Reflecting on the Millionth Pair

Friends,

By now, you've probably heard that TOMS gave our 1,000,000th pair of shoes on a historic trip back to Argentina. Several weeks have passed since this Shoe Drop, and yet, I still find myself not only in a state of absolute joy and gratefulness, but also in disbelief. When I had the idea for TOMS 4 1/2 years ago, my goal was simply to help the 250 kids that I met while traveling on vacation. That simple One for One model that I founded TOMS on was nothing more than an idea, a project, a what if? I didn't know anything about shoes, or fashion or philanthropic giving. All I had was a feeling that this is something I must do.

But that simple idea attracted some curious customers, great retail partners, and some very very talented people who all together have helped me transform my idea into not only a company, but a movement, and because of that, one million pairs of shoes have been given and a new way of thinking about business has emerged. And through it all, I have been blessed with a new family, my TOMS family, that I now get to share so much love and joy with.

The trip has inspired me in new and unexpected ways. Every night we sat around the campfire and shared not only our thoughts from the day, but also from the past four years. Hearing how this journey has affected everyone from my first intern and employee, Jonathan, to our AT&T and Gowalla contest winners made me realize that TOMS is about much more than placing shoes on kids' feet. TOMS is about a mindset, a gateway into a new type of thinking, and as my friends from AT&T say, it's the opportunity to "rethink possible" - which is what I hope my words and observations will inspire you to do. So, starting today, I am going to re-commit myself to sharing this amazing journey we're on through this blog. I hope that you will join me.... and share your comments, questions and love.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these pics just about say it all...

When life gives you lemons

I have always believed that when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. On my recent trip to Argentina, there was a lovely chandelier hanging in our rental. In an unfortunate accident the chandelier was broken and became quite an eyesore. Additionally, the landlord let us know that we would have to pay for the chandelier upon checkout. So here we had our lemon. Rather than let this opportunity for lemonade pass, we had each of our dinner guests throughout the rest of the trip write down their favorite quote, some advice, or a wish for the new year. When it came time to pack up and head home, I clipped the chandelier and put it in my carry on bag. Lemonade!

As The Sun Rises

Bob Dylan plays
the sun rises
our plane is ready
the coffee strong

back i will go
soon will be back
witch's rock i will remember
ollie's point will i return?

thoughts are unfolding
plan for 2010 in the flow
give me a few more hours of thinking before i go

but with a smile
and love and light i give
for the sunsets filled my tank
and for this i have you, God, and everyone to thank.

TOMS on campus, flights for meditation, and good new tunes

I've been visiting a ton of campuses this semester, sharing TOMS and the idea of a One for One business model with students all over the country. I really enjoy getting to meet all the young people who are wearing their TOMS on campus everyday, and I'm excited to know that telling the TOMS story is inspiring new individuals to be lifetime supporters of One for One. Last night at Purdue University, over 1,000 people came out and it was one the biggest crowds they have ever had! It's such a great natural high to connect with these students. You can tell these are the people who going to change the world!

But I definitely appreciate the quiet hours on the flights. Looking out over the blanket of clouds is wonderful and meditative. I saw 4 sunrises from my window seat this week (yes, that means I had 4 days of 5 am wake up calls, I admit I'm a little tired!). I also downloaded a ton of music on iTunes while one of my flights was delayed, and I am currently in love with: Skinny Love by Bon Iver, Kids by MGMT, The National Boxer by Fake Empire, and Furr by Blitzen Trapper.

Now I'm headed back to LA- for only 48 hours- and could not be more excited to see the TOMS staff at HQ and dress up for Halloween.... This year I'm dressing up as "Where's Waldo" which I think is quite fitting. No one ever knows where I am!