#33 Levi Strauss: The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World

**David Senra** (0:00)
I want to tell you about a one time only limited event that I don't think you're going to want to miss. I am doing a live show with Patrick O'Shaughnessy from the Invest Like the Best podcast in New York City on October 19th. Patrick has interviewed over 300 of the world's best investors and founders for his podcast. I've read over 300 biographies of history's greatest entrepreneurs for my podcast. We'll be talking about what we learned from seven years of podcasting, sharing our favorite ideas and stories, and doing a live Q&A. There will also be special event-only swag. If you live in New York City, I think it's a no-brainer. But if not, I think it's a great excuse to fly in. I've already heard from a bunch of people that bought tickets, they're flying in from other cities. Some people are flying in from other countries. That's setting the bar really high, so I will have at least four shots of espresso or four energy drinks before or during the show so we can make it a night that you'll never forget. If you're interested in attending this unique live event, I will leave a link down below. I highly recommend you get your tickets today, and I hope I get to see you in New York on October 19th. People write and read biographies because their subjects stood out for doing something, for being something out of the realm of the everyday. They created something new, solved a problem, sparked a movement, altered established courses, method and thinking. That's what Levi was. He didn't invent blue jeans, but without him, the most iconic garment in fashion history might never have been more than just duck cloth pants on the rear ends of Nevada's miners and teamsters.
Without Levi's business sense and vision, which allowed him to see the potential of those little metal rivets, the overalls might have seen the light of day, but they would not have thrived. Levi didn't run orphanages and kindergartens, but he saw to it that their doors were kept open for those who ran them and for those who desperately needed the safety of their walls.
He wasn't a teacher, but he gave enough money to a growing university so that its teachers could steer new generations of students towards the future.
He didn't hold any political office, but his good advice, solid bank account, and respected voice were sought out by politicians and policy makers.
His vast dry good business allowed families in remote locations to have a few comforts in the midst of hardship.
San Francisco's fame for first and for icons of all kinds, the cable car, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Beat Generation, the Summer of Love, the Rise of the Hippie, Gay Liberation, and the Tech Revolution. These inventions, designs, and cultural revolutions blossomed because San Francisco had a solid core for them to spring from. That core was commerce. Without the gold that the city's past rested on, its future residents would have had no place to come to. And Levi Strauss was one of the men who set that firm foundation.
Okay, so that was actually towards the end of the book that I want to talk to you about today, which is Levi Strauss, The Man Who Gave Blue Jeans to the World by Lynn Downey. So before we jump into the book, reviews and ratings on Apple podcasts are extremely important. And you probably already know this because undoubtedly you've heard other podcasts reference this fact. And so I've thought a lot about a way, like what is the best way to encourage people, because it's so important to leave ratings and reviews.
And a lot of you have already done so and you've done just because you wanted to be kind and you enjoyed this podcast, which I really appreciate. But I think when something I've learned from studying and reading all these books is, you know, humans do respond to some incentive. So I was trying to figure out a way to have some kind of mutually beneficial exchange. So, because it's important to me for the podcast to get a lot of ratings and reviews, how can I basically reward you for taking a few minutes of your time? So I actually came up with an idea that I think is, well, right now it's the best idea that I have in regards to this. So I think the best way than just asking you is to offer you something of tangible value. So here's what I propose. If you leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or iTunes, if you take a screenshot and then you email it to me at foundersreviewsatgmail.com, I'll also leave the email address in the show notes, I will email you back a link to short little podcasts. They're like short little versions of founders that I'm doing only for people that leave reviews. So they're not going to be on my main feed.