OneEarth works with producers and consumers in various ways to make the transition to a sustainable lifestyle. Through their initiatives to bring people and ideas together they are making a positive impact on the Earth, moving away from wastefulness and toward a healthy future.
We spoke with Josh Turchin, CEO and Founder of OneEarth Recycling Inc., to get some insight into his life and inspiration for this organization.
CONNECT: How do you recharge?
Josh Turchin: Gardening; grow hops/make beer, grow grapes/try to make wine
CONNECT: If you were to tell one person “Thank You” for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they do?
Turchin: My Father: besides teaching me our business, he has instilled in me the drive to succeed.
CONNECT: When are you the happiest?
Turchin: No contest – on a diving vacation with my wife, Katie.
CONNECT: What’s the best business advice you’ve received?
Turchin: Answer (the question) first, fill in supporting details second.
CONNECT: What’s one lesson you learned in the “school of hard knocks” (or “the hard way”) that you help your fellow entrepreneur avoid?
Turchin: Overhead kills.
CONNECT: Why are you building THIS company (why this topic, why are you inspired)?
Turchin: I’m 3rd generation in the recycling business: I am excited about the opportunity to deliver user-friendly reverse-retail recycling to as many people as possible while unlocking value squandered via traditional recycling approaches.
CONNECT: What are three values you’re building your company on?
Turchin:
- Exhaustive focus on the quality of the customer’s experience: shouldn’t just exceed customers’ expectations of reverse-retail recycling, should exceed customers’ expectations associated with any traditional shopping process.
- Develop culture of free communication across the organization, “bottom up, top down, and sideways.”
- Deliver the most good to the maximum number of interests who can symbiotically benefit from our business.
CONNECT: What characteristic do you most admire in others?
Turchin: Trustworthiness
CONNECT: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned in the last year?
Turchin: Acknowledge impact on all ancillary cost factors of every incremental business decision.
CONNECT: How do you think your coworkers see you?
Turchin: At least a little crazy, approachable, a treasure chest of knowledge/experience.
CONNECT: What’s your favorite business book or website?
Turchin: Bloomberg