Running With Purpose, by Jim Weber

Running with Purpose is Jim Weber’s story of how he developed his leadership qualities and was able to elevate Brooks to the power house running brand it is today. As a child Jim loved hockey and hoped to play professionally one day, which never happened despite his dedication to the sport. Luckily he discovered running and became just as passionate about helping runners through the development of quality technical running gear.

The book is divided into 2 parts:

• Part 1 is about Jim’s beginnings and how he discovered that he wanted to run a company, but not necessarily own it. He worked in different industries including banking, the food industry, and consumer products; and talks about how these experiences helped shape him as a leader. At Brooks he helped narrow down the target customers so that they could focus product development instead of trying to be “everything to everyone”.
• Part 2 talks about Jim’s time with Brooks and how the company has evolved along the way. They went from being a subsidiary of Froot of the Loom, which was bought by Berkshire Hathaway, to being its own independent entity under Berkshire after Warren Buffet noticed Brooks progress under Jim’s leadership. Brooks' upward trajectory is not without bumps in the road, and Jim talks about how they got through challenges in the market including the barefoot running trend and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jim Weber dreamed of being either a professional hockey player or a CEO when he grew up. He wasn’t tall enough for hockey, but did become CEO for the first time at the age of 30! He became CEO of Brooks in 2001, and has been pushing the brand forward for more than 20 years, finally making it a $1 billion dollar brand in May 2021. Jim won “Entrepreneur of the year” awarded by Ernest & Young in 2012, and was named one of the most influential innovators in the running industry by Runners World in 2015. Jim earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, and a Masters of Business Administration with high distinction from Tuck School of business at Dartmouth College. On a personal level, Jim is a husband, father to 3 boys, and cancer survivor.

If you are looking to get a copy of this book, it can be found in both hard cover and paperback on Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/Running-Purpose-Outpaced-Goliath-Competitors/dp/140023168X
The book is also available through several other outlets which are featured on Harper Collins website: https://www.harpercollinsleadership.com/9781400231683/running-with-purpose/

Big thank you to Harper Collins for providing review copies of the book.