Canary: Interview with Eco-Focused CEO Luke Wilson
Luke Wilson is the CEO of Canary, a company that produces products that focus on cleanliness and hygiene whilst reducing waste and the carbon footprint. Canary is primarily known for their unique concentrated foaming hand soaps which come in an array of interesting scents. The fir needle and sage mix, for instance, instantly makes one feel as if they are in the woods — in the most rehearsing way possible. Canary also has an innovative approach to hand soap via their “soap slices” in which every “bar” of soap is actually broken down into slices that can be placed in jars to ultimately produce a foamy hand soap. The sleek and recyclable glass bottles are also available via the website. Canary also creates toothpaste tablets — which eliminate messy plastic toothpaste tubes — and their signature mouthwash comes in a highly concentrated format that morphs into a full bottle once the consumer mixes it with water.
Canary CEO Luke Wilson grew up on an organic farm in Texas and went on to earn an MBA in sustainable entrepreneurship. He is the founder of Canary that is known for their hand soaps, toothpastes, mouth wash, and more. Careful to use only ecofriendly packaging and keeping their prices affordable, the Canary company is dedicated to sustainable personal care and plastic reduction.
Luke recently discussed his brand and more via an exclusive interview.
Meagan Meehan (MM): What gave you the idea to enter into the personal care market…did it start with soaps, toothpaste, or something completely different?
Luke Wilson (LW): For the last 14 or so years I worked with brands selling clothing or accessories (bags, watches, etc.) and was looking for a change, and I’ve always been interested in aspects of the personal care consumer packaged goods market. Specifically, I wanted to take a product category that we use every day and try to make a better product with a lessor or minimal environmental impact. I was looking around my house and noticed all of the plastic containers in the bathroom and kitchen and noted that these are all basically single-use plastic too. At the same time, I coincidentally reconnected with a childhood friend who was making toothpaste tablets and we started to brainstorm together all of the products and possibilities and curated an initial “plastic-free” line which consisted of the toothpaste tablets, the concentrated mouthwash and some basic (but awesome) bar soaps.
MM: What made you decide to launch your own company and how come you selected the name Canary?
LW: I’ve always had an entrepreneurial inclination, possibly inherited from my mother who started a few businesses of her own during her lifetime. After working all of my career for other brands and rising to the executive level, I felt that I was ready to take all of what I’ve learned in business over the years. I was ready to give it a go to see what I could create on my own. And I really just wanted to have a company that really truly aimed to make a positive impact in the world and for my kids. One of the most difficult and slowest aspects of starting all of this was coming up with a name, funny enough. The pressure was on! We had several brainstorming sessions with friends. All along I wanted the brand to be fun and a little provocative. Less hippy, less “greenwashing”, and a little more punk. The term “Canary in the coalmine” was mentioned at some point, alluding to climate change and the need to act, and I felt that it fit…a subtle (or not-so-subtle) call to action that we all need to start to make a change, and in most everything we do every day.
MM: Your soaps are such a unique blend of aromas; the fir needle & sage mix is really wonderful. How did you think of these very unusual mixes?
LW: We really wanted the soaps the be bold and unique and to surprise and delight you every time you washed your hands. My (very talented) wife and I really just started to play with essential oils, mixing up scents that we loved and that made us think about our homes. The Fir Needle and Sage blend was inspired by our home in a coastal town in southern California. Surprisingly to me, we have several types of coniferous and pine trees in our back yard, along with all sorts of other amazing flora and succulents. So, this blend combines all of those amazing smells that are stirred by the ocean breeze. And I have always loved the mountains and the snow too, and we have another little cabin in a small mountain community in California, so the Cedar Mint to me evokes more of the cabin vibes, with the cold mountain air in front of a fire with a cup of some sort of hot winter beverage.
MM: How did you come up with the ideal of “slicing” the soaps?
LW: I actually can’t take credit for that, but in general we wanted the soap to be simple and easy to use for the consumer. There are some other eco-friendly soap bars out there but aren’t sliced or ready to use out of the box, and we simply wanted to take it one step further. We have a strong customer-service backgrounds and really just strive to think ahead of what challenges might arise, or simply to make it convenient, in service to them.
