3 Success Tips from TOM’s Founder Blake Mycoskie You’ll Love

Blake Mycoskie started his first business when he dropped out of college after his sophomore year. The company, EZ Laundry, soon employed more than 40 people, and was generating close to $1 million in sales. Blake sold that company in 1999.

He went on to create an outdoor billboard company, co-found a cable network, an online driver’s education service, and a marketing firm specializing in brand development and viral marketing.

While in Argentina in 2006, Blake met his future wife. The charity she was involved in inspired him to create Shoes for Better Tomorrows (TOMS).

Blake-m-with-kids

TOMS has expanded from its beginnings as a one for one for-profit company, donating one pair of shoes to an impoverished child for every pair of shoes sold. Now TOMS donates sight-saving surgeries from their line of sunglasses, and a TOMS Bag purchase supports Giving Partners, delivering vital materials and training needed to help provide a safe birth regardless of the facility.

In 2011 Blake wrote the New York Times bestselling book, Start Something That Matters. The book tells the story of TOMS. The book also gives six simple keys for creating or transforming your own life and business.

Here are 3 success tips from Blake Mycoskie that are unique and thought to provoke.

ONE: On where to get business advice, Blake says:

You don’t always need to talk with experts; sometimes the consumer, who just might be a friend or acquaintance, is your best consultant.

TWO: Blake’s tip for efficiency:

The best tool I have for efficiency is always carrying a journal and as simple as that sounds, one of the things that is most exhausting for a human being is remembering things. So what I found is anytime I have an idea or thought or something I want to do, if I write it down as part of a continuous list, then my mind doesn’t have to store it, so my mind can be more efficient and more creative by not having to remember all these things.

THREE: Blake’s thought on one the one for one business model:

Giving builds loyal customers and turns those customers into supporters…You can find passion and profit and meaning all at once, right now.

Blake’s experiences are inspiring to people all over the world. If you’d like to create a business with purpose check out our Essential Startup Guide for the direction you need to get going!

Further read:

What is a Social Entrepreneur?

The terms social entrepreneur and social entrepreneurship were used first in the literature to social change in the 1960s and 1970s. The terms became more popular in the 1980s and 1990s, promoted by Bill Drayton, the founder of Ashoka, and others such as Charles Leadbeater.

What is a social entrepreneur?

Before the term gained traction, those who fit this description were outsiders or radicals that seemed to bring positive change to deprived communities single-handedly. Characterized as extremely optimistic visionaries who had infinite willpower, they use entrepreneurial skills and innovation to address significant social and/or environmental problems. Profit did not motivate this free-thinking and inspirational group. Years ago they didn’t have a name but today we call them, Social Entrepreneurs.

Similar to the way business entrepreneurs change the face of business, social entrepreneurs act as the change agents for society, seizing opportunities others miss to improve systems, invent new approaches, and create solutions to change the world around us for the better. 

We support all efforts to use business as a tool for positive impact. Some groups, such as the Skoll Foundation, define social entrepreneurship more specifically as changing the equilibrium of an established system.

We use the term “Change Creator” and define it as: A person who uses entrepreneurial skills and innovation to improve the wellbeing of people, animals, and/or the environment. They use business and organizations as a tool for change and have a vision to benefit the planet as a whole. 

A social entrepreneur or “Change Creator”, can operate a nonprofit organization or a for-profit business. Each can serve a purpose for the greater good making real change in the world.

Business with a Purpose.

We call this, business with purpose.

There are many amazing people around the world doing great things as social entrepreneurs.  

Here are a few well-known social entrepreneurs.

  1. Muhammad Yunus

Muhammad started Grameen Bank in Bangladesh in 1976. Yunus was teaching economics when a terrible famine hit the region, leaving people starving to death in the streets. His solution was to provide collateral-free micro-loans to the very poorest people in the area, allowing the poor to fund their small businesses and stop the cycle of poverty. The result has been nothing short of incredible: with $4.7 billion provided to 4.4 million families in Bangladesh, Yunus has kept millions of people out of poverty. Today more than 250 other institutions follow the same micro-lending model.

