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Inside Spirit's May Issue

JayHeinrichs
Adventurer B

Here at Southwest Airlines Spirit magazine, we sometimes get asked why we don’t put more big-shot types on the cover. We do put celebrities on the cover, occasionally; the first issue I worked on had the great Tony Bennett.  But just as Southwest is different from other airlines, Spirit is different from other magazines. Our motto is Simple, Useful, and Fun. Any celeb who wants to get in front of our 3 million monthly readers has to fit that motto; and while a lot of famous people are way fun to watch (especially when they’re not trying to be fun!), how many Hollywood types are simple or all that useful?

That’s why I love the cover of our latest issue.  It shows Mike Rowe, host of the show Dirty Jobs, covered with honey and bees and sitting next to a bear. Now, there’s a man who earns his propers. He’s a perfect fit for us—not into fake prestige, a hard-working guy who loves his work.
 
Now that the economy is showing signs of life, and employers start talking about hiring again, we decided to dedicate much of the May issue to work. We don’t tell you how to get ahead, exactly. (For some reason, I haven’t yet managed to make my first billion myself.) Instead, we explore how the happiest people find their “calling”—their real purpose in life. Don’t miss Chris Schulz’s amazing story about how she followed a voice in her head that turned out to be a real person and that led to a rock band, a tiny town in Mississippi, and the love of her life.

And now for the Numbers:  Americans drink 400 million cups of coffee per day. Babies don’t tear up till they’re 3 months old. The most ever paid for a lock of Elvis’s hair: $11,500. And Vanna White claps 720 times per episode of the Wheel of Fortune.

Talk about your hardworking celebrity!