®
PUBLISHER Ginnie Roeglin
EDITOR David W. Fuller 425-313-8510 dfuller@costco.com
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Anita Thompson 425-313-6442
athompson@costco.com
MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR
MAGAZINES BOOKS
T. Foster Jones 425-313-6748 Tim Talevich 425-313-6759
Tod.Jones@costco.com
ttalevich@costco.com
ONLINE EDITOR
David Wight David. Wight@costco.com
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Lorelle Gilpin, Ottawa 613-221-2009 Lorelle.Gilpin@costco.com
Sue Knowles, London 011-44-1923-213113 sknowles@costco.co.uk
Raymond Kyunghwan Kim, Seoul 82-2-2630-2703 khkim@costcokr.com
ASSISTANT EDITORS
Stephanie E. Ponder, Seattle sponder@costco.com
Jessica Jihye Han, Seoul
jhhan@costcokr.com
REPORTERS
Will Fifield wfifield@costco.com
Steve Fisher Steve. Fisher@costco.com
COPY EDITOR Miriam Bulmer
CONTRIBUTORS
Dan Ciskey, Jeffrey Gitomer, Susan Hirshorn,
David Horowitz, Scott Jacobs, Suze Orman,
Harvey Meyer, James Patterson, Annette Alvarez-Peters,
J. Rentilly, Michael and Samantha Rogers,
Alice Shapin, Rich Sloan, Pat Volchok
ART DIRECTOR Doris Winters dwinters@costco.com
ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Lory Williams lwilliams@costco.com
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Ken Broman, Bill Carlson, Susan Detlor, Chris Rusnak,
David Schneider, Dawna Tessier, Brenda Tradii
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Bill Urlevich
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COSTCO WHOLESALE
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The Costco Connection is published by Costco Wholesale. All
editorial material, including editorial comments, opinion and statements of fact appearing in this publication, represents the views of
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Connection is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but
the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed. The publication of any advertisements is not to be construed as an endorsement of the product or service offered unless it is specifically stated
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WA 98027. Copyright © 2009 Costco Wholesale.
FRONTend
from the publisher’s desk
Ginnie Roeglin
WE ARE PROUD to present Bill Gates Sr., successful
lawyer, civic leader, philanthropist and, of course, father
of the world’s richest man, “Bill Junior,” on our cover this
month. “Bill Senior” has been a member of Costco’s board
of directors since 2003 and serves as co-chair of the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation. He also serves on the board of
regents of the University of Washington and in numerous
other positions for Northwest organizations. In our cover Ginnie Roeglin is Senior Vice
story, Bill Senior shares the principles and lessons that President, E-Commerce and
shaped his and his family’s lives. His memoir and inspira- Publishing, and Publisher of
tional book, Showing Up for Life: Thoughts on the Gifts of a The Costco Connection.
Lifetime, is available in our warehouses and on Costco.com.
After a seemingly endless bout of bad weather in many areas of the country, we are
all eagerly awaiting recreation in the great outdoors. To help you plan your summer,
we’ve included several articles in our special summer recreation section. You can learn
about kayaking and new travel document requirements for international travel. If your
budget is limited this year, you’ll find suggestions for “staycations”—how to enjoy the
sights and attractions in your own backyard—as well as tips on affordable, ever-popular
all-American getaways. Whether you go near or far, Costco Travel can help you plan a
great vacation within your budget. If you plan to visit nearby lakes and golf courses or
just want to enjoy your own yard, you might also want to check out our special outdoors
and watersports shopping guide. Our suppliers are offering hot items and instant savings
for a limited time on Costco.com.
As the swimsuit season approaches, we all tend to eat a little lighter. As Pat Volchok
explains in her Buying Smart article, your family may be more likely to make healthful
food choices if you stock up on fresh fruits and veggies that are already washed, sliced
and ready to eat. You’ll save 35 percent or more if you purchase delicious and nutritious
fresh fruit salads, fresh cut vegetable trays and other ready-to-serve items in our produce
department. All are perfect for holiday parties this summer.
Happy Memorial Day from all of us at Costco! C
from the editor’s desk
David W. Fuller
EVEN THOUGH I have worked for Costco for many
years, I never cease to be impressed by the people who are
“raving fans” of this company. I’m not sure why that con-
tinues to impress me—I’ve been one myself for a long
time. The ostensible reasons for this fanship are many:
unparalleled value for top-quality products; a no-frills
approach that nevertheless provides fantastic service; a
David W. Fuller is Assistant code of ethics that gives members, employees and suppli-
Vice President, Publishing, and ers priority before shareholders but has resulted in share-
Editor of The Costco Connection. holder gains year after year. There are many more reasons.
Still, I have to wonder what it is that stimulates a
reader or a member to take up pen or keyboard to write to a large, seemingly anony-
mous commercial organization to compliment it for doing the right thing. I know I have
seldom done that. Like most people, I am more likely to write a letter of complaint than
a letter of compliment.
You can see examples of such compliments in this month’s Dialogue. You can also
see how a raving fan can take things a step further and build virtually an entire business
around Costco (see “Hotel Costco-fornia” on page 45).
I believe the answer to the question of what stimulates these Costco fans is the element
of surprise. They just aren’t used to being treated in such a way or to finding just about
everything they would ever need to furnish and stock a quality hotel, for example. Business
coaches would say it is a matter of delivering more than you promise. But it is a bit more
than that.
I believe the ability to excite such enthusiasm among customers comes from the absence
of arrogance, the absence of the belief that just because Costco is a large commercial operation we somehow do not have to pay attention to our customers/members. People always
will respond deeply to being attended to. There really is no surprise there, after all. C
