Blake Mycoskie- TOMS

“People will buy your product once for the cause, but they won’t do it twice unless it’s good” – Blake Mycoskie

Today I’m sharing the second in my series of articles about ethical, or purpose-driven entrepreneurs. In this series I'll be shining a spotlight on business owners who want to change the way business is done, challenge the status quo, and build companies that are driven by more than just money.

This article will focus on the man behind the 'One for One' campaign that made his business, TOMS, a pioneer in business ethics: Blake Mycoskie.

The Man

Serial entrepreneur, Blake Mycoskie, was born in Arlington, Texas in 1976 and studied philosophy and business at the Southern Methodist University. Shortly after graduating from SMU he set up the first of many businesses, EZ Laundry, eventually selling it to his partner in 1999 and then going on to found his second business, an outdoor media company which he later sold to Clear Channel.

Mycoskie found international fame in 2006 when, after visiting Argentina and witnessing countless children walking around without shoes, he founded TOMS, an ethical shoe company.

"It dramatically heightened my awareness. Yes, I knew somewhere in the back of my mind that poor children around the world often went barefoot, but now, for the first time, I saw the real effects of being shoeless. The blisters, the sores, the infections." – Blake Mycoskie

At the same time he saw that the adults in Argentina wore a very simple yet comfortable looking shoe and it gave Blake an idea. When he returned home to the USA, he set up TOMS and manufactured shoes to the same design that he'd seen people wear in Argentina. He produced the shoe in hundreds of variations and colours and the lightweight, comfortable canvas shoe soon became iconic for its simplicity and style. However, the real genius behind TOMS was in the charitable business model behind the shoe. Blake promised customers that for every pair of shoes they bought, another pair would go to people in need.

One for One.

This idea took off to such an extent that TOMS soon expanded into selling more than just shoes and now also sells coffee and sunglasses, each product selling under the same 'one for one' principle. Blake’s giving universe continues to expand and now encompasses nutrition, healthcare, and education.

Since founding TOMS, Blake has gone on to become an author and public speaker and in his talks, he brings to life the power behind personal and professional success. He speaks about his philanthropy and the pursuit of a greater vision. For his latest venture he teamed up with his friend and former Navy SEAL, Patrick Dossett, to create a new company – Madefor.

His Business Philosophy

The premise of the first company Blake started was a unique one. For every shoe sold, a pair would be given to someone in need.

This simple business model was the basis for TOMS, which has now given away more than 86 million pairs of shoes to those in need in more than twenty countries worldwide. TOMS has also restored vision to 500,000 people, and provided 450,000 weeks of safe drinking water to developing communities.

"If I would've taken half a million dollars and just bought shoes to give to the kids, I would've been able to give the shoes once. It never would've been as far-reaching and sustainable as TOMS Shoes is now." – Blake Mycoskie

This business philosophy earned Blake a lot of recognition. Harvard University honoured him with a 'Next Generation Award', People magazine featured him as one of its 'Heroes Among Us' and Fortune recognised him as one of the top young businessmen in the world in its '40 Under 40' list.

Alongside their staple 'One for One' initiative, TOMS has been involved in lots of other charitable campaigns over the years too. Most recently, it launched the 'End Gun Violence Together' initiative. With a $5 million commitment to the cause, it embarked on a cross-country tour where brand reps met with gun violence activists in impacted communities.  

But even that wasn’t enough for Blake.

His latest venture, Madefor, was born after a surf trip with his friend Pat. They watched the ocean and asked themselves the question “how can we make the world better?” The answer, they decided, was to start again, and start small – helping one person at a time to improve their mental health and reach their full potential.

Pat and Blake brought in leading neuroscientists, psychiatrists, physical therapists, life coaches, and wellness experts, and together they created Madefor. It became a ten-month wellness programme that uses neuroscience to elevate the mental and physical baselines of their members, while cultivating a mind-set that allows them to achieve everything they were truly 'made for'.

“We have a true mental health epidemic on our hands and it’s only creating a bigger issue with healthcare costs and productivity at work and in our relationships. So I think that this is as big if not bigger than a mission than TOMS because if we can help people with their mental health on the front end then there will be less people on antidepressants and lower suicide rates. Getting ahead of it is what Madefor is all about.” – Blake Mycoskie

Every business Blake works on has an element of philanthropy involved. It’s clear that giving back to the world is something he’s very passionate about, and it shows through all his work commitments.

So there you have it, a very brief introduction to another incredible purpose-driven entrepreneur.

What do you think about the work Blake's doing? Some people think that the way that TOMS operates "promotes a view of the world's poor as helpless, ineffective people" (Amanda Tubb, Vox) which can lead to a damaging world view. Others think that we need businesses like TOMS to shed light on inequality and to solve some of the issues that can't, or won't, be solved by governments. Whatever your point of view, you can't deny that Mycoskie has certainly had an impact.

If you’d like to learn more about purpose-driven entrepreneurs, follow the hashtag #DoxVox to read my other articles.

About Me

I’m a thought leadership consultant and content writer. My clients are the CEOs and CMOs of corporates who lack the capacity to create prescient thought leadership content in-house. I specialise in writing white papers. Drop me a DM if you want to have a chat.