels like in ourolder days, like we weren't I
mean, you know, we things weretight in those early days too
right, so you're managingexpenses and I felt, like, you
know, in our earlier days wewere bringing more plastics into
(10:41):
the building and I feel likeMarianne and our production team
has done such a good job now of, you know, asking vendors and
talking to vendors about theirpackaging and what their you
know.
So when it arrives to us, whatis it coming in?
And then we're making decisionsaround who we choose to partner
(11:03):
with.
You know, I always say know whoyou're getting into bed with,
whether it's your, you know yourco-founder, whether it's your
suppliers or whether it's yourcustomers, whether it's somebody
you're doing a collab with, but, yes, with your vendors as well
.
And this was something that wewanted to make sure we are
aligned on.
We want to make sure that weare reducing plastics that were
actually coming into thebuilding.
So, yeah, we just, you know,did again, did the research, and
(11:27):
it's funny because obviouslyyou know, companies are
competitive, you want to remaincompetitive, but when we find
vendors that like are good inthis, like, we're happy to share
this information with anyone,because we want everyone
bringing less plastics intotheir companies.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I mean, we struggle with it too at Quantum, because
we essentially recycle anythingwith a battery or a plug, and
how it's packaged coming into usis one of our biggest sources
of landfill and for us it's achallenge.
We have to educate ourcustomers on ways to package and
how to package differently.
I love that you've actuallymade this basically a rule of no
(12:07):
plastics coming into yourbuilding at Mabel's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, yeah, it's been a real thing and it makes us
feel really good about the kindof work we do and the products
that we bring in and theproducts that we send out, and
it's made for great vendorrelationships as well, you know.
And then we also try to keepyou know, we try to pass that
along.
So you know, in the old days,like you know, our things, our
packaging might have beenplastic or whatever, and we've
(12:35):
really tried to go eco-friendlywith our packaging as well, and
now I would say probably 95% ofour packaging is now recyclable
and that number keeps growing.
We're still looking for waysand you know, stuff like
technology is changing all thetime and you have to remain
innovative and you have to keeplooking and negotiating and
making this a point Like, if youwant to do business with us, to
keep looking and negotiatingand making this a point Like, if
(12:58):
you want to do business with us, then these are the.
You know, these are the hillswe're going to die on, right.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, so your packaging.
So basically it's now prettymuch paper-based right.
And not only that, but it's FSCpaper-based forestry
stewardship council.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay.
So this is like this is wild.
So.
So, when you have that kind ofcertification, what it means is
like the paper that you're using.
So for us, on our you know, ourlabels used to go in like a
plastic container.
Now they're in these likelittle cardboard slips, right,
and because they we have thissort of standard, it means that
(13:38):
we're getting our paper likewe're.
We're getting paper that iscertified and it's responsibly
sourced.
So the way in which these treesare growing, the way these
companies are running theirbusinesses are in ways that we
approve of and get thecertification.
So we make sure that we yeah,that we are using that FSC.
(14:01):
It is FSC, yes, fsccertification.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
That's awesome, and was this something that really
came in as a request by yourcustomer?
Do they care about this, orthis is something that you just
wanted to do as a company, youknow?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
it's.
I'm going to say it's both andI think it's really.
I think that's a reallyimportant question because you
know people say, oh well, itcosts more to do things like
that.
But I can tell you, if you knowyour market and we know our
market and our market is momsparents mostly momsoms are
making the business decisions,and all the research is showing
(14:39):
us that parents are going tomake their purchasing decisions
based on what companies aredoing from an eco standpoint.
Are they considering theenvironment?
What are they doing for socialchange?
Where are their core values?
So, yeah, it might be a littlebit more expensive, but it's
(15:00):
getting you customers and it'skeeping you customers because it
is an important value.
People are voting with theirpocketbooks, right, and, as we
see, with moms, especially thenext generation of moms, this is
going to be a very importantthing, especially it's
children's products.
You know people want to leavethe environment in a good place
(15:21):
for their kids.
We are a kids product, withmoms making purchasing decisions
.
So, absolutely, at the end ofthe day, this stuff matters not
only to the environment and tous, but to our bottom line.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Your, your moms are essentially, I would imagine,
now like the younger gen X sorry, like the yes, the younger gen
X generation, millennials, gen Y, all of this cohort that was
brought up with.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We need to do something for the planet, so
that's right and I feel like itall started kind of when we like
I remember finding the like meand my friends founded the first
environmental club in my highschool, so like that was like
late 80s.
So all of a sudden it was like,oh, suddenly we're kind of
paying attention.
