From Socks to the Spotlight: John and Mark Light Up Times Square with TCAA
At John’s Crazy Socks, we believe that business can be a platform for hope, love, and possibility. That belief has taken us from our warehouse in Farmingdale to the halls of Congress, and now to the bright lights of Times Square.
Last week, we got to share a new chapter in our journey. John and Mark X. Cronin, the father-son team behind John’s Crazy Socks, are now represented by the Talent Concierge Artists Agency (TCAA) for public speaking. To celebrate, TCAA invited us to the Event Organizers Expo in New York City and gave us a moment we’ll never forget: our faces on a billboard in Times Square.
“I loved it,” said John. “You know it’s a big deal when you see your face in Times Square!”
More Than a Billboard
That giant screen in the heart of New York wasn’t about fame or promotion — it was a celebration of possibility, inclusion, and joy. It was a beacon for every person who’s been underestimated. For every family who dares to dream. For every company that wants to do more than just make money.
TCAA’s co-founder, Connie Pheiff, put it best: “John and Mark don’t just give a talk, they show people what’s possible.”
Why Speaking Matters to Us
Our speaking engagements aren’t about spotlighting ourselves. They are about Spreading Happiness™ and showing what people with differing abilities can do. We share stories, spark ideas, and challenge outdated assumptions. We show how hiring people with differing abilities is not altruism, it’s smart business.
From boardrooms at Microsoft to conferences with the Special Olympics, we’ve spoken to students, CEOs, entrepreneurs, and policymakers. And the message is always the same: believe in people and amazing things will happen.
Meet Abilities Rising: Our Next Big Step
John’s Crazy Socks was just the beginning. Today, we’re going to the next step with the creation of Abilities Rising, a mission-driven platform created to empower other entrepreneurs, uplift families, and redefine what inclusion looks like.
Abilities Rising serves as the umbrella for all our work including e-commerce like John’s Crazy Socks, (products that share joy and create jobs), publishing (giving a voice to people with differing abilities) and support through our public speaking, entrepreneurship advocacy, content creation, and mentoring others on inclusive leadership.
Abilities rising is about building a movement, not just a business. With John as majority owner and visionary-in-chief, and Mark helping lead strategy and storytelling, we are scaling impact and creating more opportunities for more people.
Why We Partnered with TCAA
We’ve joined TCAA because they understand the power of purpose. Their roster includes athletes, changemakers, and voices for good and now it includes a father and son from Long Island with a dream and a lot of socks.
Want to bring John and Mark to your next event? Visit our speaker site here or contact us at booking@jmspeak.com.
What This Means for You
Every time we speak on stage, we carry the stories of our colleagues with differing abilities. Every time we tell our story, we hope to unlock something in the audience: a new idea, a shift in perspective, a burst of joy.
This isn’t just about socks. It’s about building a more inclusive world, one stage and one smile at a time.
Let’s keep Spreading Happiness™, together.
