Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

LIZ EVANS: Tell me what happened to you in Argentina back in 2006? What clicked inside you, in that moment, and set TOMS in motion?

BLAKE MYCOSKIE: Well, I think the moment is probably divided into three moments actually. I was in the town, seeing all of these children without shoes, and then I spent a day with some volunteers who were involved in shoe-drops. I saw how excited these kids were to get the shoes.

So that was the first moment–the recognition that you could make someone so happy with something as simple as a pair of shoes.

The second moment was when I realised I wanted to do something more than just help for one day. I saw that charity just wasn’t the perfect way to approach this because that isn’t the way to build something sustainable. The children didn’t need just one pair of shoes, they were going to need another pair, and another pair, and another pair, so I knew I’d need to figure out a way of giving them shoes over a period of time. And the third moment was when I decided to make my commitment as an entrepreneur to create a new type of business model that would be able to build this giving into a for-profit business of selling shoes. So, boom! One moment happened one day, the second occurred the following morning and the third happened later that afternoon.

A deep, personal emotional response isn’t exactly your average starting point for a profitable business…

Yes, the way I came at this was a little bit different. I had reached a point in my life where I wanted to do something meaningful. I was pretty young when I started my first business, just 19 actually, and I spent 10 years launching and running standard, traditional, purely capitalistic ventures, and some were successful and some weren’t, but I worked really hard and I was ambitious. But by the time I started TOMS my ambitions had changed. I was at a stage where I’d had some commercial success and I’d built up a bit of a track record but I wanted to do something that wasn’t just business. I wanted to do something that had a real cause, and that’s why TOMS made so much sense to me, because I could do business and have that sense of purpose at the same time. Not only was it personally more fulfilling, it was also more creative. For the first couple of years I designed all the shoes and I’m still involved in the eyewear design. I still look at every single pair of shoes before it goes out.

Obviously I had no idea that TOMS would become this big. My original idea was to help 250 kids in one village, so I didn’t ever think of helping millions of people or starting a movement. I was just super excited that I could use my entrepreneurial skills to help a small group of people in one place. I guess initially, I saw it as a chance for me to give something back. So actually, in the beginning it was more charitable than entrepreneurial, but I quickly began to see it as a business opportunity, and realised that it could help a lot more people than I had ever really thought.

Why do you think you needed that level of meaning in your work life? It isn’t something the majority of people consider when approaching their career path.

It’s interesting, because both of my parents make money by giving something back to others. My dad is a doctor, so he’s helping people with their health, and my mum, who started something out of nothing and wrote a cookbook, is also helping people to stay healthy by managing their weight. So I do a similar thing, although in a less traditional sense. But it’s in the same vein. While I was growing up both of my parents were very supportive–that really helped me believe in myself.

So that sense of giving, and the link between personal happiness and success has been strongly modeled for you your whole life?

Yeah! And having some success at a young age probably meant I had a little bit more confidence than most people too. I really had this innate desire to give something back and help others; maybe it was kind of built into my DNA.

I’ve heard that your faith is quite important to you, so presumably your spiritual beliefs have played some part in the formation of TOMS as well. You’re not a missionary… are you?

I love the teachings of Christ but I’m not a big fan of religion at all. Religion has been used to control people and hurt people, and a lot of bad things have resulted from it. But if you get away from religion and you look at the actual words in the Bible, what Christ told us to do, you see these are amazing things to live by. Like the man who puts his best foot forward because that’s the foot that will fall–well, that’s what some people call karma, right? That happens in life. I decided that TOMS was the best way I could live out my faith, even though that may seem a little bit radical.

I grew up going to church and I saw that there was a big divide between people who went about their lives and their businesses for six days a week and then went to church on Sunday. I saw people who completely renounced their life in the US altogether and moved to Ghana or somewhere to serve the poor. I was like, Wow! That’s a radical person! Those people really live like Christ or Buddha or Mohammed or whoever is at the centre of your belief system, and they’re out there doing the work. So I was always a little skeptical of the people who lived one way for six days and another way for one day, and I always admired those people who made the big commitment. But, I never thought that was the life I would live.

When I started TOMS I saw it as a way to combine the gifts I’d been given with my desire to make a difference, and I got very excited.

I definitely think my faith and witnessing what goes on in the church led me to believe that something like TOMS was a better way.

