There’s a 21-year-old guy from Long Island, New York named John Cronin who has Down syndrome.  He was about to graduate high school a couple years ago, and wanted a job.  But he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

He knew he wanted to start a business with his dad, and thought about opening a food truck.  But neither of them could really cook all that well.  So he went with something he was PASSIONATE about instead.

Ever since he was a kid, he’s loved wearing crazy socks with lots of colors.  His brothers told him he should tone it down a little bit, but he refused.  He says they’re, quote, “not the fashion police.”

So just over a year ago, he and his dad Mark started a business called John’s Crazy Socks.  And they’ve already brought in over $1.7 MILLION in revenue.

It’s a “pick-and-pack” business, which means they don’t actually make their own socks.  They pick their favorite ones from other retailers, and sell them through their website, JohnsCrazySocks.com.  They have about 1,500 pairs you can choose from, and also run a Sock of the Month Club.

They currently have 12 full-time employees, and eight of them have some sort of disability.  Plus, they donate 5% of their profits to the Special Olympics.  And they also design special socks to benefit causes like autism.

(Today / BBC