Chapter 1 Summary ( Find Your Story)
The book Start Something that Matters (SSTM) by Blake Mycoskie was published in 2012 as an attempt by this thriving entrepreneur to tell his story of success which also aims at inspiring, motivating and challenging young budding entrepreneurs by using the lessons he learnt on his journey to success as references. The first chapter starts with Blake Mycoskie’s personal story of an entrepreneur who was hungry for success and this was better exemplified by the number of entrepreneurial ventures he had already started. By this time he was on his fourth venture which was an online driver-education program for young teens which also had the environment in mind and hence the environmental-friendly innovations that they created.
After making huge leaps in this business and the profit margin becoming commonplace in this venture, Blake decides to take a vacation in Argentina. Argentina is a holiday destination that Blake remembers well as this is one of the countries he had raced through when he experienced what he refers to as his ‘greatest disappointment’ in his life (Mycoskie 8). This was a country that he had raced through with his sister Peige in 2002 during their stint in the CBS program The Amazing Race competition. They ended up losing one million dollar prize by just a margin of four minutes to the winner. This was clearly one of his greatest disappointed in life as he came out as someone with a very competitive spirit
In Argentina he prefers to immerse himself in the local culture as a form of relaxation and also getting a new perspective in life from this new environment. This is where he learns the national dance (tango), embraces the new sport of polo and comes across the national show known as the alpargata .This was a comfortable soft .canvas shoe that was common in the society among all from the rich businessmen, students to farmers in the far flung areas of Argentina. This shoe is a common sight everywhere he goes, be it in the streets of Buenos Aires when he is taking his casual walks or during the night in night clubs and discotheques and this is when the idea of how this shoe would have made an appeal back in the United States if an individual with a futuristic business acumen would decide to tap into this new casual design.
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It was also during his time in Argentina that he learnt a new concept, the shoe-drive. This he learnt from an American woman he met at a coffee shop. She explained to him how in a relatively well-developed country such as Argentina, young children still lacked shoes in this predisposed them to a myriad diseases. She had initiated an organization that would seek donors who would provide and donate shoes that would be distributed to the kids in the country.
A problem that she commonly suffered in her quest to put shoes in the feet of this children was that the regular flow of shoes was not always guaranteed from the donors as the donations were seasonal. To add to this, situations would arise during the drop-offs where no child would get a shoe as the sizes did not fit some of them; they were either too big, or too small as none of them in actual sense had their sizes taken.
This status quo further added fuel to the entrepreneurial spirit of Blake Mycoskie, leading him to strongly consider starting this new venture.
Being the creative individual that he is, Blake decides to solve this problem by having a new idea which entails entrepreneurship as its main concept as opposed to charity. This meant that they know had to create a for-profit shoe venture that would have donation included in its plans. Blake ends up spending much of his time in Argentina travelling from village to village in a bid to see for himself. The reality o the ground was very grim. Poverty was widespread and this meant that even the basics, such as shoes for the young children, was something that was very hard to come by.
His first thought is start a charity that would ensure that the children received the shoes in the right size. This idea however had a flaw that he was well aware of, the reliable flow of donations by the donors which was hard to come by. His concept entails ‘selling a pair shoe today, and donating a pair of shoes tomorrow creating a basis for their One for One business model. His phrase “Shoes For Better Tomorrow” ended up being one of his mantra which led to his brand being named “Tomorrow Shoes” ( TOMO). The general concept and design of this shoe was basically a modified form of the alpargata. In his quest to learn more about the shoe and to source for materials in Argentina, Blake recruits one polo teacher Alejo Nitti as he was also in desperate need of a translator since he did not speak Spanish.
They look for shoe designers together in Buenos Aires but are not successful and end in the country side where one was offering to make the shoe for them. The shoe maker was skeptical at first about his designs as this new design was different. Some of the new modifications was the leather insole and an improved insole. Being afraid of the traditional colors of tan, red, black and navy he insisted on new prints for his shoes and this involved stripes and camouflage patterns.
