Caption: For retailers the holiday season can be the most rewarding or most stressful time of the year. Add in making it onto Oprah’s Favorite Things list and it becomes the year you get shot out of a canon.
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In 1999 I was the second EA to Wally Arnold, CEO and Founder of Illuminations, the candle manufacturer. As Illuminations was growing he wanted to maintain his personal touch and voice in all communications. What an opportunity! I got schooled in his style and approach.
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Coming off the Austin Powers summer blockbuster, I became known at HQ as Mini-Wally, his ghostwriter. Given my petite stature, I guess it was apropos.
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That fall was monumental for the company. We got word that our Ritual Candles would be featured on Oprah’s big day, her most watched episode of the year. But let’s drop the pretense. It was a shit storm.
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The giddy excitement of the day is akin to being the one that gets to open the front doors of WalMart on Black Friday. Within moments our servers crashed within hours we had sold out of much of the holiday product.
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It was a lesson in humble vulnerability. A client hellbent on their gift purchase is not something to trifle with. That it was Oprah’s audience and it was the Art of Candlelight didn’t make much difference.
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Wally’s genius approach was to completely acknowledge the situation with our clients. We bowed to Oprah’s spotlight and with sincerity asked how we could help make it right with our clients when we failed to meet their expectations. Every failed moment became an opportunity to transform their lives in a positive interaction.
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For days I became a concierge for the toughest clients, the ones that were escalated all the way to the CEOs office. With bloodhound awareness I would seek out replacements through the network of stores, even digging through the warehouse to find the last item, and ship it in time for Christmas.
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We transmuted the stress of materialistic desire for the peace that candlelight offers by owning our shortcomings. Staying authentic in our imperfections, acknowledging them with humility and gratitude might be good practice for this time, remembering why we celebrate Light in the darkest months of the year.
