TOMS Blog

Hey TOMS fans! Casey here… I’m the Retail Marketing and Events intern at TOMS this summer, and today I want to take you on a journey, and leave you with a challenge.

But first, let me paint a picture for you: Every morning I wake up to the bright summer sun hitting my eyes (thanks to a couple broken blinds) and the sound of my bomb-exploding iPhone wake-up call (apologies to my roommate Alex). I hop off of my air mattress to throw on clothes, a pair of crazy socks, and my TOMS Botas, setting off for my day at TOMS HQ.

The journey is a tough one: I start by walking down three flights of stairs, then I hop on the long board and cross the road, and I cruise for a solid 5 pushes on the board. In other words, I live across the street from TOMS. But even my short commute is driven by good conversations with co-interns and TOMS employees walking, biking and boarding beside me, and it feels great to be greeted with moments like that every morning.

…which brings me to the heart of my blog post. If we rewind just a little, I want to share a crucial step in my morning routine, perhaps the most critical thing I can do to set myself up for happiness each day: Before I get out of bed every morning I read and write in my journal.

I have found that it is so important to get my thoughts, goals, and feelings on paper, because, in a sense, they become more real to me that way. Call me crazy but I seriously believe that one of the drivers that got me to L.A. interning for TOMS this summer was my focus, which came in part from reflecting and writing every morning. I collected my thoughts, decided what I wanted to do, planned the why and the how, believed in it, and now I am here, wrapping up an insane summer of awesome things with TOMS. Not to say that it didn’t require a ton of work, but focusing on it definitely added a whole new dimension to what was once just a dream.

Giving sight to people in need, putting shoes on children’s feet, constantly being surrounded by people who support me, and then bringing it back around to set to paper what it means – that’s what keeps these good things coming – at least mentally – for me. So I will leave you with this thought. What wakes you up in the morning? What goals do you want to see come to life?

And now for the challenge: Take 5 minutes; grab a piece of paper; jot these things down; and see how your perspective shifts toward the world you build around yourself.

Much Love,

Casey