And all the while, you’re making a profit of course…

Yes. It’s always been very important, that. Right from the beginning, I’ve been very transparent that TOMS is a for-profit business, and that I am an entrepreneur, and that for this to be successful I need to make money from it. There’s nothing wrong with that. And by talking about that in such a revolutionary way six years ago, we also gave people more confidence. When people look at charities sometimes they see huge percentages going towards overheads and the CEO’s high salary, and it’s off-putting. But we went in there and said look, we’re a business and hopefully we’re going to be a really big business and make lots of money but in the process we’re going to help lots of people. That’s how we got attention and support, which is ultimately what you want.

That’s a very direct attitude. You’ve fully acknowledged that, as Westerners, we’re more likely to give when we get something in return–including yourself.

Sure, it is a little bit self-serving because the consumer gets something that they’d probably buy anyways, but at the same time, they could have bought another product without the giving component. So I feel that we fill that gap between not doing anything for charity and doing something that’s fully charitable. We’re kind of in the middle and that’s a place where we found consumers are happy to be.

You buy a pair of shoes, we give a pair of shoes. You buy a pair of sunglasses, we give someone sight.

We provide a high quality, fashionable product and that definitely makes it easy to give, and to be a conscious consumer–at least with your sunglasses and your shoes!

Your brand of conscious consumerism involves a dynamic acceptance of capitalism, rather than the resigned surrender more typical of ethical businesses. You’re really embracing the existing economic set-up instead of fighting against it.

Yes, I’m a big believer in capitalism and business because if you really organise it well–so it’s more about values and not just about profit–it can be one of the greatest catalysts in the world for social change. Marrying those two things together is not something that’s generally been done before. It really is quite a new concept, and I think it’s something that’s hard for some of the old guard to wrap their heads around. They’re so used to thinking of philanthropy and business being separate–the old rule says you don’t commit to philanthropy before you’ve had success. But the way we’re doing it seems to be gaining traction, and I’m hopeful that in 20 or 30 years’ time, lots of CEOs around the world will make social change and values a priority, because it’s really good for business.

My customers are more loyal than other customers, and I don’t have to spend all the marketing dollars on athletes and celebrities to endorse my products, because they believe in the mission, so they’ll do it for free. We’re not just some cute idea, we’re a successful, prominent business and we’re helping people. We’re contributing to the economy and hiring people, and that’s what I want people to notice.

There have been many criticisms of the One For One model though, including that it fosters dependency on the West. What is TOMS doing in terms of building a stronger business culture within the developing world?

We started off having our shoes made in Argentina, but as the business grew we weren’t able to continue doing that. Having said that, by 2015, we will have one third of our manufacturing in the countries where we deliver the products. It’s a really important part of our future, that we create more jobs and help those economies.

We make sure that what we do gets integrated into the local communities in a really powerful, intimate way. We do this by only working with NGOs that have a long history in the respective community, who are providing many other things besides shoes. So, if that NGO is providing water wells or building agriculture, or building a school or supporting any other aspects of community development, then the shoes become integrated into the approach. It’s not just a one-time give. Those NGOs know these kids and when they see that they’re in need of a new pair of shoes for the school year, then they can distribute them. Or, if it’s time for the kids to take their hookworm medicine, or have their vaccinations, they use the shoes as an incentive for the kids to come and get the medical attention. It’s very effective, because sometimes the family doesn’t want to bring the kid for some reason.

We now have partnerships with more than 94 different giving organisations around the world, so that’s how we can make sure that children keep getting more and more shoes.

That’s the whole reason I started this as a business instead of a charity. I felt that this way it would stand a much better chance of sustaining itself.

Have you thought of connecting your customers more directly with the stories of the children whose lives they’re affecting?

We haven’t done it yet, although we do have some ideas and actually you’ve reminded me of something, so I’m going to make a note before I forget… Hold on…

I am working on a product right now that will allow us to develop that, but it probably won’t be out for at least nine months to a year.

How hands-on with all of this are you these days? Does the Chief Shoegiver still go out there and give shoes?

All the time. My next big trip is going to be to Africa, where I’ll be for almost all of October. The travelling really keeps me connected.

So this really is a matter of continual personal growth.

Constantly. I’m constantly learning new things, thinking up new ways to help, and dreaming up new ideas. The idea to get into the eyewear business came from visiting schools where children were being treated like they had a learning difficulty–but the truth was, they just couldn’t see the chalkboard. There are organisations out there that can perform eye surgeries and distribute prescription glasses at affordable costs, so that’s how it came about. If I wasn’t constantly going on these trips and seeing the need, I’d never have had the idea to launch sunglasses.