And then you know, from thereon it's just gotten stronger and
(16:11):
stronger.
And again parents and howthey're making the purchasing
decisions.
This matters.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Awesome.
I wanted to ask you about oneof your big challenges that I
know you faced at Mabel's interms of your being
environmentally progressive, andthat was around your liner
material when there was nostandard recycling option for
that.
How did you take on thatchallenge?
What have you done?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
So that was a challenge.
We had this kind of.
We had this product I won't saytoo much about what it is, you
know corporate secrets but wehad this one product that was
part of our production processand it couldn't recycle it.
We were like, what are we goingto do with this?
Because we don't like.
Ah, it was so frustrating and wedid things like we tried to
(16:59):
find ways to use it.
We were able to, like, donatesome to daycare because they
were able to use it for craftsand that sort of thing, but it
was being a problem.
So eventually we found a way torepurpose that and it's for
cellulose insulation used inwalls, in attics, in ceilings.
So now we're able to divertlike it was the trickiest part
(17:20):
of our process and now we'reable to divert that product into
home insulation and work withcompanies to do that.
So you know I think it's 16,000pounds of this material now a
year will be going intoinsulation and you know that's a
real nod to our production teamand facility.
(17:40):
And you know they got reallyscrappy and thought outside the
box and were really innovativeabout finding a solution to that
and made it a priority.
And it's a real pride point forall of us here at Mabel's.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Okay.
So yeah, I'm hearing beingthinking outside the box and
being innovative.
I'm hearing, like talking topeople, like doing your research
, finding solutions, that, asyou pointed out earlier, things
are changing, so what might nothave been a solution a year ago,
maybe a solution today.
So that's, that's really cooland congratulations, that's
(18:12):
something to be really proud of.
And the last thing I wanted toask you about was your building,
cause I know you're in an oldbuilding in Hamilton and you've
gone through this major upgrade.
And tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Okay, so we are in a really old building and it's so
interesting because when wefirst took it over, I think it
was like 2007.
Oh stuff, when we walkedthrough here, it actually had
been an old factory and it hadbeen abandoned for years.
There were so many mice and itwas we definitely have ghosts,
like all of that but we have,like, refurbished.
(18:45):
Obviously, we had to make it sothat humans could come in and,
like you know, not just hang outwith mice all day.
So we actually most recentlydid a huge renovation in both
our production facility and inour Mabel's headquarters and we
had a lot of these greeninitiatives in mind through that
process.
(19:06):
And you know, things like, youknow, better insulation, right,
like make it so that you knowthe heat stays in and the cold
stays out and vice versa,depending on what crazy Canadian
weather we're getting.
You know the heat stays in andthe cold stays out and vice
versa, depending on what crazyCanadian weather we're getting,
you know.
And we redid all, like all ofour windows.
We put in, you know, censoredLED lights so you know the
(19:30):
lights will go off if there's nomovement.
So just really trying to find,like energy efficient solutions
and even like machines.
As our tech keeps innovating asfar as how we make our labels,
we're also looking for machinesthat are more energy efficient.
So you know, thinking about that, I think that was a really
(19:52):
important message.
By taking that on board, that'sa really important message also
to our entire staff team thatthis is a priority in not only
what we bring in, what we putout, but how we live here too.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, you know, the thing that really strikes me
with everything that you've done, from your recycling to your
packaging, to your building is,if there is a will, there is a
way Like you don't just acceptstatus quo.
If this is important and it isimportant to Mabel's, just like
it's important to quantum youfigure it out and maybe it's not
(20:26):
like the first time aroundlooking into this.
maybe it takes a little bit ofresearch and like a lot of work
and you know heavy lifting, butyou do it and yeah, and you know
what it's like anything inbusiness, the first time might
not be a win.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
You know heavy lifting, but you do it.
And yeah, and you know whatit's like.
Anything in business, the firsttime might not be a win.
You know it might.
You might partner with somebody.
You think they're great andthey're like actually no, we're
not quite aligned.
Or oh, actually they're quite.
Came back different, likeanything in business, you know,
sometimes you're going to havefailures, but those failures are
lessons.
So you know, when we've hadthose, that has to do with
product development, that has todo with content, that has to do
(20:59):
with sustainability.
So what you do is you takethose lessons and you bring them
with you as you find your nextsolution.
And you know what I love thatstuff Like I think there are.
You have to keep going and Ithink you know right now we're
in a great space for it becausepeople like you are having
podcasts.
There is education that you canget.
(21:19):
There are people out there.
You can look up resources.
I mean, I feel like when westarted 22 years ago at Mabel's
Labels, there was no socialmedia, there were no podcasts.
