In this bi-weekly series, we ask female executives, founders, CEOs - basically boss ladies - about the "power suit" - the way they dress - that they wear every day to beat any job.

When your side hustle or hobby becomes an actual business, it can be both rewarding and terrifying. Lindsey McCormick, CEO and founder of Bite (opens in new tab), a sustainability-focused oral hygiene brand, reflected on this journey in our chat Before launching Bite, McCormick worked as a television producer and snowboarding and surfing She worked as an instructor. She experienced firsthand how climate change affects seasonal activity and noticed more and more plastic entering the waters where she taught. When she traveled, she brought travel-size toothpaste, which, while convenient, was not environmentally friendly.

So she came up with the idea of a plastic-free toothpaste package, which she described as a "hobby." She began attending online chemistry classes, attending dental conferences, talking to dentists, and even made her own toothpaste tablets at home. She opened an Etsy store and a Shopify (opens in new tab) account to sell her homemade products, but never expected her toothpaste tablets to have such a following.

"Every time I made a sale, [Shopify] would make a cha-cha-cha sound," she says. 'I'd get a sale from a friend of a high school classmate I hadn't talked to in forever, or a friend of my mother's.' But eventually, after a few months, I started getting featured on vegan and zero-waste blogs, and names I didn't know started coming in. I felt like I had succeeded. People were buying my products. It was a really fun feeling."

What McCormick started as a one-person operation (gathering ingredients, making the tablets in her living room, packaging them by hand, and mailing them) has grown into a modest team of five people working in Marina del Rey, CA Bite officially launched in 2016 and is a brand staple In addition to toothpaste tablets, the lineup now includes mouthwash, floss, and a 100% plant-based toothbrush. All Bite products are refillable and come in compostable pouches. To further its message of sustainability, the company is trying to reduce its carbon footprint by manufacturing and shipping all of its products in Los Angeles and selling them within walking distance of each other. According to McCormick, who is vegan, all Byte products are cruelty-free.

"We're always looking at how we can be more sustainable," McCormick said. True sustainability means moving the goalposts." We are constantly auditing and [asking]: we are constantly auditing new processes and [asking] what the new technologies are.

Now that COVID-19 is shaking companies to their foundations, McCormick reflects on how lucky her small team is to already be working remotely. Because all products are manufactured in the U.S., Byte has not encountered the supply chain problems that other brands face. We can stand up to these issues and do what we think is right," she says, "and we're not afraid to do what we think is right.

Here, I spoke with McCormick about how running her own business has changed the way she dresses for work (no more wet suits) and how she incorporates sustainability into her own work wardrobe.

"I usually go for a run or meditate. I hang out with my dog, then I wash my face with 'bites' and brush my teeth. If I run, I shower, but if I don't run, I shower at night. I usually work from home, so my routine hasn't changed much before or during COVID-19. I also do a lot of Skype interviews, so I'm still preparing for those as well."

"In my previous work history, I never wore a work wardrobe. What's a blazer? I never thought I would experience this in my mid-30s. If I don't have an interview, I usually wear a band t-shirt and a sweatshirt. If I am ever on camera, I straighten my hair and put on makeup.

The other thing I did was participate in the #NoNewClothes challenge. I just bought a few standard items for work and that was last September, so I just finished a year. I am vegan and try to make sustainable fashion choices. [I] didn't realize how hard it was until I tried to buy professional clothing. It wasn't until I tried to buy professional clothes that I realized how hard it was."

"I'm a fairly casual person and gravitate toward long-lasting items that never go out of style. My go-to for work is a classic t-shirt or button-down. I have two button-downs that I found at the Buffalo Exchange. I like to wear them with the sleeves rolled up. I also love to wear a slacks type blazer. I like to wear a slacks blazer over a plain white or black t-shirt or a classic button down, ripped jeans, nude pumps or chucks, depending on the situation.

I loved the brand Four Days. They have a closed loop system. Other things I'm loving right now: a shoe company called Cariuma is kind of an eco-chuck, and Mate the Label is a great brand out of Los Angeles. [For accessories, I love my grandmother's ring from high school. I like Aurato for durable jewelry that I can wear every day. I was looking through my closet the other day and I literally don't have a purse. I'm more of a canvas bag and backpack kind of girl."

"Effortless, classic, earthy."

"Things turn out best for those who make the best of things. It's about making the best of every situation that comes across your plate, accepting the situation as it happens, good or bad, and trying to make it work."