Samovar’s Mission and ValuesPublished by SamovarLife on January 22, 2009 under About Trade Secrets – How We do What We Do (and why too)
 We’ve figured it all out: the secret sauce of Samovar is Love.
As humans, from conception day to burial day, the true pursuit of life is really Love. Seriously. Why is that we do what? If you contemplate it just a little, you will find that all roads lead to love. Glory? Money? Recognition? Children? All of these things are important only if we are surrounded by and connected to people who care about us, and people we care deeply about.
At Samovar, we are in the business of true, deep, positive human connection, aka Love.
That’s our business. Smiles, tea, food, teaware, snacks, sweets, and treats are all just vehicles for connecting us, first to ourselves, and then to those around us. When it all works harmoniously, we Samovarians and you customers develop deeper positive human connection that makes us all a lot happier. And then the world turns a lot smoother.
How do we do it all in our everyday work? We start first with “Why” we exist. Samovar is here to create “Positive human connection” (aka Love).
Next, we define “How” we do what we do. For that, we have created an acronym to remember all the steps. In regards for appreciating the little things in life, slowing down to smell the flowers, and, being able to remember our “How,” we say “WHY RACE?”
Finally, it’s the “What.” That is, what it is we offer through our business. That’s the easiest part. We do artisan, top of the line teas and foods from around the world served up in three cozy, hip San Francisco locations and delivered through a sexy e-commerce website. OK – let’s focus on how we get the job done.
“WHY RACE” is our acronym describing our How:
“W” stands for “Why.” Positive human connection is key, for customers and for employees. When connection starts deep within someone, inspiration arises, and there begins an endless fuel of energy to create passionate team members willing to “go the mile,” and fanatical fans eager to spread the word. Inspired customers and staff starts with:
– being honest and genuine with them all,
– that our sole purpose is about Love,
– that we do it with tea,
– that we can’t do it without them.
That’s it. When everybody is inspired, the energy is unstoppable. They are connected to our reason for existence, and passionate about joining our cause, and they wholeheartedly embrace our Why.
“H” stands for hierarchy, or more appropriately “no hierarchy.” We are all human, and therefore all equal beings. Everybody counts, and although we all have different roles we embrace our unique differences and look to connect with and listen to, everyone. The CEO and the manager and the dishwasher all lack titles on their business cards. With no hierarchy, everybody is excited to offer feedback and advice, making communication much more active and fluid, and creating for an organization that evolves through everyone’s involvement.
“Y” represents “You.” You the employee, you the customer, you the vendor, you the farmer. Everybody that Samovar encounters has a need. You have a need. How do we best serve everybody’s needs, including the company’s? We aim to understand your needs and to help you get what you need. How can we constantly work to improve communication to best meet everyone’s needs?
“R” stands for “Relaxation.” Tea is about relaxation. We are better people when we are relaxed. What can we do to relax more, to be softer, more sensitive, more capable of listening to ourselves and to the world around us. When we are relaxed, we make better life decisions. Just take a sip and relax.
“A” stands for “Autonomy.” Autonomy is freedom, and we humans love being free. Sure we’ve got a clearcut job to do at Samovar, and that is to create positive human connection through tea. We have a “way” that we brew and serve tea too. But after that, we like to cut our team members loose to be autonomous and make their own effective decisions. We believe that when our team truly understands our end goal, and are inspired to help, that being able to work autonomously is much more fun.
“C” stands for “Connection.” We are here to use tea for positive human connection. We are also connected to our farmers, our vendors, our customers, and our employees. The more we reach to understand our connectedness, the better off we, and the world will be. Incidentally, tea is also about disconnection. That is, when we take the time for tea, and disconnect from technology and the outside world, we are able to connect much deeper with ourselves and with those close to us.
“E” stands for “Education.” Drinking great tea is fun, and gives us the chance to grow and evolve through learning. We embrace the learning experience and use every chance we can to relay all we know to our customers, employees, friends, family, and website visitors. When we are given the chance to educate, we invariably learn more, and grow as individuals. And growing and evolving makes life way more fun.
That’s it. There you go. Samovar trade secrets revealed, the Why, How, and What. Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Jesse Jacobs Founder, Samovar Tea Lounge
We also believe that self-analysis and reflection are vital to personal growth. Samovar staff use our Values Scorecard to track growth and nurturing at Samovar. The scorecard applies to any career or lifestyle – try rating yourself on the scorecard every week or month, and watch the inspiration flow! |
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