Pyjama Day

Who dreams of living in PJ's all day? I do, I do!

A big thanks to the Lykki Culture Club for hosting the first ever Pajama Day. I loved all the cool slippers - hey where were the beds to take a nap though :-))

Cheers

Calvin

Happy Valentines Day to all our Partners!

Our Lykki "Ki" Values are LIVE LOVE LAUGH LEARN and on a day like today it's all about the LOVE. It's our partners who make the magic here everyday and I try to let them know how important each and every one is to the customer experience, our success and our culture.

At Lykki we practice a "people first" philosophy. Showing the Love and getting the Love back from partners is what it's all about in a nice give and take circle. It's much easier to contribute in an environment where the more you give the more you get.

I love you guys and gals!!
Cheers
Calvin

Lykki Trucks!

Over the weekend we branded another of our delivery trucks in the snappy new LYKKI wrap.

We are getting great feedback on the look and I agree it just feels happy and bright. I'm most excited about the back of the trucks.

The design on the back was inspired from our mission to "Infuse a little happiness in the world." I wonder if someone sitting in traffic will read the back of our truck and possibly make some small positive change in their day. The message is not to "make" people happy but to evoke the question - are you happy?

Cheers
Calvin

Don't eat our paper!

Today we are launching a new copy paper that is 100% Tree Free. That's right; No wood pulp, no trees, no recycled paper - nothing. This paper is made from sugar cane.

We have been testing several brands of Tree Free paper for 9 months and have chosen the Canefields brand Cane Paper as our house brand 100% Tree Free Paper.

I'm excited about where the paper industry is going with new innovation. It parallels the innovation happening in the automotive industry with electric vehicles. Once the performance and price are similar, people will pick the eco-friendly alternative. Please try a box of our Cane paper and if you are not totally satisfied, email me at calvin@lykki.com and I'll personally see you are credited every penny and $5.00 more for your troubles.

Click here to order a box from our snazzy website. 

Cheers
Calvin

We couldn't have a business without our suppliers love.

Arriving at the office earlier than usual this morning I snapped a picture of our morning Milk Delivery. It really got me thinking about all the wonderful suppliers we have that work around the clock to keep Lykki running smoothly.

We partner with some 150 suppliers from all over the world to bring our customers items from every day office supplies to unique snacks and beverages from as far away as Japan. Our trusted milk supplier delivers 3 times a week and is here waiting like clock work for our receiving to open at 6am. We truly appreciate the relationships we have built with suppliers over the past 24 years. Thank you suppliers!

Cheers
Calvin

CEO Birthday Lunch

Time for another CEO Birthday Lunch - this time with our November, December and January staff babies.

I've written about this lunch tradition several times in past blogs, and once again it was a blast to hang out and get to know more about some of our staff over lunch. I know it's fun activities like these that keep our LYKKI culture strong.

After lunch, off we all went to the Casino with some cash as a gift from "Uncle Calvin."  Here is a picture of Nabil our VP of Finance who lost all his cash, all except one cent. Right after this picture was taken, we cashed out his voucher at a machine and it spit out a nickel!! Nabil and I started laughing and high fiving like only executive finance geeks would as we saw the nickel clink into the tray of the machine. One cent in and five cents out!!! We felt like winners.

Cheers
Calvin

I think that’s the most stupidest name ever, Like seriously?

Last week was hectic but so very rewarding as we switched our branding and company name from Costless Express to Lykki. I was quite anxious what customers would say about the change so I asked all our staff to send any comments directly to me. I also made sure that on the letter we sent to thousands of customers that my contact information was present so they could connect with me if they had any thoughts to share.

I was so happy to get unfiltered and direct communication from customers and suppliers who reached out to me after the launch. The response was overwhelmingly positive and encouraging - although, one email stood out for me. It was very candid and the customer had an opinion to share. I knew a small handful of customers may not like the name, and here was one sitting in my in box. I needed to reply quickly and sat at my desk, head sunk low thinking about how I would handle the customer email in a tactful Lykki way.

What I finally wrote in my email was heart felt. I had been saddened all week that after 24 years under the name Costless Express, a little part of me was now gone forever. So, I loved knowing we had a passionate customer in Mary who still prefers to hold the torch for our old name. Thank you Mary for carrying the Costless Express torch. It means the world to me. Here is our email exchange:

On Jan 15, 2013, at 2:43 PM, Mary wrote:
Really, Lykki? I think that’s the most stupidest name ever, Like seriously? Who approved of that name? at first we thought this was a joke!! Turns outs it’s not! I will continue to call you costless express.
Sincerely
Mary 

Howdy Mary,
Thanks for the feedback. Costless Express is still a name near and dear in my heart too. I created the name over 24 years ago and it stood for my idea of bringing office supplies to customers "cheap and fast".

Over the years a wonderful thing happened to our company that I feel has made us so special in the hearts and minds of our employees and customers. We grew into a company with a passion and soul to treat all people with respect and have a little fun along the way. We realized we were not just a company selling office supplies but more about creating a little happiness in the world as we came to work each day.

So after much reflection I decided to find a company name that celebrated what we stood for. Lykki is a name I created. Inspired by the Danish word Lykke the word for happiness, I felt this name would be easy to remember and fun to say.

I understand if you still call us by our old name. It feels nice actually to have a customer who loves my original company name and will carry the flame of memories past.
Regardless of what we are called, our commitment is to offer you a great service and I appreciate your candid feedback.

Cheers
Calvin