There was none of that.
You remember, steph, those dayswhere you only saw somebody at
a live networking event andthose could be really, really
lonely times.
(21:40):
But now you know you can accessso many resources, so much
expertise.
So even if you don't have it,you can find it, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yeah, if there's a will, there's a way.
And there's really like noexcuse, another way to put it.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Steph's not taking anybody's excuses.
You got that yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I love that.
Okay, Let me just ask you onehow-to question in our how-to
section, and that is what I'veheard too is really you work so
well together as a team, likeyou work cross-functionally well
together.
How do you do that?
How to work effectivelyinternally to make these broader
(22:19):
sustainability goals happen.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So I'm going to go back there to talk about the
core values.
And some companies have theircore values hanging on a wall
somewhere and it says whatever,be kind.
I don't know what they say, butI really think the way that you
get the right people on the buswho are aligned and understand
the actual core values of thecompany is that you make it a
(22:43):
priority.
It's a part of your everydayliving.
You're living it, you'rebreathing it.
It's not just a poster on awall.
You're hiring and firing byyour core values.
Okay, because you know what youcan teach.
I can teach somebody to makelabels right, but can I hire
somebody who has the same yeah,same general core value or has
(23:03):
the things that are important tous as a part of them?
And those are the things thatreally matter.
And the other thing when youhire to your core values, not
only do your teams work betterand they're more entrepreneurial
and they're more innovative,they stick around longer.
So again, you know, there'snothing wrong with making money
(23:24):
and saving money.
We want to do that.
So if you don't have as muchturnover and your retention
rates are high because you'vegot the right people on the bus,
that also is good for yourbottom line.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Ah, I love that Hire and fire based on your core
values.
Actually, I've never heard itlike succinctly said like that,
but it is so true and it applieseven to this whole
sustainability realm as well.
Julie, I love you.
You know that.
Let's finish off thisconversation with one last piece
of advice.
We've talked about so manythings that you can do and you
(23:58):
don't have to be, you know, ahuge company.
You can be.
You just basically make ithappen.
What would be your last pieceof advice that you would leave
our listeners with?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I would say probably, and this again so much of this
stuff applies to everything inbusiness.
You know, don't get overwhelmed, walk before you run.
Do you think we started offlike doing the insulation and
doing vendors and doing?
No, we started off being likelet's start a recycling program
here at our office.
Let's do like you know you can.
(24:30):
You can do these littlemanageable chunks and then just
make it a part of your long-termplan when you sit down and do
your strategic planning.
We're doing that at the end ofthis month and we're going to do
five years out.
Are you including yoursustainability goals?
Because if not, you're missingout.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Love that, so do it in chunks, walk before you run.
And to me too it's also kind ofgoing back to if there's a will
, there's a way it's like dosomething.
I think so often we getoverwhelmed and we just decide
not to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
It can be paralysis right.
We know that in anything Like Italk to people all the time
because you know I'm veryinvolved in social media
marketing They'll be like oh, Ijust don't know where to start.
Tiktok, instagram, whatever I'mlike, start by just following
me on Instagram and seeing who Iengage with.
You don't have to go on all theplatforms.
Toe dip, toe dip.
Otherwise you get thatoverwhelming.
(25:27):
You're like I can do nothingbecause that paralysis is real.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
It absolutely is real and when I reflect back on what
we've done at Quantum forsustainability, where we were
before, and what we've done inthe last three years, it's
almost like night and day in thelast three years, but that also
shouldn't intimidate anybodyfrom getting started too,
because we're all on differentjourneys.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
You started somewhere , steph.
You started somewhere.
You're not.
Three years later, it looks alot different than it did day
one of Steph's job, right.
Yeah yeah, totally.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Julie, thank you so much.
Thank you for being candid,thank you for sharing your story
and I particularly love that Ifeel like we've uncovered this
little nugget about Mabel'sLabels that probably isn't well
known about what you've done.
You should be very proud ofeverything you've done at
Mabel's.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
You know what, stephanie, I'm so honored and so
happy that you gave me aplatform to talk about it,
because, you know me, I'm alwaystalking in the parenting space.
I'm talking aboutentrepreneurship, I'm talking
about I never just get to talkabout the great work we're doing
from a sustainabilitystandpoint.
So, thank you, you are welcomeAnytime.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Welcome back and remember, if you are looking for
a partner in electronics reuseand recycling, we'd love to chat
Head on over toquantumlifecyclecom and contact
us.
This is a Quantum Lifecyclepodcast and the producer is
Sanjay Trivedi.
Thank you for being a CircularFuture Champion in your company
(26:53):
and beyond.
