This feature is in our weekly Monday Morning Report newsletter, which showcases our highest-level members. Leaders You Should Know highlights community leaders who are making a notable impact in the Nashville region.
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Tell us about yourself.
I moved to Nashville in 2012 to take the role at Soles4Souls. After 25 years in Dallas, with a short stint in San Francisco and 18 months in Madrid, I was ready for a new city. I had had a career that moved back and forth between the for-profit and not-for-profit worlds, and Soles4Souls was a perfect blend of both.
I was the first one on either side of my family to go to college, which might explain why I went from a religious studies and French double major to an MBA with an MA in Arts Administration… I didn’t know what I was doing! But it all led to this moment, and I have never been happier and more fulfilled than I have at S4S.
My wife and I have been married for more than 30 years and have two daughters, one in Brooklyn and one in Dallas. We’re really close, travel together, and spend a lot of time in Connecticut, where my wife grew up. It’s on the water and brings us all a deep sense of peace and beauty.
Personally, I’ve been a runner for most of my adult life, though knee problems have turned that into mostly hiking. While I still like ultra distances (I’ve completed more than 75 races longer than 50k, including almost 20 100-milers), it’s required a big adjustment in how much time I need! I turned 60 last year, and to celebrate, hiked Kilimanjaro and raised more than $60,000 for Soles4Souls
Tell us about your business/industry.
Soles4Souls is in the business of creating opportunities for people through shoes and clothes. This year we’ll collect about 5.5 million pairs of shoes and about that many pieces of apparel and accessories. Those are a mix of new and used items.
Through our 4Opportunity program, we sell all the used, and some new, to partners in low-income countries, who resell them to create economic and social opportunities in places where there often isn’t much of either.
Through our 4Relief program, we provide new shoes and clothes to people in need. That might be after a natural disaster like the hurricanes in East Tennessee and North Carolina this past fall, fires in LA, or after the Russians invaded Ukraine. We also help through shelters, domestic violence programs, and hundreds of local partners who know their communities.
In 2020, we launched 4EveryKid, which provides new, branded athletic shoes to students experiencing homelessness. Since we started, we have served almost 500,000 kids in all 50 states, including more than 10,000 in middle Tennessee.
What should we know about you?
I love being outside, a good book—I read the Daily Stoic every day—history podcasts, and spending time with my family. The next big travel destination is either the Azores or Patagonia. For all the great things we’ve done at Soles4Souls in the last decade, there is still so much more to do, and I find that incredibly motivating. I’ve written one book, Shoestrings, about S4S and am working on another one, Tailspin to Tailwind: Leadership Lessons for Turning Crisis into Clarity, out in May. And a podcast called re:Purpose that launches in May!
How did you get to your current position?
Not very exciting. Soles4Souls was in bad shape, and the board did a national CEO search, led by Frank Parsons. I think there were about 100 people in the pool, and I feel incredibly lucky to have been the one they chose.
What value do you see in Chamber involvement?
Amazing network! The Leadership Study Mission was my introduction and remains one of my favorite events of the year!
How is your company recruiting and retaining talent?
I know there’s a lot of pushback on remote work, but we made the decision to go “work from anywhere” in Dec 2020 and haven’t looked back. While our warehouse teams (we have 8 in 5 countries) have to be physically there, we have been able to attract the best talent regardless of where they are. It’s not perfect, but we believe it’s been a net positive for us in the last few years.
What local non-profit has a mission that resonates with you?
While I pour heart and soul into Soles4Souls, I couldn’t resist; I am always moved by the work and approach of Thistle Farms. Social enterprises bring out the best of both worlds. Second Harvest is another great example, and the way they bring all the pieces together makes Thistle Farms a special place.
What are key trends in your industry?
It might be the first people think of, but the fashion industry is one of the biggest in the world at a global value of $1.7 TRILLION. The secondhand/resale category is projected to be 25% of that in the next few years. The market to collect and repurpose clothes and shoes is hypercompetitive, and we’re right in the middle of that. How we respond to that has real consequences to people in places like Haiti, Honduras, Moldova, Guatemala, and more. It pushes us to get better and innovate so we can deliver on our mission
What are you currently reading?
I’m always reading The Daily Stoic. I’m probably on my fifth read-through and expect that will continue. I’m never the same person who read it before.
The most recent nonfiction is The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek, which I’m really enjoying. Lots to think about for Soles4Souls.
