Ponder Post: Uncontainable

I find being in The Container Store fun and inspiring. My sister and I enjoyed an excursion up to the Walnut Creek store when she visited last June/July. It is in my post for July 3, 2014.

When I saw that one of the founders of the store chain wrote a book about it's birth and development, I wanted to read it. I also figured the book Uncontainable would make a good Christmas present for my son Dan who recently got his MBA and is interested in business type stuff. I was too busy to read the book before the holidays, so I delayed giving it to him at Christmas. But I just finished it this morning and will pass it on to him when I see him next. It is filled with tidbits of information and interesting philosophies couched in the framework of seven foundation principles.

The Container Store is extremely selective in their hiring, accepting only 3% of applicants and paying them 50%-100% over the industry average. The company invests humongous amounts of time in training their employees both in company philosophy and in the products they sell. Even in the deepest recession, The Container Store managed to avoid laying off any employee. The phrase "it's not personal, it's business" does not fly in their culture; business is personal and about relationships. It is unclear whether by chance, coincidence, criteria, or performance, but the fact is, 80% of their executives and managers are female. Their "Man in the Desert" selling approach is quite amusing (Foundation Principle #3). The skit acted out to train new hires made me chuckle.  

I can relate to their "Air of Excitement" when entering one of their stores, (Foundation Principle #7). The feeling conjures up for me the Back to School season when Robin and Dan were pre-college. I used to love going with them into our local stationery store, McWhorter's, the evening after the first day of school. We would buy binders in a variety of colors - one per subject, fresh highlighters and markers of various hues, nifty locker organizing tools, spiral notebooks with inviting covers, etc. It was a rainbow of organization that rivaled Christmas morning.

This book is simply written and a quick enjoyable read. I feel it could have been edited a bit more because I found parts repetitive, but overall, it was worth the few hours of time I invested. Even if you do not read Uncontainable, treat yourself to an outing to your local The Container Store. It is that fresh-start-for-the-new-year experience all over again. For those who love color and being organized, it is a must!