In our bi-weekly series, we ask female executives, founders, and CEOs - basically boss ladies - about their "power suits," the clothes they wear every day to make any job easier.

For those of us who have never thought about the environmental impact of our household cleaning products, a half hour with Sara Paisi Yu, co-founder and CEO of Blueland (open in new tab), will change your mind. Her eco-friendly cleaning products are effective, affordable, and limit the amount of single-use plastics entering our homes and our planet. It is a passion that grows out of a mother's instinct to protect her own child.

"When my son was born, I became more aware of how plastic was affecting our food and water supply. I researched the water I used to make my son's formula and used tap water and bottled water. I was horrified to learn that bottled water also contains microplastics. I realized that the plastic we use every day is eventually mixed in with the water," he said. (According to one study, individuals consume an average of 5 grams of microplastics per week, which is equivalent to the weight of a credit card or one plastic bottle cap (opens in new tab).

Paige Yu decided to reduce her own plastic use, but found it very difficult, if not impossible, to avoid plastic altogether. This is where her entrepreneurial spirit came into play. She decided to create products packaged in a better way, starting with cleaning products. What I like about the cleaning products category is that everyone washes their hands and dishes. Cleaning supplies are consumable and need to be replenished."

Since Paige Yu is a startup veteran (she launched her first company, Snapette (open in new tab), in 2011 and sold it in 2013 before launching direct-to-consumer brands M.Gemi (open in new tab) and Rockets of Awesome (open in new tab) (which launched Launch, which spawned the direct-to-consumer brands M.Gemi (open in new tab) and Rockets of Awesome (open in new tab)), founding Blueland was not out of reach. But from finding the right chemists and manufacturers to developing a cleaning agent in pill form rather than liquid, the process was daunting. The formulation took more than a year to develop.

The Clean Essence Kit (opens in a new tab), which Blueland loves, costs $39, and the refillable tablets are only $2 each. Simply fill the bottle with water and add the tablets for a "DIY" cleaning solution. The tablets are packaged in paper. Paige Yu went all the way to Europe for this material.

In conversation, Paisi Yu acknowledged how fortunate BlueLand was because the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in New York, had adversely affected many businesses. (Today, BlueLand has 12 employees and is headquartered in New York, but some of its team, including scientists, are on the West Coast.) ) "We got a lot of support in our first year from people who are passionate about the environment, so 2019 was an exciting year for awareness," she said. 'In March and early April (of 2020), Blueland shoppers came to our stores because they couldn't find traditional brands in the stores.' But it was an incredible opportunity for us to be able to help people during this time of year."

Recently, Paige Yu has been spending time on Zoom calls to figure out the next steps for Blueland to dominate the cleaning category as the most environmentally friendly and effective brand. (Blueland recently launched its dishwashing detergent and dishwasher (opens in new tab) products.) She has been ahead of the curve on what she wears to get the job done.

"I usually get up around 6:45 a.m.," she says. So I like to get up earlier than he does and have some quiet time to myself. I brush my teeth, drink my morning coffee, set my intentions for the day, and reflect on what I am grateful for. These days he wears a hair mask; before the COVID-19 craze, he used to rush out the door at 8:15 a.m. Now there is no pressure to be ready by a certain time.

With kids, everything is about economies of scale, so I usually just eat what they eat. It's either cereal or I learned how to make yogurt during this quarantine period, so that's what I eat. I try to get outside around 9 am for a walk and at least 20 minutes while my husband is taking care of the kids. I find that it is my own form of caffeine and really wakes me up.

"Since becoming a mom, my clothing strategy has become more practical. Yet, what I wear is really important to me because it affects my mood and confidence. I also recognize that how I dress affects how others see me, so based on my plans for the day, I take that into account when deciding what to wear. In these buckets are my go-to items. If it's a day with an internal meeting, my staples are mom jeans, a basic or vintage t-shirt, and sometimes a blazer. I like to keep my outfits comfortable and casual, and a blazer is a nice way to pull it off. For outside meetings, I dress up a bit, depending on the situation. I rotate a lot of blazers and silk blouses."

"At home, I tend to wear white or bright colors. I think it makes me feel more comfortable at home without having to wear pajamas or workout clothes. I have a few pairs of white linen shorts or pants that I wear with white t-shirts and comfy tops. Reformation has some great basic t-shirts and I also have some vintage rock and roll t-shirts. I love the mission of this brand, which is a closed loop system (a system of buying clothes), because there is already so much waste in the fashion industry.

The pants I've been wearing lately were bought when I traveled to Japan two years ago. I also wear socks all the time. My friend is the fabulous founder of ComEye, so I have socks in every color. I want to look bright during the day and feel like there is a season at the door.

I wear earrings all the time and never take them off. I also have a few necklaces and bracelets that I wear all the time. When I'm at home, I don't wear my rings as much. With jewelry, I support other female founders and start-ups. Aurarate is my favorite brand because of their focus on using recycled gold. I have some of their earrings. I like The Last Line for bracelets. I have a straightforward day outfit, so it's fun to incorporate something colorful. I also have some earrings."

"Comfortable, light, and bright."

"My dad always says, 'How do you eat an elephant?' and the answer is of course, 'One bite at a time.' Because there are so many things in life, not just entrepreneurship (business), that can be overwhelming, it's important to take it one day at a time, one thing at a time, and have the perspective to celebrate each victory as it happens. You don't have to run a marathon at a time. As long as you're moving forward, that's great."

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