Colorado Time

After speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival this past weekend, I headed over to Beaver Creek to soak in some quality family time. We've definitely taken advantage of the fresh air and sunshine, rock climbing and fly fishing. Looking forward to more downtime this week before jetting back to my TOMS family in LA!

You're Welcome

Isn't this baby adorable? A friend of mine from the Tribeca Film Festival sent this to me, and I had to share. Last spring, For Tomorrow, the TOMS story, was featured along with other short films at Tribeca. We were so honored when the documentary was accepted, and it was an amazing experience every step of the way. So cool to see our friends at Tribeca supporting the One for One movement!

Check out the TOMS YouTube Channel to see the trailer for the documentary along with other great videos from TOMS.

United We Serve

Yesterday I was honored to participate in something really inspiring. The White House just launched serve.gov, a place for people to find out about service projects in their communities and share stories about projects they're already working on, and TOMS was part of the launch discussion. I can see this outlet being an awesome way for TOMS to share info about US Shoe Drops, and recruit volunteers in the future. Obama formally announced the United We Serve initiative yesterday, rallying Americans to help "lay a new foundation for growth by engaging in meaningful community service." Its great to know the administration recognizes TOMS as an agent for change, and we're excited to see Americans across the country have an accessible way to impact their communities.

Check out serve.gov today and get involved. Ask your entire communities involved. Together we are making this world a better place!

The Original TOMS Mom

Hi! Blake's Mom here. I know it may be hard to believe, but I had never painted a pair of TOMS before a couple of weeks ago. I had my white pair of TOMS sitting on a shelf in my closet with a brand new set (still in the package) of paint pens, just waiting for a little inspiration. They had been there since last October. It wasn't so much that I was procrastinating, I just knew it would take a lot of time and I wanted to make sure I could complete the task in one sitting.

So, let me explain how this all came about. We have a new puppy named Sadie, a precious Golden Retriever who needs constant supervision. I've found that it is much easier watching Sadie outside where she can't get into too much trouble (or so I thought). One afternoon as I was sitting out on the back deck keeping my eye on Sadie and playing ball with Noah (our other Golden Retriever), I decided to pull out the TOMS and paint pens and see what I could create.



I started doodling on the toe of one and then I continued around the sides and eventually finished my first shoe! I definitely had no plan of attack. They just sort of evolved over several hours time.

I think the main reason I'd never painted a pair of my own was because I'd seen so many awesome painted TOMS that people had created and knew MY artistic ability was lacking to say the least. However, after I finished I was actually excited. I put them on and walked around the deck. I had so much fun creating something original and was anxious to show Mike, Paige, Blake and Tyler.

I took a couple of pictures of my shoes and emailed them to the kids. Blake wrote me immediately and thought they were awesome! About an hour later, he asked if I would be willing to paint some to sell online. He said he would make it a "Limited Blake's Mom Edition" in honor of Mother's Day. Of course I told him yes, thinking I could surely paint a few pairs of shoes if I had a few weeks to do so.

He asked me to email him a picture of me wearing the shoes and also one of me holding them.



Like I said, this all took place about two weeks ago. For Mother's Day Mike gave me a trip to LA to visit the kids for the weekend and he stayed home with the dogs and cats. Our sweet and calm little Sadie has recently turned into "a Marly" and Mike needed to stay home to monitor the situation. You REALLY have no idea!!!!

I arrived in LA on Thursday and figured Blake decided to scratch the Mother's Day Special Edition shoe idea since I hadn't heard anything else about it. I didn't give it another thought.

Then, Friday morning, Liza called me from the TOMS office and asked if I had seen the website. I told her I hadn't looked at it for a few days... and why? When I arrived, she told me to come take a look- Oh my gosh!!!! After reading what Blake had written, I was so touched by his kind words that I was truly honored to be part of the Mother's Day project.

Liza proceeded to tell me they had sold three pairs the first hour. By the time I left the office, they had sold six pairs. I was beginning to get a little nervous. This was only the first day and it had only been on the website a couple of hours! Friday night I got a text from Liza telling me they had sold thirty pairs the first day.

So, now I'm back in Arlington sitting at my table outside on the deck surrounded by FIFTY pairs of white TOMS and an assortment of paint pens. Noah is diving for balls in the pool and Sadie just dug a hole in the mud... and is trying to climb into my lap. If you bought a pair of my hand painted TOMS, THANK YOU, and please be patient! You will receive them as quickly as humanly possible and hopefully mud free!



