TOMS Bethany Joy Clark Inspires Students

“If your dreams don’t scare you, get new dreams,” said Bethany Joy Clark, a James Madison University alumna and the Director of Global Customer Engagement at TOMS.

Clark visited the College of Business on Friday, January 30.  She spoke to students and faculty in multiple classrooms throughout the day, wrapping up with a separate presentation entitled “TOMS Global Customer Engagement.”  Clark was also a featured speaker for the Women in Leadership Conference held the following day.

“This place feels like home,” said Clark, referring to her love for JMU and her excitement at being back at her alma mater.

She began her presentation by introducing herself and telling her audience how she landed a job at TOMS. The Fredericksburg, Va., native was a JMU Student Ambassador, an RA, and Hall Director for the Office of Residence Life. The 2003 art graduate began her career at The Walt Disney Company, where she managed the Disneyland Grad Nite program and marketed the Disney Endurance Series sports programs.

Clark encouraged her audience to dream big and know themselves. She used her own life as an example, sharing a personal story about a time her life when she needed a change. She moved across the country to Los Angeles, Calif., where she works hard to help make positive changes in the lives of others through TOMS.

TOMS began with Blake Mycoskie and the absence of a shoe. He built a company that would sell a simplistic shoe and for every shoe that he sold he would give someone in need a shoe of their own. With an initial goal of selling 200 shoes, Mycoskie has gone on to sell and give away 35 million pairs of shoes. TOMS transitioned from a shoe company to a giving company whose products now serve a variety of needs from improving eyesight to providing clean water. Blake also wrote “Start Something That Matters,” a book about his business success. A New York Times bestselling business book, it was named number one in the advice category.

Clark ended her presentation by encouraging the audience to change the status quo by becoming “game changers” in their lives and careers.

Follow Clark on Twitter @itsbethanyjoy and tweet #TOMStribe via the TOMStribe website.