With some of the 250 samples he had stuffed in duffle bag, Blake decides to present this new venture to his friends. He decides to consult his consumers on this new products so as to get their opinion and they end up getting a positive rapport ( Mycoskie 13). He also decides that it is better it is not enough to just reach out to people remotely and embraces showing up I person as a new tact. He goes with his duffle bag full of shoes to a retailer by the name American Rag and now the retailer gets to view all the samples while being marveled by the charity story behind this enterprise. They end up getting them as the first retail buyers.
Things start going in the positive direction for Blake once a fashion writer named Booth Moore interviewed him and put his story up in the Los Angeles Times. After this story, about 2,200 orders appeared in their website and this is when Blake decided to post an ad in Craiglist for an intern. He ended up hiring Jonatha , as an intern who spent the better part of his first day at work calling up those who had placed orders to give them the sad news that their orders would not be available for at least eight weeks as they now only had one hundred and sixty pairs available.
Surprisingly, out of the 2,200 orders, only one individual cancels their order and this was due to the fact that there travelling overseas for a semester.Things go well for the when features about their new brand appear in fashion magazines such as Vogue, Elle and Time magazine and celebrities such as Keira Knightley and Scarlett Johansson being spotted sporting this brand. Their retail base also increases with stores such as Nordstrom, Urban Outfitters and Whole Floods being some of their customers.
From his Venice studio apartment he coordinates his operations with his three interns and soon reach the 10,000 sales mark they had set for them going back to Argentina to donate shoes. They end up going back to Argentina and travel from village to village distributing these shoes to jovial children. The joy that these children experienced from receiving these new pairs of shoes was a very emotional experience for Blake. Every shoe-drop proved to him that he was to touching the lives of many children with this initiative. This leads him to understand that the new definition of success is not just status or money, but also having the value of contributing something in society.
According to the author, there six traits that would aid one in starting an enterprise that really matters in society which are; Having a story, how an individual’s fear can be useful, having vast resources is not being as critical one might think , TOMS not being a non-profit but rather, a combination of ‘a for profit company with a social mission , and the solution was also entrepreneurship and not charity (Mycoskie 3)
Chapter 2 (Face Your Fears)
This Chapter starts with the incredible story of two roommates, Eric Lowry and Adam Ryan who lived together in San Fransisco. Eric is a marketing professional for brands and Adam a chemical engineer and environmental scientist who is very passionate about the environment. The rarely clean their house but when they do they realize that most of the detergents and cleansers would make their skin burn and eyes water which led them to have questions about whether they were even environmentally or user friendly. After seeking views online, they realize that most people share their concerns and decide to make their own environmentally friendly products.
In their quest, they start by making these products in their kitchen and in the year 2000 launch their line under the name “method”. Eric was skilled in packaging and their first product was a handsoap. Even though they were understaffed and underfunded , they still do not relent and even came with a list in their website known as the ‘Dirty List’ .Dirty list is a list of ingredients that are unhealthy for homes or for the planet in order t and this was done to keep things simple and transparent. (Mycowskie 23). Eric and Adam were named PETA in 2006, because their slogans: “people against dirty.” ((Mycowskie P24)
Between the years 2001 and 2010 their sales rose from less than $90,000 in 2001 to around $100 million in 2010 and this was attribute to the fact that they carried a story together with their product. This in essence meant that if one had a story, success would longer depends on how experienced one was, how many degrees one had or who the person was but would depend on the persons story. These two young entrepreneurs also observed models of advertising such as the Mad Men Model and the curated model.The Mad Men model of advertising was simple and straightforward to the consumers. However, people are following the carefully curated model of media consumption would receive the information better if there was a story behind such ventures. A story is important in the starting of a business as in a way it transcends borders and even open new doors.
In this chapter, the importance of a story is also underscored by the fact that they evoke emotions and the emotions create an emotional connection with those who hear them. The story has to be a true and authentic story as people can tell a real story from a phony one. It is thus important for new businesses to focus on concrete stories as opposed to abstract facts as people find it hard connecting with them.
