Cups, Bottles & 60,000 Lives - The Project Pargo Story

Aaron sits down with Dylan and Ellie from Project Pargo to trace the story behind a business built on one quietly powerful idea that a water bottle could help someone get clean water.It started in the back of a camper truck somewhere between Indonesia and Mexico. Three years on the road, no end in sight, and a slow realisation: in nearly every place they lived, locals couldn't safely drink the water coming out of their own taps. The seed for Pargo was planted long before the first cup was ever sold.This conversation unpacks what it actually looks like to build a values-led business from the ground up: the early days in mum's garage, the first wholesale orders, the messy reality of manufacturing, and what it's like running a business with your partner.Dylan and Ellie walk us through their 5% of revenue model, why they chose project-based giving over generic donations, and how 21 water projects later, over 60,000 people have been helped. They get honest about hiring, fear, leadership, conflict, and the parts of impact-led business that don't make it into the highlight reel.It's a grounded look at what happens when lived experience shapes the business you build and how every cup and bottle sold connects back to a real person, in a real community.If you've ever wondered what conscious capitalism can actually look like in practice, this one's worth your time.Timestamps:[02:00] — Welcome / meet Dylan & Elly[03:00] — The three-year trip that changed everything[07:00] — A water bottle that helps someone get clean water — the duh moment[09:00] — The stats: 2.1 billion people without safely managed water[14:00] — How do you not get overwhelmed by the scale of the problem?[17:00] — How the Sawyer filters work (and why they last 10+ years)[20:00] — Working in business with your partner[22:00] — Fear, and the head noise of starting something new[25:00] — Hiring your first employee — and the trap of doing it too soon[27:00] — Why the product has to stand on its own before the cause matters[31:00] — Breaking down the 5% of revenue model[35:00] — Why purpose-driven business has to come from real experience[36:00] — Elly's near-death in Nicaragua + a little girl in El Salvador[41:00] — Designing for real life — removing the pain points[44:00] — Bootstrapping wholesale + the power of community[47:00] — Advice for anyone wanting to start a business[52:00] — Privilege, opportunity, and what we do with it[56:00] — Doing the hard thing is easier than thinking about it[01:00:00] — Conflict resolution + "it's just cups and bottles"[01:01:00] — Leadership, learned along the way[01:05:00] — Where to find Pargo[01:07:00] — Transparency in giving — every dollar trackedAbout Consume The Good:Consume The Good is a space for thoughtful conversations around how we live, build, and consume. We explore business, ethics, and the systems we're part of — with a focus on good products, good stories, and good business leadership.Listen:Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/consume-the-good/id1886584931Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5BQdyyExB7Dk92D7ZCnfXUYoutube →https://www.youtube.com/@CONSUMETHEGOODLinks:Slide Coffee Roasters — https://www.slidecoffee.com.auProject Pargo — https://www.projectpargo.comIf this resonated:Share it with someone who's thinking about building a business that actually gives back. Or leave a comment — we read them all.