Coworking with Tim Murphy

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Tim Murphy is CEO of cleaning products brand Branch Basics.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? At Branch Basics, our No. 1 mission is to create healthier homes for everyone with our human-safe cleaning products. As CEO, it’s my job to make sure we stay true to that mission while continuing to build a company that makes it easier for families to choose safer, more effective cleaning solutions without compromising on performance. That means ensuring our vision for the future always aligns with our mission, while also developing innovative and accessible products made for everyone. Most recently, we expanded our product line in Targets nationwide, making human-safe cleaning more accessible than ever, while also meeting shoppers where they already are with formulas they already love. In the end, my role is not only about growing a business that can drive meaningful change in the cleaning industry, but also ensuring we’re creating products and experiences that genuinely improve people’s lives.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? A big part of my job that doesn’t show up on LinkedIn is fostering a culture of innovation by encouraging risk-taking. I’m always challenging our team to test ideas and question assumptions, even if it means some things don’t pan out. We don’t view failure as a setback, but as a critical step toward building something better.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on? Our recent Target expansion has been one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on thus far. Launching into Target in April 2025 as our first-ever retail expansion beyond DTC was a major milestone for the brand. This time around with the recent expansion, it felt especially rewarding to know that people are continuing to buy our products and want more from our brand, hence why we expanded nationwide and launched new products at Target this spring. It truly reflects the years of thoughtful, intentional growth that we’ve worked so hard to accomplish. We really wanted to build a community of followers who not only loved our products, but trusted us in the making of these products with the highest standard of ingredient transparency and education-first marketing. After 7.5 years of building this following, we’re so proud to say that our product extensions in Target accurately reflect the hard work and dedication we’ve put in over the years.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? Target’s recent turnaround and ongoing evolution. The retailer has really shifted their focus on what has always set themselves apart from the rest which is innovation and accessibility for everyone. Most recently, they announced that busy families will be the focus as it continues to seek growth, emphasizing that the retailer is “not an everything store” and instead leaning into trust-building categories like baby and home. This is especially important to Branch Basics as Target’s heightened focus on family essentials is shaping the next phase of growth in categories like baby care and home cleaning—particularly as parents increasingly seek safer, human-safe products for their households.

What’s your go-to coffee order? Black drip coffee.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? The worst piece of advice I received was to “move fast and break things.” While it can sound energizing in theory, in practice I’ve found that most meaningful success comes from the opposite approach. The work I’m most proud of has been built through patience, discipline, and a willingness to slow down long enough to make thoughtful decisions. Taking the time to understand the brand, the market, and the long-term implications of each move has consistently led to stronger outcomes than rushing for speed’s sake.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? When I was 15, it was my Apple PowerBook. It felt like a window into the future. Today, it’s my Tesla Model Y. For similar reasons, it represents innovation done right—thoughtfully designed and reinventing an entire industry.