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torrancememorial.org PULSE | 41 F rank Yang is a driven perfectionist, like most successful CEOs. As important as this trait is, it may not hold the key to his phenomenal success. ose who know Yang may tell you the secret to his success lies in his authenticity, compassion and generosity. Fortune magazine recently hailed Palos Verdes-based Yang, CEO of Simplehuman, as the man who built the "Apple of Housewares." How this immigrant from Taiwan managed to create an empire out of elegant houseware products is simple. According to Yang, it just required doing the right thing at all times. Yang explains that in his quest to create the perfect trash can, he always sought to marry form, design and function. "e test is always—is it really that good? Is it good enough to give to my best friend or my mother-in-law ? If the answer is no, we aren't going to release it." Yang isn't afraid to lose a little money to better serve his customers. Executives who focus solely on price point or large retailers' figures are missing an important piece of the equation, he says. "How much money do you really need? One day you'll wake up and think is it [the product] making a difference? Or is it really that good?" Yang explains. "And sometimes that means passing up on revenue. If a big retailer is expecting an order and I decide a product needs more fine-tuning, the retailer has to wait. I won't let my customers down. I use all the products I sell." FIVE-STAR COMPANY Clearly his customers love him. Just check out his Amazon five-star ratings. But his employees love him too. Simplehuman has low turnover rates. And it's easy to see why. e Simplehuman environment isn't that of a typical California start-up offering nonstop espresso shots, bottomless candy jars and daily pizza, for example. Instead, it focuses on well-being with a weekly juice club, an organic chef and healthy snack options. Yang also says he didn't want to merely offer a health club membership that might not be utilized. Instead, he brought the health club to the office. For example, there is a yoga instructor holding class in the building two days a week, who is allowed to walk the floors, to seek out and gently nag employees who have started to miss class. Staying fit and being mindful are just good for business, explains Yang. "Certain people refuse to do yoga because they are so wound up all the time. But it really has improved working relationships between people. Some who have been arguing over an issue just let it go aer being on the mat and seeing each other in yoga gear," he says with a laugh. e avid cyclist, yogi and basketball player wants to make not working out a hard thing for his employees. erefore, a large g ymnasium is in the center of his company—literally forcing employees to walk past it daily. In addition to yoga and basketball, CrossFit and volleyball classes are held twice weekly at Simplehuman. "Health and family are the two most important things to me. And trying to do the right thing at all times," says the married father of two. THE FAMILY WAY An emphasis on health-consciousness and a drive "to do the right thing" for their community were top priorities for the Yang family's foundation. Yang's large extended family, most who live close by, chose Torrance Memorial Medical Center as the benefactor of this foundation. Recently, the Yangs donated $500,000 to Torrance Memorial's Physical erapy Department and $1.5 million for the Yang Café, located in the Lundquist Tower. Yang's time volunteering as a teen at Torrance Memorial made a big impact in his drive to help others improve their health. "I actually volunteered as a high school student at Torrance Memorial one year— maybe more—pushing patients around, delivering flowers," Yang recalls. "I felt that helping patients, and delivering flowers especially, was such a great feeling. To make someone happy is an unexpected satisfaction. Helping people in need is a great feeling." DO THE RIGHT THING TO SIMPLEHUMAN CEO FRANK YANG, SUCCESS MEANS MORE THAN JUST MONEY. WRITTEN BY LAURA ROE STEVENS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MICHAEL NEVEUX H E A RT B E AT S