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Happiness is swappable with Lina Fenequito's Swap-o-Matic machine. Learn more about Lina's unique way of delivering happiness to the community in her interview with DH.
DH: Tell us about your business or the company where you work, and how you got started.
Lina Fenequito: My husband and I have a small boutique design firm, Good World Media. We were both working in the interactive industry when we started dating — me, more-so on the development end and he on the visual design. We realized our skills were complementary and we could form our shop. In 2007 we started working full-time together. It was definitely a challenge to be with each other 24 hours a day, but we really were able to make it work. Now that we are married and have just had a baby, we’re encountering some new challenges!
At our company, we design web and interactive applications for a variety of clients keeping special attention to visual design, branding and usability. You can see some of our projects on our site. In addition, my husband, another business partner/friend, and I are also creating a company for the Swap-O-Matic to able to formalize the project so we are able to efficiently produce more and have them available to more locations around the country, and hopefully the world.
DH: How do you deliver happiness to your employees, customers and/or colleagues, or the world at large?
LF: Since the other half of my company is family, it’s important we keep each other happy! We try to bring the same mentality in the relationships with other people we hire and work with. When we find good talent, we make sure we keep them happy, because in our industry, they are hard to find. We maintain our relationships with our clients and our employees by respecting them. We find that when we genuinely take an interest in their skill set, their idea, project, or product it keeps us engaged, curious and open to executing our best work, while also maintaining great working relationships.
DH: What about DH, the book and/or the movement, inspires you the most?
LF: I think the idea of “delivering happiness” as a movement is very inspiring because it changes how we think about happiness. Rather than viewing it as something that just passively happens to us, it’s something that we actively choose to take part in and spread—and that’s very empowering.
DH: Why is happiness important to you?
LF: Happiness is a great motivator. If you can figure out what makes people happy, you can use that motivation to fuel and implement great ideas and movements that can change the world for good. For example, I think that this is an important part of the Swap-O-Matic. Getting things used from a thrift store or using hand-me-downs from an older relative isn’t really a new idea. But putting these behaviors in the form of a vending machine makes it a fun experience and makes people happy when they use it—and I think that’s the ingredient to make the behavior catch on.
DH: What makes you really happy?
LF: I really hate throwing out things when they are still usable, so it makes me happy when I think someone else can use it. But what makes me really really happy is getting things for free!
DH: What items might one find in the Swap-o-Matic?
LF: You never know what you’ll find in the Swap-O-Matic. There are lots of toys, magazines, clothes, artwork, and even a coupon for a free haircut!
DH: How do you choose where the Swap-o-Matic will end up next?
LF: Right now we are creating a newer version of the Swap-O-Matic that will have even more engaging features that will make swapping fun. We’d like to make these models available to space owners who think a Swap-O-Matic might be right for their space or business, while also providing an option for people who may not have a public space, but who can rally together swappers in their community to get one for their neighborhood.
DH: How might someone commit an act of happiness that's similar in vein to the idea behind the Swap-O-Matic?
LF: If you have the time and space, organize a swap meet. They are so much fun! You can invite all of your friends and friends of friends and get some great stuff in addition to meeting new people.
DH: What's something weird that makes you happy?
LF: I know this is really cheesey, but holiday lights make me happy, especially when I see them at non-holiday times of the year. I love it when I see sparkly lights in public spaces; they make me think that something special is happening.
