Shawny D. ChiefSac

What's Your Favorite Position?

Even if you have seen our patented twist on furniture, the Sactionals, you need to see this new video (below).  I understand that at first glance Sactionals appear just "neat sofas" that can be moved around.  But if you haven't seen them in real life, you will be surprised at just how tight they are and how good they look in person...the real thing seems to always exceed expectations.  I've said it before and I'm saying it now: This product will eventually become the "default" furniture for American TV rooms.  It is the only changeable, washable, FedEx-able, simple, extremely modular furniture that can be taken-home-today because of the way its small packaging allows it to be stacked/stored/stocked.  Watch the video past the first section to the part where it gets into the Sactional Positions.  Please leave a comment and let me know: what is YOUR favorite position?  I wanna know.

I honestly believe that this product is good for people.  It frees them from being stuck with their furniture in an elegant and affordable way. It is reliable and guaranteed for life.  I believe it will be the single-biggest furniture concept in the country once discovered, and our patents help to ensure that, but for now we are small.  We are not able to advertise.  Unless people happen to stumble into one of our little stores and experience these for themselves, they will never know they have this option....and most people who do end up regretting that they, "Just bought other furniture."  Often people even return their recently purchased sofas and come back to pick up Sactionals.  So help me get the word out!  Please forward this to your friends and family, because now LoveSac is small, but someday with your help, everyone will LoveSac.   WATCH THIS VID (ALL THE WAY THROUGH)....

-- Shawny D.

Opening Stores in a Recession!?

It’s a great time to grow (believe it or not).  While the recession has hit us along with everyone else, LoveSac has still been doing okay, mostly due to the incredible reception of Sactionals which are becoming increasingly popular for media rooms everywhere.   With screaming deals on great locations in malls across the country, we are doing our best to gobble a few of them up.  (RIGHT: THE NEW LENOX LOVESAC AWAITS A STOREFRONT SIGN - ICING ON THE CAKE)  We’ll open 7 stores over the next 2 months: Atlanta, Buford, Minneapolis, New Jersey, LA, Delaware, Baltimore.  In fact, the first two are now already open!   I go to every store opening and work with the team to personally set up the store.  I love being out on the front lines, meeting the team and also the customers.  I even got to make the first sale at Lenox, one of the best malls in the U.S.  That store is gonna rock.  (LEFT: THE ENTIRE GEORGIA STAFF, FOR BOTH STORES, LED BY THE FEARLESS KATIE WHO IS RELOCATING FROM WISCONSIN TO TAKE ON HOTLANTA) 

As I always say, the coolest thing about LoveSac is the people.   Not only our amazing Sac’rs: Alex, Brian, Katie, Torin, and Jesann who worked for days (and nights) just to git ‘er done, but also the Sac fans like Mr. Zach Neuman who travelled all the way down from North Carolina just to say HI and be a part of the newest LoveSac embodiment!  Little did he know he’d find himself on the wall of the store – three times!  Check out this little vid….    

CHECK OUT THESE PICS OF THE LENOX STORE:

On Saturday we opened up at the Mall of Georgia, in Buford, just outside of Atlanta, and two days before that at Lenox – which is THE mall in the Atlanta market.   Store openings are one of the most exciting things that we get to do, but also one of the hardest things that we do.  Even opening up a tiny store, like the one at Lenox (which will be the smallest store in our chain) is just brutal!   Weeks of planning, ordering and coordination happens at LoveSac HQ long before my crew goes out to do the actual work.  Then, it inevitably takes at least 4 straight days (all of them 20+ hours of work each day) to set it up and make it look “LoveSac.”   In the middle of it, another Sac fan, Daniel Devore stumbled in to find me hanging shelves on the wall.  He’s been a Sac owner for years and just came by to see about joining the team.  Check him out….

HERE ARE A COUPLE OF EARLY PICS OUT OF THE MALL OF GEORGIA LOVESAC STORE: 

Having opened stores since 2001, I have to say, this is the best team we’ve ever had at LoveSac and these openings have gone more smoothly (and more inexpensively) than ever.  I really think we are building a smart business these days and it is really due to our great people, from Alex and Doreen at HQ, to my merchandisers in training, Torin, Jesann, and Brian.  

While out at a local favorite, Manuel's Tavern, for dinner we ran into a local Atlanta celebrity!  Chip Caray, the voice of the Atlanta Braves, is a 3rd generation announcer.  Alex, being the BIGGEST Braves fan that is not a resident of Atlanta, was pretty stokedd.  Chip was a good guy. He needs a LoveSac though.

Keep an eye on my schedule at LoveSac.com.  Come out and say HI because when you find me out on the road (as I personally hang all of that art on the walls at each location) and say, “Shawny D., show me the money,” I hook you up with a $25 LoveSac gift card.  This week (end of July) I'll be in Minneapolis (Minnetonka) for the Ridgedale opening Wed-Sat. Next week I'll be in Jersey for the Bridgewater Commons opening, August 4 - 7, with more to follow. Hope to see you at a new LoveSac store, near you.

