Lovesac Official Company Blog

From the Front Lines

This will be my 7th year touring all of the LoveSac stores on what we at LoveSac call: Operation Front Line, 2009.  After running the first LoveSac store day in and day out for months before we began to open more and build the company, I decided that I never wanted to get shut up in the office and lose touch with the customers who have made this company great.  Not to mention our AMAZING Sac'rs who are out on the front lines making the sales, paying the bills, and who are ultimately responsible for LoveSac's success.  So each year, just before the Holidays, I get out on the road and (mostly) drive to all of the LoveSac stores in the country.   From LA to Boston, with each stop I am reminded of just how special our products are in our customer's lives and how great our band of young, capable, hard-working Sac'rs are at running this biz.   [ABOVE LEFT: Natick MA LoveSac crew.  RIGHT: Kyle & John, Sac users for years who now own Sactionals with multiple Covers]. BTW, COME FIND ME ON OP FRONT LINE AND SAY "SHAWNY D. SHOW ME THE MONEY,".....I'LL HOOK YOU UP.

This year, with so much going on, I will only make it to 2/3 of our stores before Christmas, but plan to catch the rest in the spring. [ABOVE LEFT: Bridgewater NJ crew]  

At each stop I make sure that I'm not just dropping in to say "Hi" and point out shortcomings.  I get to know every Sac'r by name, see who really tears it up and where our next Market Managers might be in the system!  I work the store floor for hours, try to get my fair share of helping customers.  I actually do the sales training while working the floor, with real customers; no role-playing here.  They watch, I work.  I usually make a sale or two and spend every other moment working with the store managers on merchandising training and setting their store right. [RIGHT: Columbia MD Sac'rs at the end of the 12 hour training.  LEFT: Tyson's Corner D.C. crew - top selling LS staff!]   

Each stop presents something new.  I've wired lights, painted, re-located fixtures, hung posters, done light construction work...whatever needs doing.  A typical "Front Line" day begins at 10am, sometimes noon, and runs until midnight, with all of the sit-down, hardcore training done after the store closes.  We end the night by making ridiculous videos which live in infamy on the back walls of every LoveSac store and on the web forever, in the form of the LoveSac Store videos which you'll see playing in every one of our stores.  Most customer's favorite part of these videos are the sections made by the Sac'rs on the Front Line visits....some better planned than others.  I usually then drive on to my next location to the wee hours in the morning, wake up and do it again.  

At each stop I take a new sidekick with me - usually a Manager or Assistant Manager from some other LoveSac market, with the purpose of getting to know them and further develop their skills at the Sac.   They also work the floor when I'm back de-briefing the staff on the customer I just helped.  I think it is always good for them to see other stores, other Managers, other ways of doing things.  [RIGHT & LEFT BELOW: the new look of LoveSac, 2009 Columbia MD]  NOBODY is too good at LoveSac to get their hands dirty, paint, clean, scrape, unload, setup, and go unil Midnight--or sometimes work for days straight, if necessary.  

That is just our culture: this laid back, easy-going, fun company whose "laid back" people actually work harder, go longer, and are more capable than any other store in the mall....period.  I love these guys.  It is these people to whome we owe our deepest gratitude and respect.  I dedicate this and every Front Line Tour I'll ever make to those who are really running this company, the Sac'rs on the Front Lines.  

-- Shawny D. 

BTW, COME FIND ME ON OP FRONT LINE AND SAY "SHAWNY D. SHOW ME THE MONEY,".....I'LL HOOK YOU UP WITH A LOVESAC GIFT CARD. Noon to Midnight... Nov 20th: Westroads, Omaha NE.  Nov 22: Dallas Galleria, TX.  Nov 23: Stonebriar, TX.  Nov 29: Gateway Mall, SLC, UT.  Nov 30: Northridge Mall, CA.  Dec 1: Glendale Galleria, CA.  Dec 2: Tyler Galleria, CA.  Dec 6: Arizona Mills, Tempe AZ.  Dec 7: Sunset Galleria, Henderson, NV.  Dec 8: Layton Hills Mall, UT.  Dec 10: Lenox, Atlanta GA.  Dec 11: Mall of GA, Atlanta GA.  

So Did We Get it Right??

 THE WINNER of this year's Halloween costume contest gets a (brand new) KING BLANKET by LoveSac, worth $300 (hit stores in 2 weeks!!!)  THE BEST STORE overall all get a pair of (brand new) PHUR FEET Slippers by LoveSac....a prize to be coveted, no doubt.  So I'll show you all the pics (in no particular order), then I'll tell you who won at the end, then YOU please COMMENT and tell me whether we got it right.  ALL comments welcome.

