You may have seen him on TV … The Amazing Race, or recent commercials for American Express or AT&T. If so, you’ve undoubtedly been hooked by his boyish smile, but don’t let his good looks and scruffy appearance fool you, Blake Mycoskie is all business. The 33-year-old is no guppy in the business world — TOMS is his fifth successful company to date.
The first company he started as a sophomore at Southern Methodist University in 1997. It was a door to door laundry service that grew to employ 40 people and include four other neighboring schools in just one year.
In 2001 Blake and sister, Paige Mycoskie, teamed up to compete on CBS’ The Amazing Race II and although they didn’t bring home the $1 million prize (they missed it by just four minutes!) the experience of traveling the world really stuck with Blake, and he made a commitment to go back to every country that he visited during the race. It was while he was revisiting Argentina that he was struck by the poverty he witnessed. In May 2006, Mycoskie founded TOMS: Shoes for Tomorrow on a simple premise: for every pair purchased, TOMS Shoes gives a pair to a child in need. One for One.
Blake’s entrepreneurial spirit coupled with a deep conscience paved the way for TOMS, a unique business model now recognized internationally as revolutionary. Not only is Mycoskie helping thousands of children in need, he’s created every woman’s dream — completely guiltless shoe shopping!
Blake Mycoskie takes a few minutes out of his busy schedule putting smiles on kids’ faces to sit in the hot seat for Tonic:
1. Who is your hero and why?
My parents are my heroes because they have raised my brother, my sister and me with strong values that carry on in everything we do today. From an early age, they showed us the importance of helping others and reaching out to the community, and I have found my passion doing just that, now. They have been an amazing support system and always find the time to show their support in anything I am doing.
2. What is the thing you are most proud of?
There are many moments at TOMS that I am proud of and even humbled that I can’t even narrow it down to one.
- It was amazing to be able to bring my entire family to TOMS’ first Shoe Drop in Argentina to give 10,000 pairs of new shoes to the children I previously met, when I had promised to return with 250 pairs.
- I am proud of the TOMS staff, who work so hard everyday and are passionate about the One for One
3. Moment of most doubt with your company?
The biggest challenge in the beginning was the fact that we had no experience making shoes , so learning production, quality control, inventory and all the other business parts of being a shoe and fashion company was no easy task. No one on our team really had any experience, but we were able to get TOMS up on its feet and here, 4 years later.
4. Moment of clarity with you company
I can’t think of a specific moment of clarity with TOMS, instead there are so many small moments over the past four years, where I would take a step back and be humbled by each. It’s amazing to see all different types of people wearing TOMS: from the children we hand place shoes on a Shoe Drop, to celebrities in their favorite pair, to tons of college students proudly wearing theirs and sharing the story on campus. TOMS Shoes are the one thing connecting all these different people around the world.
5. How are you improving your triple bottom line through CSR? Economic performance, environmental responsibility and positive social impact?
By implementing the One for One model, TOMS created a benefactor with each and every purchase. A donation is often a one time interaction; TOMS Shoes chooses to maintain an active and sustainable relationship within our giving communities. This global perspective is integral to the ethos of TOMS. TOMS Shoes prefers to encourage our consumers to spend in a way that supports one another and preserves the traditions and sensibilities of those communities we serve.
In less than 4 years, TOMS has given approximately 600,000 pairs of shoes to children in Argentina, South Africa, Ethiopia and the US, and is now sold in over 28 countries worldwide. For more info on TOMS visit their website.
Read more Dollars & Sense.
Photo courtesy TOMS.