The idea of community and helping others has always been a part of who I am. Growing up, my parents always made sure that my siblings and I were doing our part to serve our local community. – Blake Mycoskie
With TOMS, I found a way to create sustainable giving and consistently help those who are in need. – Blake Mycoskie
I feel a deep sense of responsibility to share everything that we’ve learned from TOMS, so that others can learn from both our mistakes and the counterintuitive principles that have guided our success. – Blake Mycoskie
Exercise your purchasing power as a consumer, volunteer and bring joy to those in need, and share your experiences, tell your stories, and inspire others along the way. – Blake Mycoskie
Giving builds loyal customers and turns those customers into supporters… You can find passion and profit and meaning all at once, right now. – Blake Mycoskie
I’m not a late-night person. After 10 P.M., I’m falling asleep. If I’m out at that time, I’ll be the one falling asleep at dinner. – Blake Mycoskie
I can honestly say that TOMS is my future. I mean I have no desire to start any other company for as long as I live because this is the perfect blend of business and philanthropy to me. – Blake Mycoskie
People often ask me what I consider my goal to be at TOMS. The truth is that it’s changed over the years. When we first began, the goal was to create a for-profit company to help the children that I met in a small village in Argentina. – Blake Mycoskie
Most people yearn to contribute, make the world a better place and have success…. all at the same time… Make sure to give your business a background, a mission and a story. That might be the most important step part of any venture. And remember, giving may be the best investment you ever make. – Blake Mycoskie
I would never want to take TOMS or myself into an issues debate. That’s not what we’re about. We’re about helping people. – Blake Mycoskie
I always thought that I would spend the first half of my life making money so I can spend the second half of my life giving it all away. And one of the defining moments of my life was when I realized that I could do both at the same time with TOMS. – Blake Mycoskie
Giving feels good, but it’s also good for the bottom line. Charity is a viable growth strategy for a lot of companies. Our customers get excited to be a part of what we’re doing. If you ask anyone wearing Toms how they first heard about us, most won’t mention an advertisement; they’ll say a friend told them our story. – Blake Mycoskie
Instead of squirreling away your earnings early in your career, spend on experiences that will enrich your life – like diving with great white sharks. It can expose you to influential people who could open doors for you. – Blake Mycoskie
Anyone can make a difference, so you don’t have to have it be some huge, global campaign… you can start small, and that’s just as important. – Blake Mycoskie
You know, you hear people talk about soul mates? That one person that you see, and that’s it for you? Well, TOMS is the business equivalent of a soul mate for me. – Blake Mycoskie
I always have my journal with me. It was handmade by a guy at the San Telmo market in Buenos Aires. If you go there he can make you one. It’s leather and bronze and I’m able to replace the paper when it runs out. It has a lion on the cover that I say is there to protect my thoughts. – Blake Mycoskie
Walk away from anyone who is unduly focused on vacation and compensation. It’s a sign of potential trouble. No matter how talented you are, if you don’t really want to work at TOMS, you’ll never work out here. – Blake Mycoskie
As entrepreneurs, we often get pressured into hiring an industry executive. While it’s good to hire people with experience, it can also be a stumbling block because they think about the business the same way everyone else does. – Blake Mycoskie
I believe each of us has a mission in life, and that one cannot truly be living their most fulfilled life until they recognize this mission and dedicate their life to pursuing it. – Blake Mycoskie
It may sound too good to be true, but once you’ve seen the happiest people in your life who have nothing, you really start rethinking what the world, and society, tells us that we need to be happy. – Blake Mycoskie
Traveling as much as I do, I get lonely sometimes. I have friends now in cities all over the world, so I get to be social, but it’s hard to have the deep meaningful relationships, especially an intimate one. With my guy friends, I can show up once a month and go to dinner with them and they’re happy. – Blake Mycoskie
The future of TOMS is really creating a whole new business model of this one-for-one giving and expanding the TOMS model from shoes into other products as well. – Blake Mycoskie
When I accept an invitation for a public speaking engagement, my purpose is to share the TOMS story and our giving mission. In no way do I believe this means I endorse every single aspect of that organization. That may be naive, and you may disagree, but it is my sincere belief. – Blake Mycoskie
