TOMS Shoes - the power of a higher purpose

Blake Mycoskie from TOMS Shoes gave a great keynote at SXSW this year.

Here’s a clip from the keynote.

For every pair of shoes you buy from TOMS, they give away another pair to a child in need somewhere in the world.

It’s such a clear, powerful story, it’s contagious. Their customers become evangelists. They can attract top talent to work with them. Their employees are super-motivated. Going on those shoe-drops and actually putting the shoes on the feet of children is like the best team-building exercise imaginable.

It’s a great story that goes to the heart of fearless entrepreneurship:

This is not some strategy that was thought up in a board room. This was something that was experienced and envisioned through the heart. Only the heart can see clearly.

Blake was in Argentina taking a break from working as a programmer at a startup, when he accidentally went on a shoe-drop with some strangers he’d met on his trip. That just riveted his soul so much that he had to continue doing this.

And it’s a great example of how doing good through business is so much more effective and sustainable than doing it through “merely” giving. From the Wikipedia page:

After his visit to Argentina in 2006, Mycoskie decided to get involved in shoe giving. Considering sustainability, he concluded that starting a business rather than a charity would help his impact last longer.

His blog is “Start something that matters”. A sentiment that completely resonates with the Fearless Entrepreneur’s viewpoint.