Logging off.
Mabel's labels burst onto the scene in the early
2000s with waterproof labels forkids' stuff.
They became, and still are, aninternational hit.
But did you know Mabel's isalso very environmentally
innovative.
Welcome to the Circular Futureyour access to thought leaders
and innovations.
(00:20):
To help you be a businesssustainability champion, even if
it's not your core job, I'myour host, stephanie McLarty,
(00:43):
head of Sustainability atQuantum Lifecycle Partners, your
trusted partner in electronicscircularity.
I love the origin story ofMabel's Labels.
Basically, four moms werefrustrated by their kids losing
their stuff.
Wow, do I get it?
There was no good solution onthe market at the time, so they
(01:05):
made their own cute, durablelabels and started to sell them.
Mabel's has become a covetedbrand by moms for moms.
But what you probably didn'tknow is that Mabel's is also
very environmentally progressiveas a company.
Behind the scenes, they've madetheir product operations
packaging all of thatsustainable with a number of
(01:27):
initiatives, and I'm so excitedto dig into how.
With me is Julie Cole, one ofthe four moms who founded the
company.
Julie is co-founder and seniordirector at Mabel's Labels.
She's an award-winningentrepreneur, best--selling
author and a go-to expert forparenting and business talk, and
I'm lucky to call her a friendas well.
(01:50):
Welcome to the podcast julie.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, stephanie, so good to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I'm so glad we're able to connect yay, and I'm so
glad to tell the story because Ihave a feeling it probably
doesn't get told very oftenaround sustainability.
But first let's peek into yourworld and talk about what would
be three things that the worldwouldn't necessarily know about
Maples Labels.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Well, that's a really good question.
So there's probably lots ofthings.
But yes, you're right, we havebeen around a while.
We just had our 22nd birthday.
And yes we did start for acouple of reasons.
One, as you mentioned, we wereinnovative moms who noticed a
product missing from the market,so we filled that gap.
(02:33):
And the second reason has to dowith the fact that you know
we're moms, and for mespecifically, I actually have
six kids, as you know, but yourlisteners don't.
I actually have six kids, asyou know, but your listeners
don't, and I'm a recoveredlawyer.
My eldest child, at the age ofthree, was diagnosed with autism
and I really felt I wanted toleave the traditional workforce,
(02:54):
so I needed a little moreflexibility and that's what
entrepreneurship offered.
So that's when we said let's gowith Mabel's Labels.
And a fun fact there too isthat I started it with my sister
.
We first started making labelsin her basement in Hamilton
Ontario, and then also with twoof our friends from university
(03:14):
who went on to marry my brotherand I have a young uncle.
So we're all friends and familyfrom the start, way back in the
basement.
And a lot of people assume thatour labels are made overseas,
but they were made in ourfacility, our production
facility right here.
I'm in the building right nowat Mabel's headquarters in
(03:35):
Hamilton Ontario, and we alsohave a production facility in
California.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
That is so cool and that speaks to itself like
buying local, you're actuallybuying.
If you're in the greaterToronto area and like that
speaks to itself like buyinglocal, you're actually buying if
you're in the greater Torontoarea and then, in California if
you're in the States, Right.
Speaker 2 (03:51):
And it's great because then we can supply to
our.
You know, our market is split,really, between Canada and the
US, so it allows us to make ourlabels in the place.
That makes sense.
That's cool.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
So we're going to talk today about the
sustainability elements ofMabel's Labels, and I want to
first start talking about thefact that your product is an
enabler for sustainability initself, because it helps kids to
lose less stuff and families tolose stuff right.
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Absolutely.
I mean at the very core of ourproducts.
It's about keeping things outof the lost and found.
Or, if they land in the lostand found, they make their way
back to their little human sothat they don't end up in
landfill.
So we find that, kids, theyreally have a lot more
stewardship over theirbelongings.
They take better care of theirbelongings when it's labeled.
(04:46):
So parents know they're sendingthese lunch boxes, they're
sending these containers, snackscontainers, these ridiculous
water cups that cost a fortune,and these are making their way
home because of Mabel's labelsand they're not ending up in
landfill.
And it's why schools, daycares,camps absolutely love us from
(05:07):
the perspective of they'rehaving less waste.
And parents love it because,from their perspective, the
items they're spending a lot ofmoney on are coming home and
they're not having to replacethem.
And Mother Earth loves itbecause we're keeping ourselves
out of our landfill.
So that is, you know, that isthe core of our product.
(05:28):
But another kind of interestingthing too and this is about when
you start a company and youknow about this, stephanie too
is that when you have the uniqueexperience when you start a
company to bring to it thethings that are important to you
.
