Lessons from Stew Leonard

Forget about "stick it to the man" on Tuesdays! Every Tuesday, I'm with my two sons, ages 4 1/2 and almost 2, and generally don't do much work. It's a bit hellish for my fiancee to shoulder the burden, but she is good about it. Not that being a parent of two young children isn't REAL work. My father used to tell me that having two kids is three times the work of having one. I'm inclined to believe he was trying not to scare me. It's more like six times.

But if I have to have to combine having the kids with a shopping trip, I'm grateful for Stew Leonard's. For those who live in Connecticut, no further explanation is necessary. For the others, let me briefly explain: Stew Leonard's is known as "The World's Largest Dairy Store." It's part supermarket, part theater and part fantasyland. Kids LOVE it! While known initially for its dairy products, it now sells almost every perishable grocery imaginable.

From Wikipedia:

"The New York Times called Stew Leonard's the "Disneyland of Dairy Stores." The store has taken tips from educational practices, were they implement visual, auditory, and kinesthetic strategies into their sales. Stew Leonard’s have created animatronics characters called the farm fresh five. These animatronics are life like, which perform songs and dance that entertain the customers from all ages. This has made the shopping experience more engaging and exciting for families. It provides an area for kids to have fun while the parents shop.

"This new concept of selling has taken away the stress from long lines at the grocery store.^[3] The stores are not set up like traditional grocery stores; one must walk through the entire store (though there are short cuts). As customers walk through a path of aisles, they are greeted by different employees dressed up in costumes and by animatronic favorites such as Twinkie the Kid, the Chiquita banana, and Clover, a cow's head that moos when one pulls its rope. The stores also feature petting zoos and outdoor cafes in the warmer months and sell a variety of prepared meals year round. Customers are also offered an unusually large number of food samples for a supermarket, as well as free drink samples."

Stew Leonard himself, now well into his senior years, is a marketing genius, a tireless entrepreneur, a generous soul and a convicted felon. In the 1990s, he served four years in prison for tax fraud, a crime he readily admitted. Yet, even in his guilty plea and prison sentence, he remained as upstanding as possible. He acknowledged his faults, protected other family members from being indicted and served his time. And today, he exhorts others (through his autobiography) to "do the right thing" -- in business and in life.

There's more to Stew's story (and his autobiography is on sale at his four stores), but my point is simple: The man has always treated customers like family, known that "relationships" are key to business, been exceedingly generous to his employees (Fortune Magazine rates the store as one of the "100 Best Places to Work For") and loved what he does. Shopping at Stew's isn't a chore. It's an adventure. And even though I'm a cheapskate who disparages most "lifestyle" marketing campaigns as ripoffs, I could go for the Stew's lifestyle more often.

Stickit2Man.com aims to instill a lifestyle in its customers as well. Don't take no for an answer. Fight for what you want. Stay empowered, but stay positive as well. Screw moping. Get up and GET GOING!

Till next time: "Stickit2Man.com: Surf the site. Live the Life." See ya at Stew's!