Start Something That Matters

Start Something That Matters

Author: Visit Amazon's Blake Mycoskie Page | Language: English | ISBN: 0812981448 | Format: PDF

Start Something That Matters Description

Amazon.com Review

A Letter from Author 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. And that objective to give new shoes to children in need continues to be a powerful driver for me and everyone else at TOMS.

But recently my personal mission has changed. Today, I would say that my goal is to influence other people to go out into the world and have a positive impact, to inspire others to start something that matters, whether it’s a for-profit business or a nonprofit organization. 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.

I would also like to share the stories of other social entrepreneurs, from all walks of life, who are taking that wonderful and courageous step forward, who are moving from thinking about doing something to actually doing it. Among many others, the leaders profiled in my book include Tony Hsieh (founder of Zappos), Scott Harrison (founder of charity: water), Lauren Bush (founder of FEED Projects), Eric Ryan & Adam Lowry (co-founders of method) and Tim Ferriss (author of The 4-Hour Workweek).

Like me, all of the people featured in the book faced insecurities and fear when first starting out. All of us bootstrapped with limited resources, and made countless mistakes along the way. After reading these stories of success, I hope that you’ll realize that you already have everything you need to get started. You don’t need a lot of money, a complicated business plan, or a great deal of experience to get your idea off the ground. What you absolutely must have, however, is the courage to take that first bold step forward….

For me, the ultimate success of this book will be measured not by how many copies it sells but by the number of people whom it inspires. Are you ready to start something that matters?

Carpe Diem,
Blake

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“A creative and open-hearted business model for our times.”—The Wall Street Journal

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Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Spiegel & Grau; Reprint edition (May 15, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812981448
ISBN-13: 978-0812981445
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
Shipping Weight: 7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

It is not necessary to be a serious student of current affairs to realize that most of the institutions in our society no longer work. Our governments at all levels are dysfunctional, spending more than they take in, more concerned with the welfare of government bureaucrats than the citizens they are supposed to serve. A close look at many of the larger charitable institutions reveals that administrative cost far exceed the money spent on the stated purpose of the organizations.

It is very easy to become discouraged and disillusioned with our society and the direction it seems to be heading in. But then I read Start Something That Matters and at least I think maybe there is some hope.

The story of TOMS is very inspirational. Starting with very little money but a lot of dedication and a vision for creating a dual purpose business - offering a unique product and providing free shoes to underprivileged children, the success has been exceptional.

The book uses the story of TOMS as a blueprint to inspire others and to show them how to go about starting something that matters. The book does not dwell on how inefficient most government and large organizations efforts are. Instead it focused on what worked for TOMS and a few other examples highlighted in the book.

At the heart of the TOMS model is transparency. There is an honest desire to help others. They did not use their charity as a means to gain free and/or favorable publicity. They kept the program simple, sell a pair of shoes, give away a pair of shoes.

The book gives some general guidelines for how to model your own program that matters.

The book is extremely short and very easy to read. I would have loved some more real life stories about the "shoe drops".

I enjoyed this book; I was truthfully looking for a book to help get me out of my rut and start something that mattered. I was a little worried when I realized that for the most part (95%) is about starting a BUSINESS that matters. If you aren't looking to start a business, then you may want to check this book out of the library.

However, the positivity of this book is amazing. I wish my employers had the attitude and caring that Mycoskie and those few rare employers that really do care about their product and their employees have.

Mycoskie tells about how he started his business called TOMS and what he did to get it where it is now. The difference between this business and most others? He started it to give back to the world, shoes for children - well anyone that needs them. Buy a pair, he donates a pair.

He also writes about how a company really needs to be like a family (my POV) that no one person is more important than the other and everyone needs to trust and work together. You have to trust your employees and in return they will trust you.

He tells about his keys, and other CEO's keys, to success and ways to give back to society and why we should too.

So, since I'm not starting a business what do I think of it? I actually would recommend people read it. Why? Because it makes you think. If you're stuck in a rut (like I was) then change it, you have the power to. Better yet, change it by helping others.

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