A study by Carnegie Mellon University showed that more consumers connected more to real concrete stories as opposed to abstract and this was proved when it was proved that students donated more when products they were buying had a story behind why they were in existence and their real purpose. An example is given of Jared Fogle who had been diagnosed as having odema, a condition that would at times lead to diabetes other serious health complications . He started what he referred to as the “Subway Diet” and after three month he proved that he had lost up to a hundred pounds. His story was picked by Subway which used his story in its commercials to promote its brand. It was noted that this new campaign had a positive effect in the profit margin of the company. The story gave the company an increase of 18% in sales in the first year and16% increase in the year that followed.
Blake also had a remarkable first time encounter with his brand. This took place in New York when he was on his way back to Los Angeles. Blake saw a woman wear TOMS at New York JFK Airport. He went ahead to ask her about the shoe that she was wearing and this woman told him that she bought the TOMS shoes because of the story of TOMS that they have a policy of donating shoes known as the TOMS Shoe Drop. He later introduces himself to the delight of the woman who lauds him for the good work he was been engaging in.
This experience at the airport was important to Blake as it showed him just how important it was to have a story in starting a brand. This story ended up creating supporters as opposed to customers and it is these supporters that will be responsible for pushing the brand. A short advertisement with TOMS story was also responsible for building this brand. When an executive from an ad agency known as BODO they end up linking it up with AT&T for campaign purposes.. The lesson picked from TOMS story isn’t just a way to connect to AT&T as an ultimate consumer but is also as a means of making AT&T attractive to potential partners who want to attach themselves to something deeper than buying and selling (Mycoskie 35).
The human scale is important in ensuring that human-scale way as people become better connected to a brand this way and end up become loyal supporters. In seeking a story when one wants to start an enterprise, one has to follow their passion. One of the sure way to know ones passions is by ask oneself some three critical questions and answering them at the same time. The three questions are: “If you did not have to worry about money, what would you do with your time?”, “What kind of work would you want to do?”, and “What cause would you serve?”
The One for One model is also exemplified here when Blake starts a new venture known as Toms Eyeware. For every pair of eyeware accessories sold the proceeds would go to giving sight to a person in dire need of eye related medical treatment such as prescription glasses or eye surgeries. Blake also started One Day Without Shoes (ODWS) with his the campus club at Pepperdine University which raises awareness of what it feels like not to have shoes by walking barefoot (Mycoskie 38). During these initiatives , the staff get to interact with the consumers and this may be a good forum for getting new ideas on how one can tell their story better in order to reach a bigger audience.
Another tip given in this book concerning spreading ones story is though the connections one has online. These connections might be in social media platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, Tumblar or Facebook and are important in ensuring that one has created a presence. Here, one is able to gauge the response that is given by the people through the various comments that people leave online. Blake also goes ahead to describe what he calls “halo effect ” .Examples include, “Vogue” who give TOMS as a holiday gifts to those they term as extraordinary in their list of contacts. Also, Ralph Lauren came in by creating a line of limited-edition TOMS featuring special prints and patches and decided to sell them in Rugby by Ralph Lauren retail stores all over the country. Another example given is that of the clothing store Theory, which decided to feature TOMS on their sixty-foot “Icon Wall” at its main flag ship mall at Manhattan store and on smaller walls in other locations around the country. (Mycoskie 40)
An online presence is said to be important as it stamps ones presence in this new frontier to share the story and also for making an impression as an individual. Blake also gives tips on spreading ones story which includes sharing ones story with everyone you can, finding story partners, carefully managing ones online story and find the influence makers who will love your story. A notable example given is Tito’s new vodka from Texas and which was established by Bert Butler Beveridge. In addition, it was the only one from Texas that handmade vodka and it was overly saturated. It was because of this, that the restaurateurs around the state supported it and it was mostly due to their story.
