Impact Interview: Jeff Sokol

Name: Jeff Sokol

Role/Function: Director of Sustainability, Nu Skin

What are you working on these days?

Nu Skin is part of the EcoBeautyScore Consortium, a group of several beauty brands working to create a LCA based industry-wide scoring system for the environmental product footprint. We are in the real data testing phase and I am really excited to see the finalized system and for products to begin to be scored.

What was the “aha” moment that sparked your interest in social and environmental impact? 

I began my career working in energy efficiency at a company creating X-ray technology and it was a slow and steady process as my work began to encompass additional aspects of sustainability. Later I worked at an international nonprofit that worked in land use and supply chain certification. At Nu Skin I really have the opportunity to make an impact across so many areas.

How did you break into the impact space? What career advice would you give to professionals who are just starting out or looking to transition?

As I mentioned above, I started working in energy efficiency and slowly expanded the scope of my role. I was always learning, trying something new and ready for the next challenge. I also had to sell the purpose and benefits to incorporating sustainability deeper across company functions.

Working in impact is often about driving change. What is the skill or trait that has been most important for your work as a change agent? How did you learn or hone it?

Much of my success has been the ability to understand where adding sustainable initiatives and efforts aligned with what different company functions were seeking to accomplish. By supporting their functions, and adding enough value to make an initiative worthwhile to them from a cost or effort perspective, I have been able to create impact and get buy-in across functions.

What most excites you about the impact space right now?

As sustainability becomes more regulated and more a part of the way companies work, I am excited about how companies will attempt to stand out. This will be a challenge as claims and efforts are scrutinized by legal departments but I think there will be some genuine and truly impactful actions undertaken.

This season, our Impact Interviews series features members of the Change Hub, our membership community for busy sustainable business professionals. Tap into trainings, tools and a trusted network of fellow impact practitioners (including Jeff!) by JOINING US HERE.