Another week, another adventure. Today's episode focuses on John and Mark's trip to Washington, DC to meet with Congress. There were so many exciting happenings and so much good work that John did that we can't begin to get into it in the show notes. Take a listen to Mark and the Chief Happiness Officer, John, as they have a nice father-son conversation about the week. One thing's for sure, we GUARANTEE a smile or two during this episode.  Business to highlight: Rosemary Sparkle Design by Britni Allen Make custom t-shirts, bags and other items. Sell them locally. It is Britni and her mom, Keri Allen. Beautiful items. All handmade in Brooklyn. No website yet. Spent time with them in DC on Advocacy Day  Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's another week and another episode from the happiness spreaders that you know and love! John and Mark are back with episode 3 of season 2 and they have some good chats while they are road trippin' around the USA, specifically to Washington DC. They guys talk about all kinds of things that came up since you last listened, PLUS the old standbys like John's love life, weight loss journeys and more! Buckle up, folks. This is a good one. Business to highlight: Jacob Greene - jacobgreeneart.com  Jacob had our Differing Abilities design internship with us in 2021. He just published his third book -Grumpy Shark – and we went to hear him read at Barnes and Noble on Saturday. I am a young man on the Autism Spectrum who recently graduated from New York Tech in the school of Architecture and Design. My passion is Digital Art. I enjoy using Adobe Suite to draw and create illustrations for children’s books, 2D animations and animations for video games. I have a very creative imagination and I don’t have trouble coming up with ideas. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Mark calls John a cranky old man and we lose control from there on the newest episode of The Spreading Happiness Podcast! The boys are back with some great stories ranging from their talks at Special Education PTAs (SEPTA) all the way through Mark and his wife (John's mom) wanting grandkids. It may be season 2 but one thing has definitely not changed...your smile throughout listening to this show. Enjoy, folks! Business to highlight: Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe https://www.madamclutterbuckets.com/  Amazing store in Ashville, North Carolina  A unique downtown Asheville gift shop with extraordinary employees that carries vintage & new laugh-out-loud, eccentric & altogether rock n’ roll merchandise. From freaky antiques to hilarious accessories, Madam Clutterbucket's stands out as a must-see downtown experience! We are a family-owned business that believes that neurodiversity makes our communities stronger and abilities always outweigh disabilities.  We are driven by personal experience to spread awareness of the abilities of disabled adults and help decrease the workplace limitation stigma by creating employment opportunities that are built for success. We provide on site work support including job coaching and community building so our employees abilities, rather than disabilities, are recognized. We have created employment opportunities for neurodiverse adults and we are working to demonstrate that businesses can accommodate all types of workers. Diverse workplaces are not only possible, but easy to create when workplaces are made accessible! John got a t-shirt from Madam Clutterbuckets and loved it. And we got a bunch of stickers. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

We're back for Season 2 of The Spreading Happiness Podcast with John Cronin and Mark Cronin, the father-son duo and masterminds behind John's Crazy Socks! The format is changing a little because you spoke and we listened. We won't waste time talking about the changes on the show notes...listen for yourself and let us know how you feel about the show! The boys have spent their month off traveling around and spreading happiness, as usual, including a visit to the United Nations and so much more. Enjoy, folks! Business to highlight: Smile Farms - https://smilefarms.org/ Jim McCann and the McCann family established Smile Farms to provide developmentally disabled adults with meaningful work opportunities at farms, urban gardens, greenhouses and farm stands where they can grow and sell flowers, plants and produce in their local communities. They did it to honor their brother Kevin and to provide meaningful work for Kevin. Each Smile Farms campus is a revenue-generating business that can use the funds earned to support its participants’ employment and its mission. Smile Farms works closely with its partners to devise site-specific farming and marketing plans that maximize profitability. It helps fund start-up costs and provides ongoing financial support to the campus based on the number of people employed. Smile Farms plants, flowers and fresh produce are sold in a variety of venues in the communities where campuses are located; are used in partner organizations’ kitchens; and are donated to local nonprofits serving people who are in need. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

