Jim Weber - Running with Purpose: How Brooks Outpaced Goliath Competitors to Lead the Pack

Jim Weber is one of the great brand leaders of today. He has carefully shaped the Brooks experience to honor the legacy of running and Brooks customers. This is a definitive story of what can happen when you zero in on the essence of your customers beliefs and then build a brand and culture of passion around that.

TOD LEIWEKE,
CEO, Seattle Kraken

Jims message will resonate with anyone, whether you run or not. His judgment, focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing, and efforts to foster a culture of fun in the workplace have led to some of the most impressive business results around. There is much to learn from this engaging read.

SRI ZAHEER,
Dean, Carlson School of Management,
University of Minnesota, and Board Chair,
Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis

Whether you are an entrepreneur setting out with your first brick-and-mortar or running a global corporation, the learnings from Jim Webers fascinating story will help any leader frame their strategy for success. Jims tale of how he built Brooks to become the market leader among giants is an inspiring reminder that when you lead with heart and remain steadfast to even a lofty vision, there are no limits to what you can accomplish.

KATHY DALBY,
CEO, Pacers Running,
and Industry Leader

Jim Webers remarkable new book chronicles his amazing success story with Brooks Running, inspired by his authentic leadership and his crucible in overcoming a life-threatening bout with cancer. His openness and insights make Running with Purpose a must-read book for everyone.

BILL GEORGE,
Senior Fellow, Harvard Business School,
former Chair and CEO, Medtronic,
and author of Discover Your True North

2022 Jim Weber

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Published by HarperCollins Leadership, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus LLC.

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ISBN 978-1-4002-3170-6 (eBook)

ISBN 978-1-4002-3168-3 (HC)

Epub Edition February 2022 9781400231706

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Printed in the United States of America

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TO MARYELLEN

We did not know where our journey would lead,

but I am forever grateful to be walking,

running, and living it by your side.

Jim Webers career as a Berkshire Hathaway manager is unique.

Throughout my fifty-six-year tenure at Berkshire, the company has followed a dramatic hands-off style in its operations. Today, only twenty-five employees work for the parent company in headquarters, while three hundred sixty thousand go about their jobs in the many dozens of individually managed subsidiary businesses that Berkshire has purchased over the years. Our decentralization is extreme.

Among those many purchases was Fruit of the Loom, a Kentucky-based manufacturer of apparel, best known for mens underwear. Fruit is successful and well managed, employing about twenty-nine thousand people.

In 2012, Fruit owned several noncore operations, including Brooks Running Company, managed by Jim Weber. Brooks and, more particularly, Jim caught my eye. Jim would catch anyones eye; he is a force.

I decided that Jim was simply too talented to not be running his own show, one that would report directly to Berkshire. My course was obvious: Fruit should transfer Brooks to Berkshire, and then Brooks should operate as a stand-alone business.

This decisionthe only one of its kind ever made at Berkshirehas been a home run. Despite entrenched and able competitors, Jim has propelled Brooks forward to an extent far beyond my high expectations.

Jim loves running, loves runners, loves his associates, and loves his retailers. Daily he demonstrates that affection in his decision-making. He instinctively understands product design and branding. He will never settle for less than the best for all constituencies and constantly challenges himself.

His enthusiasm for running has been contagious with Berkshire shareholders. During our annual meeting weekend, thousands of attendees turn out for a Sunday-morning 5K. Prior to the events pandemic-induced suspension, the crowd grew annually. I expect a new attendance record when an in-person meeting is resumed.

Jims passionate story will inspire you just as it inspired me in 2012 to recognize that he would make Brooks a stand-alone star at Berkshire. I will recommend that all Berkshire managers, current and future, read this book.

WARREN BUFFETT

The push I needed to commit, sit down, and write a book came from Warren Buffett. In February 2020 (one month before the COVID-19driven global shutdowns), I had just spent a few days in Atlanta taking in the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials where the fastest marathoners in America would compete for a spot on Team USA for the upcoming Tokyo Games. I had recently started a dialogue with Warren to get his perspective on the broad-based erosion of trust in business, institutions, and leaders. I was trying to better understand its causes and context to more effectively respond to the expanding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles that I and every business leader was (and still are) being challenged to address. Warren invited me to Omaha for a Sunday morning breakfast meeting on my way home from that Atlanta trip, and we dove into a lively discussion on all things Brooks, the economy, and my leadership trust topic. As we closed out our morning conversation he added, Brooks is a great story. You should write a book. Warrens prompt was not an entirely new idea for me.

In 2015, at age fifty-five, I took only my second extended work vacation ever. Id taken off a day here and there but nothing longer than a week (I am not proud of that, by the way). Years prior, when Brooks was struggling and trying to retain talent, we created a sabbatical program where at 13.1 years of service, every employee was eligible for a paid four-week mini sabbatical. So there I was, on the longest-ever break since I started working in the family business at eight years old. I decided to go off the grid for the month and committed to write four hours every morning to chronicle my life journey. I also committed to learning to play guitar and after lessons and daily practice struggles, wisely chose to keep my day job. I ended up writing thirty thousand words and gave it the working title Running Down a Dream. The end of my sabbatical also brought about the end of my daily writing routine as I instantly reengaged at work with renewed energy for the opportunity I saw for Brooks. And then came Warrens encouragement.