Let My People Go Surfing
As an entrepreneur, the book Let My People Go Surfing was inspiring. Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard does an excellent job of explaining how he brought all of his employees into the culture he was creating at Patagonia. He trained everyone in the company on the values upon which he built the company. Patagonia expectations were built from his experience as a climber and his love for the world around him. By bringing his employees with him philosophically he created an atmosphere of inclusion where people could make decisions based on what they had learned from him. The time he took to work with his people was critical to the growth of Patagonia. The success of the company is a testament to his ability to maintain high standards for his products and high standards for his company. I found myself thinking hard about our own company and how we ensure continued care of our employees and high quality standards as our company grows. Documenting our guiding principles, making sure to communicate those principles to everyone at McCrea’s, and operating consistently throughout our organization are the three take-home messages from Let My People Go Surfing and, as obvious as they may sound, Yvon Chouinard makes the application of these practices attainable by telling his own story with humility. As a person who never expected to be an entrepreneur, it is helpful to read the story of a fellow business person who never saw himself as such until it was simply undeniable. His perspective is fresh and inspiring.