From the Living Room to the World: Social Business Unpacked (Part 3 of 8)

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Hi, this is Tony McWilliams, and I’m here with my daughter.

Hi, and I’m Lindey Duckworth, and I’m with my dad.

Now move on to what I think, or how I would define social business 2.0, and that would be the organizations we already brought up on another conversation, and that was:

1. Tom’s Shoes
2. Warby Parker Eyeglasses
3. Bombas Socks

What defines them as specifically social business 2.0 is the buy one, give one model. Buy a pair of shoes, a pair of shoes is given to a child in need. And by the way, I think it’s important to say on behalf of Tom’s Shoes or anybody that puts shoes on kids’ feet who would not have shoes otherwise, is that shoes create opportunity. There are some kids that because they don’t have shoes, they don’t get an education. So putting shoes on kids’ feet makes a big, big difference.

So anyway, that buy one, give one model is a definite part of the social business 2.0. Now Tom’s Shoes started online, and by the way, that’s not Tom’s, T-O-M apostrophe S, it’s T-O-M-S, and it literally is short for tomorrows. It gives tomorrows to kids.

Tomorrows. Yes, because Tom’s Shoes was not founded by Tom. His name’s not Tom. No, his name is Blake Mycoskie. He’s actually from Arlington, Texas. Your mom actually met his mom at a pro-life event in Arlington, Texas. She was in attendance. Actually, I think she was working with and for the organization that we were helping raise money for at this banquet.

Oh, that’s great. She actually told your mom that she had actually gone into South America, I believe it was, and one of their jobs in delivering shoes to kids was to actually help put the shoes on. She said that was a very special thing for her to do.

If you’re listening, Blake, I’m so sorry, but Tom’s aren’t the cutest shoes, and I’m so glad we are putting shoes on kids’ feet. Don’t get me wrong here. This is a vanity situation for one second, but we bought them anyway because it was doing such good, and I think we have to hone in on that.

You know what? There’s something to be said for the power of a social business in the very thing you’re speaking of. But by the way, have you looked at Tom’s website recently?

No, going there right now. They’re putting some stuff out that’s pretty impressive.

Okay, Dad. So anyway, just to kind of classify them as heading in a good direction. What do you see in there?

Hang on. Okay, I see laces. Wow. Some cute wedges. We’ve still got the classic looks like you don’t know if it’s the right or the left shoe.

Oh, interesting. Uh-huh. Yeah. Well, back to social business 2.0.