LONDON , England ( CNN ) -- Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS Shoes in 2006 . The socially responsible company aims to provide impoverished children with shoes in a sustainable way . Blake Mycoskie says he pursued his vision for TOMS Shoes with `` reckless ambition . '' The California-based entrepreneur shares some of the lessons he learned along the way . Follow these tips and you too could launch the next big thing . Follow your passion . Despite having no background in fashion , Mycoskie relentlessly pursued his vision for TOMS . `` I had absolutely no experience in shoes or fashion so I approached the business how I have done everything in my life , and that 's with reckless ambition , '' he says . He set out to learn how to make shoes and often spent weekends peddling the shoes to L.A. 's trendy spots in the early days of the company -- an effort that paid off . Establish smart partnerships . Partnerships are critical to spreading the TOMS model and creating a global brand that 's known for giving , according to Mycoskie . He wants other firms to realize they can establish a `` one-for-one '' giving model through partnerships `` instead of reinventing the wheel themselves . '' His goal is to expand the TOMS model and work with `` other great companies out there that are already doing great products . '' Be flexible in your thinking . Mycoskie wanted to provide children in need with shoes , but was concerned a charity would not be sustainable . He could raise money from his friends and family , but worried about what would happen if his donors decided to contribute to another cause one year . But he found a solution by blending philanthropy with business . He says : `` I thought to myself , 'Okay , how can I guarantee these kids that they 'll have shoes over and over again ? ' '' `` The only way I could guarantee that was to start a business . '' Know when to move on . One of his early ventures was a 24/7 reality TV channel , which he started up after appearing on `` The Amazing Race . '' But two years after launching , the company faced stiff competition from media titan Rupert Murdoch . `` That really taught me a valuable lesson in business : Even if you have a great idea , the market is there and the market is right , '' Mycoskie says . He ended up shutting down the network , Reality Central , after realizing he could n't compete with such a large player . `` You really have to look at who your competitors are . You ca n't compete with the biggest guy . The biggest guy has the ability to shut you down -- it 's a really risky proposition . '' Experience pays off . Mycoskie had already started four other businesses by the time he got the idea for TOMS . He says the experience of running those companies helped prepare him for the rapid growth of TOMS . `` I think all my entrepreneurial experience and background kind of was trained for this one moment when this gigantic idea would explode . ''
Blake Mycoskie had started four other start - ups before creating TOMS . He ran the shoe business out of his apartment in the early days . The company has since grown tremendously and gives away shoes worldwide .