Three spirited girls with gleaming faces and friendly demeanor's walked into our HamletHub office last week. Their positive energy was contagious - yes, the "I want some of that" energy.
Not long after we settled into our seats and began our interview, I started to feel it - peaceful, balanced, and enlightened. Karma? Maybe it's the lululemon experience.
lululemon is not just a brand of active-wear for both men and women - it's a lifestyle and a culture built on health, happiness, and living life to its fullest.
Carla Gable, lululemon "Community Connector", Katie Cingari, lululemon Danbury Manager, and Bre Ferguson, lululemon Danbury Assistant Manager, brought their Zen, and for over an hour, we chatted about what it means to truly be grounded and happy in your own skin. Yes, black stretchy pants manufactured and designed by lululemon embody this happiness and allow those adorned in lululemon apparel to move freely, feel beautiful, and sweat without boundaries.
In mid- September, The Danbury Fair Mall will welcome the 4th lululemon store in Connecticut. Founded in Vancouver BC in 1998, the first lululemon store shared its retail space with a yoga studio. In keeping with their founding principles, the Danbury lululemon store was created with yoga class in mind. "Everything in our store is movable," says Bre.
Every Sunday, the racks of beautiful, functional active-wear, will be pushed aside as instructors from various studios in the Danbury area roll out their mats and teach a complimentary exercise class. "Everything in our store is movable," says Bre. "We will give a sampling of local yoga teachers," adds Katie.
The lululemon manifesto is highly regarded and chances are, you'll see it on your lululemon shopping bag and when you visit the store website: Do one thing a day that scares you, You're outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself, creativity is maximized when you are living in the moment.
Those "ambassadors", rooted in the local community, are yoga instructors, athletes, personal trainers, who embody the lululemon brand and mission. These five locals were hand-picked by the lululemon team. "Their photos and the name of their studio will hang on the walls in our Danbury store," says Carla. "We are there to support them," she adds.
In addition to ambassadors, inside of any lululemon store you will not find sales people, but "educators", whose job it is to carefully listen to customers, guide them in their purchase and support their active lifestyle. "We have fit sessions", says Carla. "It's important to know where they [the customers] workout so we can offer them the right product to try on," says Bre. "It's essential that it's the right fit," she adds.
The right fit means you can move without limits and you look and feel beautiful -at your core. "People will say, It doesn't feel like I'm wearing anything - that's the idea - you can focus on your activity, not what you are wearing," explains Bre.
And what you're wearing is quality. "Our clothing is beautiful, functional and technical," says Carla. The technical component means that lululemon clothing is carefully created with the athlete's specific activity in mind. "A ton of research goes into the technology," adds Carla.
Rest assured, Katie and Bre, together with the Danbury store educators, will give you that peaceful easy feeling when you walk into their new store. Don't sweat the small stuff, that's what lululemon is there for.
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Meet the lululemon Ambassadors:
· Alicia Gibson
Basil Yoga, Ridgefield CT
· Deidre Americo
Yogaspace
· Mitchel Bleier
Yogapata
· Tracy Springer
Bethel Sportsplex
· Austin Monteiro
CrossFit Danbury