Professor Peter Sensenbrenner began using John’s Crazy Socks as a model business in his business management class six years ago. A teacher who loves his students, Professor Sensenbrenner closed out the semester by giving his students a pair of socks from John’s Crazy Socks.
After meeting with one class virtually and lots of conversations with Professor Sensenbrenner, John and Mark made the trip to visit and speak at Ripon College. And what a wonderful experience they had.
Traveling to Ripon, Wisconsin
John and Mark flew from New York directly to Milwaukee where Professor Sensenbrenner met them at the airport waving a homemade sign to welcome the visitors. After a quick lunch in Milwaukee, he drove to Ripon and gave them a guided tour of the town and the college.
Presenting and Speaking with Students
Friday became a whirlwind day. John and Mark began by speaking to Professor Sensenbrenner’s business management class. They opened with the segment for everyone to see the possibilities in each of us and the people we meet. They offered inspiration and encouragement for the students who would be tomorrow’s business leaders. Throughout the talk, the students remained rapt and engaged.
Having learned from Professor Sensenbrenner about the class curriculum, John and Mark turned the discussion to building a social enterprise and the power of that model that serve all the stakeholders in a business. Mark said, “even the smallest business can have a big impact on a community and the lives of its employees and customers.”
Since the class has been discussing mission statements and the purpose of a business, John and Mark shared their mission of spreading happiness. They showed how that mission is made manifest in everything they do. “We talk about it all the time,” said John. “We make sure our products and services and everything we do spreads happiness.”
The students leaned forward and engaged in the presentation. Afterwards, many came forward with questions and to get pictures with John.
Speaking and Meeting with Community and Small Business Leaders
After the class and post-class discussion with students, Professor Sensenbrenner led John and Mark to a luncheon with the Ripon Rotary Club. As small business owners engaged with their community, John and Mark love meeting other business owners and have spoken with many Rotary Clubs both in the U.S. and in Canada.
The father-son team listened to local businesses speak about some of their challenges to find employees and grow their revenues. They spoke about the business benefits of hiring people with differing abilities, and how that can give even a small business a competitive advantage.
Meeting with Diverse Options – An Agency Serving People with Differing Abilities
From that luncheon, John and Mark moved on to a visit with the Diverse Options, a dynamic multi-service, social service agency that supports people within intellectual disabilities and promotes their independence. They spoke to an assembly of clients and staff, a lively group who laughed and engaged in a fun dialogue. The clients were full of questions especially about the socks offered by John’s Crazy Socks.
John then met with the participants in the Day-Hab program and encouraged them in the work they do.
When the speaking events ended, John and Mark received the tour of the operations at Diverse Options and met with management to learn more about what they do and to discuss potential collaborations. Diverse Options offers an efficient kitting and assembly service for local businesses.
John Dances at a Sock Hop
After a quick dinner, John and Mark capped off their visit to Ripon College by attending a Sock Hop organized by students in Professor Sensenbrenner’s class. What great fun. They danced. They played games. They danced. They danced some more.
Ripon College President Dr. Victoria N. Folse joined the conversations and festivities. Ripon attracts students from the Wisconsin region, but John and Mark also met with students from Nevada, Texas, Costa Rica and Jamaica. As a group, the students proved curious, and passionate about following their dreams. Ripon may be a small school, but it clearly has a big impact.
Throughout the conversations, John noshed on his favorite Wisconsin delight: cheese curds. And then he danced some more. When the evening ended, John handed out socks to everyone.
We love the lessons that Professor Sensenbrenner shares with his students. The energy and the passion of the students was palpable. John and Mark have now spoken at dozens of colleges and universities across the country bringing a message of hope and possibilities and showing not only what people with differing abilities can do but showing the impact that a business can have on people and communities.
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $750,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, we are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
