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Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

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Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#21

Post by kmundnic »

splatcollision wrote: post #13

One thing that they do fantastically well is the repair program, which is also good for the world instead of their bottom line. Even years-old winter coats you can bring into a store and they will send it off for repair, instead of you having to buy a new one.

The zipper of a down jacket I bought from them would get stuck. They repaired it twice for me, and the third time I took it for repair, they gave me a new one. This was 4 years after I bought it, no receipt needed. I would assume that the old jacket went into their recycling program.

The new jacket came with a sturdier zipper, so it also showed that they acknowledged the design flaw. I've been using this jacket for the last 5 years, and it is still holding well (and never again had a problem with the zipper).

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#22

Post by RankingMember »

bob457 wrote: post #18
_kyran wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No problem with companies putting something on sale. One of their values is that: "We know that our business activity—from lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of the problem. We work steadily to change our business practices and share what we’ve learned. But we recognize that this is not enough. We seek not only to do less harm, but more good." Running sales, just generates more impulse purchases and consumerism…

Everything has an impact. The ultimate act of conservation is suicide. Few are that committed. We are all hypocrites.

I think doing something positive with you life (e.g. advocating for people to make responsible procreation decisions) could give you a net positive existence. I think advocating people commit suicide isn't going to win you many adherents though (unless you have a really cool story about where you go after suicide, e.g. Heaven's Gate :P).

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#23

Post by starpilot »

_kyran wrote: post #7
PhaseLockk wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is the problem with companies offering sales?

No problem with companies putting something on sale. One of their values is that: "We know that our business activity—from lighting stores to dyeing shirts—is part of the problem. We work steadily to change our business practices and share what we’ve learned. But we recognize that this is not enough. We seek not only to do less harm, but more good." Running sales, just generates more impulse purchases and consumerism…

> Running sales, just generates more impulse purchases and consumerism

You probably didn't hear of their "Don't buy this jacket" campaign: https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2011/11/dont-buy-this-jacket-... They also promote buying used items through their WornWear program.

If people didn't buy from Pata, they'd probably be giving their money to TNF or Columbia or some other company that is far worse for the environment. None of the others are certified B corporations. I'm glad it exists as a better option, even if it's not perfectly zero impact.

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#24

Post by LMYahooTFY »

splatcollision wrote: post #13

One thing that they do fantastically well is the repair program, which is also good for the world instead of their bottom line. Even years-old winter coats you can bring into a store and they will send it off for repair, instead of you having to buy a new one.

They also have a truck they tour around to various events to do on-site repairs. I've encountered it at 24 Hours of Horseshoe Hell (endurance rock climbing competition), it's very cool!

https://www.patagonia.com/worn-wear.html

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#25

Post by teachrdan »

spodek wrote: post #6

I toured Patagonia's headquarters last year after featuring Vincent Stanley, who has been with them since 1973, on my podcast http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/vincent-stanley . The culture was amazing -- friendly, productive, supportive. I asked a random employee to join me for lunch. Whatever I asked about company vision, culture, etc she knew. When I asked why they did this or that thing a certain way, she'd say thin…

Here's a quote from his amazing book, Let My People Go Surfing:

"When I look at my business today, I realize one of the biggest challenges I have is combating complacency. I always say we're running Patagonia as if it's going to b e here a hundred years from now, but that doesn't mean we have a hundred years to get there! Our success and longevity lie in our ability to change quickly. Continuous change and innovation require maintaining a sense of urgency--a tall order, especially in Patagonia's seemingly laid-back corporate culture. In fact, one of the biggest mandates I have for managers at the company is to instigate change. It's the only way we're going to survive in the long run."

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#26

Post by davidw »

teachrdan wrote: post #25
spodek wrote: post #6

I toured Patagonia's headquarters last year after featuring Vincent Stanley, who has been with them since 1973, on my podcast http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/vincent-stanley . The culture was amazing -- friendly, productive, supportive. I asked a random employee to join me for lunch. Whatever I asked about company vision, culture, etc she knew. When I asked why they did this or that thing a certain way, she'd say thin…

Here's a quote from his amazing book, Let My People Go Surfing: "When I look at my business today, I realize one of the biggest challenges I have is combating complacency. I always say we're running Patagonia as if it's going to b e here a hundred years from now, but that doesn't mean we have a hundred years to get there! Our success and longevity lie in our ability to change quickly. Continuous change and innovation…

> require maintaining a sense of urgency--a tall order, especially in Patagonia's seemingly laid-back corporate culture

Interesting... so which is it? Is the "laid back" thing just marketing and they're running people around just like many other places, or do they things some other way?

