Profit Isn’t a Dirty Word (But It Can’t Be the Only Word)
Mar 26, 2026
Every once in a while on the podcast, I have a conversation that stays with me long after the recording stops.
This episode with Tara Milburn was one of those conversations.
Tara is the founder and CEO of Ethical Swag, a certified B Corp helping companies connect with people through meaningful, sustainable merchandise.
But if you think this conversation was just about promotional products, you would be missing the point entirely.
What we really talked about was values, leadership, motherhood, and the idea that profit isn’t a dirty word — but it also can’t be the only word guiding a business.
And in a time where we’re seeing more and more examples of companies maximizing profit at the expense of people and planet, I think this conversation matters more than ever.
The Kind of Career That Teaches You to Think Bigger
One of the things that fascinated me about Tara’s story is how her career began.
Right out of university, she found herself working with the owner of the Vancouver Canucks at a time when they were building the first privately funded arena for the team. It was a massive project, led by a young team of people who had never done something like this before.
What struck me as she told that story was how powerful it can be to start your career surrounded by people who think big.
People who say things like, “Let’s go build this thing,” even when they don’t have all the answers yet.
That kind of environment plants seeds.
It teaches you that ideas can become real. That vision matters. That the size of your thinking shapes the opportunities you see.
And I think that kind of early exposure changes the way someone moves through the rest of their career.
Motherhood Clarifies What Actually Matters
Another moment in Tara’s story that really stayed with me was what happened when she became a mother.
At the time, she was working in the sports and entertainment world — a fast-paced industry that involved long days, late nights, and constant events.
When she had her first daughter, she made the decision to leave.
But shortly after that, she was approached with an opportunity to help with the Vancouver bid for the 2010 Olympic Games.
Now, most people would have felt like they had to say yes to something like that. It was a huge opportunity.
Instead, Tara did something that was still rare then — and honestly still feels rare now.
She set terms.
She said she would work three days a week and that she needed a full-time assistant to support the role.
And they agreed.
I love that story because it challenges the idea that becoming a mother makes women less committed to their careers. What it often does instead is make them more clear.
Clear about their boundaries.
Clear about their priorities.
Clear about the kind of work structure that actually makes sense for their life.
That kind of clarity is powerful.
When Your Values Start Guiding Your Decisions
As Tara shared more of her journey — from corporate work to moving to Cape Breton with her family to eventually starting Ethical Swag — one thing became very clear.
Her decisions were consistently values-led.
Not always perfectly planned.
Not always strategically mapped out.
But grounded in what felt aligned.
Sometimes that meant walking away from opportunities that looked successful on paper. Sometimes it meant saying no when something didn’t align with her principles.
And sometimes it meant building something entirely new.
Ethical Swag Was Never Just About Swag
Tara is very honest about the fact that she didn’t wake up one morning dreaming about selling branded merchandise.
Ethical Swag came from noticing something that didn’t add up.
Companies were talking about sustainability and social responsibility. They were publishing values statements about people, planet, and impact.
And then they were turning around and ordering thousands of cheap plastic products with their logos on them.
There was a disconnect.
So Tara built a company designed to close that gap.
Ethical Swag helps organizations source sustainable, ethical merchandise that actually reflects the values they say they stand for.
But more than that, it’s become a demonstration.
A proof of concept.
A way of showing that you can build a profitable business while also thinking about more than just profit.
The Difference Between Shareholder Thinking and Stakeholder Thinking
One of the most important ideas Tara shared in this episode was the difference between the traditional shareholder model and what she calls the stakeholder model.
Most businesses are built around the idea of maximizing shareholder value.
In simple terms, that means the primary goal is increasing returns for shareholders.
The problem is that when that becomes the only measure of success, it often leads to decisions that prioritize profit over everything else — including people and the planet.
The stakeholder model looks different.
It asks businesses to consider three things together:
- People
- Planet
- Profit
Think of it like a three-legged stool.
If one leg disappears, the entire structure becomes unstable.
Profit still matters. Businesses have to be profitable to survive. Tara is very clear about that.
But when profit becomes the only metric guiding decisions, we start to see the consequences.
And that’s exactly what she’s trying to challenge through the work she’s building.
Why Demonstration Matters More Than Talking
One thing Tara said during our conversation really stuck with me.
She doesn’t want to just talk about doing business differently.
She wants to demonstrate it.
Instead of trying to change massive corporate systems from the inside, she chose to build something new alongside them — a business that proves another way is possible.
I find that incredibly inspiring.
Because sometimes the most powerful way to challenge the status quo isn’t by arguing with it.
It’s by building something better.
The Seeds We Plant as Entrepreneurs
At one point in the conversation, Tara shared that when she was younger she attended a conference where the founder of Aveda spoke about sustainability as a core business value.
That moment planted a seed for her.
It made her realize that businesses could care about more than just profit.
Now, years later, she’s planting seeds of her own.
Seeds for other entrepreneurs.
Seeds for business leaders who want to build companies that reflect their values.
Seeds for the idea that profit isn’t the enemy — but it also shouldn’t be the only goal.
And honestly, I think that’s a conversation worth having more often.
Because the businesses we build shape the world we live in.
And if we’re intentional about how we build them, they can shape it for the better.