Westroads NE

Mims!

No shirt to work!?

Luigi

asdf8r

King of Prussia! PA

Northridge CA (red walls)

Nerd & Rainbow Bright at Columbia MD!

AZ Mills

Flatiron Eddie & his world famous jacket!

Tyler Galleria

Ladies Man-agers

sadf25l

asdf30r

Georgia, Jersey, & Pittsburgh girls.

Layton discofied (again)

Casey & Josh spread the word in sin city!

 

Hung over in SLC.

More holiness.

Weirdos.

asdf46l

asdf47r

asdf48l

asdf49r

asdf51r

asdf52l

Christiana DE opens on Halloween!  Alex as El Hombre LoveSac Magnifico, I'm inked up, Libby is doctor hottie, Brian really should grow a mullet, Batman.  Batman....and the legendary Jizamm as a Pink Lady.

My Lucky lady-bug, her furry friend & Tiffany added together make for a "whole lotta woman."  Clearly adding to my hardcore image.

-- Shawny D.

So Casey & Josh, "The Elders" WIN for best individual costumes!!!  A KING BLANKET EACH!  AZ MILLS (scary crew below) WIN for best store costumes!!!  SLIPPERS all around!

COMMENT HERE!  Did we get it right!?

The 19 Coolest People I know

“WE ARE.  WE ARE.  WE ARE.” Screamed Director of Retail, Alex in his meanest drill sergeant voice (he actually is an Army Reserve Drill Sergeant one weekend a month in answer to the question: “What is LoveSac?”…”We are!” 

 

IT IS ALL ABOUT OUR PEOPLE.  There is no doubt in anyone’s mind here at LoveSac HQ that our people are by far our most valuable asset.  Like it or not, our products are weird, require demonstration and explanation, and with all the video, photos, POP displays, etc, there is just NO SUBSTITUTE FOR AWESOME PEOPLE.  Our most awesomest people are all here for 3 days only, at LoveSac world headquarters in Stamford Connecticut.

 

19 of the best Sac’rs in the world have been flown, driven, and trained up to New York City then on to our offices just up the road in Stamford….a banking town.  LoveSac is most certainly the weirdest business in this town.  No suits here.  Surrounded by high-rises filled with tie-wearing finance geeks, we’ve borrowed the empty space beneath our tiny office where we can all gather around one long conference table with the purpose of elevating our collective LoveSac-abilities. 

 

The day begins early, at the Stamford Inn.  Who knows what goes on after hours with 19 Sac’rs locked up under one roof – I don’t wanna know.  But we woke everyone up playing “HI-LO” where everyone lines up from high to low according to the category called.

We all crammed into our cars (the LoveSac Bus is, um, busy right now), rolled over to the office where the day of fun began.  It’s “wear your favorite T-shirt day for this first long day of training.  Powerpoint presentations….YEAH.  Vision training, mission training, financial training, inventory training, supply-chain training, book-club knowledge sharing, etc, etc, etc.

 

For lunch we had some wicked-good carnitas tacos from our favorite neighborhood taco joint….and get crackin’ on the staff-wide Guitar Hero single elimination tournament in the infamous "Rockstar Room" at LoveSac HQ.  Katie, Casey, Mims, Dave, Brian, James, and Torin advance to the next round of Guitar Hero glory…Tashia, Andy, Eddie, Libby, Svi, Hellen, Amy and JesAnne were ELIMINATED.  I’m not saying they sucked….but it WAS entertaining.  Overall, I’d have to say that those from the field are better than those from HQ…even though WE’RE the one with the RockStar Room right here in the office.  (Shows you how much it gets played).  It’s all a show.  LoveSac isn’t really fun…..but we like to pretend we are.  (ok, its kinda fun).

 

Now back upstairs for dinner in the office, then right back downstairs for more presentations after dinner….goin’ till 11 pm tonight.  LoveSac is…...FUN!

Hey, who's that hottie rockin' with the baby in tow?

-- Shawny D. 

New Celebs & Weird Stuff

Here's a new video you probably haven't seen.  A compilation of our just some of the various TV appearances & celebs rockin' the Sac over the years...also starring all of our store Sac'rs from last year: LIVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE SAC. -- Shawny D.

The "New" LoveSac

It is 4:20 am.  EARLY, by LoveSac new-store-opening standards.  And I don't mean "early" like "4 in the morning is way too early to get up....I mean "early" like, "Wow, its only four in the morning and we're done already!"  

