Business
L E S S ON
Blake Mycoskie
FO UNDER OF TOMS SHOES
Why is giving back good for business? "Giving back
feels good, and that alone is a reason to make it
part of your life and part of your business-but it has a
positive ROI as well. When you incorporate giving
into your business model, your customers become your
marketers. We've certainly seen that with TOMS.
People don't just wear the shoes or the sunglasses;
they're evangelists for our 'One for One' mission. It also
translates to attracting equally passionate employees
who have a desire to be part of something bigger
than themselves. Any business can do this, and you
don't have to be offering a percentage of your profits.
It can be as simple as encouraging your employees to be
engaged with their local community a number of
days out of the year and allowing them the time to do so."
Blake Mycoskie is the author of Start Something That Matters. He recently launched TOMS Marketplace,
an e-commerce platform featuring a curated selection of goods from other philanthropy-minded companies.
ILLUSTRATION BY MELINDA JOSIE
JANUARY 2014 SPIRIT
51
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - January 2014