Shawny D. ChiefSac

Nearly killed by tractor...in my living room!? Saved by LoveSac.

On Friday night, Annie Aziz was sitting in her recliner, in her living room in Bountiful, Utah.  An un-manned farm tractor came crashing through her home's front wall.  The runaway tractor pushed her LoveSac across the room and crashed into her recliner, smashing the chair to pieces.  It forced Annie through the interior wall of the home, all the way to the back wall where she remained pinned for as long as 5 minutes before they were able to get the tractor off of her. 

The wheels of the tractor were still spinning as it pinned her down.  She would have probably been killed except for the five feet of invincible Durafoam that separated woman from machine.  Annie is fine now.  We saw the story on the news so we sent her some flowers and a care package from LoveSac while she was in the hospital.  Dan and Jordan from the Salt Lake stores went to see her.  She has been released from the hospital now. 

Annie called me tonight and is glad just to be alive.  She is totally cool and has a great sense of humor about the whole thing, even though she is permanently traumatized, I imagine.  I am glad she's alive too.  I guess that could have gone either way as far as the Sac was concerned. The funny thing is, while her framed, wooden, upholstered chair folded like a house of cards, the Sac just needs a new Cover.  Maybe our 2 lifetime guarantee will hold up afterall.  Maybe she should have had Sactionals. 

So I was thinking of doing something nice for her, seeing as her entire living room was smashed, randomly, by a tractor.  WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD DO FOR ANNIE? 

Comment (below) and let me know.

As Huey Lewis always used to sing: It just might save your life....that's the power of Love(Sac).

-- Shawny D.

Check out the whole story, and the news clip video...http://http://www.abc4.com/mostpopular/story.aspx?content_id=AABE5928-FF4B-413F-B42C-C8800638CA8C&gsa=true

WINNER of the "Name the LoveSac Dog" Contest

A few blogs back I explained that LoveSac is designing a pair of dogs (one large, one small) to place on top of the DawgPads and PetPads in our stores, and for sale, of course.  They will be awesome...a real collectors item. I opened it up to a contest to name the dog and win a prize.

 

My dog Georgia - the alpah dog.  (Georgia is the 3 pounder) 

First, the best of the losers, by honorable mention (I loved these ones):

Collosus from van wilder - by chad Burton. (nasty, but it was funny - dry heave) 

BB & DANI from Fox r. 

Arphur by Jamie. 

Cleophus Jennifer queens ctr. 

Sacrates Jamie.

Humper: Matt & Hellen KOP. 

Hand Banana by Torin.

Juana by Nate Mayfield. 

BarSac Obarka Jenny at PGH

So, (in your best Zoolander's dad voice): "Baaaaaah, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, baaaaaaaaaaaaaah".....

 

The winner is: "Sac-less," by Pellis (whoever that is).   BUT - that is not what we are going to name the dog.  Confused?  Let me explain...

So, I had to smile when I thought of "Sac-less" the LoveSac dog.  I could only think of our poor Chihuahua, Hollywood (not pictured above) who lost his gonads a few years ago, and is now generally Sac-less.  That said, we definately like to have a sense of humor about things here at LoveSac.  But the best LoveSac humor is usually a step removed - not so obvious.  Crass with class. 

So "Sac-less" is the winner of the contest, but only in that they inspired Nancy, my business partner here at HQ, to come up with the names for the LoveSac dogs....."NOODER" and "SPADE."  Nooder will have a sad, floppy noodle icon on his collar's medallion.  Spade will have a pink spade, like the "ace of spades," on her collar.  I'll let you figure it out. 

...And Pellis, should they come forward and identify themelves, will receive their promised prize for inspiring the final names.  I guess Nancy gets a prize too.

 Stay tuned....more contests and opportunities to shape our LoveSac Brand coming very soon.  Please comment and TELL ME HONESTLY, WHAT YOU REALLY THINK OF THE NAMES....anything goes.

Thanks for all of your input!!!!!

--Shawny D.

New LoveSac Look, New LoveSac Direction

First of all, let me say THANK YOU to all of you who submitted names for the LoveSac Dog.  I have chosen the name for one, and plan to have chosen the name for the second dog by Tuesday - when I will announce the winner(s).  See my blog 3 previous if you still want to submit.  Winners get stuff.

