The purplest of them all

Posted September 3rd, 2009 at 5:08 pm by Nicki Dugan, Blog Editor

 20 Comments / Filed in: Those Crazy Yahoos, Video

“Hellooooo, gorgeous!!!”

This larger than life greeting welcomed me to work one morning, as I shuffled in with a case of the Mondays. Quite startled, I looked over to our headquarters guard shack and out spilled the purplest, most enthusiastic human being I’d ever seen — waving energetically with a big infectious grin. Did she know me? Who cares – she said I was gorgeous! Suddenly, it felt more like a Friday.

The thing is, she tells everyone they’re gorgeous.

Meet Shewondia Mills, a Yahoo! security guard who has become a veritable campus celebrity since she joined the team less than a year ago. Her iconic personality cracks a smile on everyone’s face — you can’t even help it. Every morning, she douses herself in Yahoo! spirit, which she embodies like no one before her. She is literally purple from head to toe — her fingernails, her eyelids, her eyelashes, her lipstick, her hair, the lenses of her glasses. People walk and drive out of their way to get her signature greeting, which lifts the soul and rescues the brain from its PowerPoint-induced haze.

Shewondia consistently proves that a little extra pride goes a long way. She has collected more “Backyard Bravos” (online awards employees send to fellow Yahoos on our intranet) than anyone else at the company, including Carol Bartz, Jerry Yang, and David Filo. Just today, she snagged second prize in the Guardsmark Security Officer of the Year award, taking home $5,000. And visitors are quite taken with her welcome wagon, including a New York Times reporter who recently came to interview our CEO.

Here’s a video that takes you behind the scenes with Shewondia, giving you a sense of her inimitable style and why her pride so purple.

Nicki Dugan
Blog Editor

Tagged: purple, Those Crazy Yahoos, Video

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20 Comments Add your own

Robyn Tippins | September 3rd, 2009 at 5:46 pm

Shewondia is awesome! We’re so lucky to have such a purple-all star among us. You go girl!

Thomas | September 3rd, 2009 at 7:21 pm

It’s wonderful to see such great company pride for everyone working at Yahoo, from the security guard to the top level executives.

This video reflects why Yahoo is such a great company.
Everyone seems to love working there.

Thomas M | September 4th, 2009 at 1:16 am

Great work Shewondia, It only takes a single person with such an extraordinarily good influence as you do to give so many people a smile in the morning.

Yahoo’s: It’s clear that you don’t but never underestimate the importance of Shewondia or people who have as much good will impact as her.

Douglas | September 4th, 2009 at 1:18 am

Wow! It makes me wanting to pay a visit to Yahoo! just to meet her once. Unfortunately, I live very far away in another country (Brazil).

gag | September 4th, 2009 at 2:13 am

loved this video, i think Backyard Bravos is awesome

well what a wonderful mom to have, those two beautiful daughters of her are lucky to have such a humble, hardworking & sincere mom.
yahoo! inspires but its even amazing to watch it get inspired by likes of Shewondia Mills!

Mike G | September 4th, 2009 at 7:17 am

Shewondia…waddup from Canada! You rule!

Sarah B. | September 4th, 2009 at 9:48 am

Fantastic employee and a great video tribute to her!

farah ravon | September 4th, 2009 at 2:58 pm

she deserves this tribute and more!
shewondia: filled with positive energy
we are blessed to have her amongst us….

Lindsey | September 4th, 2009 at 10:24 pm

Shewondia you are the real deal – You have what so many others aspire to have – humility and compassion for all. You bring a smile to everyone that you meet and make all feel so very special. Thank you for your gift!

venkat | September 5th, 2009 at 4:04 am

Shoe is so passionate about yahoo which she shows by appearing top to bottom with yahoo pink color ,yahoo devotee we can say.

Molly | September 5th, 2009 at 8:06 am

What a wonderful story!! We need more people like Shewondia around. Her upbeat attitude attracts people to her. Image just being around her, She brings you up and not down. Her attitude can definably rub off on others!!

Sudipto Roy | September 5th, 2009 at 11:39 pm

Amazing personality!! Loves Yahoo! as much as she loves herself. Shewondia deserves this. Hoorray! :-D

Namrata | September 6th, 2009 at 8:05 pm

She is amazing.. True Yahoo!! Love her..

Bert | September 7th, 2009 at 2:13 am

Too bad that she works in the USA. Would be great to meet her and her purple personality.

byeloo detector | September 7th, 2009 at 3:46 am

very hot yahoo woman!awesome bodyguard

Mim Bizic | September 9th, 2009 at 6:56 am

I don’t even know Shewondia, but I love how she embraced and displays for all to see, her love of YAHOO!

That’s the kind of employee everyone should be, happy to come to work and make others feel happy and loved.

I just sent this note to the Yahoo for Good Contact Board to thank you all for ALL you do to keep my Yahoo Site running! And safe! (I know it will not be appreciated by ALL so I can never thank you all enough for keeping it running. I’ve always sent “Thank You’s” to the engineers for keeping it going, but this is for ALL of you. Thank you!

My Yahoo website is making a difference to the WORLD! People from every continent have seen it and have contacted me and thanked me. Also, just yesterday I was featured on the front cover of a local magazine that goes free to 15,000 homes and businesses around the Pittsburgh airport area where I live. A beautiful 3 page story was inside. I just want to thank EVERYONE at Yahoo for making this possible, for keeping it SAFE for me, and allowing me to share the information with all who want to learn! Here’s the latest!

http://www.babamim.com/mim_not_mum_on_serbia

Please share with the ENTIRE YAHOO ORGANIZATION! I am so THRILLED at what you have done for me. I am so very, very grateful. Most sincerely from my heart!
And once again, Shewandia, “Thank You!” You expressed in this video, and Nicki Dugan’s blog what I have in my Pennsylvania heart for California Yahoo! Mim Bizic
xoxoxox

Meganathan | September 9th, 2009 at 8:46 pm

Awesome! I cried watching the video. Beautiful spirit!

Tim | September 17th, 2009 at 7:20 am

If only there were more people in the world like her. Now I wish *I* was a Yahoo!

sandra | September 25th, 2009 at 4:14 pm

Always wanted to work for Yahoo and now i know why this video has shown the spirit of the workers there. TEAM spirit and positive energy. The fact that your peers can appreciate the way them do shewonda speaks volumes. Yahoo bravo to you and way to go.

E. Zeigher | March 2nd, 2010 at 2:33 pm

It’s nice to know there’s someplace in America to work that people look foward to going in. Rare.Really,really rare. I’m glad I support a company that’s…well…dare I say it? Nice.