What a week its' been! It started off with the boys being interviewed on News12 about John's Crazy Socks and then? It was on to the New York State Special Olympic Games in Syracuse, NY! Tune in to find out how it went. After Syracuse, it was on to...VEGAS BABY for the ASD Trade Show. John talks about the adventures in Vegas, which is where the boys recorded this episode from. Even though we're switching time zones like they were socks (see what we did there), the guys still had time for the usual segments like good news, bad jokes, getting in shape, John's love life and more! Stick around folks, it's gonna be a good one! Business to highlight: Joyful Café Wooster Ohio https://www.joyfulcafe.org/  A coffee shop employing people with differing abilities. They just celebrated their four year anniversary. Great photos on Facebook  Here is what they say: Joyful Cafe is about joy, about accepting others as they are.  It's about connecting you with a great cup of coffee and connecting our employees with a fulfilling Job.  Most of our employees have disabilities.  But that doesn't stop them from loving what they do.  And it certainly doesn't stop them from brightening your day! Here is their story: Joyful Cafe started when 2 moms of young adults with significant disabilities  began to think, "What will my kids do, once they "age out" of the special education system?" Many other families wonder the same thing, as there are limited employment opportunities for people who have disabilities and need a little extra support in the workplace. A mutual friend put the 2 families together, and magic began to happen! ​Healthpoint, a health club and rehabilitiation center run by Wooster Community Hospital, was interested in having a retail coffee shop located within their space.  When they heard our dream, they thought their space might be the perfect place for a coffee shop that employed young adults with significant disabilities.  We agreed! ​Joyful enterprises, a 501c-3 non-profit organization, was set up to help fund the coffee shop.  Local teachers, whose student with special needs operate coffee shops within their schools, offered their knowledge and skills. They now have a second location inside the Western Reserve Group office building.  They created the 52 Club where supporters can donate $52 per year to keep the café going.  Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Welcome back, folks! John and Mark started the week off with a visit to College Hunks Hauling Junk. On Tuesday, the boys spent most of the day with the McCann brothers at 1800Flowers.com talking about all kinds of things including Smile Farms (listen to the episode to find out more and to hear the exciting things that John's Crazy Socks is doing with 1800Flowers.com). Plus hear about the rest of John and Mark's week including Knock, Knock, Give a Sock, JCS Champions, USO, Snowshoe, dinner gathering and more. Of course the old standbys are here like John's love life, the guys' health journey, good news and bad jokes. Thanks for stopping by! Business to highlight: 321 Coffee https://321coffee.com/ 321 Coffee is a coffee shop and roaster built on inclusion. Based in Raleigh, NC, 321 currently employs over 50 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They are the ones roasting the coffee, taking the orders, and making the lattes. We are demonstrating the value of an inclusive business model.  The company was founded in 2017 by Lindsay Wrege and Michael Evans. The two met during their freshman year as Park Scholars at NC State University. They had the vision to build a company founded on inclusion. The team began in 2017 by setting up on folding tables with a home coffee brewer and brought this setup anywhere that would welcome them. These events helped to develop a presence in the community. Raleigh rallied behind the mission and helped 321 grow beyond folding tables. Today, 321 Coffee operates multiple coffee shops in the Raleigh area and is actively finding new opportunities to expand our impact. We roast our own coffee, offer a full-scale espresso menu, and partner with over 100 different companies to provide them with coffee. Together, we are building a company that stands for inclusion and doing business the right way. Three shops: two in Raleigh, North Carolina  One in Durham, North Carlina You can buy online: coffee, t-shirts, even socks.  Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Well the boys had another busy week kicking it off with a Chamber of Commerce breakfast followed by a visit to the North Shore Animal League, a trip to South Carolina for the Night to Shine Prom and SO much more. Plus, you all know it's John's birthday MONTH but this past week John celebrated his actual birthday! Hear all about that plus the Super Bowl and all of the usual haunts like good news, bad jokes and more. Business to highlight: Seanese https://seanese.com/ Sean McElwee (Friend of John) Appeared on the TV Show Born this Way Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Baby it's COLD outside...or at least it was for a few days. The boys eventually warmed up and went out for another busy week. John and Mark attended the book launch for Steve Distante’s Pitchology. Plus they had a chances to catch a few movies, including 80 for Brady! In the big news of the week, it's been just about a year for the podcast and we're happy to continue spreading happiness to all of our followers. Did you know that most podcasts don't make it past 6 episodes? Not us! Plus some of the usual segments like good news, bad jokes and more! Business to highlight: Ky’s Kards https://kyskards.com/ (Hanover, MN) – Sept 10th, 2022 – If there was ever a day that was built for a greeting card, it’s this Monday September 12th .   Monday is the National Day of Encouragement. A mother and son duo from Hanover, MN have built a business helping to encourage others.    Penny and Kyle Kauffman started EnKourage Kards.   This Twin Cities based family business started both out of necessity and opportunity.   You see Kyle has down Syndrome.   His Mom, Penny, wanted to encourage him and provide gainful employment.   This is not an easy thing. Our family started Ky's Kards (formerly Enkourage Kards) - with a vision to provide a meaningful employment opportunity for Kyle (who has Down Syndrome) and others with different abilities, and to inspire others to spread encouragement and kindness, one card at a time. All of our greeting cards are thoughtfully designed by Kyle's graphic designer sisters, Lindsey and Carly.  Each unique design is inspired by Down Syndrome - Trisomy 21.  For example, some feature 21 flowers, the 21st chromosome, and even Kyle's unique fingerprint.   Ky's Kards is active in the community.  A portion of the proceeds from each card sold is donated to the Down Syndrome Association of MN and Special Olympics of MN - two organizations that have had a positive impact on Kyle's life. You can get cards, card packs They are beautiful Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

There's no easy way to say this...we're ONLY focusing on John's mission to meet Lea Michele, star of Broadway's Funny Girl, this week. Okay, okay, that's not our ONLY focus, but you won't want to miss how this turned out! Plus the old standbys like John's love life, good news, bad jokes and more. Tune in as we continue spreading happiness, folks! Business to highlight: SOUL CAFÉ (and Friendship Circle/Farber Center/Art Studio) 5586 Drake Rd. West Bloomfield Township, MI 48322 248-788-7400 http://www.friendshipcircle.org/soul/cafe/ info@fcsoulcafe.com Directors/founders: Rabbi Levi and Bassie Shemtov “A Café serving breakfast and lunch (and Sunday dinner) with a training program in food services for people with disabilities. Job training areas include “front of house” work (barista and bussing) and kitchen work). Also, art studio where artists with disabilities create and sell art. Established in April, 2016, 24 trainees to date have come through program. Up to 7 people with disabilities work in café on a given day, 12 are currently in the training program, and four to date have been hired by Epicurean, the parent food service company The Soul Café provides a mouthwatering kosher menu featuring gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches pizzas, pastas and more in a warm and relaxed environment. Complete with a community table, fireplace and outdoor dining the Soul Cafe provides an excellent opportunity to meet friends, get some work done or grab a quick bite. The cafe is part of Friendship Circle's Soul Projects, which focuses on providing vocational opportunities to adults with special needs. The cafe teaches adults with special needs the skills of food prep, cooking, hosting and serving. Catering is provided by a Kosher Division called Epic Kosher Catering/Milk & Honey under which auspices Soul Cafe reside. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