 

-- Shawny D. 

ROLLED MY CAR INTO A RIVER

The LoveSac Rally Racing Team made its debut at the Idaho Rally this weekend.  We ALL entered the race knowing really only two things about Rally: Go fast & stay on the road.  Being that it was my first rally, my co-driver's first rally, and even my mechanic's first rally, I decided to make the pilgrimage first to my buddy, owner of LoveSac furniture, America's top Rally Car Driver & X-Games Gold Medalist, Travis Pastrana, for some Rally car tips at his house in Maryland over the 4th of July.  Unfortunately, between craning him out of his foam pit as he practiced his sick trick for the X-Games,  and getting cold-cocked by some rugby player that night in the chaos that follows fireworks & partying, all I could out of Pastrana was: "Go fast & stay on the road."  Well Trav, as my wife would tell you, I seem to listen to about half of anything.....we went fast, anyway.  

Hopefully the 2 videos below do a good job of explaining how the LoveSac Rally Fiero got upside down, into that river.  For any of you considering a career in Rally Car Racing I figured I would make this video in a way that would hopefully give you a glimpse into what the whole 2 day event is really like...as my YouTube Rally research only showed me a bunch of wrecks and some insane driving. There is so much more to rally it than that.  Tell me what you think, please COMMENT.  Check em out (stay tuned for the jump, crash, & slideshow at the end of day #2 video)...

To see all the pics from my first Rally or to download them visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/chairmansac/IDRallyPics709Filt# 

A HUGE thanks to our sponsors: Action Auto in SLC (who prepped my car and now has to put it back together), Spoon Me Frozen Yogurt, Franchise Foundry, Caballo Negro Energy Drink (which our rally car practically runs on), Team DI for the sick fire-suits and gloves, Loomis Solar (WOW did those helmets and the WATERPROOF dash-cam ever come in handy), and of course LoveSac Alternative Furniture Co....who pays my life insurance, etc.

Not to mention a BIG THANKS to: Ryan Money, my co-driver for life, you are AMAZING dude...oh, and you saved my life.  Bill Talbot (Dirty Billy) who can fix anything on wheels.  Jeremy Back, who thought he was going on vacation only to find out that Rally is a team sport.  Joe Loomis & Jenna who always just show up and help out (not to mention hooked up our Rally suits in entirety). My parents, who came, volunteered, blocked the trail to vehicles for 12 hours and who STILL hate the idea of this whole thing.  My partners, Nancy, Ryan, and the rest of LoveSac HQ for tolerating me.  And most importantly the women in my life, Tiffany & Lucky Anne...THE coolest chicks on the planet.

-- Shawny D. 

SICK New LoveSac Offices

Okay, so it’s not new.  It’s actually the same old office, but we actually finally moved in!  Two plus years in the same place and I feel like we never really unpacked…until now. 

WELCOME TO THE NEW LOVESAC H.Q. OFFICES

I’m not sure if any of you have ever felt this way at home or at work, but its like we were all in such a hurry to get to work that we just threw some furniture down, plugged stuff in, and started typing.  Wires strewn everywhere.  Boxes on the floor piling up with “stuff.”  Last week I noticed that our full-size office copier/printer/fax was actually straddling the space between a desk and some weird table – just “functional.”  Bare walls, or worse, crap taped to the walls everywhere, crooked, out of order—just functional—barely. 

(ONE OF MY ONLY SHOTS OF THE OFFICE “BEFORE” CROWDED BY PEOPLE WEARING FUNNY HATS AT OUR BABY SHOWER FOR LUCKY)

 

Well, those days are finally over.  And it is not like last week was convenient or anything.  In fact, it was probably the most inconvenient time that it could have possibly been.  We are about to open 7 new stores in 60 days!  We are in final sampling to launch about 20 new products this fall!  And we are in talks with numerous new investors interested in helping us grow our business.  CRAZY, CRAZY times.

 

WE DID HIRE PAINTERS OFF OF CRAIGSLIST.  WORKED ALL WEEKEND.  THIS DUDE PASSED OUT AND SLEPT UNTIL NOON ON MONDAY JUST LIKE THAT – FULLY WORKING OFFICE, WITH PEOPLE ALL AROUND HIM.  SEE THE CHAOS WE WERE LIVING IN!?  NASTY CARPET, EH!?

 

 

 

But somehow, between many late, late nights and early, early mornings…making for long, long days, we transformed the office from what it was, to the Sac H.Q. that it always should have been.  And all this on a shoestring budget!  We built our own desks, made our own furniture (of course), and did most of the work ourselves.  Check it out!  Please COMMENT and let me know what you think.  Like it or hate it, I LOVE to hear from you.

