Last week at BEDTalks (our annual conference where about 1,200 Mattress Firm leaders from all across the nation gather together for a week to hear a variety of inspirational and educational speakers, take a day to give big in our community and have some fun), I had the chance to hear from the former Chief Marketing Officer of Southwest Airlines, Dave Ridley. As a branding nerd, I totally fan-girled. This is the man who helped shape the beloved airline brand and create something most all brands aspire to be when they grow up. Southwest has celebrated their people and built an amazing culture, rewarded and taken care of their customers, and clearly differentiated themselves as a fun, trusted company. I bet you can all think of a time Southwest treated you well and made flying so memorable and special.
So I know you're probably wondering about my recent promotion to C.E.O. at Mattress Firm, but I have to say I'm lucky to share this new title with many others. Dave Ridley gave a great BEDTalk about how we are all simply in the business of people and the successful companies aren't filled with BS (Big Shots) but with CEO's (Chief Encouragement Officers). I really loved this and felt like it really related to what we value in our leadership and all employees at Mattress Firm.
Throughout the duration of BEDTalks I'm honored to serve on a special volunteer team, the Red Shoes Crew. The Red Shoes Crew (or RSC for short) is a team of passionate, enthusiastic people who wear red shoes in honor of our Red Carpet Delivery where we aim to deliver the best service to our guests every single day. Our job for the week is to be in service of others, make others feel welcome, and bring energy and fun to the conference attendees. The whole week is filled with encouraging each other, motivating each other, being kind to each other and that should carry far beyond just one week of the year.
I'm also on our marketing team at Mattress Firm and we would not be as passionate as we are or have the ability to be big thinkers without encouraging each other. The importance of encouragement is undeniable to ensure the success of a project or goal. Encouraging others means sharing genuine praise and affirmation for team members. There's a feeling of confidence knowing someone is rooting for you and encouraging you. It's having someone on your side to lean on and help you through hard situations or meet deadlines. CEO's are important because whether you fly or you fail, there's someone who is there to encourage you to keep going and be better. Anyone can be a CEO. You have a choice every single day to lift someone up and encourage them. Chief Encouragement Officers bring joy to people and you should never underestimate the impact on someone just by giving them a little bit of encouragement.
Sooooo... I didn't leave BEDTalks as an actual CEO (Ken's got that on lock and does a fantastic job), but I'm proud to be a Chief Encouragement Officer and help be the light and the joy for my co-workers by bringing positivity and encouragement to someone every day!
One last comment from Dave I wanted to share was "character wins over competency." You may be working with a sour apple who is GREAT at their job, but not so fun to work with. They may always have an attitude and act like a BS (Big Shot), but eventually they'll dig their own grave and people will notice their behavior. For now all you can do is your best. Do your job, focus on yourself and be the very BEST Chief Encouragement Officer while ignoring all of the BS (Big Shots) and you will likely go far :)
And don't worry...maybe one day in the far, far future, I'll announce a different CEO title ;) #goals
Thanks for reading All Kinds Of Vibes! // Megan