So for us that was a lot ofthings Like.
One was about flexibility,because that's what we as young
(05:50):
moms wanted and we knew that wecould be highly productive at
very strange times and verystrange places.
So we knew that we wanted aculture that supported that.
We also cared aboutsustainability, we cared about
the earth, we care aboutteaching that to our children,
and so by bringing that corevalue also to the company, it's
(06:12):
easier for it to become a partof your company culture.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, I totally agree .
I remember when I startedReficient, we became a certified
B Corp, a benefit corp, forthat very thing.
This is what I want to create,this is what it's important to
me, and when you run your owncompany, you have that within
your control, so that makes somuch sense.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
And having that certification is no easy feat.
Speaker 1 (06:35):
Right, you know, you know, yeah, so then it just
becomes a part of your culture.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
And, of course, you're going to have people in
the business who are sort of thechampions, you know, with you
at Quantum.
You know, stephanie, you'releading the charge in that here.
It's not me, it's Marianne whois our production and operations
manager, and thankfully,because she's the one who's
touching the product all thetime and she is a total nerd.
(07:01):
But I'm going to do my best,sharing what I know about what
we're doing.
But I do think that a reallyimportant piece of this is
making you part of your companyculture.
So it touches so many points,not just your product, but what
you're doing.
You know, as far as education,what you're doing in your own
building and all of that so thatit all ties in together.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
Yeah, yeah, and just to that point, before we move on
, one of Quantum's core values,one of our stakeholders, is the
planet.
So we think about the planetand all that we do, and that's
such an important signpost ofour journey.
I love that.
I love that.
Speaker 2 (07:32):
And for us, one of our core values is we're all a
part of something bigger.
So, for us that applies to, youknow, we're a part of our
bigger outside community.
That's why we have a park thatwe've adopted, that we take care
of, that's why we do, you know,other volunteerism and things
like that, and that's why we'reall a part of something bigger,
all part of the earth.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
You know, we're all here we could nerd out on this
stuff all day long.
We you, before we move on thesecond time I've said that can
you just share what your impacthas been in terms of your labels
themselves, either like sinceyou started, or like how many
labels, how many basicallythings are you preventing from
(08:12):
being lost and ending up in thelost and found every?
Speaker 2 (08:14):
year?
Oh gosh, I would need to.
I couldn't tell you an exactnumber, but I will tell you.
You know, like we obviouslylike through our sales.
We know that we are reachingand we are a very loved product
and brand all over the world.
You know, in Canada and the USwe've sold in 100 different
countries.
There are millions and millionsof Mabel's labels out there and
(08:35):
we hear we get user generatedcontent sent to us all the time
about you're not going tobelieve what made its way home.
We'll have somebody send us apicture of a label that's been
on a pair of goggles that was inthe lake for 10 years and then
they find them and they send apicture and send it to us.
It is a riot.
It is a riot what we see comeback and what people send us.
So it's just, it's just beensuch a fun journey.
(08:57):
Oh, that's so cool.
Speaker 1 (08:59):
Okay, let's start by talking about your recycling
program and some of thesustainability wins you've had,
and I know for most companiesyou start off with recycling
cardboard the easy stuff, but Iknow Mabel's actually does a lot
more than that.
Now.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Yeah, you know, we did start off with just
cardboard, but then we're like,okay, we've got to do better
than this.
So it started with, you know,the Nerd Green crew, Marianne,
really doing a big researchproject and looking at companies
around our location that hadthe capability and were able to
(09:38):
recycle more products, and so,after doing that research
product, we were able to alignwith a company that had a more
comprehensive recycling programand we aligned with them and we
hired them and now we work.
That's the company that wechose and you know what, for us
even if things are a little bitmore expensive or they're, you
(09:58):
know, this is just somethingagain aligns with our core
values and we want to make surethat we're recycling as much as
we possibly can.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Yeah, that's really cool, I mean.
So it sounds like you startedwith research and understanding
what your options were andlooking at what was local to you
and then being willing to paymore for certain things because
it's part of your core value.
Speaker 2 (10:19):
For sure, and I think also, like that comes to you
know, we're thinking about, like, what kind of things do we want
to bring into this building?
Right, and it feels like in ourolder days, like we weren't I
mean, you know, we things weretight in those early days too
right, so you're managingexpenses and I felt, like, you
know, in our earlier days wewere bringing more plastics into
(10:41):
the building and I feel likeMarianne and our production team
has done such a good job now of, you know, asking vendors and
talking to vendors about theirpackaging and what their you
know.
