How did John’s Crazy Socks come to be?
In 2016, John Cronin was attending his last year of high school. Like every high school senior, he was trying to figure out what came next. John is a natural entrepreneur. He wanted to start a business with his dad. But what were they going to do?
John thought about opening a food truck. But they ran into a problem: neither of them could cook. But then John had a “Eureka!” moment. They decided to sell crazy socks. Why socks? Because they’re fun, colorful, and John loved them. If John loved them that much, they realized they could find other people who loved them, too.
John is not only an entrepreneur, but he also has Down syndrome. Every day, John and his father, Mark, show what people with differing abilities can do. More than half of their colleagues have a differing ability. John’s Crazy Socks is a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness.
Listen in for some great takeaways about the entrepreneurial journey of a father and son who are paving the way for those with different abilities. They’re making a huge impact while spreading happiness everywhere they go.
You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…
- Learn more about Mark and John Cronin [3:03]
- How did John’s Crazy Socks come to be? [6:22]
- John’s favorite pair of socks [9:50]
- What it felt like to launch a business with each other [10:59]
- Why they’re passionate about the Special Olympics [12:45]
- Learn more about World Down Syndrome Day [14:36]
- Get your copy of “Financial Planning Made Personal” [16:27]
- Why they promote World Down Syndrome Day [17:05]
- Why it’s important to hire people with differing abilities [18:47]
- John’s favorite story of someone who’s worn their socks [22:01]
- How to create a business with a strong social mission [24:56]
- What John did today that put him in the mindset for success [27:39]
Why it’s important to hire people with differing abilities
Only one in five people with a disability are employed in the United States. Mark used to think they needed to create more jobs. But the jobs are there. Instead, he points out that we just need to recognize that people can do them.
John’s Crazy Socks runs their own fulfillment center. They hire people with different abilities to work four-hour shifts. They also hire general laborers. Their best labor pool is people with differing abilities. They are an untapped resource. Mark emphasizes that it’s not altruism—it’s good business. Hiring people with differing abilities is a competitive advantage.
Learn more about World Down Syndrome Day
The United Nations declared March 21st as “World Down Syndrome Day.” It’s a day to celebrate the achievements and accomplishments of people with Down Syndrome. Why March 21st? Because Down Syndrome is caused by having an extra—third—copy of the 21st chromosome.
Mark and John worked with Down Syndrome International to create the official “Crazy Sock World Down Syndrome Day” where you celebrate by wearing crazy socks.
Their mission is to show what people with differing abilities can do. They seek to inspire others and give them hope. John is the face of the business. More than half of their colleagues have a differing ability.
They share content. They host tours. They engage in advocacy work. They speak at conferences and corporate events. They host work groups with schools and social service agencies. They want people with different abilities to get a taste of work and see what they’re capable of.
Why they’re passionate about the Special Olympics
John’s Crazy Socks donates 5% of its earnings to the Special Olympics. Why? John has been part of the Special Olympics for 22 years. He started playing soccer. Now he plays basketball, and soccer, and participates in track & field and snowshoeing. They pledged 5% of their earnings to the Special Olympics from day one. They’ve now donated over $150,000 to the Special Olympics—more than any other athlete.
How to create a business with a strong social mission
Mark believes that there’s a fundamental shift happening. In the 1960s, Milton Friedman declared that companies had a single obligation: to their shareholders. Mark believes that’s where things went wrong.
We have an obligation to all of our stakeholders—employees, customers, and the community. Not just our stakeholders. The businesses we create have a profound impact on the world around us. If you have 10 employees, that’s 10 families you’re touching.
Consumers want to know who you are and who your business is. You have to stand out in the marketplace. How do you treat your employees? How do you treat the environment? How do you treat your community? Why should someone do business with you?
John’s biggest piece of advice? “Follow your heart, follow your dreams, and work hard.” Hear their whole story in this episode of Mitlin Money Mindset®.
Resources & People Mentioned
- Get your copy of “Financial Planning Made Personal”
Connect with Mark X and John Cronin
Bio
John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that created John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. They bootstrapped their business into the world’s largest sock store earning them recognition as EY’s Entrepreneurs of the Year.
John is not only an entrepreneur, but he has also Down syndrome. Every day, John and Mark show what people with differing abilities can do – more than half their colleagues have a differing ability. They are fierce advocates for the rights of people with differing abilities having testified twice before the U.S. Congress, spoken at the United Nations and recorded two TEDx talks. They are members of the CEO Commission on Disability Employment. Their work has been featured on national broadcasts by CBS, ABC, CNBC, PBS, the BBC and Fox News.
They have built a business based on creating customer experiences and spreading happiness. John’s Crazy Socks has 240,000 Facebook followers and over 29,000 five-star reviews. John and Mark show their gratitude through their Giving Back program that has raised nearly $700,000 for their charity partners. Most of all, they are spreading happiness one pair of socks at a time.
Resources & People Mentioned
- Grab your copy of “Financial Planning Made Personal”
- Sign up for Paula’s Newsletter
- Get the Afford Anything Podcast Show Notes
- The Knowledge Project Podcast
- The Everywhereist
Connect with Paula Pant
Bio
Paula Pant is the host of the Afford Anything podcast, an award-winning show with more than 28 million downloads. It was named by the New York Times as one of “7 Podcasts Your Wallet Will Love.”
She is also the founder of Afford Anything, a personal finance brand with more than 75,000 newsletter subscribers.
She is a Knight-Bagehot Business and Economics Journalism Fellow at Columbia University.
Paula is frequently featured in financial media including Money Magazine, the Washington Post, Oprah.com, CNBC, Fortune, Marie Claire, Marketplace Money, Men’s Health, Real Simple, Outside Magazine, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, and more. She’s spoken at the Talks at Google series and guest lectured at Georgetown University. She lives in New York City.
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