While in Business School at Babson College I was fortunate enough to hear a talk given by Gary Hirshberg, the founder and CEO of Stonyfield Farms (The yogurt producer). He shared with us his concept of "Doing Well by Doing Good" which he discusses in his book Stirring it Up. What impacted me was the story of how he had built his company into a successful model business by keeping in mind the positive change he could effect by being in business. Change such as awareness of environmental impact, and clean & green business practices. Everything from the milk he purchased to the packaging of the yogurt was thought through and considered.

As we build Common Soles we look to integrate Gary's best practices in our own organization. How can we be sure we are doing good beyond simply collecting a few dollars for every pair of sandals we sell??

We're going to start with the basics:

• Our supply chain - do all we can to influence efficiency and concious decision making throughout
• Our distribution - do all we can to limit expensive and inefficient air freight and packaging
• Our people - do all we can to empower them to make concious decisions and treat them well
• Our customers - do all we can to listen to their concerns, thoughts and advice
• Our charities - do all we can to deliver value as efficiently and effectively as possible

By designing and selling products that generate funds for the greater good we hope to enact the change we want to see in the communities of the world's manufacturing populations. Yes, we are still small, but we hope to grow. The larger we grow, the more impactful we become. Thank you for your support. Without you we are nothing.

Best,
Dave