Thanks for supporting TOMS and therefore providing shoes for children in need all over the world!! May God Bless each and every one of you for your generosity!

Fondly, Pam Mycoskie (The TOMS Mom)

Super Limited Edition by the Official TOMS Mom

If anyone reading this has met my mom, they know she absolutely exudes compassion.

Whether it is her family, friends, golden retrievers, or the children she befriends on Shoe Drops, my mom holds nothing back when loving those in her life. And for this unique gift, I love her like no one else in my life.



Besides her almost super human capacity to love, she also is one of the most supportive people I have ever met. Truly TOMS and I would not be where we are today without her never ending support.

From answering the initial customer service calls and emails to organizing the first Shoe Drop, my mom has been our number one cheerleader every step of the way and this is why we are inducting one of her Style Your Sole designs into the TOMS Hall of Fame this weekend.



When I told her about this, she quickly, in her supportive and enthusiastic nature, said, "you like my design? Well, I could do a lot more of them if people wanted them." Of course I am holding her to it.



So, for the next few days, we will be taking orders for these super limited edition "Blake's mom" shoe designs which my mom will custom make for the lucky few in the TOMS community who order in time. Each shoe will be created with love and hand numbered by "TOMS Mom", Pam Mycoskie.



Happy Mothers Day to all the great moms out there.

TOMS in NOLA

TOMS hosted our first Shoe Drop in New Orleans yesterday. As with our US Shoe Drops we held this past fall, we brought markers for the kids to draw on their shoes and get their creativity flowing. We were set up right next to the playground, which was really cool to see all the kids running around, decorating their shoes, and having such a care-free afternoon. They created masterpieces with hearts, flowers, Spiderman, and polka dots, and some enlisted us to help draw, too.

Its refreshing to get outdoors with a group of kids, run around and play football and basketball, fit them into a fresh new pair of TOMS and just let all worries melt away. As soon as you're there, it doesn't matter how old or young you are, what you own or what you don't... you get a chance to simply enjoy good company and a positive environment. Every Shoe Drop is special like that.

These kids were incredibly gracious, and we all really appreciate the school's hospitality. They brought us booklets filled with thank you notes the students had created themselves which we'll take back to HQ and share with our staff.



I'm incredibly impressed with the KIPP school program, one that challenges students with an intense curriculum. These students are not limited by their culture, their financial situation, or upbringing- they have equal accessible opportunities that steer them towards success. The progressive academic environment is reflected in these quotes and phrases all over the school... I'm thinking of putting up similar signs up at TOMS to remind us to follow wisdom that is really relevant at any age and at every organization.

My Masters Moment

Two months ago AT&T approached us wanting to feature TOMS in an ad campaign. We could not have been more excited and grateful, but to find out weeks later that the ad would premiere as part of the Masters telecast was truly an honor.

Golf has always held a very special place in my life. At the age of 12, my dad taught me the game, and some of the greatest days of my childhood were spent battling my brother Tyler and my Dad for dollar skins as the sun would set. Being golfers, I don't have to tell you about the smell of freshly cut grass and the sense of possibility standing on that first tee. Celebrating good bounces, accepting bad ones, believing in the club you have chosen and committing to the shot are lessons golf has taught me that transcend all aspects of my life and business. And the greatest part... the 4 hours away from reality we experience after that first tee shot. I have always made it a priority to get away to a place where I can relax and have time to think. For much of my life, golf has provided that opportunity. In 2006, that same quest took me to Argentina where, for the first time, I was introduced to often overlooked inequities that lead to the idea for TOMS Shoes.

My hope is this is just the beginning. I envision a future where our One for One model is expanded through partnerships with other great companies and opportunities which allow TOMS to truly create a better tomorrow for our customers and the children we serve. Our debut on the Masters telecast will prove to be a landmark moment for our One for One movement and, without a doubt, a memory everyone at TOMS will cherish forever. Thank you ATT!

I want to dedicate this special weekend to those people with whom I have shared precious memories on the links over the years. To my mentors Carl Westcott and Jack Crosby, two men sharing an incredible love for golf and entrepreneurship. And to my longtime golfing buddies Joseph Robertson, Steven Patak, Jimmy Leach, Art Ryan and Andrew Palmer. To my mother Pam and sister Paige, who come along just enough to remind us it’s only a game. Finally, and most importantly, to my father Mike and brother Tyler, who are the greatest golfing partners a man could ask for. Each ball struck, bet won or lost and 20 foot putt made is a blessing we all share.

Watch the TOMS AT&T commercial at www.TOMSshoes.com!