Who is Tom? There is no Tom. If we sell a pair of shoes today, we give away a pair of shoes tomorrow. Originally we thought of "Tomorrow's Shoes," but I could only fit "TOMS" on the label. I had no idea everybody would want to meet him. There is no Tom; it's an idea for a better tomorrow.

When people start serving together, they forgot about all their stress, [...] all their own problems. They start focusing on someone else's.

I did what I think a lot of entrepreneurs do. I started putting up a lot of ads on Craigslist for interns.

Giving feels good, but it's also good for the bottom line. Charity is a viable growth strategy for a lot of companies. Our customers get excited to be a part of what we're doing. If you ask anyone wearing Toms how they first heard about us, most won't mention an advertisement; they'll say a friend told them our story.

I surround myself with inspirational quotations. This easy-to-follow piece of advice has played a huge role in my being able to get past my own fears and insecurities throughout my entrepreneurial career.

The greatest competitive advantage is to allow your employees to be part of something. Something bigger than what you're doing.

The more you give, the more you live.