Craig Mathews on the Early Days of 1% for the Planet
Sunlight peeked through the aspens as two friends sat on the Madison River bank, waiting for the trout to bite. This is where it all began.
Craig Mathews and Yvon Chouinard were long-time friends and business buddies—owners of Blue Ribbon Flies and Patagonia, respectively. Their work among Montana’s outdoor community didn’t allow for many breaks, which made the day off all the more enjoyable.
Both men were already passionate conservationists. Craig learned to fish at age 6, taught by his relatives while growing up in Michigan, where protecting his family’s wild surroundings was ingrained in his upbringing. Yvon, meanwhile, was a well-known rock climber whose company was widely known for its environmental leadership.
In between sips of a shared soda, the pair decided that all businesses should give back to the planet—like theirs already were. Right then and there, 1% for the Planet was born.
What began as a simple idea in 2002, cast into motion on the Madison River, has grown into a global environmental movement now powered by more than 4,800 businesses.
We recently caught up with Craig to hear his recollection of the founding and early days of 1% for the Planet. From shooing bison off the lawn during important calls to a party in Manhattan thrown by Tom Brokaw (yes, the Tom Brokaw), he had no shortage of incredible memories to share.
When did your love for the outdoors turn into a passion for conservation, or was it always there for you?
You know, it was kind of always there for me. My grandparents on my mother’s side had a creek that ran through the back of their farm. They were very cognizant of protecting the riparian areas and wildlife corridors. I remember that growing up, and it always stuck with me.
My grandfather on my father’s side was a friend of Gerald Ford, President Ford. And back then, you know, the Republicans were the conservation party. And I picked up a lot of that from him, and my parents always said, “Stick up for what’s right, write letters and really advocate for wild places, clear air and clean water.” And I picked up on that at a very early age.
Let’s fast forward a bit to the day you and Yvon went fishing, when you came up with the idea of 1% for the Planet. What fish did you catch? What kind of day was it?
Oh, it was a beautiful sunny day in the Madison River. It was earlier in the season, if I recall.
We very seldom would ever take a break. But we took a break that day, and we were sharing a can of soda. We got to talking about things that our businesses have done for conservation. Our conversation led from one thing to another, and we decided, you know, we were both donating a portion of our sales. And Yvon said, “Well, God, you know, we kinda do the same thing.”
And we decided at that moment that we were gonna start an organization. We had no idea what we were gonna call it. The name 1% for the Planet came along a bit later, I believe.
We just decided at that time that we could get an alliance of businesses to jump on board. Basically, save the planet and save what we came to love so much: wild places, wild trout, clean water and air.
So that was your a-ha moment, when you were both on the river, thinking, ‘We both do the same thing right now.’
Yeah, our eyes really opened wide and we said, “Hell, let’s go for it.”
Our mutual friend, Tom Brokaw … was with NBC Nightly News. And he always said, “Listen, when you get to 1,000 members, let me know and I’m gonna host a party in Manhattan.” Which he did. That really kicked off 1%.
Tom used to do a thing on Friday night called Making a Difference, a segment of NBC Nightly News. And he gave us 2 minutes and 32 seconds on the nightly news. It really kick-started things.
That leads me to my next question. What was 1% for the Planet like in the early days when it was so much smaller?
It was by the seat of your pants. Yvon and I were on the board, of course. I remember one time, we were trying to conduct business—1% business—and I had to chase some bison off the front lawn at our fly shop.
You know, there was always something going on. And it was a lot of fun. I mean, it was a lot of blood, sweat and tears. But it was so God-dang much fun.
How did you find new members in the beginning?
I would go to rod manufacturers and other fly fishing businesses.
I had a movie producer who called me up one day and said, “Tell me about 1% for the Planet.” I had no idea what he was talking about. And you know what he said? He said, “I’m gonna buy some things.” And he bought $1,300 worth of fishing equipment over the phone. And I said, “I’m gonna send this to you FedEx on my nickel.” He said, “No, you’re not. I’m flying in to pick it up. I want to shake your hand.”
And I had so many customers that were not customers initially. But they’d come in the door, and they’d want to know about 1%. And they’d all leave and say, “You know what, I wasn’t a customer before, but I am now.”
People, again, they found out what you stood for and they said, "You know, that sets you apart from the other businesses locally and we’re gonna support you."
What was the impact 1% for the Planet had on Blue Ribbon Flies?
Oh god, it was just huge in terms of an increase in sales. But also, it just increased shop traffic. You’d come in, and you couldn’t even hear. There were so many people in our shop.
Somebody would say, “Tell us about 1%.” Pretty soon, everybody would shut up, and I’d get on my little stump and I’d start preaching about 1%. It was so cool to interact with your customers face-to-face.
Blue Ribbon Flies, at that time, we were just grossing not even $1.5 million—and that was 20 years ago. Our donations were obviously not as big as some of the others [making donations], but nonetheless, it was so cool to watch your customers engage and your business grow because of it. ... It became the cheapest form of advertising.
Wow. Well, how do you feel about where 1% for the Planet stands today as it’s grown over the past couple of decades?
I mean, the success has been magnificent. … You know, it started with a couple of fat, old fishermen. … To see the impact it’s having now is pretty awesome.
Where do you see it going from here? What is your hope for 1% for the Planet in the future?
I hope it continues to grow and … it continues to really stay focused on advocacy, activism and environmental and conservation goals. I think that’s so important: not to lose sight of the original mission.
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