Looking for a unique way to celebrate Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March?
What about World Down Syndrome Day on March 21?
You might want to consider donning a pair of John’s Crazy Socks! Why? Because John’s Crazy Socks, founded by Long Islanders John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his businessman father Mark X. Cronin, provides employment for people with disabilities and donates 5% of its profits to Special Olympics. Additionally, the company educates the public about why people with disabilities make great employees, and advocates for public policy changes on behalf of people with different abilities.
John and Mark decided to start their own business in 2016, soon after John graduated from high school. Finding few options for employment, John eventually approached his father about starting a business together. At first, John and Mark considered starting a food truck but they discarded the idea after realizing they had no talent for cooking. Then, John had a brainstorm. Why not sell socks?
As Mark Cronin remarks on the company’s website, “John had worn crazy socks his entire life, that was his thing. We would drive around looking for them. It seemed as if John loved fun socks so much, others would too.”
As it turned out, Mark was right. Customers were crazy for John’s Crazy Socks! By the end of their first month on the e-commerce site Shopify, John’s Crazy Socks had filled 452 orders and taken in more than $13,000!
Since then, the company has grown by leaps and bounds. Nowadays, John’s Crazy Socks sells 4,000 different pairs from socks for disability awareness, holidays and birthdays to car and biking enthusiasts to coffee lovers, cat people, and more. Socks are available in men, women and baby sizes and in styles including ankle, bamboo, compression, no-show, athletic and knee-high. Businesses can purchase logo socks. And the company even offers a sock of the month club!
If socks aren’t your thing (although who doesn’t need socks?), John’s Crazy Socks also sells pet sweaters, tote bags, blankets, kitchen mitts and dish towels.
According to its website, John’s Crazy Socks’ business model is built on “four pillars – inspiration and hope; giving back; socks you can love; and making it personal.” All John’s products have the same mission – spreading happiness. In other words, “The more we can do for others, the more we can make people happy, the better off we are.”
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit johnscrazysocks.com.
