For the past nine years, we’ve run John’s Crazy Socks, a business born from a simple idea: to spread happiness by showing what people with differing abilities can do. Together, we’ve created dozens of jobs, shipped over 500,000 orders to 94 countries, donated over $800,000 to our charity partners, danced in more than a few TikToks, testified before Congress, and told countless stories about inclusion, entrepreneurship, and the power of possibilities.
We’ve watched what happens when you give someone a chance: creativity flourishes. Skills shine. Joy spreads.
And yet, something has been missing.
We live in a world that is often loud and chaotic. Amidst all that noise, the voices of people with differing abilities are too often ignored or never invited to speak in the first place.
At John’s Crazy Socks, we’ve used our platform to speak out, to host fashion shows and design contests, to highlight the talents of our colleagues, and to speak at the United Nations and before Congress about the right of every person to meaningful work and opportunity.
Now, we’re going further.
We created Abilities Rising Publishing because we believe it’s time to make room for more voices, not just our own. This will be the first publishing house solely dedicated to publishing books by, for, and about people with differing abilities.
Because the world needs their stories.
Abilities Rising Publishing is a new platform, a place where people of all abilities can share their talents, tell their truths, and show the world what they can do. Whether it’s fiction or memoir, children’s books or business guides, we’re here to nurture the voices that too often go unheard.
This isn’t charity. It’s not inspiration for inspiration’s sake. This is a business that can show what people with differing abilities can do. We have demonstrated that hiring people with differing abilities is good business. Now, we want to show that publishing books by people with differing abilities is good business.
It’s about equity. It’s about representation. It’s about creating real opportunities and shifting the narrative, so people with differing abilities are seen not just as a cause, but as creators, leaders, and storytellers in their own right.
Our mission has always been to spread happiness. With Abilities Rising Publishing, we’re building a platform where joy, dignity, and self-expression can rise, one book, one voice, one story at a time.
If you’ve got a story to tell, or you want to help us amplify the voices of those who do, we’re here. And, as John likes to say, we’re just getting started.
John and Mark X. Cronin