The Power of Storytelling

What makes a company, or a non-profit, or a person worth evangelizing about?

In my last blog, I talked about Movember and how for 30 days I wore a mustache that made me look like a cross between a police officer and a professional wrestler. Why? What is it about Movember, or Apple, or non-profits like charity: water and Falling Whistles that inspire such an incredible army of supporters?

I believe that the answer lies in storytelling.

A mustache isn't just an awkward clump of hair on a man's upper lip, it's a means of drawing attention and creating a conversation.

There are tons of cheap MP3 players out there, but the iPod just feels different. It's simpler, sleeker, and designed to create an emotional reaction.

The war in Congo may feel distant and beyond our control, but when you meet someone with a whistle around their neck, you can't help but think that all of us can be "whistleblowers for peace."

When TOMS was first getting started, we shared my story of going to Argentina and how our goal was to give 250 pairs of shoes to the children that I met. As TOMS has grown, however, this story has evolved to include all of our incredible fans and evangelists. You are now as much apart of the TOMS story as I am. When you buy a pair of TOMS, it's you that that's helping to put a pair of new shoes on a child's feet. You aren't just a customer, but a storyteller. Every time that someone says, "hey, I love your shoes, what are they?" it's you that's helping to spread the word and inspire others to join the One for One movement.

Whether we know it or not, all of us is telling a story... is yours worth spreading?

The Art of Mustache Maintenance

After a month of making me look like a police officer, my mustache has been trimmed and gently faded into my normal facial scruff. In my 30 days with a ‘stache, I got used to the funny looks and starting conversations with "I don't normally look like this..." but through it all, I hope that I raised awareness for an amazing organization (Movember) and a cause that doesn't get talked about nearly enough (men's health).

For those of you that missed out, Movember is a non-profit that encourages men to grow a mustache every November to raise awareness for prostate cancer and depression in men. In 2005, a group of buddies were sitting in a bar in Adelaide, Australia, when one had the idea to grow a mustache to raise money for charity. Since then, the idea has snowballed from 30 guys that first year, to a worldwide movement of hundreds of thousands of participants and more than $100 million dollars raised.

Thank you Movember for allowing me to tell your story and be apart of such an incredible tribe... and no, I didn't give out any speeding tickets last month :)

PS - I took the picture above using the Hipstamatic app on my iPhone. Lens: Lucifer VI, Flash: Off, Film: Ina's 1969.