So when it arrives to us, whatis it coming in?
And then we're making decisionsaround who we choose to partner
(11:03):
with.
You know, I always say know whoyou're getting into bed with,
whether it's your, you know yourco-founder, whether it's your
suppliers or whether it's yourcustomers, whether it's somebody
you're doing a collab with, but, yes, with your vendors as well
.
And this was something that wewanted to make sure we are
aligned on.
We want to make sure that weare reducing plastics that were
actually coming into thebuilding.
So, yeah, we just, you know,did again, did the research, and
(11:27):
it's funny because obviouslyyou know, companies are
competitive, you want to remaincompetitive, but when we find
vendors that like are good inthis, like, we're happy to share
this information with anyone,because we want everyone
bringing less plastics intotheir companies.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
I mean, we struggle with it too at Quantum, because
we essentially recycle anythingwith a battery or a plug, and
how it's packaged coming into usis one of our biggest sources
of landfill and for us it's achallenge.
We have to educate ourcustomers on ways to package and
how to package differently.
I love that you've actuallymade this basically a rule of no
(12:07):
plastics coming into yourbuilding at Mabel's.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Yeah, yeah, it's been a real thing and it makes us
feel really good about the kindof work we do and the products
that we bring in and theproducts that we send out, and
it's made for great vendorrelationships as well, you know.
And then we also try to keepyou know, we try to pass that
along.
So you know, in the old days,like you know, our things, our
packaging might have beenplastic or whatever, and we've
(12:35):
really tried to go eco-friendlywith our packaging as well, and
now I would say probably 95% ofour packaging is now recyclable
and that number keeps growing.
We're still looking for waysand you know, stuff like
technology is changing all thetime and you have to remain
innovative and you have to keeplooking and negotiating and
making this a point Like, if youwant to do business with us, to
keep looking and negotiatingand making this a point Like, if
(12:58):
you want to do business with us, then these are the.
You know, these are the hillswe're going to die on, right.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah, so your packaging.
So basically it's now prettymuch paper-based right.
And not only that, but it's FSCpaper-based forestry
stewardship council.
Tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (13:17):
Okay.
So this is like this is wild.
So.
So, when you have that kind ofcertification, what it means is
like the paper that you're using.
So for us, on our you know, ourlabels used to go in like a
plastic container.
Now they're in these likelittle cardboard slips, right,
and because they we have thissort of standard, it means that
(13:38):
we're getting our paper likewe're.
We're getting paper that iscertified and it's responsibly
sourced.
So the way in which these treesare growing, the way these
companies are running theirbusinesses are in ways that we
approve of and get thecertification.
So we make sure that we yeah,that we are using that FSC.
(14:01):
It is FSC, yes, fsccertification.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
That's awesome, and was this something that really
came in as a request by yourcustomer?
Do they care about this, orthis is something that you just
wanted to do as a company, youknow?
Speaker 2 (14:16):
it's.
I'm going to say it's both andI think it's really.
I think that's a reallyimportant question because you
know people say, oh well, itcosts more to do things like
that.
But I can tell you, if you knowyour market and we know our
market and our market is momsparents mostly momsoms are
making the business decisions,and all the research is showing
(14:39):
us that parents are going tomake their purchasing decisions
based on what companies aredoing from an eco standpoint.
Are they considering theenvironment?
What are they doing for socialchange?
Where are their core values?
So, yeah, it might be a littlebit more expensive, but it's
(15:00):
getting you customers and it'skeeping you customers because it
is an important value.
People are voting with theirpocketbooks, right, and, as we
see, with moms, especially thenext generation of moms, this is
going to be a very importantthing, especially it's
children's products.
You know people want to leavethe environment in a good place
(15:21):
for their kids.
We are a kids product, withmoms making purchasing decisions
.
So, absolutely, at the end ofthe day, this stuff matters not
only to the environment and tous, but to our bottom line.
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (15:35):
Your, your moms are essentially, I would imagine,
now like the younger gen X sorry, like the yes, the younger gen
X generation, millennials, gen Y, all of this cohort that was
brought up with.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
We need to do something for the planet, so
that's right and I feel like itall started kind of when we like
I remember finding the like meand my friends founded the first
environmental club in my highschool, so like that was like
late 80s.
So all of a sudden it was like,oh, suddenly we're kind of
paying attention.
And then you know, from thereon it's just gotten stronger and
(16:11):
stronger.
And again parents and howthey're making the purchasing
decisions.
This matters.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
Awesome.
I wanted to ask you about oneof your big challenges that I
know you faced at Mabel's interms of your being
environmentally progressive, andthat was around your liner
material when there was nostandard recycling option for
that.
