Blake Mycoskie

by Olivia from San Diego

(newportstylephile.com)

A young man with an average life, his brain ready to work as people share ideas with him. His determined self, ready to make change and take action. He tries his best to help change the world in a better way to make a better community.This man that tries his best to help change to change to a better community is a man that has made his own company and foundation: Blake Mycoskie. Blake Mycoskie is a 39 year-old entrepreneur that was born in Arlington, Texas. Mycoskie went to Southern Methodist University and got an undergraduate business degree. He is the founder of TOMS Shoes which is "One of the most boldest social-entrepreneurship schemes to emerge in the new millennium"(Gale Biography in Context). TOMS Shoes gives a pair of shoes away when a pair is purchased. Mycoskie then later established a campaign call "One Day without Shoes". During his time in SMU, Mycoskie accomplished many things. But, he also had many accomplishments after college. Mycoskie made his own brand that gives back to children in need. Blake Mycoskie is not only a man, he is also a hero that deeply cares for children in need, he works hard to build a successful company and foundation, and he is determined to make the children, no matter the circumstances, happy and put a smile on their face.

Mycoskie's care for children in need is one of his most selfless heroic traits. He explains the way TOMS was established: "While in Argentina in 2006, Mycoskie saw many children in need of shoes. He wanted to help, and to that end founded his sixth business, Shoes for Tomorrow--he later changed the name of the for-profit business to Toms Shoes"(Gale Biography in Context). Mycoskie strongly cares about children that don't have all of the things other privileged kids have, so he made the brand TOMS to help make a profit for the children in need. He made sure the children and people were happy before he finished his job. He also wanted to make money for the children so he could make shoes for them. When Mycoskie made that brand, he also established something else: "Mycoskie also created a One Day without Shoes campaign in 2008 to raise awareness for the cause" (Newsmakers). Mycoskie is a man of his words when he meant he wanted to not only to help the children, but to also help the other people in this world who are in need. He raises awareness for the ones in desperate need of everyday supplies. Mycoskie has made a large impact on children and people in general that don't have shoes to walk in.

(www.fastcompany.com ())

Blake Mycoskie's hard work is a trait that not everybody has. His hard work shows by the amount of progress he has made with the company: "Mycoskie also founded One for One--new shoes were donated to poor children every time a customer bought a pair. Within four years, the company had given away six hundred thousand pairs of shoes in twenty-eight countries"(Gale Biography in Context). Mycoskie made a campaign where for every pair of shoes bought, he would give away a pair to children in need of them. He makes it known that his job as an entrepreneur is more than just operating and organizing as told in the quote. Mycoskie had a partner help him out with this idea: "With my polo instructor, Alejo, at my side, I spent two weeks in Argentina learning everything that I could about shoes. We worked night and day buying materials and organizing a small factory"(Texas Monthly). Mycoskie and Alejo went to Argentina for 2 weeks to learn and experience the way those people live there. As they did that, they decided to buy materials to make shoes for the people who need it. Mycoskie wanted to help the children and people by supplying them with shoes. Blake works hard in order to have his business and foundation successful. Even though he has his ups and downs, he brings himself back up with his encouraging staff. Blake Mycoskie's determination to put smiles on peoples' faces shows through the work he does for them. Mycoskie shows this by saying, "My original goal was to sell 200 pairs of shoes so that I could return to Los Piletones to give shoes to the kids that I met. With the help of an amazing team of interns and an article in the L.A. Times, however, we sold 10,000 pairs of shoes out of my apartment in Venice [California] in less than six months"(Texas Monthly). Mycoskie made a goal for himself to achieve and he definitely achieved it by selling 10,000 pairs of shoes rather than 200 pairs of shoes which was his goal. The amount he achieved was far more than what was expected. This extravaganza lead him to do bigger things for the company. He wanted to do more than just sell and give shoes, so he went to a further extent: "Though he was pleased with the success of the venture, which sold and gave away mostly canvas shoes, Mycoskie wanted to do more. He launched Toms Eye-wear five years later and gave away a pair of glasses for each pair purchased. Mycoskie wrote a book about his experiences, philosophy, and works, Start Something That Matters, which was published in late 2011. The book became a bestseller"(Gale Biography in Context). Mycoskie wanted to do more than just selling and giving away shoes, so he made TOMS Eye-wear and gave away a pair of glasses whenever a pair of glasses were purchased. This helped children and others that were visually impaired. He made this branch so that he could exceed his own expectations. Mycoskie has a strong mindset of what he wants to pursue during his life. His determination leads him to making all of the things he has done possible.

(archive.fortune.com ())

Blake Mycoskie is a hero that cares about others more than himself and for making others happy even if it was a small thing to do. Blake Mycoskie, entrepreneur, decided to make a business with the help of his polo instructor, Alejo. He made the business and knew what he wanted to do with it. As he made the TOMS brand, he wanted to do more than just sell and give shoes, so he made a line of sunglasses where for every pair sold, they would give a pair away. Mycoskie has done so much for the children and the people in need that I feel has changed this world for the better. All of these things have benefitted him and others. Mycoskie has inspired and encouraged me and other people around the world to do things that could potentially change the world for the better. Even if it is something small such as saying hi to someone or high-fiving someone. As long as it makes them smile. Blake Mycoskie was a student that had a dream of doing good for the world. His experiences helped him realize that others have a tougher life. So, instead of not doing anything, he used those experiences and benefitted from them by making the successful business that is still here today. He sacrificed his ordinary life for the life he has now; making others happy.

Works Cited

"Blake Mycoskie." Newsmakers. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Biography in Context. Web. 7 Feb. 2016.

"Blake Mycoskie." Texas Monthly (2008): 34. Biography Reference Center. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.

"Blake Mycoskie." TOMS : One for One. TOMS, 2006-2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.

Chu, Jeff. "Toms Sets Out To Sell A Lifestyle, Not Just Shoes." Fast Company. N.p., 17 June 2013. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

"Founder Blake Mycoskie On The Inspiration Behind TOMS." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 05 Feb. 2016.

"The Founder of TOMS on Reimagining the Company's Mission." Harvard Business Review. N.p., 01 Jan. 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2016.

Page created on 2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 2/12/2016 12:00:00 AM

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Blake Mycoskie

by Olivia from San Diego

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