John Cronin, a 28-year-old entrepreneur with Down Syndrome, started John’s Crazy Socks in 2016. The Farmingdale, New York-based company currently sells more than 4,000 different types of socks and has reached a major milestone: more than two million orders have been fulfilled. , according to a report it published on Wednesday New York Post.
The socks on offer range from festive to Harry Potter branded. There are special designs that raise awareness for Down syndrome and autism, and gift packs like a women’s dog rescue gift that includes three different pairs of dog-themed socks.
Cronin, his parents Mark and Carol and older brother Jamie run the business together. According to the Post, it became the largest sock company in the world.
Cronin founded the company with the mission of “spreading happiness.” She handwrites a thank you note and includes two free candies with every order. At the beginning of the company’s journey, he even delivered orders to customers by hand. Over the past eight years, John’s Crazy Socks has donated nearly $800,000 to charities, including the Special Olympics.
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“Thank you to our customers,” Cronin said, according to the New York Post. “Thank you very much for helping my company.”
How John’s Crazy Socks Began
In an interview with Canvas Rebel last week, Mark Cronin explained that the work began when John was exploring his options after high school.
“John couldn’t find anything that excited him,” Mark said. “It’s an unfortunate reality that there aren’t enough good options for people with different abilities.”
John wanted to do business with his father and came up with the idea of selling socks. The father-son duo decided to build a website, acquire some inventory, and create a Facebook page with some promotional videos starring John. On the first day they opened their virtual storefront, on December 9, 2016, they received 42 orders. Over the next two weeks, they received 452 orders.
“We didn’t know how fast it would grow, we didn’t know how big it would grow, but we knew we could make it work,” Mark said.
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John’s Crazy Socks is built on five pillars: inspiration, giving back, fun products, personalization and creating a great place to work.
“We may not be able to beat Target and Walmart, at least not yet, but we have more options than anyone else,” Mark said. In addition, the company employs 34 people, 22 of whom are differently abled.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 22.5% of people with disabilities were employed last year.
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