Recently, I’ve been enjoying class pass – this awesome, unlimited workout thing. I am totally obsessed with it and absolutely going to write about it in the blog.
And now that I’m in the system of all these various workout places, free birthday stuff has been raining on me!
Not only that, but places I’ve volunteered in the last year and a half have sent me cards. And restaurants have sent me free coupons. I know every year I do something I’ve never done before for my birthday. But goodness! I think I could have a field day just going around and using all these free coupons and free classes!
Here are the conclusions I’ve come to about all the free birthday stuff rolling in:
1) I know it’s a silly thing for me to care so much. But my feelings for a place get so much warmer when they give me an adorable (and/or super cool) thing for my birthday.
For instance, I got a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s. I know I want to be healthy and I’m trying to eat more vegan than not. But, well, I love Ben and Jerry’s. And the coupon that comes to my inbox is so colorful, friendly, and fun. I just adore it!
Plus, Ben and Jerry’s totally wins because they give you something special for your half birthday too. And they’re awesome on twitter. So for all those reasons, Ben and Jerry’s totally has part of my heart no matter how healthy I try to be! (Hey, they’re coming out with vegan flavors! As they’d say on Parks and Rec, treat yo’ self. ;))
2) Competition is fierce! At Cyclepathic (which I already loved and adored), they sent me an offer for a free day of working out – that’s right. A full DAY of unlimited classes! AND a free towel with their logo.
I’ve already planned a hot air ballooning adventure for the morning, and I have to work at night. So, it’s super sad I won’t be able to fit them into my birthday schedule. But I will definitely remember how much I appreciate their super cool birthday generosity when looking for workout classes in the future.
Some places give you more of a buffer, like you can have a free class anytime your birthday week. That’s pretty cool too. (I personally don’t mind it being relegated to the day, but I guess it’s nice to have a buffer. If I wasn’t already on class pass, imagine the number of classes I could try to schedule this week!)
Shout out to Sweat Garage for a free class and towel rental. xoxo (There’s one right before I have to go into work, so I will totally be there.
But then I’ve been getting these emails with like 5% off, or no deal and just a “hope you had a great day!” That’s better than nothing, but I’m so spoiled from all the super generous places. Time to step up your game, [unnamed companies]! 🙂
3) There’s just something about feeling appreciated. Even the places I volunteered that sent me a card – on the one hand, you could make a case that non-profit money is being wasted on cards. On the other, it’s like I put in time and effort and it really means something to me that these places said, “You care about us. We care about you.” And it makes me all that much more likely to go back. So, I think it’s money well spent.
Ultimately, I think what I’ve learned is that whether I have a big business someday, or even if I’m just me, I’d be a lot cooler if I really worked harder to make people feel special on their birthday and all year long. I generally try, but I can be a whole lot better! I need to step it up to Ben and Jerry’s/Cyclepathic/Sweat Garage level, baby!