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#27

Post by acdanger »

splatcollision wrote: post #13

One thing that they do fantastically well is the repair program, which is also good for the world instead of their bottom line. Even years-old winter coats you can bring into a store and they will send it off for repair, instead of you having to buy a new one.

My puppy eviscerated the back of a merino wool sweater two days after I bought it. Patagonia repaired it for the cost of shipping.

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#28

Post by wil421 »

splatcollision wrote: post #13

One thing that they do fantastically well is the repair program, which is also good for the world instead of their bottom line. Even years-old winter coats you can bring into a store and they will send it off for repair, instead of you having to buy a new one.

If you can go to one of their stores I highly recommend it. The associate walked a guy to a shoe repair shop and paid for a zipper on a backpack they no longer make. This was after offering him a new one but he liked the old style.

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#29

Post by tony_cannistra »

spodek wrote: post #6

I toured Patagonia's headquarters last year after featuring Vincent Stanley, who has been with them since 1973, on my podcast http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/vincent-stanley . The culture was amazing -- friendly, productive, supportive. I asked a random employee to join me for lunch. Whatever I asked about company vision, culture, etc she knew. When I asked why they did this or that thing a certain way, she'd say thin…

Both "Let My People Go Surfing" [0] and the slightly more CEO-palatable "The Responsible Company" [1] are must-reads for people who run things / buy things.

[0]: https://amzn.to/31SyWY0 [1]: https://amzn.to/2Z80ZFS

Re: Patagonia's Philosopher King (2016)

#30

Post by 50208 »

spodek wrote: post #6

I toured Patagonia's headquarters last year after featuring Vincent Stanley, who has been with them since 1973, on my podcast http://joshuaspodek.com/guests/vincent-stanley . The culture was amazing -- friendly, productive, supportive. I asked a random employee to join me for lunch. Whatever I asked about company vision, culture, etc she knew. When I asked why they did this or that thing a certain way, she'd say thin…

I too was extremely lucky to visit the Ventura headquarters on a random trip to the area several years ago. I was going to get a "surf lesson" from Chipper (who I was half-jokingly told was the highest paid receptionist in the world) but he needed to reschedule. By happenstance, Yvon was there and he was going to hand forge a piton in the old tin shed ... the piton would be auctioned off (for the AAC I believe).

Chipper said, "I can't surf right now but you can go watch Yvon make a piton if you want ... oh here is Yvon right now ... Yvon, meet (my name), (my name), meet Yvon." So I turn and there he is. He's tiny, he smiles, we shake hands quickly, and he's out the door. I'm like, hell yeah ... I want to watch him make a Piton.

Chipper quickly walks me over to the tin shed, opens the door and shoves me into the standing room only shed filled with Patagonia employees who look at me like "who is this interloper?" for a split second before returning their attention to Yvon, who has started doing his thing. Over the next 30 minutes Yvon narrated as he took a piece of iron, heated it, hammered it, forged it, bent it, ground it with the original metal working machines (all older than me). It was as if nothing in the tin shed had changed in decades ... nothing had been cleaned or moved. It was exactly as it had been. And Yvon busted out a perfect Angle piton as expertly as if it was 1960-something.

A bit of Tin Shed action can be seen in the awesome movie Mountain of Storms:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ympydy7f1Mg

I look back on it now 12 years later as if it was a dream ... but no, I was there. Like the author of the article, I am a 90's guy who found my callings via the Patagonia catalog (I still have my 1st one, Spring 1992). I moved from Kentucky to the mountain west after high school and over the years became a climber, ww kayaker, skier, surfer, mtb'er, etc ... just like Yvon, but never to his level ... dude was an athletic badass before his time. He's also in reality an avant-garde political, social, business and environmental badass well beyond our current understandings IMO. I feel very lucky to have met him and watched him make that piton.

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