Mark X. Cronin, Co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks, and his son, John Cronin, the nationally recognized award-winning entrepreneur with Down Syndrome and co-owner of John’s Crazy Socks, recently spoke at TEDxLakeSuccessStudio where they delivered their latest TEDx talk: “Hiring people with differing abilities is not altruism, it is good business.”
As many businesses around the country are struggling to find employees, John and Mark have found a surplus of dedicated workers. John’s Crazy Socks has found a solution to the unemployment crisis, as they are committed to hiring people with differing abilities, creating over 31 jobs, 22 of those positions are held by a person with special needs.
This is all part of the ongoing effort to showcase the talent and skills of people with differing abilities around the world.
“When hiring, we look at what people can do; we value their strength and hard work. Our success is because of our employees. Hiring people with special needs makes them happy and we are all about spreading happiness,” said John Cronin, Chief Happiness Officer and co-founder of John’s Crazy Socks. “Down Syndrome has never held me back from accomplishing my dreams.”
The father-son duo presented an inspiring TEDx talk where they educated their audience about the ongoing unemployment crisis known as “The Great Resignation.”
In 2021, there were 10 million vacant jobs in the U.S. In August of the same year, over 8 million people walked out on their jobs. John and Mark expressed the importance of hiring people with differing abilities and how this gives John’s Crazy Socks a competitive advantage when hiring new employees.
“Businesses hiring people with differing abilities create a positive work environment that increases productivity, morale, production while at the same time, fill vacant positions. Providing an inclusive workplace attracts talent that seeks to work with organizations that provide a social mission,” said Mark X. Cronin, co-founder of Johns Crazy Socks. “There are hundreds of thousands of people with differing abilities who are ready and able to make a positive impact in the business world.
At John’s Crazy Socks we are leading the way and demonstrating that having a diverse and integrated workplace is a win-win for all involved.”
Companies such as JP Morgan, Microsoft and IBM all have workplace diversity initiatives. In a study, JP Morgan found that people with Autism work 48% faster and are 98% more productive than neurotypical employees. In many cases, these same employees have superior technical skills.
Only 1 in 5 people with disabilities are currently employed. Driven by his frustration of limited job opportunities after high school, John asked his father to go into business with him. John, a natural entrepreneur, and his father built a startup into a multimillion-dollar operation and the world’s largest sock store in just five short years. They attribute much of this success to their mission of spreading happiness and their commitment to hiring people with differing abilities.
John’s Crazy Socks success has been recognized worldwide. The company has shipped over 360,000 packages to 88 different countries around the world, and have donated over $450,000 to their charity sponsors. John has testified twice before congress and has spoken before the United Nations.
John and Mark’s TEDx talk can be found on YouTube, https://youtu.be/uXtrhHSFkuY, and on the TEDx website.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, please visit, www.johnscrazysocks.com.