Let my people go surfing

Yvon :30 from 1% for the Planet on Vimeo.
Just re-read one of my favourite books and finished up even more inspired than the first time I read it. Patagonia is a business that is defined by many for their actions: leading environmental policies; groundbreaking maternity and family centric workplace policies; social policies and their focus on product quality and authenticity.

 They are not however what has made Patagonia the enduring success that it has been through the good times and bad. What makes Patagonia tick, humm and buzz is the less measurable stuff in business. It is the fundamental understanding of ‘Why’ a business exists.

 From this simple but profound knowledge everything grows, including the bottom-line, or triple bottom-line. Organizations, like humans, make clear and effective decisions when they have a deep understanding of the ‘self’. Likewise erratic, ineffective actions and decisions are the result of organizations that have lost their ‘way’ and their reason for being.


Patagonia provides leadership in our ever-changing world due to its deep understanding and unflinching commitment to the reason why it exists. Its products, policies and actions are simply a result of this. If you are searching for a little inspiration or a glimpse of ‘Why’, Let My People Go Surfing is well worth a read. The Wave is proud to be a member of 1% for the Planet. Giving back to the environment through business.