LA (front right in purple dress) and the summer '12 interns

While some companies relegate interns to filing and FedEx’ing, we work hard to offer Spanx interns a rich work experience that also includes a fair share of FedEx’ing. Part of immersing themselves in the company culture means getting the opportunity to spend time with our fearless leaders.

Our CEO/hostess with the mostest Laurie Ann graciously invited the interns and their managers to her home for a very special dinner. Throughout the evening, the group chatted and laughed, and the interns were able to spend some time getting to know Laurie Ann and intern, she them.

Between dinner and a cake provided by the interns, the girls were encouraged to write down a question for LA, who then selected them at random and answered each one. Questions ranged from personal : Q: “If you could trade places with anyone for a day who would it be?” A: Roger Farah, President and Chief Operating Officer of Polo Ralph Lauren; Q: “What’s the craziest place you’ve brought Lou Lou [LA’s beloved pup]?” A: The Virgin Islands) to professional: Q: “What’s been the most exciting product to launch?” A: Hide and Sleek and Slim Cognito because they were our first entry into intimate apparel and outside of hosiery.)

When asked about balance, LA shared a favorite idiom about a puppy and an old dog’s philosophies on chasing their tail: A big dog saw a little dog chasing its tail and asked, “Why are you chasing your tail?” The puppy said, “I have learned that the best thing for a dog is happiness, and that happiness is in my tail. So I’m chasing it and, when I catch it, I’ll have happiness.”

The old dog said, “I, too, have judged that happiness is a fine thing for a dog, and that happiness is in my tail. But I have noticed that when I chase after it, it keeps running away from me, but when I go about my business, it follows me.”