Patagonia for Yvon Chouinard was an experiment. Yvon Chouinard devoted much time to search for a business model for his company. He did not want to be a businessman from an advertising folder, in a well-tailored suit, with an artificial smile. He never wanted to be a businessman. However, he slowly agreed with the fact that unfortunately this was inevitable. If so, he wanted to lead the Patagonia in his own way, on his own terms, contrary to popular belief of authorities and rules, which destroyed the natural environment and local culture.
The wish to create his company, Patagonia, came from a need to improve his climbing equipment. Slowly, step by step, simple and at the same time, unusual ideas were forged on business success. And in this way, the man who did not want to spend a minute behind the desk, has become one of the most influential person in the American clothing business. However, this happened unintentionally. For Yvon Chouinard, the most important was always climbing, surfing and fishing.
The overarching goal of Patagonia, a manufacturer of outdoor clothing, is to create high quality products with minimal environmental load. This is a unique company founded in 1973 by the American climber Yvon Chouinard. Patagonia is producing high quality outdoor clothing that are, first, the stories of people – surfers, travelers, who consciously chose a lifestyle defined by their passions and goals. Clothing of Patagonia accompanied its owners for many years, it is an indestructible attribute expressing a lot of personality and philosophy of a man. It can be knitted, sewed, mended and changed. The more destroyed, the more it shows about its owner. They do not tell customers “buy our jacket”, but on the contrary, it shows that their product can be worn for so long, until it loses its original shape and color. It is a true story about the value and quality the company presents.
Patagonia example, shows that the widely-accepted model of capitalism that forces the continuous growth and is guilty of damage in the environment, must be replaced with a new model of operation. Moreover, it shows that the fruit of fair procedure is a healthy and profitable enterprise. Entrepreneurship is not just about making profit and rapid growth but to offer high quality products that does not depreciate over time and environmental ethics.
I can relate with Yvon Chouinard’s mission for Patagonia with my own experience as a student. Ever since I can remember, I also wanted to know more about the business environment. Therefore, my educational background is related to business, I have a Master’s degree in strategic management and an MBA. However, having obtained strict knowledge about different fields related to business wasn’t enough for me. I felt that I was still missing some important elements. Currently, I am a Ph.D student and I’m looking into, how business ideas can relate to making positive (social, environmental) change. It is worth noticing that entrepreneurship is developing in a dynamic way, it depends not only on the principles and rights, the economy is guided by, but also on the social, environmental and cultural determinants. We should also remember that economic activity is taken by the individuals, so we must find motivation and ideas that will arrive from properly distinguished means and aims. Patagonia’s example, shows an interesting story of how we can create enterprise by taking care of what surrounds us.
Reference: https://www.npr.org/player/embed/504852483/505017995