THE ENTRY, LOOKING OUT: CURRENT SEASONAL (TATTOO, FOR NOW) COVERS ON DISPLAY. (SAME PLACE YOU SAW THAT PAINTER PASSED OUT, BEFORE)

 

THE ENTRY, LOOKING IN: THAT IS OUR BOARD OF HISTORY.  LAYERS OF 8 YEARS’ STUFF STAPLED, TAPED, TACKED UP THERE, FRAMED IN BLACK.  TABLE ON THE LEFT WHERE WE WILL CONTROL ALL THE MUSIC TO ALL THE STORES LIVE, FROM H.Q.

 

ENTRY, LOOKING IN: CHECK OUT THESE SICK CUSTOM ORDER MIXED SACTIONALS COVER-SETS.  PLEATHER “FORD” COMBINED WITH STUFF SO NEW ITS NOT EVEN ON THE SWATCH YET!

“WEB CORNER”:  HERE SITS MIKE AND SAMBIR, THE WEB CREW, ON ONE OF OUR (MANY) CUSTOM BUILT DESKS.  THESE ARE  ¾” THICK 8’ LONG PLY-WOOD “SLABS” MIXED, A 4X4 CUT TO SIZE ATTACHED WITH A LAG BOLT, AND SOME STUFF FROM IKEA.  WE BUILT THEM OURSELVES.  FUNCTIONAL WITH LOTS STORAGE & SURFACE AREA. 

 

ACCOUNTING CENTRAL:  MORE SLABS.  DAVE & SPENCER (PRODUCT DESIGNERS) REALLY OUT-DID THEMSELVES WITH THESE DESKS.  BUILT-IN PLUG STRIPS, HIDDEN CORDS, SHELVES, HANGING ACCESSORIES, CORK-BOARDS…ALL CUSTOM.

 

NANCY AND MY OFFICE:  WE ARE BIG ON COOPERATION AT LOVESAC, AND EVEN BIGGER ON GATHERING.  OUR  OFFICE DOUBLES AS MEETING ROOM.  THE WINDOWS ARE OUR WHITE-BOARDS—ALWAYS CAKED WITH LISTS & PLANS.

 

CFO’S OFFICE BEFORE:  (HEE HEE)

 

 

 

CFO’S OFFICE: AFTER (NOW)

THE ROCKSTAR ROOM (CONFERENCE ROOM): BEFORE

 

THE ROCKSTAR ROOM: AFTER (NOW). NOTICE THE SO-NEW-THEY’RE-NOT-EVEN-ON-THE-CUSTOM-SWATCHES CHENILLE COVERS.  MURDERED-OUT LOVESAC NEON SIGN STUCK TO THE WALL.  MURDERED OUT CHANDELIER FOR LIGHT.  THE WALLS ARE 100% CHALK-BOARD PAINT & THE WALL BEHIND THE SHOT IS BLANK – JUST WAITING FOR SOME INTENSE BRAINSTORMING….UP THE WALLS.  STACKS OF VINTAGE GUITAR AMPS FOR FRONT TABLE – TO HOLD THE CHALK & ERASERS (NOT SHOWN).

 

BIT OF LOVESAC TRIVIA: THE GUITAR HANGING ON THE RIGHT IS A LEGEND.  THE AMERICAN BUILT FENDER STRATOCASTER, SUNBURST.  IT IS THIS GUITAR’S SUNBURST DESIGN THAT INSPIRED THE COLORS FOR THE ORIGINAL LOVESAC LOG0. 

 

THE NEW LOVESAC H.Q.  IT’S GOT SOUL AGAIN.  IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME.

 

-- Shawny D.

 

 

I'm Back!!! Contest Winners!!! Ahhhhh----

   I never realized just how much my laptop had become an extension of my being until I've been forced to live without one....or at least with 1/2 of one, for the last month.  Our newest Sac'r, Rhyno Sun (who is our first Chinese employee) spilled a full mug of tea into the back of my brand new Macbook a few weeks ago while I was in China.  Still love him.  Poor kid - puked his first day on the job.  Hyper-active me was in the back of this cab, on our way to his first factory visit (he will oversee all our China operations) and I am giving him the hour-long LoveSac 101 on my laptop.  Before ya know it, he goes for the window, which has that child-proof roll-down-only 2/3 of the way...he crams his head out sideways.  Uggghhhh.  Nasty.  He was demoralized.  2 days later, he drowns my laptop.  I was worried he would go for ritualistic suicide.  But it's all good....at least he'll never forget his first week on the job with LoveSac.  Anyways, I waited it out.  Tried to get it fixed.  Now I'm just waiting on a new one of the same spec.  Can't seem to get that exact one.  It still works but only with an external monitor.  Fine for some, but when you spend as much time as I do in airports, hotels, and everywhere in between....AHHHHH - it has really messed up my Qi, man.  