The sock boys are running headfirst into the New Year, spreading happiness and LOVING it. John's not a fan of the lack of snow in New York (what do you expect from a Special Olympics Snow Shoe athlete??). Mark waxes poetic on the state of professional football in New York where John briefly stepped into the dark side and supported the NY Giants for a week until the Eagles doused their playoff hopes. Pro tip: DO NOT mention football to John this week. Tours are starting to really open up again at John's Crazy Socks, both in-person and virtual, as the world continues opening it's doors post-pandemic. The guys are doing some more traveling for speaking engagements. PLUS, Mark brags about his son John winning The Henry Viscardi Award! We've also got the usual segments like good news, bad jokes, health updates and more! Stick around, this is a good one. Business to highlight: Da Bomb: https://dabombsbymorgantibbens.com/ Created by Morgan Tibbens who is a young woman with Down syndrome who is active in the Special Olympics, Best Buddies and opened Da Bomb to sell bath tub fragrances. Morgan is a 22 year old with down syndrome but that hasn't stopped her from achieving her dreams. Her next dream is to open a store front and hire some of her friends with special needs and pay them minimum wage. Da Bom carries all sorts of products for the bath: Bath Bombs, Sugar Scrubs, Soaps, Foot scrubs, even candles. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Happy 2023 to all of our friends and followers out there in podcast land! It's our first live show of the new year and the boys decided to do a year in review. Please join us as we go on a journey reviewing every month of 2022. John and Mark talk about everything from their 120+ podcast interviews, the launch of The Spreading Happiness Podcast, the Autism Can Do Scholarship, awards, media appearances, traveling, losses, wins and so much more! John may or may not sing during this episode but you'll have to listen to find out. Onwards to 2023 where we plan to spread more happiness (and socks) than ever! Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's another Happiness Playback episode and this week we're going back to March of 2022 with content from episode 6 of our show. Let's set the scene: It’s John’s birthday! Actually it’s his birth-month as the never-ending birthday celebration continues. Mark reluctantly volunteers to be the sole audience member as John does an impromptu performance of “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Plus, John tells Mark about the perfect date that he had on Valentine’s Day, planned by John himself of course. Trigger warning: this episode ends with some pretty lousy jokes and the boys doing their best Warren Zevon impression with a 4 second rendition of “Werewolves of London" and you are almost GUARANTEED to smile. That’s what it’s all about, right? Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's our first ever Happiness Playback, where we bring you one of our favorite past episodes that we think will bring a smile to your face and continue our mission of spreading happiness. This one is a throwback to episode 5 from March 2022. John is shot out of a canon in this episode and the energy in infectious. Mark discusses the continuation of the boys’ health and wellness journey including the use of A.I. to help the weight-loss process. John shares some details about his love life including planning the perfect date and some real-life heartache over that same date. They don’t call him Dr. Cupid and Big Sexy for nothing! Tune in, but only if you want to feel happy (bad jokes and good jokes included)! Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Ho, ho, ho...it's the post-Christmas show! We hope everyone had an incredible holiday, no matter what you celebrate. Please join us for another episode where the boys talk about their Christmas break. John got the BEST Christmas gifts so make sure to listen to found out what presents he received (hint: it involves a lot of tickets). Plus the usual standbys like bad jokes, good news and businesses to highlight. See you next week in the New Year, folks! Business to highlight: Rising Tide Car Wash - https://www.risingtidecarwash.com/ World’s best car wash! 3 locations, all in Florida: Coral Springs, Margate and Parkland. Started by John D’eri and his son Tom D’eri. They have a song, brother, Andrew who has autism. He turned 21 in 2011 unsure of what he would do. Sound familiar? John decided to buy a car wash to create a job and a business for Andrew and John joined him. They employ over 80 people with autism and have over 75 alumni who have left to take other jobs in the community.  They have created Rising Tide U to help other entrepreneurs employ people with autism.  John and tom are both speakers and tom is publishing a book, The Power of Potential. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's the holiday episode of The Spreading Happiness Podcast with our two Sock-Giving Santas, John and Mark! The boys discuss all things holiday including Christmas spirit, the comparison of John's Crazy Socks to Santa's Workshop and Holiday Haircuts. They even compare some of their employees to elves even though they're a "tiny" bit bigger. The boys are busy as always so take a listen to all of their holiday hi-jinx PLUS the regular features like John and Mark's getting in shape journey, John's love life, good news and bad jokes. Happy holidays, everyone! Business to highlight: The Gifted Bean Coffee House - https://www.facebook.com/thegiftedbean/ The Gifted Bean Coffee House is a cozy coffee shop/café located in the Bismarck Veterans Memorial Public Library in downtown Bismarck. The Gifted Bean Coffee House is the small start of a BIG dream Owners Matt and Sandy McMerty have been searching ... looking for something that could be special enough to support a BIG idea. Their dream is to establish a business that could support a successful working environment for their son, Cristian, who has Down syndrome and others in the community with unique talents. They make really fun YouTube videos Gifted Bean Vlogs - YouTube So, along with their three kids they took a deep breath and landed at the Library ... in the middle of books, coffee and the small start of a BIG dream. The Gifted Bean Coffee House, where we believe … Every “Bean” is Special. “We truly believe this is a small start to our big dream,” say owners Matt and Sandy McMerty. “Stop in and say hi. Learn more about our story. We love serving coffee to the city that loves to drink it.”The Gifted Bean serves up coffee and specialty coffee drinks, teas and smoothies along with hot and cold sandwiches, baked goods and sweet treats. Catering services are also available with 48-hour notice for meetings and special events. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Let's not make this one complicated. The boys talk about everything from scavenger hunts to polar plunges, but the BIG news is that December 9th marked the 6th anniversary of John's Crazy Socks! John and Mark talk about how two knuckleheads from Huntington, New York, (just the two of us, as Mark says) decided to start a website to sell socks and 6 years later they have created the largest sock store in the world AND they continue to grow their mission as a social enterprise! No big description here...just dive in and listen to the guys as they talk about the journey and have been spreading happiness all along the way. Business to highlight: JT Firestarters: https://www.jtfirestarters.com (JT stands for Just Toops – Daniel Toops) Peosta, Iowa - JT FireStarters are a great way to light a fire in your fireplace, grill, wood stove, campfire, chiminea, or home firepit! Each firestarter is handmade by Daniel, an adult with autism. Each purchase helps Daniel in "Taking My Own Path" towards independence. Daniel also hopes to employ more adults with autism in the future. JT FireStarters are available at Theisen's Home-Farm-Auto, and other fine Outlets! Get a great product and support a great cause! Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's the holiday season and the boys are taking care of spreading happiness (and socks) to all the boys and girls of the world while Santa takes care of the toys. John and Mark had a fun appearance on the PIX11 Morning Show, served as judges at the Emerging Leaders Business Competition, had an appearance on News12 as they talked about the upcoming kickoff of the 12 Days of Giving and so much more! Plus Mark had an interesting conversation with Professor Jared Allen from Texas Tech University that you'll want to hear about. Also, the guys appeared on Fox and Friends and they talk about why it's important to them that they are open minded to ALL platforms when it comes to spreading happiness. Plus the usual mainstays like good news, bad jokes, John's love life and more. Enjoy! Business to highlight: Hope Story https://hopestory.org/ Hope Story is a team of medical professionals and storytellers. We believe that stories have the ability to provide hope to others and change the world. At our core, we exist to help people learn to tell their stories and help them find opportunities to share them with people that need to hear them the most. We help medical professionals deliver hopeful stories to their patients. We help parents raising children with Down syndrome leverage their unique story to bring hope to parents whose child has received a Down syndrome diagnosis. We connect parents whose child has received a new Down syndrome diagnosis to parents who have a child with Down syndrome so that they can receive, encouragement, support, and hope. We believe a little bit of hope can go a long way. Support Existing parentsNew DiagnosisMedical Professionals  Hope Story helps medical professionals deliver a Down syndrome diagnosis with confidence, accuracy, and hope. In addition, we help move Down syndrome from the textbook to the hearts of medical professionals by helping them develop a personal relationship with a family raising a child with Down syndrome. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