MM: What made you decide to create tube-less toothpaste?
LW: Toothpaste tablets aren’t a novel idea, and there are some brands out there now that really paved the way. That said, I personally didn’t think their tablets were any good…and spoke with several users who agreed. So, we sought out to make the best toothpaste tablet possible. And while I thought our first version was good (and 90% of blind taste-testers also agreed by the way), we are launching a new and much improved version in February that is so much better! Regarding the tube-less toothpaste decision…it really was a no-brainer for what we aimed to do with this brand all along, which was to reduce the use of single-use plastic in the bathroom and the home. And what is the worst single-use plastic in the bathroom? Millions of toothpaste tubes are thrown away every year in the USA alone, all of which will sit quietly in the landfills for thousands of years or more. Literal mounds of the stuff. And it is gross and sad to think about.
MM: What were some of the challenges of creating these products?
LW: While nearly all products have some inherited challenges, so far all of ours have gone relatively smooth. That said we did lots of trials and tests to get the formulations right and even when we thought we developed a great tablet that performed well during initial consumer research trials, we learned so much in the last year. As a result, we have just rolled out a new formulation of our tablets, which is 75% larger and with a new (all-natural) ingredient that really boosts the foam. We think consumers are going to absolutely love these new tablets. A couple of our brand tenants since we started was to make the products possible, and to always listen to our consumers on how to improve. Life is about learning and evolving.
MM: What is your favorite product and why?
LW: Oh man, that is a tough question! We are really excited about our new toothpaste tablets, and so many people (including my wife) have really fallen in love with our Peppermint Concentrated Mouthwash. That said, I do think my personal favorite is our Concentrated Hand Soap Refill Bars. I was much more involved in the creation and development of this product, including personally testing and develop the scent profiles. I think it is a unique product out in the market right now and I love how affordable they are (just $15 or $1.25 per bottle filled), how compact they are, and how amazing they smell!
MM: Which of your products have been particularly popular with consumers?
LW: Another tough question! In terms of sales, our Peppermint Toothpaste Tablets are definitely our top seller, followed closely by our Peppermint Concentrated Mouthwash. That said, people really seem to be blown away about our Concentrated Hand Soap Refill Bars after we show it and explain how they work and the awesome features and benefits.
MM: What has been the hardest part of keeping your company afloat?
LW: The number one thing I’ve learned this last year is that building a brand is so hard, and it takes so much time to build that brand awareness. Sales have been growing steadily but transparently we are still a very, very small company, understandably so. We are currently investing a lot in PR and Marketing which we are hoping will pay off. We are completely boot-strapped so every order counts, along with a focus on managing costs every day.
MM: What has been the highlight of your career so far?
LW: This entire entrepreneurial journey has been so fun and challenging so far, it is hard to pick a highlight. I will say that some of the product reviews that we’ve received have been so amazing, and a couple of them have even been quite touching and surprising. I underestimated that sometimes a simple product that most of us likely take for granted every day, can indeed have a positive impact on someone’s life. For example, this is a review received from one customer:
“I’ve struggled to brush my teeth regularly for my entire life. I understand that, being autistic, that’s not exactly unexpected, but it’s still a problem. Enter Canary, Strawberry + Kiwi flavor. Brushing my teeth is now something I look forward to doing. I am now disappointed when I’m done brushing and wish I could just eat them throughout the day. I’m guessing that these tablets were not made specifically for people with special, sensory processing needs…but still, I cannot thank Canary enough for making this product, because it has already been life-changing for me. Incredible.”
MM: What are your ultimate goals?
LW: Ultimately, I would simply love to run a small business that supports my family and have fun and freedom doing so. So far it has been. It would be awesome for it to see annual sales of a few million. And then maybe in a few years, maybe sell it and try something new. Right now, I’m focusing on the day-to-day, working hard to grow the brand, and enjoying time with our young kids.
MM: What is coming up next for you and is there anything else that you would like to mention?
LW: We are currently working on a new approach to the “all-natural” laundry product category, that we are really excited about. But I can’t say more about that now. But stay tuned! We will be at Expo West this year and are very excited for all of the opportunities that might come up at that event. Finally, I just want to thank Medium for taking the time to share our story with your readers. We really appreciate it!