AND
AND ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY ON THIS VETERANS DAY. >> FIRST I WANT TO SAY THANK
YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO SERVED
MILITARY BRAD HERE AS I ALWAYS
HAVE TO GET THAT OUT OF THE
WAY.
OK.
WAY. OK.
WAY. OK. ONE LOCAL BUSINESS IS EXTENDING
ITS FINANCIAL AND CHARITABLE
RESOURCES ACROSS THE WORLD
COMBAT FLIP FLOPS AND ISSAQUAH
COMPANY FOUNDED BY VETERANS
USES ITS PROFITS TO SUPPORT
EDUCATION FOR AFGHAN GIRLS
CO-FOUNDER AND FORMING ARMOR
ARMY RANGER MATT GRIFFIN
JOINING ME NOW.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF THIS BE
BETTER HUMAN.
YOU ARE DOING THAT.
I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT
COMBAT FLIPFLOPS, THE MISSION
AND HOW YOU FOUNDED IT.
>> THANK YOU.
WELL, WE'RE A FAMILY OWNED
BUSINESS OUT OF A SEQUEL TO THE
FOUNDERS NOT ONLY OF MYSELF
SERVED SEVEN COMBINED TOURS AND
SPECIAL OPERATIONS WHEN WE WERE
DOWNRANGE WE JUST SAW THAT THE
VIOLENCE WAS JUST NEVER ENDING
AND WE GOT OUT AND COULDN'T
FIGURE OUT A WAY UNTIL ONE DAY
ENDED UP BACK IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND I SAW THAT PROSPERITY AND
SECURITY THAT SMALL BUSINESSES
WERE BRINGING IN.
LONG STORY SHORT, I ENDED UP IN
A COMBAT MEAT FACTORY.
I SAW FLIPFLOP SOUL WITH A FLIP
FLIP FLOP ON COINS TO
COMBAT MUTE SOUL AND THAT WAS
THE IDEA.
AND WE STARTED A COMPANY IN
2000 IN TWELVE CALLED
COMBAT FLIPFLOPS AND THE
MISSION IS TO MANUFACTURE PEACE
THROUGH TRADE.
SO THAT'S HOW WE STARTED IT.
AND I LOVE IT.
AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
HOW YOU SPEND SOME OF YOUR
PROFITS TO HELP WITH EDUCATION
IN AFGHANISTAN.
>> SO FOR US, WOMEN'S EDUCATION
WE BELIEVE IS THE KEY.
>> EDUCATED WOMEN CREATE
EDUCATED FAMILIES.
EDUCATED FAMILIES ARE MORE
RESISTANT TO RADICALISM.
SO OUR OUR BELIEF IS THAT IF WE
JUST EDUCATE ALL OF THE WOMEN,
WE'LL SOLVE A LOT OF THE
SOCIETAL AND VIOLENCE ISSUES
THAT THEY HAVE IN AFGHANISTAN.
AND SO WE SUPPORT AN
ORGANIZATION CALLED AID
AFGHANISTAN FOR EDUCATION.
THEY'RE THE LEADING PROGRAM FOR
WOMEN.
THEY RUN 13 SCHOOLS ACROSS
NORTHERN AFGHANISTAN.
AND LAST YEAR THEY WON UNESCO'S
WORLD LITERACY AWARD.
THEY'RE REALLY DOING FANTASTIC
WORK AND REALLY PROUD TO
SUPPORT THEM.
SO FOR EVERY PIECE OF FOOTWEAR
AND STAFF THAT WE SELL, WE WANT
AN EDUCATION FOR FUND, AN
EDUCATION FOR A DAY OF SCHOOL
FOR A GIRL IN AFGHANISTAN AND
HISTORY TO DATE.
WE FUNDED 800 GIRLS IN SCHOOL
THROUGH THE THROUGH THE
COMBAT MISSION.
>> WHAT'S IT FEEL LIKE TO KNOW
THAT YOU'RE MAKING THAT KIND
OF CHANGE AND YOU TRULY ARE
IMPARTING A PERSON'S LIFE ON A
DAILY BASIS?
I MEAN WHAT DOES THAT FEEL LIKE
?