Chapter 3 (Facing your fears)
This chapter starts with the incredible story of Blake’s Mother named Pam Mycoskie. Pam is woman who is passionate about healthy living and healthy eating. This came about after her having her children and thus was on a quest to being physically fit and healthy at the same time. She was an avid aerobics fan who also competed at times but in 1990 got the shock of her life when she went in hospital for a routine check up and found out that her lipids test showed that her level was 242. She later came to attribute this to the saturated fats that were in the cheese and ice cream that she consumed.
Pam now decides to go on a new quest to encourage of eating healthy and soon drops her count and her husband rewards her with a visit to Shape Magazine boot camp where she shares her story and also gets to learn a lot about the various ways one can create a healthy diet. After this experience she decides to share this information by writing a cook book by the name Butter Busters. Pam now had to face her fear of publishing and took alone to publish this book with the first publisher. Things do not go as expected as the publishers do not hold their side of the bargain and this ends their relationship.
After this experience she fears taking the risk of publishing again as they are in 60% dept but overcomes this fear only to succeed this second time by selling the first 450,000 copies in the first sixteen months. Blake describes fear here as a state that is always with us in every situation but what matters most of the time is how we react to our fears. Fear can allow us to deal with situations urgently and Blake advises young budding entrepreneurs to respond to fear with action and not retreat.
Another example of how one can make the most out of a bad situation is the story given here of Sam Walton who owned would only be described as a second rate store in a second rate town with business being very bad for him. He was on the brink of foreclosure as his lease was faulty and was already on three strikes. He decides to make his fear a stepping stone by discounting his business and thus leading to its growth to what people now know as Walmart. Blake mentions that the downers in life usually end up being the blessings (Mycoskie 52).The importance of focusing on what you can control as opposed to your fear is also underscored in this chapter.
The story of Courtney Reun and her VeeV spirit brand is also told here. She took a risk when she decided to quit her job at Goldman Sachs and start this new venture. She advices those who want to take risks to so and not fear because if they failed life would still go on. Everyone makes mistakes. Blake also mentions his fears during the inception of the brand TOMS when it seemed they were about to experience financial woes. He feared that they would be viewed as a public failure as he was aware that they were being watched closely due to the publicity they had garnered.
Blake also speaks about how important it is to thrive on interns as they may end up inspiring one in their confidence to tackle issues. Because interns have passion they end up overcoming their fears. Blake also underscores the importance of having motivational quotes of individuals who failed but still kept doing what they did until they succeeded. Blake did not finish collage so he decides to use biographies and autobiographies of successful people such as Richard Branson (founder of Virgin) to widen his scope on how to be successful.
Staring small is also a concept that is advised here. Individuals are encouraged to make small but meaningful steps every day and after a while they will culminate to something quite big. Writing things down is mentioned as a way to overcome ones fear and also finding mentors who will guide one through the entrepreneurial journey chosen. Making moves is also advised as no given time is usually the best time to do something and thus when someone gets an opportunity to make a move they must do so.
Chapter 4 ( Be Resourceful Without Resources)
Here, Blake describes the importance of making use the resources that one has at hand in order to increase the chance of success in a start-up. Einstein’s quote on creativity (“Imagination is more important than knowledge”) is used to encourage individuals to be creative (Mykoskie 69). In setting up his offices in his studio apartment, the creative angle of him was staring to show. He also goes ahead and post two internship opportunities on Craigslist. The First is one was a Super Fantastic Business Intern and second is Web Design Internship. These two positions were unpaid.
This chapter underscores the importance of making good use of what one has as resources to benefit the enterprise in these times of need. Blake describes his apartment kitchen as one that had left over tacos, pairs of shoes and also old news papers as they were living and working in the same area (Mycoskie 71-72). He also intimates that staring small is the best option if one wants to experience success in future. Lack of resources also inspired creativity and the competitive edge when starting a business because the most common problem when starting companies is that they are mostly underfunded.
