Meeting my inspiration - Blake Mycoskie
When I was in college I caught the TOMS shoes fever. I loved the idea that when I bought a pair of shoes I would also be providing a pair of shoes to a kid in need.
In late 2021 I read Blake’s book titled: Start Something That Matters
https://www.instagram.com/p/CYHkj9sFxKb/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
The book is an inspiration, to say the least. This book was part of the reason that I started the Pure Living Family Foundation. Blake introduced me to a new world. There is such a thing called social entrepreneurship. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Social entrepreneurship is the process by which individuals, startups, and entrepreneurs develop and fund solutions that directly address social issues. A social entrepreneur, therefore, is a person who explores business opportunities that have a positive impact on their community, in society or the world.
https://www.uschamber.com/co/start/startup/what-is-social-entrepreneurship
I dream of a utopian world where care for special needs kids is funded by collective commerce. Seeing a neurologist or a Functional Medicine doctor is not covered by insurance. The cost for visits could be anywhere from $300 per visit, to $20,000 per procedure or more. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 1 in 5 kids have a chronic illness and that is on the rise.
What if when we bought clothes we built in a small percentage of that transaction to fund the care of special needs kids care. I’ve been accused of being a dreamer. Maybe it is a naive and silly idea. But it’s my humble effort to do something. Check out my first attempt:
https://purelivingfamily.com/products/organic-t-shirt
I recently went to the Psychedelic Conference hosted by MAPS in Denver, Colorado. I heard Blake speak. His love and kindness are as big as the Rocky Mountains. Check out the summary of his speech.
Thank you Blake for being such an amazing example. I’ll spend my life chasing the path that you are blazing. I hope to run a for profit company that feeds the non-profit. I would like to help as many kids as possible.
Shawn