Not many CEOs maintain such a personal approach to their work. Does this extend to how you relate to your workforce?

We don’t really even use the word “employee” at TOMS. It’s very much a family, an intimate group of people, and the only way to get on here is to embrace those ideals. I’m proud that we’ve been able to keep those close connections with our employees as well as our vendors and partners. It is an important part of what we do.

Apparently you hire people on the strength of psychological testing. Based on the results, what types of people end up working for you?

We use the Devine Assessment and the Birkman Method, both of which are similar to the Myers-Briggs test. Obviously we look for different things in different people, because it all depends on whether they’ll be in IT or marketing. But there needs to be consistency in terms of caring about the mission and caring about our values. They have to be putting purpose over profit. So we’re not just testing for a person’s skill set, we’re also testing for their personality, and a lot of the time that doesn’t come across in an interview, especially at the senior level, where people are very good at appearing to be a certain way. But we’re looking at the core, and you can’t beat the test for getting to the core of a person. They are great tools for knowing what you’re going to get before you get it. I actually had my wife take the tests!

How did she feel about that? Do your employees ever feel confronted by being asked to take the tests, or even refuse to do them?

Everyone takes them as part of the interview process because it is good for both the prospective TOMS family members and TOMS. There is no right or wrong in the tests but they help determine if there will be a good match between the person and our business. I guess that is why my wife and I decided to take them together, too. The more insight into our compatibility the better, and also knowing where we will potentially have issues helps us avoid them.

I remember you once said that TOMs had changed you from an extrovert into an introvert…

I think when you are starting something you have no choice but to be as extroverted as possible because you are constantly trying to sell everyone on your idea. So I was probably more introverted at my core than I realised, but once we reached a level of awareness and I became more of a public figure, I realised that I was happiest and most comfortable in small groups of close friends and TOMS family members.

How has all of this affected you and your life?

I think the biggest impact on me personally has been that I have gotten to see the joy that so many people, who live in what we would call “poverty”, have in their lives.

That’s really encouraged me to simplify my own life, to try and take things less seriously than I used to, because I see the uncomplicated joy of someone in Rwanda or Honduras or Peru, and how grateful they are for just a little bit of assistance. But I’ve also seen how powerful those people are and how, if you give them just a little, they will make something truly great out of it.

I also read that you downsized from your spacious, comfortable bachelor pad to a boat. Do you still live on the boat?

I still have the boat. It’s in Los Angeles where TOMS is based. I commute there once a month and spend about 10 days there in total, so I live on the boat when I’m there. But there are times when I just can’t see anyone–LA gets a little hectic at times–so my wife and I recently moved to Austin, Texas, which is where I’m from, and that’s where we plan on raising a family. We live on a lake now and we love it. Whether we’re out with the dogs or water skiing on the lake, that connection with nature is a big part of who I am. I also get that connection when I travel, of course.

What would you like to hand on to your children, when you have them?

I’d like to expose them really early on to how blessed we are as Americans, and to show them that that’s not the case for everyone and it’s our responsibility to help others. We do live in a global village and what’s good for children in Ethiopia eventually makes our economy and lives more stable as well. The other thing is to continue to try to live as simply as possible. That may get more difficult when you have a family and you have all these other pulls on your time, and then of course time becomes your most valuable resource. But that’s why it’s so important to really try to keep your material possessions and your commitments minimal. Like I said, that’s what I’ve learned from the cultures we work with. I believe they have given me just as much, if not more, than TOMS has given them. I’ve been able to have these incredible life experiences that have really had an impact on me. It’s a real exchange.

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Conversations

1 July 2013

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

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Liz Evans on Blake Mycoskie

This story originally ran in issue #36 of Dumbo Feather

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This story originally ran in issue #36 of Dumbo Feather

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Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Conversations

1 July 2013

Blake Mycoskie is the chief shoegiver

Subject

Location

Occupation

Weather

Unexpected

Liz Evans on Blake Mycoskie

This story originally ran in issue #36 of Dumbo Feather

Most Popular on Dumbo Feather

Article

The river of grief and how to keep being

Conversation

Arne Rubinstein is making men

Conversation

Brené Brown is a grounded researcher

Discussed in this Story

This story originally ran in issue #36 of Dumbo Feather

This story originally ran in issue #36 of Dumbo Feather

Liz Evans

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