Blake also employed the work ethic that he described as the “work hard, play hard ethic” in which they made up for their lack of resources by having fun at work (Mycoskie 72). This would end up creating unity amongst the members and situations where they would feel more as part of the whole group. Most individuals, it was said, felt a deeper connection to a starting enterprise. The chapter also gives an account of an occasion when Nordstrom called to ask for an immediate order but was told to wait for two weeks for the delivery of the prototypes. During this period they were small as a company but were still a small “garage op”. Many companies that ended up being big brands also had humble beginnings such as Steve Jobs Apple which started in an actual garage and Facebook which was started in a campus dormitory. The 1950s Mettle example given here also explains how many successful companies started with smaller resources but ended up finding the new toy venture more profitable, though they had limited resources. Another example given is that of Motown in the 1960s when a man named Detroit expanded his recording studio to the garage creating Motown Record.
Blake also explains that even though people may have excellent ideas many people still did not believe that they could start a business because they don’t have resources but it was this lack of resources when starting TOMS that led to its success (Mycoskie 77). This in a business was said to create an entrepreneurial spirit as being comfortable would lead a business into a bad disaster. An example is given of Tom Szaky couldn’t find bottles for his product which led him to start a company that used discarded plastic soda bottles to put their product which was in essence cheaper.
Examples are given by Blake of companies that had failed because they too much money while starting up. Pets.com made lots of money but paid it all in wages and other high expenses (Mycoskie 79). An organization such as Falling Whistles in Congo was said to have been selling their whistles for $34 to $104 in order to raise money for education, advocacy and the rehabilitation of war-affected people (Mycoskie 80). Blake explains here that having a mission is important as it ends up creating an opportunity for other companies with more resources to come on board (Mycoskie 82-83).
Blake also recommends the removal of actual titles at the work environment to remove a pecking order. This makes every employee feel equally important in the operations. The creation of a reward system for the interns was also said to be a way in which employees may be motivates the employee to put in extra effort at work. Furthermore, being frugal and Blake gives the example of Chelsea Inn which was his friend Rachel Sechtmas’s couch. This saved him money he would have to spend on hotels during his business visits.
Chapter 5 (Keep It Simple)
This chapter starts with a story about Michelle’s Chicago based business whose context was based on mailing balls for people. This model focuses on the simplicity of the product designed and in this case the use of simple balls. The simplicity of the business is what is mostly advised here as simple designs can be used as blank canvas to create many more products. Also it was said that simplicity was in two areas. The two primary areas ere: simplicity of product design and simplicity of business model. The former one is design-oriented and the latter one is for business.
TOMS are said to be a simple design as the shoe design is based a straight forward shoe that was comfortable and easy to fit. (Mycoskie 102).
The simplicity of the mission would help customers to now focus on the true value of ones product. Simple idea are also said to be an advantage as they are easy to adapt to when times change. The iPod , although being more expensive than its competitors, became an instant hit due to the fact that it had a simple interface for use(Mycoskie 103).This simplicity and ease when using it created this product enabled it to be an instant hit.
TOMS workspace is described here as being in a warehouse and with no offices. ‘Every employee has a plywood workstation that resembles a small cube, and because the cubes are only four and a half feet tall, they’re as easy to talk over as a backyard fence.’ (Mycoskie 110)
Also simplicity in administration is described in the sense of little divisions between top executives or customer. As an important note, this chapter mentions the importance of simple messages as they are sticky and are easily remembered by many of the consume (Mycoskie 113).
Enterprises that used simple mantras are described as making a killing and such an example was In-N-Out Burger. Its mantra was freshest, highest-quality foods, friendly service clean environment. This simplicity in message is said to be the reason why it actually always customers. Keeping a notebook is also advised here as it a way of ensuring that one does not forget ideas that they get. Schedules are also emphasized in this chapter in order to let go of worry. Individuals who intend in on starting start-ups are also advised to Tim Ferriss’s (4) tips on simplicity; do an 80/20 analysis of how you spend your time and create a “not-to-do” list”, experiment with a low-cost virtual assistant, don’t check email until 11 a.m, and learn to let the small bad things happen.
