No Trader Joe's isn't selling The Tipping Point. But it relates back to my TJs blog, I swear.I finally picked up the Tipping Point this morning in La Guardia because I was there two hours early (okay I'm usually early for flights but that's just ridiculous) and I needed to do something besides read about Brad and Angelina (IT'S A BOY! SHE DUE ON MAY 2ND!). I say finally because I've wanted to read it for years, but I just never got around to it. I have a bunch of books on my to-do list and usually I get around to them when I'm in airports and the only thing to buy besides over-priced Brookstone toys is books, bad food court food and magazines about Brand and Angelina.
I've only read about a hundred pages so far, but I see why everyone recommends this book. Mr. Gladwell is a great writer of non-fiction, which really is a talent. Non-fiction is usually very interesting and informative, but it rarely makes for a page-turner. But seriously I can't wait to get back upstairs and continue reading it.
But how does this little popular book relate back to Trader Joe's? Well in the one-hundred pages so far that I have read, one of Mr. Gladwell's theories is that in order to spread things (epidemics, fads, etc.) you need three kinds of people: Salesman to sell the idea, Connectors to connect the idea to the people (think Paul Revere), and Mavens to educate people on the idea.
Maven's know a lot about a lot of different things, especially consumer products. They like to read consumer reports and shop a lot in order to get a great deal. So I'm a Maven! I totally paraphrased the maven definition to better fit me, but I have to say it's nice to finally put a name to my weird hobbies of always wanting to tell people about the products that I love.
And really I'm just trying to teach everyone I know (and their friends and also any connectors out there who want to help me spread the word) about the magic of Trader Joe's, so that we can tip this thing and create a Trader Joe's Revolution or a TJvolution! (yes I totally stole that from Tivolution, my other favorite thing)
7 comments:
Maybe I'm a maven too, just not of the useful, consumer product sort. I do have tons of semi-useless knowledge stored in my brain (unless you count Battle of the Sexes as a useful endeavor), ready to spout at a moments notice, until someone realizes "Wow, he knows so much... but it's completely useless!"
My comments on previous posts (since the feature was disabled):
Canola Oil Spray: I was completely unaware that rapeseed and canola are synonymous, but it makes perfect sense, from a business/marketing perspective. I too have always been creeped out by the mention of rapeseed anything (I suppose oil is the only way it is mentioned, but I would be further creeped out if it were used in another context). The marketers of canola oil made the right call.
Mango Juice:
First, my condolences to Paul for his traumatic OJ concentrate incident.
As far as quality, non-concentrate OJ is concerned, I recommend Naked Juice in the gallon jug from Costco. It's tasty, pulpy (good for me, not for Kristen), and oh-so-fresh! Plus, you can't beat the price, which I believe is $3.99 or so. All this for a gallon jug of the most super duper OJ you will ever taste! Compare that to a sale of crappy store brand OJ at Ralph's or Vons at $4-$5/gallon (they must use the reject oranges from Tropicana and the other fancy brands). Yeah, I thought so.
Aaron, you are totally a car maven, don't sell yourself short!
Thanks for the Naked Juice tip, although I'm anti-pulp, just like Kristen. Golly pulp is gross. But maybe I will get it for Pablo.
Mango Juice:
I'm a big fan of the Mango A-Go-Go as well. However, I feel like an idiot saying "Mango-A-Go-Go" when I order, I mean c'mon, did they really have to put the "A-Go-Go" in the name? And you can't just say "I'll have the mango one," I've tried it before and apparently there's another mango jamba juice, so they force you to say the "A-Go-Go" part. Sometimes, just to avoid saying "A-Go-Go" I just order the Citrus Squeeze.
Strawberries Wild is really the best flavor at Jamba.
But did you know that cooking spary is 0 points on Weight Watchers? It's amazing.
But the best part about cooking spray, at least on the Pam can, is that the serving size is "1/3 of a second spray." I have never heard of any other food that is measured in time. Truly amazing. And not even a full second of time. Only a third!
Kristen, I love Mango A Go Go specifically because of the funny name. Whenever I order it I do a little dance. Just like a go go girl would if she was ordering mango a go go. Even as I type this I'm doing a little dance.
Kartik - I totally noticed that 1/3 of a second spray thing for the cooking oil. I think I might need to go back and ammend my original post because I think that is so funny.
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