How did you take on thatchallenge?
What have you done?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
So that was a challenge.
We had this kind of.
We had this product I won't saytoo much about what it is, you
know corporate secrets but wehad this one product that was
part of our production processand it couldn't recycle it.
We were like, what are we goingto do with this?
Because we don't like.
Ah, it was so frustrating and wedid things like we tried to
(16:59):
find ways to use it.
We were able to, like, donatesome to daycare because they
were able to use it for craftsand that sort of thing, but it
was being a problem.
So eventually we found a way torepurpose that and it's for
cellulose insulation used inwalls, in attics, in ceilings.
So now we're able to divertlike it was the trickiest part
(17:20):
of our process and now we'reable to divert that product into
home insulation and work withcompanies to do that.
So you know I think it's 16,000pounds of this material now a
year will be going intoinsulation and you know that's a
real nod to our production teamand facility.
(17:40):
And you know they got reallyscrappy and thought outside the
box and were really innovativeabout finding a solution to that
and made it a priority.
And it's a real pride point forall of us here at Mabel's.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Okay.
So yeah, I'm hearing beingthinking outside the box and
being innovative.
I'm hearing, like talking topeople, like doing your research
, finding solutions, that, asyou pointed out earlier, things
are changing, so what might nothave been a solution a year ago,
maybe a solution today.
So that's, that's really cooland congratulations, that's
(18:12):
something to be really proud of.
And the last thing I wanted toask you about was your building,
cause I know you're in an oldbuilding in Hamilton and you've
gone through this major upgrade.
And tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (18:24):
Okay, so we are in a really old building and it's so
interesting because when wefirst took it over, I think it
was like 2007.
Oh stuff, when we walkedthrough here, it actually had
been an old factory and it hadbeen abandoned for years.
There were so many mice and itwas we definitely have ghosts,
like all of that but we have,like, refurbished.
(18:45):
Obviously, we had to make it sothat humans could come in and,
like you know, not just hang outwith mice all day.
So we actually most recentlydid a huge renovation in both
our production facility and inour Mabel's headquarters and we
had a lot of these greeninitiatives in mind through that
process.
(19:06):
And you know, things like, youknow, better insulation, right,
like make it so that you knowthe heat stays in and the cold
stays out and vice versa,depending on what crazy Canadian
weather we're getting.
You know the heat stays in andthe cold stays out and vice
versa, depending on what crazyCanadian weather we're getting,
you know.
And we redid all, like all ofour windows.
We put in, you know, censoredLED lights so you know the
(19:30):
lights will go off if there's nomovement.
So just really trying to find,like energy efficient solutions
and even like machines.
As our tech keeps innovating asfar as how we make our labels,
we're also looking for machinesthat are more energy efficient.
So you know, thinking about that, I think that was a really
(19:52):
important message.
By taking that on board, that'sa really important message also
to our entire staff team thatthis is a priority in not only
what we bring in, what we putout, but how we live here too.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Yeah, you know, the thing that really strikes me
with everything that you've done, from your recycling to your
packaging, to your building is,if there is a will, there is a
way Like you don't just acceptstatus quo.
If this is important and it isimportant to Mabel's, just like
it's important to quantum youfigure it out and maybe it's not
(20:26):
like the first time aroundlooking into this.
maybe it takes a little bit ofresearch and like a lot of work
and you know heavy lifting, butyou do it and yeah, and you know
what it's like anything inbusiness, the first time might
not be a win.
Speaker 2 (20:38):
You know heavy lifting, but you do it.
And yeah, and you know whatit's like.
Anything in business, the firsttime might not be a win.
You know it might.
You might partner with somebody.
You think they're great andthey're like actually no, we're
not quite aligned.
Or oh, actually they're quite.
Came back different, likeanything in business, you know,
sometimes you're going to havefailures, but those failures are
lessons.
So you know, when we've hadthose, that has to do with
product development, that has todo with content, that has to do
(20:59):
with sustainability.
So what you do is you takethose lessons and you bring them
with you as you find your nextsolution.
And you know what I love thatstuff Like I think there are.
You have to keep going and Ithink you know right now we're
in a great space for it becausepeople like you are having
podcasts.
There is education that you canget.
(21:19):
There are people out there.
You can look up resources.
I mean, I feel like when westarted 22 years ago at Mabel's
Labels, there was no socialmedia, there were no podcasts.
There was none of that.
You remember, steph, those dayswhere you only saw somebody at
a live networking event andthose could be really, really
lonely times.
(21:40):
But now you know you can accessso many resources, so much
expertise.