Some companies in these are described as having gone down the route of taking down walls at the work place, removing dress codes and also eliminating time cards. The purpose is to create a simple model which is said to encourage the workers to feel more connected to the firm and contribute towards growth. This purpose also ends up creating a ripple effect as the firm would also push the story and spread it to many people.
Chapter 6 ( Building Trust)
Trust is a fundamental in the establishment of many establishment and the story of Tony Hseih and Zappos Tony was of the opinion that trust is a fundamental part of a business. It was the most important part of getting our work done right. A brand succeeds or fails based on whether or not people trust the company with which were about to do business with and organizations could only function at peak capacity if their employees are looking out of for the best interests of the company, not just motivated by their own selfish reasons.” (Mycoskie 124)
Tony wants to be friends with his employee and encourage them to use their best judgment.
$3000 is given to any prospective employee who takes the company training but decides not to take a job. Adversarial relationship is the relationship that exists between side between retailers and wholesalers..It is like a zero-sum game that ‘there is a limited amount of money to be shared between the two, and every penny the retailer makes is one the wholesaler loses, and vice versa.’ (Mycoskie 126)
Blake also describes how can build trust in an organization. First is the internal trust you build within an organization as a leader.Second is the external trust you build with your customers, your vendors, and your donors. (Mycoskie 126). Directional change is from authoritarianism to trust. It is said to be important to motivate someone by giving him or by the position but and the power(Mycoskie 129). Trust between colleagues in firms was an issue but HP which had not always allowed employees open access to all tools, made a decision made to show how much the company trusted its workforce.(Mycoskie 129) . The locked tool bin was one of the symbols of mistrust. Mistakes are said to be important as they create opportunity for growth.They employees will misfile claims, or lose orders, or damage goods, or insult a customer.’ (Mycoskie 134)
Because managers also make mistakes, employees should also be use to make mistakes make mistakes. And ‘the cost of the employee’s slipups may well be less than the benefit of the personal growth they obtain from them and the value they provide to the organization (Mycoskie 134)
Blake describes the story of an employee named Jerry. The mistake that Jerry made is that he loved to gossip and ends up being fired. It was different with loss orders due to this as this it would destroy the trust between the employee and manager or employees each other. Blake also describes his blunder when making mistakes and admits them At first, Blake thinks the Airstream shoes is most popular. However most of these intrepid fans were retirees who preferred a nice pair of orthotic shoes. They produced 800 pairs shoes, but only sold 5 pairs. Blake admitted the mistake.
In making sure you create trust the story of seven Chicago people died because of cyanide-tainted Tylenol tablets. However, it was not the fault by Tylenol.. The culprit was never be caught, and people became terrified of the name Tylenol. They ended up creating trust again.Also, when Scott Harrison found that 80% of all disease on the planet was related to a lack of clean water and basic sanitation he decided to start a charity himself named ‘water.’ It was based on accountability and donors also got to know where their money went.
A system of leadership known as servant leadership where someone uses qualities like empathy, listening skilsl, stewardship, and awareness rather than power to assert his or her authority to lead is encouraged here (Mycoskie 130) .
Tumi story helps a customer to fix his bag with no question asked. Orvis sends a new one to customers when they break a fly rod. They all create a powerful promises for the customer. Rafiki bracelets also build trust a among their customers as they build a world, where they can talk everything and heard lots of different voices, in order to make choices that have positive impacts. The tips in creating trust are listed as talking openly with your staff, giving away autonomy, trusting that your employees will grow into their roles, always following the golden rule, being as open as possible and using your own products.Blake gives his own account about how he his goal was to be a rock-star business leader when he started.
