COMING MAY 13, 2025

From Tailspin to Tailwind

From Tailspin to Tailwind: Leadership Lessons from Turning Crisis into Clarity takes you on a profound journey through the pivotal moments that reshaped Soles4Souls from a flailing nonprofit into a model of success. From revamping core values to innovating operational strategies, from revitalizing the board to crafting impactful partnerships, each chapter is filled with tangible lessons from the front lines that can help leaders in both the nonprofit and for-profit space. 

Shoestrings: now available in paperback!

In shoestrings, author Buddy Teaster shares the stories of people directly impacted, Soles4Souls’ partners on the ground, and the brands and volunteers working diligently to disrupt the cycle of poverty. With more than thirty million pairs of shoes distributed since 2006, Soles4Souls’ own evolution reflects the power of commitment, focus, and partnership in creating real economic impact in some of the world’s most challenging places.

  • "Shoestrings is a story of resiliency, opportunity and overcoming. Through Buddy’s candid retelling of what it takes to disrupt the cycle of poverty and create opportunity for all, we learn the power of Soles4Souls and social enterprise. A must-read for anyone seeking to change the world through empowerment."

    Kila Englebrook

    CEO, Social Enterprise Alliance

  • "Soles4Souls isn’t just about providing shoes to those in need. Its greater purpose is to stamp out poverty through its farsighted approach to lifting those stuck in cyclical poverty and empowering them through their micro-enterprise model… You will be inspired at every turn of the page."

    Emilie Antonetti

    VP Social Purpose and Managing Director, Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece Foundation

  • "What Soles4Souls does is wonderfully simple; they create opportunities to improve life’s journey one step at a time. We are proud to be associated with an organization that does so much with so little."

    David Miller

    CEO, Minnetonka Moccasin

  • "Soles4Souls provides their partners full transparency in where donations are changing lives. The stories in this book highlight their ability to create a strategic vision and measurable impact to help wear out poverty around the world."

    Sharon Oh

    Strategic Projects, Stitch Fix

  • "In this book, Buddy Teaster brings together dozens of people to share the impact of Soles4Souls’ life-changing work around the globe. These are stories about grit, purpose and honesty that offer lessons for non-profit and business leaders alike."

    Ellen Davis

    President, National Retail Federation Foundation

Want to know more about Soles4Souls?

Want to know more about Soles4Souls?

Soles4Souls creates opportunities through shoes and clothing. Our programs, 4Opportunity, 4Relief, 4EveryKid and 4ThePlanet, aim to make a positive difference on the planet and in people’s economic, educational, physical, and psychosocial well-being. Since 2006, more than 107 million pairs of shoes and pieces of clothing have helped create opportunities for people across 139 countries and all 50 US states. Soles4Souls is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with Regional Donation Centers and warehouse locations around the world.