James Marshall Reilly is the author of Shake The World, a new book described by the Los Angeles Times as the perfect gift for an “anxious 21-year-old.” “Just don’t be surprised if they then ditch their plans to take a job in accounting, head off to dig irrigation ditches in Haiti, tweet the results and apply for the next round of TED fellowships.”
I first met Blake Mycoskie in 2008 when I was working as a speaker’s agent. He told me the story behind TOMS and I was duly impressed. As he explained his “One for One” business model that harnessed consumer dollars to solve a health and education issue halfway around the world, I became understandably inspired. I can honestly say that hearing Blake’s story actually changed my life in a very profound way.
I soon realized that many young social entrepreneurs like Blake are accomplishing these extraordinary feats outside the “traditional” channels to do so. Many of them are innovating and delivering results in arenas that they aren’t particularly qualified – from the standpoint of education and experience – to work in. At least by conventional measures. In fact, none of the social entrepreneurs I’ve met over the years had the “right” to expect that they would succeed at what they were attempting to achieve. And yet they were succeeding. Often on a global level. And that planted the idea in my head that we, as a generation, have a lot more power than we sometimes think we do. Read more
Caroline Freedman is the CEO and co-founder of NurturMe Organic Baby Food, based in Austin, Texas. Here is her story about how she started something that matters!
If you want to start something that matters, at some point early on you need to figure out where to begin. It was with the below-listed items that I took the idea for creating baby food in a new & different way and turned it into a reality.
INGREDIENTS
1 Thing you care passionately about (in this case, organic foods and healthy babies!)
1 Hardworking and trustworthy partner
4 Advisory board members
3 Reputable suppliers
1 “Yes” from a buyer(s)
180k in startup funds
Countless hours on the road, at the computer, in meetings, on the phone, etc.
An open mind to the opportunities that await
A will to make a difference and give back Read more
“One of the first things I did,” Blake writes in his book, “was to place an ad for interns on craigslist.” And ever since, the internship program has been a crucial part of TOMS. Interns are tasked with a tremendous amount of responsibility. Tthe intern application page states, “You will be important, essential, and you will create change in your world you can point to when you’re done.”
Some interns find their place at TOMS HQ as full-timers, while others go on do amazing things outside of the TOMS family.
The letter below is from a recent internship program alumni, Matt. While climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, he had a “sobering” conversation with his group’s porter, Benson. “As we hiked down, I learned he earns between 1 and 2 dollars a day – not enough to put a child through school.” Read more
The 1st of January each year encompasses a kind of energy that inspires us to try new things, revive our schedules, and think BIG. But a similar energy comes from reading a good book, don’t you think? You turn to the last page, sigh, release, and think a little bit differently about the world than when you started. In that spirit, we’ve gathered a list of good reads from across the TOMS family to awaken your inner bookworm and fill that energy year round.
“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” -Dr. Seuss
Read more
*** This promotion is now closed. Thanks for supporting the Start Something That Matters movement!
Once again, thank you so much to everyone that has helped spread the Start Something That Matters movement. The response so far has been unbelievable!
To further get the online world buzzing, we’re launching a special program called Books for Bloggers. The way it works is really simple:
If you’re selected for the Books for Bloggers Program, we’ll send you 2 complimentary copies of Start Something That Matters. In exchange, all you have to do is:
- Read one copy, it’s yours to keep!
- Host a contest on your blog, Facebook or Twitter to give away the second copy. The contest can be anything you want it to be, so be creative!
- Post a review of Start Something That Matters on your blog AND on the book’s Amazon page. Honesty is key here. If you love the book, say so. If you used the book as kindling in your fireplace, that’s OK too :)
If this seems like your type of deal, we would love to hear from you. Limited spots are available, so APPLY NOW!
To read the Terms & Conditions for the Books for Bloggers Program, please click here. Read more
