{"product_id":"authentic-a-memoir-by-the-founder-of-vans-9781641120241","title":"Authentic: A Memoir by the Founder of Vans","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn the tradition of bestsellers such as \u003ci\u003eShoe Dog\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eAuthentic\u003c\/i\u003e is a surprisingly candid, compelling memoir by a high school dropout who went on to establish one of the world's most iconic brands.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e You may not know their creator, but you certainly know the shoes: for more than a generation, Vans shoes have been synonymous with cool. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Now in this refreshingly candid memoir, meet Paul Van Doren, the charismatic founder of Vans--the shoe company beloved by skateboarders, creatives, and fans everywhere for its laid-back, colorful SoCal vibe, and famous for its people-oriented company culture. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eAuthentic\u003c\/i\u003e, he shares his unlikely journey from high-school dropout to sneaker-industry legend. A blue-collar kid with no higher education and zero retail experience, Van Doren started out as a 16-year-old \"service boy\" at a local rubber factory. Over the next few decades, he leveraged a knack for numbers, a genius for efficiency, and the know-how to make a great canvas tennis shoe into an all-American success story. What began as a family shoe business has today evolved into a globally recognized brand with billions of dollars of annual revenue. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Van Doren is not just an entrepreneur, he's an innovator. In 1966, when the first House of Vans store opened, there were no stand-alone retail stores just for sneakers. Paul's bold experiments in product design, distribution, and marketing (Why not sell custom shoes? Single shoes?), aided by legions of fans--skateboarders, surfers, even Sean Penn wearing Vans' famous checkerboard slip-on shoe in the film \u003ci\u003eFast Times at Ridgemont High\u003c\/i\u003e--made Vans a household name. But there was also back-breaking work, a shocking bankruptcy, family turmoil, and a profound shift in how customers think about athletic shoes. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eAuthentic\u003c\/i\u003e details Van Doren's personal life, but also hard-won business lessons learned over six turbulent decades in the shoe trade: the importance of deep-rooted values, of improvisation, of vision (and revision), and above all, of valuing people over profits. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eBracingly forthright and totally entertaining, \u003ci\u003eAuthentic\u003c\/i\u003e is a business memoir by an American original.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Vertel Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/27\/2021\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781641120241\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 336","brand":"Paul Van Doren","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39580181233845,"sku":"9781641120241","price":25.49,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/products\/img_ea0709c2-dbfb-499a-9908-88818192ea61.jpg?v=1617084992","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/authentic-a-memoir-by-the-founder-of-vans-9781641120241","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}