MORE OFTEN THAN NOT YOU'RE
SITTING IN FRONT OF A KEYBOARD
AND INSTAGRAM AND FACEBOOK JUST
TRYING TO MAKE A BUSINESS WORK.
BUT EVERY NOW AND THEN THEY'LL
SEND YOU PHOTOS OF LITTLE GIRLS
IN SCHOOL AND YOU CAN'T HELP
IT.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M NOT TRYING.
YOU'RE TRYING AND IT'S JUST
AWESOME TO SEE THAT THE PEOPLE
YOU WANTED TO HELP SO MANY
YEARS AGO THAT YOU DIDN'T THINK
THAT YOU COULD HELP WHEN YOU
WERE DOWNRANGE, YOU KNOW,
SERVING OVERSEAS.
THERE'S A LOT OF VETERANS TO GO
THERE AND THEY SEE THESE POOR
CHILDREN WHO ARE NEVER GOING TO
HAVE TO HELP OR ASSISTANCE THAT
THEY NEEDED.
BUT NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DO THAT AND WE CAN
DO A VERY FUN AND EMPOWERING
WAY.
SO IT FEELS GOOD AND IT'S A
GREAT WAY TO MAKE A LIVING AND
SUPPORTING ALL THESE PEOPLE.
>> FROM NOW UNTIL CHRISTMAS IS
YOUR BUSY SEASON.
AND TO BE ABLE TO HELP PEOPLE,
WE WANT TO PROMOTE YOUR PRODUCT
A LITTLE BIT.
SO I UNDERSTAND ONE OF THE
BIGGEST SELLERS IS THE
FLOPERATOR.
CAN YOU ELABORATE PLEASE?
>> SO THAT IS THE FLOPERATOR ON
LAND, SEA AND AIR.
WE'VE GOT YOUR FEET COVERED .
IT'S A GREAT PRODUCT MEANT FOR
THE NORTHWEST WET WEATHER AND
KIND OF THE COOL PART ABOUT IT
IS IS THERE'S LITTLE VELCRO
PATCHES THAT ARE ON IT THAT YOU
CAN USE TO CHANGE UP YOUR STYLE
SO YOU CAN PUT AMERICAN FLAGS,
YOU CAN PUT LITTLE MONTREAUX
SLOW IS SMOOTH, SMOOTH AS FAST
BAD FOR RUNNING VERSUS FIGHTING
AS WHENEVER TAGLINES WHEN THEY
COME IN COYOTE SHADOW GRAY AND
ALL OF OLIVE DRAB GREEN.
>> SO IT'S A FUN COOL PRODUCT
THAT'S TO LAST YEAR FOR YEARS
AND PEOPLE JUST SEEM TO LIKE
IT.
IT'S OUR NUMBER ONE SELLER
RIGHT NOW.
>> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN
YOU'RE LIKE WALKING DOWN THE
STREET AND YOU SEE SOMEONE WITH
YOUR FLIP FLOP ON?
SO IF I SEE YOU ON THE STREET
THE FLIP FLOPS ON AS WE CALL
THEM SEEING THEM IN THE WILD,
ONE OF US IS GOING TO RUN UP TO
YOU AND TAKE A SELFIE AND
PROBABLY POSTED ON INSTAGRAM.
>> SO IF WE RUN INTO YOU AND
EXPECTED TO BE YOU KNOW,
ACCOSTED BY ONE OF ONE OF THE
COMBAT PHOTO OPS TEAM IF WE SEE
OUT IN A WHILE, OK.
NOW I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
MORE ABOUT YOUR LOGO.
BE A BETTER HUMAN AS THIS PART
IS.
THAT'S WHAT COMBAT KIND
OF LIVES AND DIES BY.
>> IT IS YOU KNOW, ALL OF US
SEE WE'VE BEEN THROUGH OUR
CHALLENGES.
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH OUR
STRUGGLES.
THERE'S A LOT VETERANS OUT
THERE WHO ARE GOING THROUGH IT
RIGHT NOW.
THERE IS A LOT OF WHO'VE BEEN
THROUGH AND I WOULD JUST SAY AS
YOU GET UP EVERY DAY YOU WORK
HARD TO DO YOUR BEST TO HELP
OTHER PEOPLE AND IMPROVE EVERY
DAY.
