This past week a friend and fellow entrepreneur was kind enough to give me a copy of Start Something That Matters, a book by Blake Mycoskie, founder of TOMS. The TOMS story is simple: they make great shoes and give away a pair to a child in need for every pair they sell. They call this their One for One model. Since 2006, TOMS has given away over 1 million pairs of shoes.
The core idea of his book is that we can all find profit, passion and meaning if we’re imaginative and resourceful. So it’s no big surprise that a charismatic and creative leader like Mycoskie relies heavily on the power of stories to propel his mission and cause. In fact, he writes eloquently and at length about how they use stories at TOMS and the elements of their method:
1. Find your story.
2. Tell your story to the world.
3. Share your story with everyone you can.
4. Find story partners.
5. Carefully manage your online story.
6. Find the influence makers who will love your story.
7. Be specific.
While his belief in stories is inspiring, his intense focus on corporate social responsibility prompted a whole series of conversations among my business-owner friends on the topic and got me thinking… more on that later. For now, watch Mycoskie talk about his business and his book.
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