Ep 141: The Crazy Socks Duo!

“We didn't develop a detailed business plan. We said let's get something up and running. And we'll see how customers respond. So, we built a website, that some inventory. We were bootstrapping. So, we had to make two with what we had. The only marketing, we did was to set up a Facebook page.”

TIME STAMP SUMMARY

01:52 Planning the next step

03:37 Why it was socks

07:39 How our business model has changed over time

16:08 Benefits of having a different ability work force.

22:26 What the future holds for Mark and John’s Crazy Socks

Where to find John and Mark X Cronin?

LinkedIn               https://www.linkedin.com/in/mxcronin

Website               https://johnscrazysocks.com/

Who are John and Mark X Cronin?

John and Mark X. Cronin are the father-son team that founded John’s Crazy Socks. John is an entrepreneur who just happens to have Down syndrome. You may know them for being named EY Entrepreneurs of the Year or testifying before Congress or speaking at the UN. You may know them because John became “Sock Buddies” with President George H.W. Bush. Or you may know them for having grown a bootstrapped start up into a multi-million-dollar social enterprise. John’s Crazy Socks is an internationally recognized social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can do.

Their mission infuses all aspects of their business. More than half their employees have a differing ability. Their Giving Back Program starts with a 5 percent pledge of profits to the Special Olympics and has raised over $450,000 for their charity partners. They have attracted over 29,000 online five start reviews.  John’s Crazy Socks has over 240,000 Facebook followers and 55,000 Instagram followers.

You will love their socks, but the socks are just the physical manifestation of the happiness they share.

Brief Bio of John Lee Cronin

John Cronin is a 25-year-old entrepreneur who happens to have Down syndrome. John is the co-founder and Chief Happiness Officer of John’s Crazy Socks which has a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can achieve.

John has created a business where more than half the employees have a differing ability. John’s Crazy Socks has shipped over 350,000 orders to 88 different countries and earned over 29,000 5-star online reviews. John was the first person with Down syndrome to be named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

John is a fierce advocate for people of differing abilities and has testified twice before the U.S. Congress and spoken at the United Nations. He became “sock buddies” with former President George H.W. Bush and has been featured guest on national news programs. Speaking engagements that John performs with his father and co-founder Mark have taken them across Canada, the U.S. and Mexico and they are part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers Bureau.

John is a member of the Board for the National Down Syndrome Society and the Athlete’s Congress for New York Special Olympics.

Brief Bio of Mark X. Cronin

Mark X. Cronin is the co-founder, along with his son John, of John’s Crazy Socks, a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness. His leadership has demonstrated that pursuing social goals – demonstrating what people with differing abilities can achieve and giving back – makes for good business.

Mark advocates for the rights of differently abled people. His advocacy work has seen Mark testify before Congress twice, speak at the UN and make numerous trips to Capitol Hill. Mark is a sought-after speaker having spoken at events across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.  Mark is part of the U.S. State Department’s Speakers’ Bureau. 

Mark served as the Chief Operating officer of multiple health care management and technology firms, led the Medicaid Health Services Program in New York City, founded a software company, organized political campaigns, and worked as a Congressional aide. Mark began his career as a schoolteacher and has taught in graduate schools as well.

Mark has an undergraduate degree from Holy Cross and a Master of Public Policy from the Kennedy School at Harvard University. He has been named an EY Entrepreneur of the Year and is a Board member for the Long Island Chapter of the Entrepreneurs Organization and serves n the CEO Commission for Disability Employment