Review Of The Book Start Something That Matters By Blake Mycokie

“Start Something that Matters” is Blake Mycokie's story, former Amazing Race Contestant and current CEO (or has he calls himself chief Shoe Giver of) TOMS. I loved this book more than anything I’ve read in a long time. Mycoskie writes from the heart here, filling pages with optimism based on real experience. He shares many examples from TOMS and other businesses that he’s started, both positive and negative, and not the kind of shallow “My greatest fault is that I just care too much about this job” type of negative that an applicant makes up during a job interview, there are some real mistakes here that Mycoskie owns as a powerful example of humble leadership. A reader will get a sense, not only of what it’s like to work for TOMS, but what it can be like to start any organization with a story to tell. And when Mycoskie insists that simplicity is a key value of any organization, he practices what he preaches. These chapters are filled with just enough examples to make each point, and plenty of engaging text boxes and photographs, showing that simple doesn’t mean boring, and visually exciting doesn’t mean shallow.

I found myself easily skimming through the entire book in one sitting without really noting the passage of time. Mycoskie hits, again and again, the idea that helping the world can be profitable, with plenty of quotes and examples from business leaders and entrepreneurs. He is not a wide-eyed rookie but a battle-tested visionary, and he extends his invitations in ways that even the most hard-hearted people can be inspired. This book can not only give you advice on how to start a story-based organization (from core value suggestions to practical links to web sites that provide free resources), it can inspire you to take the next step and actually do it.

I particularly liked the story of Subway. “Jared Fogiez” wanted to lose weight and he started taking a Subway sandwich diet. Once he lost 100 pounds and it became a big news in all media, Subway presented Jared's story in a perfect way and the result was amazing, their sales shot up 20%. Overall, sales more than tripled to $11. 5 billion in 2011, from around $3 billion in 1998, according to Nation’s Restaurant News. What Mycoskie was right when he said “A good story transcends boundaries, breaks barriers, and opens doors. It is a key not only to starting a business but also to clarifying your own personal identity and choices. ” In this generation of consumers and entrepreneurs people are looking for more than to buy and sell a product, but Mycoskie teaches us that they want to be a part of something deeper and more meaningful than that, and a good story Is one way of connecting with potential partners.

Before reading this book, I was completely unfamiliar with the author's company. I'd seen TOMS shoes once or twice, but I really didn't "get it". I'm not a shoes girl, and they didn't look like anything all that special to me. Well, after reading this book, I'm buying TOMS for the whole family. I love the concept behind TOMS – for every pair of shoes purchased, the company donates a pair to someone in need. How wonderful is that? And that is the message of this book – it's possible to do great things while still earning a living. At first glance, it's a pretty naive philosophy, yet this book is full of examples of people who did just that – took a good idea and ran with it, earning money, sure, but also giving back to the community.

I really liked the side notes and personalized true stories to corroborate the guidance of each chapter. While these tips will not hold true for every single organization and company, the overall positivity and direction of the book will serve the reader if not for specific tips, then definitely in terms of motivation. This book left me energized and excited to explore my own talents.