Filmmaker Katie Turinski created Sock Guys, a documentary short, that tells the story about how John and his father Mark created John’s Crazy Socks. Before, you had to attend a film festival to see Sock Guys, now Katie has made it available on Vimeo for all to enjoy. People watch it and weep, laugh and walk away feeling great.
A highlight of many film festivals, this documentary short won praise and prizes wherever it screened. The film tells the story of the father-son team of John and Mark X. Cronin. When John, who has Down syndrome, could not find meaningful work, he suggested to his Dad that they should go into business together and sell socks. And that’s exactly what they did. They have built a social enterprise with a mission to spread happiness and show what people with differing abilities can do.
John’s Crazy Socks has grown into the world’s largest sock store, shipping over 420,000 orders to 88 different countries. More than half our employees have differing abilities and our Giving Back Program has raised over $625,000 for our charity partners.
Katie Turinski: A Brilliant Filmmaker with Heart
Katie Turinski is an award-winning filmmaker based in New York City. For nearly 20 years her work has spanned multiple industries, with editing credits including the Oscars® Shortlisted Netflix Original The Speed Cubers, multiple Super Bowl commercial campaigns, and the documentary feature Jesszilla.
Her documentary work varies in subject matter, but shares common themes including inclusivity, courage, acceptance, and humor all exemplified by Sock Guys. As a director as well as editor, she seeks to tell heartfelt stories about under-represented communities. Her feature documentary Sissyboy (Director/Editor) premiered at SXSW and features a drag queen performance art troupe in Portland, OR during their final year of performances. She is currently in production on a new project featuring a differently-abled drum line as they work to rebuild after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Love for Sock Guys
Joey Travolta, a filmmaker and owner of Inclusion Studies, called the film impressive and moving. “I loved it.”
In previewing the film for Life-Wire, Greg Perosi praised Sock Guys. “It was nice to see how proud John is of his work and his business, and also I loved to see that they employ people with all different disabilities and how much the employees love working there and making friends with each other.” Perosi added, “It reminds me how much I love spending time with my dad and how proud he is of me. This was an inspiring story and it will help us to understand how fortunate some of us are to have dads who care about our future.”
Screenings for Organizations
If you have an organization that would like to schedule a screening of Sock Guys, either in person or virtually, we can help. John and Mark would be willing to introduce the film and answer questions. It can be a great event to inspire people and to open conversations about what inclusion really means.
Keynote and Event Speakers
John and Mark X. Cronin are frequent speakers at conferences and corporate events. They share their entrepreneurial story of how a young man with Down syndrome together with his father created what is today the world’s largest sock store with a mission to spread happiness. Their speaking engagements bring laughter, tears and inspire people to see what is possible for each of us to achieve. They have spoken in person at events across Canada, the United States and Mexico and at virtual events around the world. They have spoken at events for Microsoft, EY, Bank of America, the Special Olympics, and the National Down Syndrome Society, among others.
Their advocacy work has seen the Cronins testify twice before Congress and speak at the United Nations on two occasions. Their work has been featured on many national news shows. They are winners of many awards including the EY Entrepreneurs of the Year. They serve on the CEO Commission for Disability Employment and the Neurodiversity at Work Business Roundtable.
John and Mark recently recorded their second TEDx Talk entitled, “Hiring People with People with Differing Abilities is Not Altruism, It Is Good Business.” That Talk is available on YouTube and the TED platform. Their first TEDx Talk entitled Differently Abled People Want to Help Us is also available on YouTube and the TED platform.
If you would like John and Mark to speak at your event, please visit the speaker’s pages at our website or contact Maria Lerner at MLerner@johnscrazysocks.com.
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 $625,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they 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.
