THE WOO OF POO

The creator of Poo-Pourri deodorizing spray uses the story of her business’s success to offer advice on living with intention, combating fear, and other topics.

What do going to the bathroom and creating a life of abundance have to do with each other? According to debut author Bátiz, the CEO of Poo-Pourri: everything. After a cheeky video promoting her bathroom spray went viral in 2013, her company had a wild growth spurt, she writes. Her company’s success, she says, has depended on her positive attitude and enthusiastic risk-taking. In one bold move, for example, her willingness to book a flight to meet with the CEO of a sprayer manufacturer helped to solve a production crisis. She weaves similar anecdotes (or “poo Parables”) into 10 chapters. The 10 pieces of advice, or “Woos,” cover everything from cultivating an open mind, facing fear, trusting your gut, and acting with intention. There are surprising insights in the pun-laden advice (such as the idea that shame about defecation is related to “limits to how we lead our lives”), and tangible exercises (in sections titled “Take a Shift”) offer useful ways to apply Bátiz’s advice right away. The young company’s history is used frequently for lessons (its viral “Girls Don’t Poop” video, for instance, is mentioned several times). But there’s a sincere desire to inspire in Bátiz’s writing: “The world wants you to succeed. Honestly it does.” The toilet humor is clever and only sometimes overreaching (“We stand on the shoulders of loving, pooping giants”). Quotes from everyone from Frank Zappa to Albert Einstein accompany the chapters, alongside colorful drawings of celestial posteriors or a toilet bowl exploding with flowers. Even cynical readers may find something to love (or laugh at) in this beautifully presented guide to improving wellness.

A clever, surprising self-help gem, worth reading in or out of the bathroom.