TOP 1%er INTERVIEW SERIES
The goal of the “Top 1%er” interview series is to break down the qualities of people who excel and to show that you can be successful and achieve personal greatness from any starting point in your life. The interview series will look at people from all different careers and industries. Some names will be familiar and others may not. The purpose is to understand and borrow from the “best practices” of winners to develop a roadmap to your TOP 1%. We will share a new story every two weeks.
Our guest this week is Jenn Lim, the CEO and Chief Happiness Officer of Delivering Happiness, a company she and Tony Hsieh (CEO of Zappos) co-created to inspire happiness in work, community, and everyday life. In 2005, she created the first Culture Book for Zappos. In 2009, Zappos was sold to Amazon.com in a deal valued at $1.2 billion on the day of closing, and in 2011, Zappos was #6 on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list. The Culture Book has become a global symbol of how companies can successfully create cultures based on happiness and be profitable at the same time. In 2010, Jenn led the launch and management of Tony’s first book, Delivering Happiness, which hit #1 on numerous bestseller lists (including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today). Today, she’s dedicated to growing the social venture of Delivering Happiness to “Inspire, Be Inspired, and Create Happiness,” day by day.
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ALISSA FINERMAN: 1. What’s the most important strength you possess that allows you to be successful in your role?
JENN LIM: I am genuinely interested in people – what they do, who they are, and why they do the things they do.
2. Tell me about some of the daily thoughts that inspire you to keep going?
JL: 10 years ago, I came to a point in my life where I knew every decision had to be based on something I felt was meaningful and worthwhile. That happened because my greatest fear happened – a loved one (my dad) died. As a result, I don’t have to remind myself of what keeps me going every day – people mean everything to me and the Delivering Happiness movement that continues to grow.
3. How do you prepare for an important project in your life?
JL: I research, go by gut, apply lessons learned in the past, and take a step knowing that I’ve done all I can to get it done right.
4. How do you record and move forward on your goals?
JL: My most exciting adventure this year was just announced at SXSW last week:
www.deliveringhappiness.com/first-there-was-a-book
www.fastcompany.com/1738432/delivering-happiness-tony-hsieh-jenn-lim-zappos-ceo
5. What keeps you motivated each day?
JL: People
6. What are some of the toughest challenges you have overcome?
JL: My dad dying made me rethink what I needed to change because everything we know could end tomorrow. Also, getting laid off made me rethink what money, title, and status meant.
7. What do the top performers do differently to excel?
JL: They are:
* passionate
* have a higher purpose
* always themselves
To learn more about Jenn Lim, visit www.deliveringhappiness.com and www.facebook.com/deliveringhappiness.
The “Top 1%er” interview series is presented by Alissa Finerman, an Executive Coach and Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, speaker and author of Living in YOUR Top 1%. She works with managers, C-suite executives and teams to leverage strengths, shift beliefs and achieve meaningful goals. Alissa has an MBA from the Wharton School and a BA from the University of California, Berkeley. She has worked with Ross Stores, Petco, BNP Paribas, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Brookfield Property Partners, Neutrogena, Bristol-Myers Squibb and Dress for Success. To learn more about coaching with Alissa, please visit her website and follow her on Facebook
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