For catherineaq

“Wholeheartedly” is a hard word. “Public eye” is also a difficult term.

But, here goes. Close as it gets.

Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia. I admire him because he made a business related to what he loves. He is self-taught. When he didn’t like the effect his product was having on the environment he loved to play in, he stopped creating that thing despite it being profitable.

He then re-invented his business.

I admire him for finding new ways to make his business succeed but always with “doing the right thing”, environmentally and socially at the top of his list. For him, the standard corporate drive to maximize profits is no way to run a business.

I respect the motto “Consume less. Consume better.” I strongly believe that people who buy crap that they’ll throw away in 6 months versus something even considerably more expensive that they’ll have for the rest of their lives are crazy. I think they’re crazy and that they ought to stop and think for a moment. So, I guess I agree with him since he’s more famous than I am and probably said it first anyway.

I admire the way he treats his employees. They can leave their desks, grab a board, and surf when they want to. This makes them MORE productive. They can take two paid months off to go work for a non-profit.

If only there were more companies that were run like Patagonia. Create less, create quality. Do it in a way that protects the environment as much as possible. Pay out a portion of your profits to environmental causes as a way of making up for the damage that you cannot avoid. Put your people first. Treat them well and with respect. Do good works.