Leadership Summit Session Eleven :: Blake Mycoskie :: Tom's Shoes

Blake Mycoskie is the 33 year-old founder of TOMS Shoes.  He successfully launched five companies before the age of 30.  Tom was interviewed by Darren Whitehead, a teaching pastor at Willow Creek.

• Instead of looking to charity to solve social problems, Blake looked to business: for every pair of shoes bought, a pair of shoes is given away to a child in need.
• Giving not only feels good; it is a good business and life strategy.
• People who buy Toms are invested in the story of TOMS.  They organically and passionately share it.
• TOMS focuses on giving in a clear and authentic way, which leads to natural marketing within their customer base: they do the same things.
• TOMS employees are encouraged to be a part of the giving.  If you are an employee for 2 years, the company pays for a trip for you to go and give away shoes to children.
• Even if you can't incorporate 1 to 1 giving in your organization, incorporating giving at any level is transformative: it reduces anxiety because it takes the focus off of you and your problems, and puts it in on solving that of another unselfishly.
• TOMS is a for-profit company with a non-profit culture.  It is a for-profit company, because a for-profit company provides a never ending supply of revenue and capital to continue to give away shoes.
• 250,000 people participated in TOMS initiative of "A Day Without Shoes" to raise awareness and solidarity with children around the world who do not have shoes.
• TOMS gives people a very simple thing to do - a very easy way to act - as well as gives them an opportunity to show the world what their value system is by giving them something that becomes representative of their identity: a pair of shoes.
• TOMS has plenty of strategic partnerships with corporations and churches.  They have formed these partnerships by offering these partners an authentic story - that the owner was connected and invested in the cause.  This was an attractive thing to the partners to be a part of.
• If you really want to create change around your idea, you can't get around making big asks.  What's more: people enjoy it, because they enjoy being a part of a great journey.  You simply can not afford to be bashful.
• Blake thinks that TOMS represents the principle behind the Proverb: give away your first fruits, and your vats will be full.  This has formed the 1-to-1 principle.
• It's never too early to start giving and start serving.  Don't wait to "make it" to be generous.