Yvon Chouinard on climbing, breaking the rules, and capitalism and Patagonia

Season 03: Episode 02 of Soundings With Jamie Brisick
Outdoorsman, self-taught blacksmith, and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard never wanted to be a businessman. Rather, it was from his desire to innovate, change the status quo, and protect the environment that Patagonia was born. A craftsman to the core, Chouinard started applying industrial design principles to making outdoor-clothing as a blacksmith shortly after high school. His recent decision to transfer all of Patagonia’s voting stock to the Patagonia Purpose Trust and all of the company’s excess profits to the Holdfast Collective, a non-profit devoted to addressing climate change, sets a precedent for a new form of capitalism in America-one that considers quality and social impact over excess and consumption. Chouinard sits down with Jamie Brisick to talk about the value of problem solving using principles of industrial science, environmentalism, what inspired his game-changing business decision, invention versus innovation, what marketing means to him, and his heroes.
Become a TSJ member at www.surfersjournal.com
Produced by Jonathan Shifflett
Music by Paz Lenchantin
Feature image by Jeff Johnson

[@outlaw565]

Thanks Yvon for a all you do to protect our environment .

[@aminXlocale]

Thank you for this interview, incredible you got a hold of Yvon pretty damn amazing. 😅 Listened to it with pure joy great audio quality recording too

[@kammui_japan]

a huge inspiration for us. please come visit Japan!

[@toothnail605]

Cool interview really enjoyed it! At one point I pressed pause and did a couple things, at that time I realized I was wearing my Patagonia R1 1/4 zip and and some old Capelene base layer bottoms lol (which I guess is kinda my PJ's sometimes.)

[@davidhayman3012]

sign me up for the "Fuck Mars" shirt

[@phillipskene5264]

Altruism is great so long as it’s not imposed by someone else (such as the state). And altruism via capitalism is nothing new. My concern is that people will listen to this and insist that every CEO conform to this so called “new capitalism”, and look to the government to enforce it thru compulsion rather than free will of the individual, and that’s a very dangerous road for a number of reasons. So great that Yvon has done what he’s done and is doing that he’s doing - both and being philanthropic and creative, I enjoy his products - But just wanted to point out this distinction. Kudos for setting a good example.