The Legacy of a Businessman Who Never Wanted to Be One.

How the Founder of Patagonia built the company the earth needed.

In a world where most companies are built with the singular aim of scaling, dominating market share, and maximizing profit, Patagonia has always stood apart. Not just for the quality of its outdoor gear, but for the philosophies that shaped it. The company wasn’t built to scale in the traditional sense. It was built to serve something far greater: the health of our planet, the integrity of its products, the potential for business to be a force for good, and for "their people to go surfing".

On October 31st, I hosted a Leadership gathering inspired by the Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, and arguably one of the most reluctant (and most authentic) entrepreneurs of our time. We didn’t come together to talk about leadership frameworks or business metrics, we gathered to reflect on deeper questions:

What does it truly mean to lead with purpose?
How do we create companies that value presence over productivity, trust over control, and impact over ego?And perhaps most importantly:
How do we build organizations that won’t just outlast us, but will outshine us, in service of future generations?

“The Zen Master would say if you want to change government, you have to aim at changing corporations, and if you want to change corporations, you first have to change the consumers”
— Yvon Chouinard, Founder of Patagonia

The Weight We’re Quietly Carrying

While leadership often gets discussed in the context of external success, decision-making, or influence, we’re living in a moment where many leaders are quietly carrying far more than they name. The political climate, the uncertainty of our global future, the rising burnout across industries, and the invisible toll of disconnection all weigh heavily on the modern leader, especially those who care deeply.

Whether you’re leading a team or simply trying to lead yourself through complexity, you’re not immune to the emotional weight of today’s world. And that’s precisely why the way we lead: how we show up for ourselves and for others, matters more than ever. Leadership today is no longer just a professional responsibility; it’s a deeply human one.

Chouinard’s Quiet Revolution

When Yvon Chouinard started making climbing gear in the late 1950s, he didn’t have a five-year plan or a pitch deck. He identified first and foremost as a climber, surfer, kayaker, and blacksmith. His work was simply an extension of his values and his deep connection to the world. Over time, that work became Patagonia, a company known not just for its products, but for its unwavering commitment to environmental activism and ethical business.

Chouinard never intended to be a CEO. Yet by remaining grounded in a clear set of principles "build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis", he ended up building a global brand that challenged nearly every assumption about what business should look like.

And then, one day, he found himself on the Forbes Billionaires List.

Rather than celebrate, he was horrified. 

That moment of discomfort triggered deep reflection, and ultimately led him to make one of the most radical decisions in modern business: to give the company away. Not to his family. Not to a board of investors. But to a specially designed trust, so that all future profits would be used to fight the environmental crisis. In his words: “Earth is now our only shareholder.”

Culture Is the Real Product

One of the most profound lessons Chouinard leaves us with is this: culture is the real product. If your workplace culture doesn’t reflect your values, then no level of financial success will make up for the misalignment. At Patagonia, Let My People Go Surfing is more than a catchy phrase. It’s a call to build a workplace that respects people’s humanity, trusts them to do good work, and encourages them to live fully.

This raises an important question for all of us: What would change in your workplace if your team was trusted deeply, not micromanaged, but truly empowered to show up as whole people? What might be possible if flexibility and freedom weren’t “perks” to be earned, but foundational elements of how we define success?

Leadership, in this model, isn’t about control, it’s about creating the conditions for others to thrive.

And when those conditions are in place, growth becomes not only possible, but sustainable. 

The Real MBA: Management by Absence

Chouinard’s philosophy offers a compelling alternative to hustle culture. His model of “real MBA,” or Management by Absence, asks us to let go of the illusion of control and instead invest in building systems of trust, autonomy, and aligned values.

What if stepping away didn’t signal disengagement, but confidence?

What if creating space allowed your team to show up more fully?

What if the best way to grow was to loosen your grip?

These aren’t hypothetical questions, they’re an invitation. An opportunity to lead in a way that is not only effective, but deeply nourishing.

Purpose, People, and Planet

As we wrapped up the session and shared coffee (courtesy of the wonderful team at Counter Culture Coffee), we reflect further on real leadership. Leadership isn’t about titles or strategies. It’s about presence. It’s about how we choose to show up, the energy we bring into a room, and the legacy we leave behind through the daily choices we make.

Yvon Chouinard’s story is a good reminder that business doesn’t have to take more than it gives. It can support people, inspire change, and make things better when we lead from our values.

So here’s the invitation: Let’s keep choosing Mindful Leadership.

For people.
For purpose.
For the planet.

Because at this point, we all know: if we want a better future, this is the way we have to lead.
There’s no alternative.
♡

Ps I: If this gathering resonated and you’d like your team to experience something similar, feel free to reply. I’d be happy to support.

Ps II: If you want to get involved, Patagonia Action Works is a great place to start. You’ll find environmental organizations you can support and take action with.