Believe it or not I think we may actually be getting better at what we do.  Thanks to Doreen and everyone who worked at LoveSac HQ to get these store openings planned and shipped, as well as a HUGE thanks to Damian, Charlie, and Torin (left to right of me), as well as Alex, and even Dustin and Frank from the new staff, this Ridgedale, Minneapolis (okay: Minnetonka) store opening came off without a hitch.  Normally I see the sun come up on this last day of merchandising mayhem, but thanks mostly to an amazing crew, we wrapped at 3:20.  I'm going to actually make my flight (Brad, my travel agent gasps in amazement).  The only problem is that I have to be at the airport in 90 minutes now, and I fear that if I let myself get a little sleep, I'll wake up two days later.....so.....I blog.

Seriously though, LoveSac has had some major ups and downs as many of you know, over the past few years.  I really do feel like somehow everything is beginning to click.  I feel like we have figured out our "look" at retail.  I feel that the current team we have in place to manage the company is the best I've ever had (overall), at every level.   The retail crew is especially fun to watch. I feel like we have somehow collected over the years a rag-tag group of young people who  were all maybe 3 years shy of being ready for this job 3 years ago, but have now grown up with the Sac and somehow stayed on-board or even returned to us, and are now well-beyond-their-years-effective at managing their various responsibilities.  I mean check out this staff!!!  (RIGHT: The new LS crew, Mall of America / Ridgedale)

I feel that we have put systems in place over the last year, from ordering, to shipping, to checklists, to new vendor/supplier selection, to travel planning that is now allowing us to get new stores open on time and under budget.  They open looking hot and ready to show people the power of Sactionals - which have become half our business as of late.  Oh yeah, and we spend about 20% of what the "old" LoveSac used to spend on store buildout.  I will say that it was kind of funny to see people wander in today, as we are clearly setting up (power tools out, stuff stacked everywhere) and start shopping around and asking questions.  I really believe this mall will kill it.  We have somehow become a lean, mean, sales machine where the combination of hard work, retail savvy, patented/unique productions, and an unapologetic attitude toward just being who we are, has led us to a place where, if the U.S. economy would just cooperate, we just might become the biggest alternative furniture brand in the world.  

I know its been a decade (for me), but maybe this time, its time.  I think it just might be...and I think I mostly have great biz partners (Nancy & Ryan) to thank....along with my amazingly supportive wife, Tiffany, and baby daughter, Lucky....who are fine, by the way, with yet another trip, here to Minnesota, as they'll pick me up from JFK airport tomorrow, surfboard in the back, and we'll roll to Long Beach to get a little sun time, surf time, and family time.  Ahhhhhh....

So we're building it back up again.  24 stores now plus 2 overseas plus 30 store-in-stores in Meico/Sears.  Like a weed we just keep pushing up through the dry ground and I have a feeling (though I always have) that LoveSac WILL become the legendary brand it was meant to be.  If you are still skeptical...just wait.  It has certainly taken longer than what I imagined at 22 years old, but hey, we're still here, and looking better than ever (even if I do say so myself).  But the potential to someday be an Apple, a Mac, but in our owns pecial way.   I mean with fans like these, what could possibly go wrong!?  (CHECK OUT the video, below)...

-- 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 [email protected], 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 [email protected].  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.

Freakin' Weirdos

My favorite thing about Lovesac is the people.  Retail requires logs of people.  People at HQ.  People in the stores.  Customers, even...and with lots of people we get plenty of weirdos.  I like weird people.  They make the company interesting.  RIGHT: That is a Sactionals Base Box.  Meet Lauren - the woman who makes it all happen at HQ.  If you received product, at any level, its likely at least partly Lauren's fault that you did.  But, as Doreen will tell you, "This is what happens when you don't behave." Don't ask me what she did to deserve this, but take comfort in the fact that we are not a government agency - no your hard-earned tax dollars are not paying for these antics.

Charlie, our resident travelling weirdo, seeing this photo of Lauren was not to be outdone.  He passed along this freakish photo (RIGHT) of himself in a box from years to go via email.  I'm not sure why.  Freakin' weirdo:

Finally, on our last trip to China, Dave Underwood, my biz partner of 10 years and Director of Product Development here at LoveSac was compelled to share a room with his assistant, Product Deisgner, Spencer.  Spencer is a light sleeper and Dave saws logs.  I mean this dude snores like snoring was an Olympic sport. 

Las trip, Spencer ended up sleeping behind a closed door, in the bathtub.  This time, Spencer was not about to be run out of his own room.  He put Dave's butt in the bathroom...in style:  (yes, that is the entire bed) 

 

 

-- Shawny D.