It's a post Thanksgiving Spreading Happiness Podcast complete with stuffing, turkey, 3 kinds of cranberry, gravy, green beans and so much more! The boys celebrated Thanksgiving with the family and had a lovely time. Plus, they talk about Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Gratitude Week (make sure to grab your socks, link below!).  John and Mark had lots of TV appearances including NewsMax, News12, Newsday and PIX11. Plus the usual haunts like good new, bad jokes, John's love life and more. Gobble, gobble! Business to highlight: Patrick’s Pet Care https://patrickspetcare.com/ Patrick’s Pet Care provides the highest level of care to all pets by creating an experience rooted in a genuine love of animals, a commitment to do the right thing, and a comprehensive, personal approach to meeting the needs of all the living creatures and people who depend on us. Patrick Flynn founded Patrick's Pet Care in March 2012 as a dog walking and pet sitting company in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC. His values for operating a pet care business are based on a genuine love of animals, lifelong learning, fostering local community, a commitment to do the right thing, and a personal approach to meeting the needs of all the animals and people who depend on Patrick's Pet Care. Fundamentally, Patrick aims to create thriving relationships between people and their animal companions, using science and consent based methods without fear, pain or force. His business has been recognized by readers of Washingtonian as a Top Pet Care Provider, and has been voted “Best of DC” three times by readers of Washington City Paper. Two locations in Washington DC Small Dog Day Care is located at 3303 11th Street NW in Columbia Heights.All Day Day Soga Care and Grooming for dogs up to 85 pounds at their Brookland location is 3509 12th Street NE Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

Buyer Beware: John may break out into song after a visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame and inspiration from Taylor Swift! Just kidding (sort of). The boys were out and about with a visit to Nashville and got into all sorts of trouble. Plus a visit to Annapolis, San Antonio and so much in between. Also, it's becoming a standard feature to discuss their misery as Jets fans but have no fear...the GOOD standard features brought the mood right back to the top of the happiness meter. Good news, bad jokes, John's love life and so much more.  Business to highlight: Melwood - https://melwood.org/ A dynamic nonprofit providing jobs and opportunities for people with disabilities for over 50 years and counting in the greater Washington, DC area. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712

We interrupt this podcast to remind you to NEVER interrupt one of John's tours at John's Crazy Socks! Now that we've got that out of the way (you have to listen to get the full story), the boys have had another big week! Tours at the office with F.R.E.E. Visits with some parents and their children, another SEPTA (special education PTA) dinner, a virtual tour with East Carolina University and so much more! Make sure to stick around for good news, bad jokes, John's love life and more! Business to highlight: Legacy Farms - Leesburg, Virginia https://www.legacyfarmsvirginia.org/ Legacy Farms provides apprenticeship-style learning and jobs in a neurodiverse community of individuals learning a trade, preparing for college, and seeking internships to further their education. Finding John’s Crazy Socks: https://johnscrazysocks.com/  Hosted by John & Mark Cronin, co-founders of John's Crazy Socks. Visit John's Crazy Socks here: https://johnscrazysocks.com Follow @johnscrazysocks on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. The Spreading Happiness Podcast is produced by Launchpad 516 Studios. For show ideas, guest inquiries, general feedback, sponsorships and media inquiries, drop an email: thespreadinghapinesspodcast@lp516.com Information about Speaking Engagements with John and Mark: https://johnscrazysocks.com/pages/speaking-engagements-1  Subscribe to The Spreading Happiness Podcast on Apple Podcasts and get notified of new episodes, every Tuesday! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spreading-happiness-podcast/id1611218712