I love...and I mean really ♥ LOVE ♥ getting goodies in my inbox.
Whether snail mail (preferable) or email, txt message or tweeted, I love a nice surprise in my inbox. It's like unwrapping your Christmas present any / every day of the year.
So, I think I'll start a series on inbox goodies, because some of my surprises are definitely worth sharing. :-) These may be infrequent (seeing as they are surprises..lol), but I'll keep you up to date when I get one.
Today's Inbox Goodies: Vogue and Delivering Happiness.
First, Vogue sent me a coupon for what amounts to a free copy of the September Issue, And a free bag. They had me at the free copy of the September issue. I've been reading Vogue since I was 11. No, seriously - I really did start reading Voguewhen I was 11. Right there next to my Nancy Drew mysteries. I was such a strange child. So, this was not even a sell - they really pretty much did me a solid, and saved me some money...lol.
Now, I know this isn't altruistic, I get it. Print magazine sales have plummeted, so it makes sense that magazines like Vogue would reach out to their subscribers, or former subscribers (me), or even competitor's subscribers and offer them a deep discount, because it typically leads to multi-year subscriptions. *ahem* @ Essence, the Economist, INC and the other print publications I read. Yes, I read Vogue, The Economist and Inc. I am such a strange adult. But it still made me happy :-)
Then, I got happiness delivered to my door in the form of a box from Barnes & Noble that I know I did not order. And in opening it, I remembered! Tony Hsieh the CEO of Zappos (whom I follow on Twitter, and you should too: @Zappos) had offered for a number of his followers a copy of his new book, Delivering Happiness. (note: there's also a companion website where you can order your copy.)
Now, let me just tell you as soon as I heard about the book, I got excited. Of course, because I'm a happy customer of Zappos. If you've never shopped them before (doubtful), their selection is great, prices are great, but two things that make them stand out from their competitors is their service and their logistics. I've literally ordered from them and without incurring any additional shipping fees, gotten my order in 1-3 days. Overnight. Which is crazy. But I also love their site, which makes online shopping for shoes super easy.
I also love their company's values. They're quirky (before those quirky commercials). They're passionate. They're efficient. And they're pretty effin profitable - to the tune of $1.2B (that's billion) dollars in < 10 years. And with what I perceive to be reputable and ethical business practices. Like treating your employees like humans. And negotiating fairly with your business partners. And not attempting to deceive your employees/partners/customers. Imagine that.
mini-rant, slightly offtopic:: those last few sentences highlight the most maddening facets of America's brand capitalism, in my humble opinion. The idea that you can turn a tidy profit while being ethical, treating employees fairly, having integrity and being honest with your partners should NOT be an exception in this county, and it's maddening to me that it is. I'm looking squarely at you BP, Exxon, Shell, and other multinationals with questionable business practices. I'm also looking at you Mary Kay, Noni, Mela Luna (sp), YTB, and all those MLM businesses that people are so enamored of. Seriously, there has to be better ways of doing business. But back to the story at hand...
So, I'm looking forward to reading the WHOLE book, and posting a review for you all to share. It may take me a few days (social media has chewed a hole in my ability to stay on task), but I'm looking forward to rifling through my goodies and sharing them with you.
I may have to take a bit of a break to do it. So I'll be off twitter/facebook for a few days. I'll check in, but I'll be back with my review.


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