TOMS Blog

10. We found a new home! Though not far from our old office, we hopped a bit closer to the beach and established a new TOMS HQ that’s an awesome, open, creative space. (Bonus: we have chalkboards for walls!)

9. This past July, we shared the first collaborative Giving Trip journal, from a group that volunteered with Giving Partner Save the Children in El Salvador. The eleven participants laid out how reality lined up with the expectations they brought with them on their trip. 

8.Though TOMS Employee Sean’s long into his time at TOMS (perhaps you recognize him as the emotional volunteer in “For Tomorrow,” our first TOMS documentary??), he continues to innovate, inspire and introduce new trends to the TOMS family. This Spring, just before we launched our Spring ’12 collection of Shoes & Eyewear, we put on a fashion show-type line review at HQ. Sean wore this bad boy, a custom-made One for One patterned suit, for the occasion.

7. At this year’s Mammoth company ski trip – a TOMS family tradition to which we are quite partial – we forged on as we do with a awe-inspiring TOMS employee talent show. The winning number? An all-male ribbon-dancing trio. (To Travis, KC & Sevag (the 3 pictured above): here’s your official charge to BRING IT in 2013.) 

6. The Summer 2012 interns designed one of the “IDEA” conference rooms at HQ, and submitted their typographic design to Design Sponge. From their efforts, led by Erin, intern on the TOMS Creative team, resulted a place in the final round of the blog’s painter’s tape design competition, and place to – you guessed it – generate new ideas.

5. We received what is possibly the best-ever E-mail from Laurent, the president of the company (and a connoisseur of funny things), that placed an August 2012 day in the TOMS history books. That morning, everyone at HQ received an email with the subject line, “Michael Jackson Moon Walk-OFF – TIME-SENSITIVE.” The body of the email read, “I have 4 amazing tickets to Michael Jackson’s Cirque du Soleil tonight at 8 p.m. I’m unable to attend and therefore my loss is your win (with a twist!). We are holding a dance off on the outside stage at noon. Each participant will have 15 seconds to moon walk (or dance) to “Billie Jean.” After the last moonwalker, the tickets will be given to the top two (who will get to take a +1) with the loudest applause. Come join me at 12:00 p.m. outside to pick the best walk!”

4. Last month, the TOMS team in the UK took second place at the Movember gala in London, stealing the show with their group take on MC Hammer’s “Can’t Touch This.” Check the group costumes, fully finished with TOMS Classics. #win 

3. When we launched TOMS Campus Classics, our color-blocked collegiate TOMS Shoes collection, the powers-that-be planned for a loud celebration of their introduction and the start of college football season. So that no TOMS family member remain untouched by the excitement, we had the UCLA marching band storm through HQ (in full uniform), parading past our desks and collecting a crowd. Just another day at the office, right? 

2. USAID’s Chief Innovation Officer, Maura O’Neill, visited TOMS HQ this Spring to speak to the TOMS family about social entrepreneurship in the aid and development space…and that was awesome. 

1. With the move to our new HQ, 2012 brought us…dogs in the office! With this new perk, enhanced by a little dog run on the side of the office, our pups have a place to spend the day, and we have a continual source of adorable around here.

Who are we kidding? We work hard, but play hard, too, sooo we had to extend this list a bit. Click here to find the secret additions to this list!