I APOLOGIZE.  I have been lazy and out of sorts and I just haven't felt like blogging.  BUT, I owe it to y'all to (finally) announce winners to my "Is this sexist" contest #2...all about our Inked Cover Poster (see two blogs previous).  If you're a winner (below) you just won a SICK Sac Cover, or a $50 LoveSac gift card.  All you gotta do is email me your request and your info to chairmansac@gmail.com, and I'll hook you up.  Here we go:

MY FIRST CHOICE: JG.  JG WROTE... 

Is it sexist? Sure it is. To men. totally assumes that guys will buy a product just because it has a racy pic of a girl on it. which is fairly insulting to guys.

Posted by: JG | June 02, 2009 at 10:36 PM

WAY TO TURN IT AROUND JG.  I ACTUALLY HADN'T THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY AT ALL, BUT YOU'RE TOTALLY RIGHT.  I THINK THAT BY DEGRADING THE OPPOSITE SEX, I JUST DEGRADED MY OWN.  WOW.

MY SECOND CHOICE: MS. S.A.C. WROTE...

This is bomb!!! I am a what many call a heavily tattooed person and I love it even more when i see ink branching out to furniture!!! I love this new look!!! I love it even more cause of my initials are SAC as well!! I missed out on getting the pajama bottoms when they were available years ago.... BUT that is another story.... Great job, way to stay on top of the Creative CURVE!!

Posted by: Shana A. Cronkleton | June 02, 2009 at 06:50 PM

 HOW CAN I HATE A GIRL WITH THE INITIALS SAC?  BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY: SHE GETS IT.  IT WASN'T ABOUT "DADS" OR "GRADS" REALLY.  IT WAS ABOUT WICKED COOL INKED FURNITURE.  WHO'S DONE THAT?  WHO DARES TO DO THAT?  WHO COULD DO THAT?...BUT LOVESAC WITH ITS CHANGEABLE COVERS.  GO AHEAD AND TAKE RISKS.  YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT!!!

FINALLY: AMANDA'S COMMENT...

No, I don't think this is sexist. I think that there is basically no way for that woman to be getting that large of a tattoo on her back with any clothing on from the waist up. I also think that if that were a man sitting there getting a tattoo, it would take away from the picture, and the overall feel of it. Face it men, even as the completely straight woman that I am, I can tell you that the female body is more aesthetically appealing. There have been studies done proving that the eye is drawn to objects that are round, and we are comforted by them. Who's our favorite cartoon character? Mickey Mouse, who is made almost entirely out of circles, soft edges and curved lines. Women are also made almost entirely out of circles, soft edges and curved lines. Men, on the other hand, are supposed to be more chiseled and hard, with rough edges, which are not as likely to be as pleasing to the eye... which defeats the purpose of an ad, actually.

Overall, I like the ad. It doesn't quite fit completely with fathers day... but who cares? Its not the fathers that buy their own gifts anyway.

Posted by: Amanda | May 20, 2009 at 09:28 PM

AGREED.  CHICKS ARE JUST PLAIN HOT.  OKAY, CALL ME A PIG - I'M MARRIED, NOT GAY.  IT ISN'T OFTEN THAT WE FIND OCCASION TO USE A MOSTLY NAKED FEMALE FORM IN OUR ADS, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS IN THE MALL, BUT IT IS NICE TO HAVE AN EXCUSE TO.  (NO, I WASN'T AT THIS PHOTO SHOOT).  BUT WAY TO GO BEN, OUR ART DIRECTOR, AND THE ENTIRE CREW WHO MAKE LOVESAC'S MARKETING WHAT IT IS.  

WAY TO GO EACH OF YOU FOR LEAVING COMMENTS.  I APPRECIATE IT, AND I WANT TO HEAR MORE FROM YOU.  I PROMISE, I'LL KEEP UP WITH THE BLOGGING IF YOU KEEP LETTING ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.  GOOD OR BAD.  THE 3 WINNERS ABOVE: PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR MAILING INFO AT CHAIRMANSAC@GMAIL.COM.  LET ME KNOW OF THE PRIZES LISTED IN THE ORIGINAL BLOG (2 PREVIOUS) WHICH PRIZE YOU WANT.  YOU'LL GET IT.  I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH THIS:

So we hired these 3 dudes off of Craigslist to paint our office (we're in the middle of a minor/major remodel).  They were supposed to be finished over the weekend.  Monday morning, 11am, and this dude is STILL passed out on the floor.  15+ people milling about at LoveSac HQ, making copies, speaking loudly, moving furniture, and this dude sleeps right through it...for hours...on the floor.  At one point he was scratching himself - you know.  

Moral of the story: finish on time, or be ridiculed.

ROCK ON.  KEEP ROCKIN' THE SAC.

--Shawny D.