As a young boy growing up in New York, John Cronin was an avid crazy socks fan — a love that was destined to be an integral part of his life forever.
In 2016, John approached his father after finishing high school about the opportunity to make his love of socks a business opportunity. They began with the simple idea of selling socks with the mission of spreading happiness and showing the world what people with differing abilities can do when given a chance.
During #SMWNYC, hear from the father-son team as they explore why their corporate model is much more profound than retail profits, how they tap into viral conversations to authentically leverage their brand, and how they forge lasting relationships by giving back to their customers and the broader community.
In the first month of operation, John’s Crazy Socks sold over 452 orders and earned $13,000. Fast forward to today, John, now 23, and Mark have earned nearly $10 million in sales and expanded the company to more than 80 countries and 26 employees.
Beyond providing funds for scholarships and over $300,000 to charities in the past three years, 5 percent of their earnings go to the Special Olympics. On a day-to-day scale, they continue to grow their community through the simple gesture of including handwritten notes, a piece of candy, and a packing slip with photos of who helped contribute to the order with every purchase.
There’s still time to join John, Mark and many more exciting speakers this May at Social Media Week New York (May 5-7) at the Sheraton New York Times Square – so act quickly, and look toward a future of human-first marketing with us!
View our first wave of announcements, lock in your pass at 20% the walk-up rate, and stay tuned for additional announcements and updates in the coming weeks!