It has been 8 years in the making, but LoveSac Stores finally have a complete and unique look to them.  Check out these pro photos from our brand new model store up in Mayfair, Wisconsin.  We're finally showing the world the complete line of LoveSac alternative furniture (yes, we even sell the rugs), as we specialize in Home Theater seating.

 The Home Theater

 The Loft

  The Living Room

 LoveSac Store Front View 

 The Limited Edition Cover Pod

 The Custom Order Cover Pod

 The Cash & Wrap Pod

 The Kid-Gamer-Pet Pod

 The Home Theater, looking back

It is really kind of funny that it took us this long to figure out who we are and what we are selling.  You know, we started out literally in my parent's basement and even when we finally did open up our first high-end mall store, we had no real identifiable concept.  For years we somehow paid the rent (in most cases) just selling Sacs, our stores looked like bean-bag-land.  With Sactionals finally perfected and selling just as fast as we can make them, I am proud of what we have built, together, from nothing. 

It was kind of hard to put together a cohesive retail concept using our products because they are so weird.  We really cannot follow a typical furniture store layout in selling our stuff.  As simple as it appears, because it is totally modular, and all of the Covers come off and are changeable and washable, and also because nearly everything we sell comes shrunken-down, somehow, it is difficult to just copy good merchandising and normal display techniques from other places.  A Sac Cover is more like a pair of jeans than a piece of furniture, and then you have our whole name and our vibe - not exactly the typical furniture store attitude.  We needed to stand out a bit.  With everything in the mall reaching for your attention, how to cut through the clutter and show unique design, an attention-getting presence, and keep it classy - all in a laid back, chilled out "LoveSac" environment?  So we plastered the walls with our REAL culture, pictures from the last DECADE of Lovin' the Sac.  Events, chicks, store openings, customer photos, beauty shots, decorating ideas, LoveSac vehicles, etc....but all enclosed in classy frames.  Then we went big - with over 300 pieces of framed art, we not only tell the LoveSac story - you can't escape it.  You've got my grandparents up there, "The Old LoveSac," you have my baby up there, "They Young LoveSac," you have T Hawk up there, "Skaters LoveSac," you have Billy Clinton up there, "Ladies Men LoveSac," and the list goes on and on.  We kept our sense of humor, while putting on a good show. 

Look for us to open a few more of these in 2009, and watch as we slowly convert our older stores over to this new look. 

Just thought you  might like the inside scoop.

--Shawny D.

LoveSac. MORE than just a damn beanbag.

[Hold your breath.  No verdict, yet on the "Name the LoveSac dog contest," but the decision will come in mid-October.  Your entries are GREAT!!]

 I wanted to share this quick story about a strong family, where, apparently LoveSac has played a small role in making their lives more comfortable.  It seems that we get a letter every other week about some way that LoveSac has helped someone (usually kids) with a serious physical mallady: Muscular Distrophy, Autism, Pelvic Surgery in a Body Cast, etc, etc...  This was sent to me from Kevin, at Tyson's Corner LoveSac, D.C....

Hey everyone I just got off the phone with a mother who is very very strong. Her daughter is suffering from a disease called sandhoff. The children who have this disease only live to about 3 years old. Their muscles start to deter ate slowly and eventually become paralyzed. She told me that it is her goal to have every child who suffers from this disease to have a Lovesac. It changed her life in so many different ways, she has started a website about her her daughters sickness and is going to have a section dedicated to lovesac. She has already contacted NTSAD.com which is a nonprofit organization helping others with this illness. She contacted them telling her story about how much lovesac changed her and her daughters life and recommends that lovesac should be a medical necessity for this disease. I wanted to share this story with everyone because it really touched me and you never know when the littlest thing can change someone's life. The website she started is called helpteresa.com if you want to check it out and maybe leave her some comments or anything check it out. Be prepared in the future to get a lot more customers with this illness or any other type of illness because she is on a mission to make sure everyone knows how much lovesac helps with the ease of this disease.

 

Lovesac Tyson's,

Kevin

IF YOU HAVE 5 MINUTES, PLEASE VISIT www.helpteresa.com AND MAKE A DONATION - OR JUST WISH THEM WELL.

--Shawny D.