In life, there is no separation between one’s vocation and one’s avocation, between our day jobs and the other things we do to remain inspired. That’s the principle that guides Yvon Chouinard, founder of the outdoor gear company Patagonia. Combined, Chouinard says, a person’s work and interests should impart greater meaning. Similarly, he believes that companies large and small can reap greater financial rewards by doing what’s good for the environment — a key message of his critically acclaimed book, Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman. FuelNet caught up with the legendary surfer, world–class mountaineer, and avid fly–fisherman as he was about to leave for the Chilean Andes, where he is involved with efforts to protect the South American coastal rain forest.

FuelNet: If you were standing before a roomful of Fortune 500 executives right now and could impart a few simple pieces of advice, what would they be?
Chouinard: I would encourage them to do some good with their money through charitable giving and, as influential leaders, to set an example for their employees in how to make a difference. A lot of wealthy people and prosperous companies believe they represent solid values and social responsibility, but they don’t know how to give their money away. I can speak from personal experience that the more you give away, the easier it gets.

FuelNet: How does a company leader instill and reinforce an environmental ethic in his employees?
Chouinard: We bring in speakers to Patagonia’s main offices in Ventura [California] and Reno [Nevada] all the time — prominent, thoughtful environmentalists from all over the world. The process of nurturing awareness starts with educating your own people and opening their eyes to the power they have, whether it is being a conscientious consumer or understanding the issues that are important to their local community, their nation, and the world. Employees who care about the world around them will care about the work they do for you.

FuelNet: Patagonia has long been recognized as a cause–related marketing company. Is this a reflection of your willingness to speak your mind?
Chouinard: I take personal pride in not only the quality of our product but also the values of the company behind it. It’s surprising how our core demographic of customers covers a wide range of ages. We have customers who were brought up as kids on Patagonia clothing, and now they’re grandparents outfitting their grandkids in it. They buy it because it’s comfortable and the label means something. When you read our catalog, shop online, or see our clothing in the store, there’s no mystery about our stand on environmental issues.

FuelNet: What innovations are you most proud of?
Chouinard: We made the shift to organic cotton so that we weren’t buying cotton grown in fields where loads of pesticides were being dumped on the crops. Back in the early 1990s, we added a new fleece to our product line that’s made from post–consumer recycled plastic soda bottles. I’m proud to say we were the first outdoor clothing manufacturer to do it. Fleece products have been one of our biggest sellers, and post–consumer recycled fleece is used to make 31 different products. Because of this we’ve saved [more than] 86 million soda bottles from going into landfills. And since oil is used to make plastic, we’ve saved enough oil to fill the 40–gallon tank of a Chevy Suburban 20,000 times.

By 2010, every fiber we make will come from recycled materials. When our customers are through wearing our clothing, they’ll be able to give it back to us and we’ll melt it down and breathe new life into the material.

FuelNet: What’s been the hardest lesson you’ve learned as you look back over the last quarter century?
Chouinard: The most difficult thing for a company or an individual to do is motivate others to accept change in their lives or in their buying habits. But at the end of the day, by embracing things that are better for you, your kids, and your community and environment over the long run, there is no better satisfaction.

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