Join us for this episode of the Good Tidings Podcast, with host Larry Harper—Founder of the Good Tidings Foundation. This podcast is all about highlighting the good in people and what individuals are doing to make an impact in this world for the benefit of others, in order to inspire a community of givers! Today, Larry invites guests and Co-Founders of Bombas, Dave Heath and Randy Goldberg.
The name Bombas comes from the Latin word for bumblebee, which has become Bombas’ signature logo and spirit animal. Much like the company, Randy explains that bees work together to make their community a better place. The idea for the company came quite organically. While scrolling on Facebook one day, Randy came across the fact that socks are the most requested clothing item in homeless shelters. The two had always wanted to start a business together, and after hearing this fact, they felt called to tackle the issue.
For every pair of socks Bombas sells, a pair is donated. Their aim is to make the best quality socks known to man, in order to sell the most and, in turn, donate as many pairs as possible. Neither of them came from the apparel or retail industry, so their perspective from the very beginning was of the customer. They analyzed their own sock issues to craft the perfect pair that anyone could benefit from with an ultimate goal of comfort, for both paying customers and the recipients of the donations.
Bombas got their start on Shark Tank, and have since been the largest company to blossom from the show. They intended from the start to sell direct to consumers rather than selling to stores, though they anticipate the opening of a Bombas storefront one day. As Co-Founders, Dave and Randy usually have a divide and conquer mentality. Every person of the Bombas team brings a unique and valuable role to the company that includes a giving spirit.
Several years ago, Bombas and Good Tidings began working together to distribute socks to families in need for the holidays. What is it about receiving a new pair of socks that feels so special regardless of one’s economic situation? The feeling of putting on a fresh pair of socks is a unique, small joy that impacts daily comfort. For many families struggling financially, socks tend to fall at the very end of a priority list.
They estimate Bombas will donate about 30 million socks this year alone, and this number grows exponentially each year. The giving aspect of the company is the center of the company. Bombas hosts a volunteer opportunity for their staff members. This opportunity is what really drives Bombas as a staff to create better in the world every day. From the perspective of Dave and Randy, every successful business has a social responsibility and opportunity to serve their community. A company is a collection of people working together and this collective could have a great impact on each other and on their surroundings.
Currently, Bombas donations are almost completely in the United States. This model is intended to bridge the gap between people and their communities. With 3,500 partners around the country, Bombas is able to distribute sock donations almost everywhere. In the future, they hope to connect customers directly with their community giving partners. The success of their mission has only increased philanthropic efforts in their own and their staff’s personal lives.
Brands specifically for homeless people are nonexistent – in fact, usually, they just receive everyone else’s leftovers. A dream of the company is to be able to provide essential size specific clothing items to every person experiencing homelessness. As corporate citizens, they hope to influence those below and above them to consider implementing similar practices in their own business models.
Learn more about Bombas.
Learn more about Dave and Randy.
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To listen to the podcast please visit https://goodtidings.org/good-tidings-podcast-episode-9-dave-heath-randy-godberg/