Chapter 7 ( Giving IS Good Business)
When Lauren studied in the college, she learned that the effects of malnutrition and hunger on the world, so she wanted to help those people afflicted by hunger. She started estimated that to feed a child lunch per year would only costs $20 to $50. Then, when she twenty years old in 2004, she found she could sell the bags to help children’s lunch. Finally, she and her partner created FEED project, which was what they called their “charitable company,”. And Blake’s love this idea. (Mycoskie 154)
Sean also tells his story as a member of TOMS. He describes an event that moved him during on shoe drop. He was very glad that he was giving in order to change lives of people positively. Examples were also given of initiatives that would make people more aware of the charity that underpins their aim. An example was TOMS Prom, an initiative of getting gmore than 3,200 students from high schools across the country to wear TOMS to their prom. (Mycoskie 157)
TOMS for PROM is now a nationwide campaign giving tens of thousands of kids a new pair of desperately needed shoes each year. (Mycoskie 158)
Blake also mentions that morale was high in TOMS as it attracted and retained the most amazing employees who ended up being loyal. Partnerships in this are also mentioned for example water and Saks partnership of selling bracelets and T-Shirts, Gap and Lauren’s FEED partnership of selling shoulder bags and Frito Lay being used by TerraCycle .He further describes the ‘core competencies’ of TOMS are to do with those humanitarian organizations alone and but also with cause-related organizations. Just as TOMS outsourced technology because they were not a technology company, these large companies partner with cause-related organizations because it’s not their core competence(Mycoskie 163) .They included humanitarian logistics but not technology.
Milton Freidman also said: “the only social responsibility of business is to increase its profits.” (Mycoskie 164) .Blake thinks that this idea was out of date and out of gas. “Companies realize that a profits-only focus risks alienating customers and partners.” (Mycovskie 164).Timberland allows full-time employees to take a week off from the office to work with its own service initiative called Path of Service. Each employee can pick whichever project he or she wants and This giving back benefits all and in addition the ‘halo effect’ of CIBC’s Race for the Cure to be the largest breast cancer fund-raising event in North American could be said to have happened because CIBC employees got together to make sure that their company gave back to its community (Mycovskie 167). Blake also describes TOMS Wedding (toolkit) which was the story of two people, Sara and Jordan Maslyn were officials of TOMS. Giving from the core as described as giving more than money, thinking about your special skills , incorporating giving anywhere you can at work giving early, not being get overwhelmed, it being better to give than to receive better to give than to receive listen to those you look up to.
Chapter 8 (The Final Step)
This starts with a letter from Tyler Eltringham’s. His parents got divorce when she was five years old, and then she and her mom moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona. She found TOMS because of her close friend and explained the concept One for One to her. One day, she read about the ASU Innovation Challenge, and provided OneShot program. OneShot is a nonprofit organization that provides meningococcal meningitis vaccinations to college students living in dormitories and university housing, while also addressing the global issue at hand. (Mycoskie179).OneShot is going to prevent meningococcal meningitis for college students. However, the OneShot Global’s impact has three categories: local vaccines, global vaccines and education/advocacy. On one hand ASUs Innovation Challenge provide a platform to Tyler who provides OneShot program. On the other hand, ASU Innovation Challenge fund contributed $10,000.00 to OneShot program. .This was important in showing that consumers didn’t buy products, they bought solutions
In the early days of TOMS, Blake’s goal was to create a for-profit company that could help relieve the pain and suffering felt by children around the world who do not have shoes ( Mykoskie 182).But now, his goal is to influence other people to go out into the world and have a positive impact, to inspire others to star something that matters, whether it’s a for-profit business or a nonprofit organization.
As Blake mentions in chapter 5, start with something simple and small. It is easy to achieve your goal if you start your business small and simple. In addition, the most important step of all is the first step. Therefore, whether the business is succeed just because your first step. The first step is simply will be better than the first step is difficult. (Mykoskie 184). He insists that once you start helping others, you will notice this change – you will feel less sad, less stressed, and more purposeful.” (Mycoskie 184)
Blake ends this chapter by reminding new entrepreneurs that it was important to write down the plans and ideas in your mind, and discuss with friends. In addition, start something that matters.
Carpe diem means seize the day. Blake wants people to seize the opportunity or the simple things, in order to achieve their goals.
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