One thing I'm so grateful for is sidestepping the usual venture capital, private equity route. My friends who have gone that way are many times beholden to their boards of directors, to 'sell' ideas to a team.
When you're buying a pair of TOMS, if you don't feel like you're part of a community, then I've failed.
I would never want to take TOMS or myself into an issues debate. That's not what we're about. We're about helping people.
I feel a deep sense of responsibility to share everything that we've learned from TOMS, so that others can learn from both our mistakes and the counterintuitive principles that have guided our success.
With TOMS, I found a way to create sustainable giving and consistently help those who are in need.
Walk away from anyone who is unduly focused on vacation and compensation. It's a sign of potential trouble. No matter how talented you are, if you don't really want to work at TOMS, you'll never work out here.