The most grounded guy on earth. Founder of Patagonia. Climber, surfer, fisherman…etc…a Gary Snyder-esque environmentalist, and an independent, successful businessman par excellence.

When I was a kid it was Magic Johnson, David Winfield, and George Washington (strangely) on posters on my wall. Okay, and the occasional Sports Illustrated ocean-eyed beauty. Now, it’s Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Robert Redford, Michael Pollan, Alice Waters, Malcolm Gladwell, Graham Hill and Yvon. Why? Like Paul Newman, with Newman’s Own, he took all the accumulated business wisdom and did things his way—the right way, the hard way. He measured twice and cut once. He pioneered organic cotton, pop bottles used for fleece, helped to found 1% for the Planet (hundreds of companies giving voluntary ‘earth tax’ to local eco non-profits).

And he did it all because that’s who he is—out of a visceral sort of inspiration, not the blinding, airy ideology that so many of us environmentalists/idealists fall into. Blah bla blah. Watch the video, see for yourself.