The Fraser Institute Tribute Dinner to Chip Wilson was a great opportunity to learn from one of the most notable entrepreneurs in the world as he shared pieces of advice that were applicable not only to business, but also to life.
Having worked for lululemon in the past, I have a deep understanding of the company culture, which is the attribute that lululemon is most recognized for. Within their culture, the law of attraction is something that is heavily emphasized and it explains that we attract those who are like ourselves. In fact, Wilson demonstrated this through his opening speech by saying, “Professionals attract professionals, travellers attract travellers, athletes attract athletes; but others attract gangsters, liars and complainers. So I am very honored tonight to have you all here, but why? Well who am I? I only have to ask, through the law of attraction, who are you?” Culture is an embodiment of the people within a company. A true cultural fit does not exemplify the culture merely at work, but beyond the office as well. Wilson’s mind is constantly reinforcing what he believes in, and his beliefs are reflected in the lululemon culture itself. As a company that hires through the law of attraction, the people within the company, like Wilson, are all ambassadors of this culture as well.
Following his introduction, Wilson briefly introduced his current initiatives Imagine One Day, Kit & Ace and Whil before moving on to how lululemon was founded. The history of the company emphasized three key things: the importance of culture, long-term thinking and goal-setting. When the company had first begun growing, he realized that the Board culture was tailored around short term goals as opposed to long term thinking: a culture that could ruin the company. Despite the fact that the company was growing rapidly, the focus on short-term thinking was not genuine to the lululemon culture and it was not sustainable. To solve this issue, Wilson brought back an external company, Advent, which had originally helped lululemon establish its culture in its initial stages. Wilson then weaved into the importance of goal-setting, how it can help us through obstacles, and how it can motivate us to be our best selves. He explained that a good goal must be quantifiable, have a by-when date and be driven by a vision: something that is unquantifiable, never complete, and bigger than oneself.
The Fraser Institute’s T.Patrick Boyle Founder’s Award is given to “a distinguished individual who has achieved lasting and recognized accomplishments in the promotion of freedom and free markets, entrepreneurship, and philanthropic support for private sector, non-profit enterprises.” Wilson fully embodies these qualifications by giving back relentlessly. Wilson donates his time, wisdom and money, through initiatives such as the Imagine One Day foundation and the Chip and Shannon Wilson School of Design. Most notably, he openly shares his secrets to success in hopes of strengthening and bettering the community that we are all a part of.
Cheryl has had experience with a diverse range of student activities which include her recent roles as the Director of Community Relations for BASS FROSH and the Sponsorship Executive for CaseIT 2013. She continues to be part of CaseIT 2014 as Creative Director. She is extremely excited to be a part of the Ambassador program so that she can broaden her insights andchannel her new knowledge into giving back to the Beedie community.