2. Daniel Ben-Horin, Founder of Techsoup Global

Daniel was elected as a Senior Fellow for his work as a leading social entrepreneur by Ashoka. The Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network awarded him its Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Nonprofit Times included him on its annual list of “50 Most Influential People in the Nonprofit Sector” In 1987 he founded an organization under the name CompuMentor which evolved into Techsoup and Techsoup Global as the internet started to become a vital tool for nonprofits to change the game. Their mission is to connect nonprofits with the technology they need to progress in their causes. Today, they have over 200 employees, an annual budget of $30MM+, and are in over 235 countries/territories. Their network has now reached 690,000 organizations and delivered over US$5 billion in technology tools and philanthropic services.

3. Dale Partridge, Founder of Sevenly

Dale is a social entrepreneur on a mission to inspire more generosity in the world. Sevenly sells apparel that provides $7 from each purchase to charity. Each week they work with a new charity. They have raised over $4.4 million and helped save or improve many lives.

4. Scott Harrison, Founder of charity: water

Scott went from a being well-established club promoter to a volunteer around the world and had experiences that completely changed his perspective. He was impacted by his experiences so deeply that today he has now helped millions of people gain access to clean water and continues to do so. To date, charity: water people like you have funded 17,370 water projects in 24 countries!

5. Susan B. Anthony, Social Reformer

Susan B. Anthony is a historical figure who was a leading social entrepreneur.  She fought for women’s rights in the United States, including the right to control property and helped spearhead the adoption of the 19th Amendment.

Interested in Becoming a Social Entrepreneur? Well, you’re in the right place. Our goal is to give you the tools, and insights necessary to invigorate that drive to be a social entrepreneur.

If you have a way to solve a social problem, you can start your social enterprise now. Starting a social enterprise will vary in complexity depending on the task at hand, non-profit or for-profit status, and funding. Seek the guidance of friends, business professionals, and fellow social entrepreneurs, and you could be on your way to changing the world in no time.

The potential for growth is huge. The internet is opening up new avenues for social collaboration. Social entrepreneurship will continue to come from many more sources. It needs to become a mass activity, not just the domain of inspirational mavericks.

Are you the next Change Creator?

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5 Simple Tips for Effective Networking You Will Love and Use!

Networking can be intimidating. If you’re a new business owner, the task can seem even more daunting with the added pressure to sell yourself and answer the dreaded “so, what do you do?” question. Learning how to make a notable first impression is essential to growing your business and creating lasting relationships.

Effective networking is actually fairly simple, and we’ve put together a short list of tips to kick-start the process for you.

1. Don’t be Afraid to Sell Yourself

As much as you don’t want to think of yourself as a salesman, having the confidence to self promote is absolutely essential for effective networking. Having an elevator pitch handy (a quick, persuasive sales pitch) that you’ve practiced can help break the ice. Business Insider published a great article on “How to Sell Yourself in 30 Seconds and Leave People Wanting More” which guides you through the steps of creating your elevator pitch.

“Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go, or what are you looking for? You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there.”

2. Research

You don’t want to be that person standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. Before attending a networking event, make sure you do some research and have some topics of conversation tucked away. Research an individual you hope to connect with prior to the event and discover some of their interests, hobbies, most recent publications or accomplishments.

3. Relate on a Personal Level

Saying, “I loved your most recent article on xyz topic” shows the individual you’re informed, but relating on a more personal level, such as talking about an interesting hobby, or something you both have in common, shows that you’re a real person. People love to talk about themselves. Open ended questions are a great way to spark continued conversation. Effective networking doesn’t need to be all about the business.

Download the Magazine App for Apple or Android to start a 1-Month FREE Trial!

4. Listen

Thinking only of how you can profit by networking with an individual is a rookie mistake. Of course the goal of networking is to exchange information and eventually profit from your new contacts. However, focusing only on those individuals who can benefit you will be apparent, even if you don’t realize it. Practice active listening. Don’t brush someone off, interrupt, or try to force a sale. Even if the connection isn’t effective immediately, it may be in the long run. Which brings us to our last tip….

5. Remember to Follow Up

Your effort in effective networking will go down the drain if you fail to follow up to reaffirm the connection. After meeting a new connection, make sure to get their contact information/business card and send a brief follow up email mentioning what you talked about in conversation, how you can help them, and how you’re looking forward to possibly working with them or speaking with them again in the future.