So even if you don't have it,you can find it, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yeah, if there's a will, there's a way.
And there's really like noexcuse, another way to put it.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Steph's not taking anybody's excuses.
You got that yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:59):
I love that.
Okay, Let me just ask you onehow-to question in our how-to
section, and that is what I'veheard too is really you work so
well together as a team, likeyou work cross-functionally well
together.
How do you do that?
How to work effectivelyinternally to make these broader
(22:19):
sustainability goals happen.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
So I'm going to go back there to talk about the
core values.
And some companies have theircore values hanging on a wall
somewhere and it says whatever,be kind.
I don't know what they say, butI really think the way that you
get the right people on the buswho are aligned and understand
the actual core values of thecompany is that you make it a
(22:43):
priority.
It's a part of your everydayliving.
You're living it, you'rebreathing it.
It's not just a poster on awall.
You're hiring and firing byyour core values.
Okay, because you know what youcan teach.
I can teach somebody to makelabels right, but can I hire
somebody who has the same yeah,same general core value or has
(23:03):
the things that are important tous as a part of them?
And those are the things thatreally matter.
And the other thing when youhire to your core values, not
only do your teams work betterand they're more entrepreneurial
and they're more innovative,they stick around longer.
So again, you know, there'snothing wrong with making money
(23:24):
and saving money.
We want to do that.
So if you don't have as muchturnover and your retention
rates are high because you'vegot the right people on the bus,
that also is good for yourbottom line.
Speaker 1 (23:34):
Ah, I love that Hire and fire based on your core
values.
Actually, I've never heard itlike succinctly said like that,
but it is so true and it applieseven to this whole
sustainability realm as well.
Julie, I love you.
You know that.
Let's finish off thisconversation with one last piece
of advice.
We've talked about so manythings that you can do and you
(23:58):
don't have to be, you know, ahuge company.
You can be.
You just basically make ithappen.
What would be your last pieceof advice that you would leave
our listeners with?
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I would say probably, and this again so much of this
stuff applies to everything inbusiness.
You know, don't get overwhelmed, walk before you run.
Do you think we started offlike doing the insulation and
doing vendors and doing?
No, we started off being likelet's start a recycling program
here at our office.
Let's do like you know you can.
(24:30):
You can do these littlemanageable chunks and then just
make it a part of your long-termplan when you sit down and do
your strategic planning.
We're doing that at the end ofthis month and we're going to do
five years out.
Are you including yoursustainability goals?
Because if not, you're missingout.
Speaker 1 (24:49):
Love that, so do it in chunks, walk before you run.
And to me too it's also kind ofgoing back to if there's a will
, there's a way it's like dosomething.
I think so often we getoverwhelmed and we just decide
not to do it.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
It can be paralysis right.
We know that in anything Like Italk to people all the time
because you know I'm veryinvolved in social media
marketing They'll be like oh, Ijust don't know where to start.
Tiktok, instagram, whatever I'mlike, start by just following
me on Instagram and seeing who Iengage with.
You don't have to go on all theplatforms.
Toe dip, toe dip.
Otherwise you get thatoverwhelming.
(25:27):
You're like I can do nothingbecause that paralysis is real.
Speaker 1 (25:32):
It absolutely is real and when I reflect back on what
we've done at Quantum forsustainability, where we were
before, and what we've done inthe last three years, it's
almost like night and day in thelast three years, but that also
shouldn't intimidate anybodyfrom getting started too,
because we're all on differentjourneys.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
You started somewhere , steph.
You started somewhere.
You're not.
Three years later, it looks alot different than it did day
one of Steph's job, right.
Yeah yeah, totally.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Julie, thank you so much.
Thank you for being candid,thank you for sharing your story
and I particularly love that Ifeel like we've uncovered this
little nugget about Mabel'sLabels that probably isn't well
known about what you've done.
You should be very proud ofeverything you've done at
Mabel's.
Speaker 2 (26:13):
You know what, stephanie, I'm so honored and so
happy that you gave me aplatform to talk about it,
because, you know me, I'm alwaystalking in the parenting space.
I'm talking aboutentrepreneurship, I'm talking
about I never just get to talkabout the great work we're doing
from a sustainabilitystandpoint.
So, thank you, you are welcomeAnytime.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
Welcome back and remember, if you are looking for
a partner in electronics reuseand recycling, we'd love to chat
Head on over toquantumlifecyclecom and contact
us.
This is a Quantum Lifecyclepodcast and the producer is
Sanjay Trivedi.
Thank you for being a CircularFuture Champion in your company
(26:53):
and beyond.
Logging off.
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