If your family is like mine, they’re thinking twice about the gifts they’re giving this holiday season. Maybe they’re giving fewer gifts. Maybe cheaper gifts. Maybe gifts with a socially conscious twist.
I’ve given TOMS Shoes as birthday presents before, and I have to say, they make everyone feel good in the end. And if you watch this video of one of their shoe drops, you’ll see why. TOMS makes you believe that small actions can result in big change.
Most people assume “Tom” is the founder, but alas, the founder’s name is Blake. The truth is that “TOMS Shoes” stands for “Tomorrow’s Shoes”. It’s a fitting name, as TOMS is nothing if not a company looking toward the future.
When Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton recently honored TOMS Shoes with the Annual Corporate Excellence Award, she said:
“I want to thank Blake, John, Brad for reminding us that American businesses can do much more than sell goods and services. They can bring hope and optimism to communities abroad. They can inspire others to take risks to become entrepreneurs and grow their own businesses. They can really give people the sense that the private sector can make a difference, a lasting sustainable difference, and they can do well as well as doing good.”
If there’s a silver lining to the economic downturn, it’s that many of us are becoming more aware of our financial choices. So when we choose a product, we want our investment to go farther—either it has to last longer or it has to make the world better.
We’re not always going to find these kinds of gifts for the holidays, but it sure is fun trying.
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