ALL YOU CAN DO EVERY DAY JUST
WORK ON BEING A BETTER HUMAN
AND WE ALL DO A LITTLE ON THAT
TOGETHER WE DO A LOT AND THAT'S
THE MONSTER WE TRY TO PUSH
THROUGH OUR MISSION AND THROUGH
OUR PRODUCTS AND THROUGH JUST
WHAT WE DO ON A DAILY BASIS BY
LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
DID YOU SEE.
>> I'M CURIOUS.
DIFFERENCE IN SALES WITH THE
POLITICAL CLIMATE THE WAY IT IS
AND PEOPLE WANTING TO REALLY
SAY HEY, I'M VOTING ON AMERICAN
AND THAT'S RIGHT SIZING MY
RIGHT MY FREEDOM DID IT DID
THAT IMPACT SALES AT ALL GIVEN
THE POLITICAL CLIMATE HITTING
AT THE TIME WHERE YOUR BUSY
SEASON STARTS?
>> IT'S BEEN REALLY INTERESTING
IF YOU JUMP INTO OUR FACEBOOK
COMMENTS ON OUR ADVERTISERS OR
IN OR STOP YOU'RE GOING TO SEE
A POSITIVE COMMENT ABOUT
FACEBOOK, YOU KNOW ABOUT
FLIPFLOPS.
COME ON.
AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO SEE
SOMEBODY PUTTING A POLITICAL
COMMENT AND WE DO OUR BEST TO
REGULATE IT AND WE SAY KNOW WE
WELCOME ALL PEOPLE FROM
POLITICAL PERSPECTIVES HERE.
THIS IS A PLACE FOR
CONVERSATION, NOT CONFRONTATION
.
AND IT'S BEEN ACTUALLY KIND
OF FUNNY HOW PEOPLE ARE
ACTUALLY MEETING AND AGREEING
TALKING ON SUBJECTS THROUGH A
FLIP-FLOP ADVERTISING AND WE
TRY TO REGULATE BEST THAT WE
CAN.
AND IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY
COOL EXPERIENCE TO SEE AND I
HAVE TO SAY THAT PEOPLE FROM
THE LEFT LOVE OUR PRODUCT,
PEOPLE FROM THE RIGHT LOVE OUR
PRODUCT IS IN THE END YOU'RE
JUST HELPING SOMEBODY AND IT
MAKES EVERYBODY FEEL GOOD.
>> THAT'S AMAZING.
>> OK.
WHAT DO YOU HEAR FROM VETERANS
ABOUT YOUR STUFF?
>> SO VETERANS HAVE BEEN YOUR
CORE DEMOGRAPHIC SINCE WE
STARTED.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T
UNDERSTAND OUR COMPANY OR
MISSION OR WHY WE WERE SO
FOCUSED ON EDUCATING GIRLS IN
AFGHANISTAN AND THE PEOPLE WHO
HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT
AND SEEN IT, THEY GET IT.
THEY UNDERSTAND HOW HARD IT IS
FOR THESE PEOPLE.
THEY HAVE A DEEP SENSE
OF EMPATHY FOR THE AFGHANS AND
ESPECIALLY THE AFGHAN KIDS AND
THE AFGHAN WOMEN AND THEY WILL
DO ANYTHING TO HELP AND WEARING
A COOL SET FLIPFLOPS IS A COOL
WAY TO HELP AND IT MAKES A
DIFFERENCE AND YOU FEEL GOOD
ABOUT IT EVERY TIME YOU FLY ON
CAME OUT REAL QUICK, TELL
PEOPLE WHERE THEY CAN CHECK OUT
YOUR PRODUCTS.
>> EVERYTHING IS AT
COMBAT FLIPFLOPS DOT COM AND IF
YOU WANT TO FIND US ON SOCIAL
MEDIA INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK,
SOUNDCLOUD, SPOTIFY EVERYTHING
IS AT COMBAT FLIPFLOPS.
>> MATT HEY, THANK YOU FOR
SERVING.
AND THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.