Effective networking doesn’t need to be complicated. Practice makes perfect. Follow the simple tips above and add your own personal flair. You’ll feel like a pro in no time. Contact us to learn more about effective networking strategies, pursuing meaningful work, or becoming your own boss.

I’m passionate about social entrepreneurship and making the world a better place. I have over 15 years of professional business experience and have founded 2 companies as an entrepreneur.

Right now I’m the founder of Change Creator magazine app which is truly designed to push mindful business, making it the standard to use business to solve social and environmental problems. “Business as usual” is no longer an option.

Check out the magazine for free with this 28 page starter kit.

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Jeff Skoll’s 5 Secrets to Changing the World

Jeff Skoll’s name is right at the top of the list of most impressive philanthropists of our time, nestled in between Bill Gates and Carlos Slim Helu. Forbes estimates that his total donations to be $1.2 billion, but that’s no serious achievement—not for Skoll, anyway.

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What Jason Grad Learned About Building A Company

bstow app

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7:30 AM to 6 PM every day.  Almost 53 hours at a day job each week. Luckily, I only needed 4 or 5 hours of sleep each night, so that I still had 80.5 hours to do what I wanted. Over half of my week was spent solving someone else’s problems, being undervalued and stifled working for someone else. My lack of time and schedule was stopping me from doing what I was called to do.

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For years, doing what I wanted during those other hours usually meant working on something else. I had been making music, art, furniture, and designing minimum viable products (MVPs) for companies that I thought should exist. I tried to sleep as little as possible and even designed short, but impactful workouts to optimize time and make time for my second job – working on these other projects. I skipped hanging out with friends unless they were friends that also shared my passions – interrupted once in awhile by an occasional “useless” outing to a bar, restaurant, or birthday party.

My “Ah-ha” Moment

I was extremely successful at my corporate gig, learned a lot, and made a lot of great and long-lasting connections. But this drive to build things and help people is relentless. The groundbreaking ALS Ice Bucket Challenge showed me how much people were willing to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

Subsequently, I began quickly iterating a social impact company. This time was different. This time, I would not watch other people execute a similar idea. I would not watch them and be left saying something silly like, “I had that idea before them.”

Part of the reason that this time was different is that I found a cause and project that resonated with one of my lifelong goals – organizing people to do good. Being a survivor of a parent who lived with cancer for ten years, ultimately passing in my early teens, shifted my set of values growing up.

I then created the social impact company Bstow — a platform that allows users to donate spare change to any nonprofit company automatically. This allows me to make good on that promise to myself. This is what I always wanted to do — help people. This drives me daily. When you start your venture, you need to find your driving passion. There will be difficulties, and your “why” is what will push you forward in the face of adversity.

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I resigned from my full-time gig four months ago, and I’ve learned more in the last four months and made more authentic connections in that time than the four years I spent in college.

If you’ve built something, you know it’s all in the execution. The idea is about 0.01% of the effort. This time was different. I started executing immediately. I didn’t know how to do about 90% of what I know now, but I learned by having two-week sprints, learning on the job while executing mission-critical business and development initiatives to advance my company.

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Some things you should consider when you start your venture:

Be flexible with your idea and make sure that you are passionate about the underlying problem you are trying to solve.

Validate core business concepts and important features of your product by talking about it with many people. I would suggest building a landing page and using Twitter, Instagram, and other social channels to get the word out to many people so you can get real feedback from people you do not know.

There will be problems. Your original concept and feature ideas will change. Be ready to take feedback in stride, silence your ego, and pivot when necessary.

You will hear “no” a lot. You have to decide when it’s right to listen and when it’s right to ignore. This will be one of the greatest determinants of your success. Things may seem difficult or even impossible. There is always – always – a solution!

The only guarantee I can make is that if you do not take action on your ideas, then you will not succeed at them. Building a company is very risky, but with that risk comes commensurate reward.

I am risking it all. I’ve learned to embrace fear as a sign that I’m pushing myself in the best ways possible. Comfort is my enemy.

Anything I’ve saved from working at my former job is gone, but I’m happier than ever. We’re launching our social impact platform soon. I’m sprinting. Come with me. You can do it too. We can succeed if we work together! We can only succeed if we start!

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