Imagine you’re a working mom with a busy schedule and you have a newborn and an active toddler at home. You’re worried about cooking dinner, making deadlines, finding time to get to the store, keeping your kids healthy and happy – especially during a pandemic.
Busy moms everywhere are nodding vigorously, including one who needs no introduction: Mindy Kaling.
Kaling shocked the world in October when she revealed she’d given birth to a baby boy, Spencer, the month before, having kept her pregnancy under wraps during the pandemic. Also mom to Katherine, her nearly 3-year-old daughter, and with a full plate as a writer and producer for multiple TV and film projects, it’s safe to say Kaling has been a little busy. How does she manage? She’ll tell you that she has an amazing support circle. And she’ll also tell you that she has myWalgreens.
Going beyond a customer loyalty program, myWalgreens is a free personalized digital platform that offers new features to give every customer a unique Walgreens experience. Walgreens Stories chatted with Kaling to learn more about how the program has helped her and her family so far, how she plans to use it during the holidays, and, of course, what Kelly Kapoor and Mindy Lahiri would buy at Walgreens:
Between having a newborn, chasing after a toddler, releasing a new essay collection, and writing and producing, what’s your secret for juggling it all while staying healthy (and sane)?
Kaling: Honestly, my secret is that I’m in a position where I'm lucky enough to have the resources to have help. Because I don't have a husband, because my mother passed away and because I really wanted to have a family, the only way I'm able to juggle it all is with a nanny to help with my kids. Particularly now during the pandemic, I wouldn't be able to do the writing I need to do, and the two shows and the auditioning and everything else, if I didn't have her. The other secret is that I'm lucky that I love my job. So I feel this really seamless thing where my job doesn't feel like work, my children don't feel like work, and I just bounce back and forth between different things I really love that don't stress me out.
Why did you decide to partner with Walgreens on the launch of myWalgreens and Pickup?
Kaling: The partnership with Walgreens was so organic to my life because I think it's essential that I’m able to pick up everything I need in one place, in as little as 30 minutes. I just feel like, whether it's my prescription meds or a magazine or makeup or Christmas wrap, Walgreens is the only place where I can really get everything I need. And as someone who has two kids, two jobs, in the middle of a global pandemic, who's taking care of my dad, it's just wonderful to be able to go to one place, feel like a provider and also feel safe. I love the efforts Walgreens is taking to make you feel really safe when you go in there.
One of the many benefits of myWalgreens is how personal it is to the one and only you – unique to every customer. How has it helped you so far?
Kaling: I just hop on to myWalgreens on the app, order cough medicine, diapers, vitamins, toys for my daughter, batteries for the kids' toys, makeup for me and melatonin to get to sleep. And then I jump in my car, and in 30 minutes, a Walgreens team member is bringing everything to my car. So especially during the pandemic, it's so safe and great and fast – it's faster than ordering online and having a box arrive a week later. It's just uniquely suited to me and all my needs.
Imagine yourself at Walgreens as Kelly Kapoor, Mindy Lahiri and Mindy Kaling. What does each one buy?
Kaling: Oh, this is a great question. Kelly Kapoor would buy makeup – mascara. Mindy Lahiri would buy sour candy. And Mindy Kaling would probably buy a box of diapers for her son.
Of everything the new program and service has to offer, what’s your favorite feature?
Kaling: What I love most is the pharmacy chat. When you have two kids, it's so great to be able to talk to an expert and get advice from a Walgreens pharmacist for product recommendations rather than having to hit up my doctor every single time I need something.
How does it feel to have the option to donate your Walgreens Cash rewards to charities through myWalgreens?
Kaling: I feel like people inherently are good and want to help, but sometimes life gets in the way of being charitable because it takes so much time to find the charity, go to the website, get your credit card, donate – it's just a lot. What's so great about being able to donate Walgreens Cash rewards is that they make it so easy to do good. You're actually doing something to help yourself, which is buying the stuff you need, and then you get the opportunity while doing that to help other people who are not as fortunate. They've made it so easy to feel like a really good person [laughs].
How do you see yourself using myWalgreens and Pickup during this unique holiday season?
Kaling: Going into the holidays, I literally don't know what I’d do without myWalgreens. Between getting presents, last-minute things for cooking Christmas dinner, and then also medications for me and toys for the kids … I’m just psyched. I think I'm probably going to use the app like every day.
Busy moms everywhere are nodding vigorously, including one who needs no introduction: Mindy Kaling.
Kaling shocked the world in October when she revealed she’d given birth to a baby boy, Spencer, the month before, having kept her pregnancy under wraps during the pandemic. Also mom to Katherine, her nearly 3-year-old daughter, and with a full plate as a writer and producer for multiple TV and film projects, it’s safe to say Kaling has been a little busy. How does she manage? She’ll tell you that she has an amazing support circle. And she’ll also tell you that she has myWalgreens.
Going beyond a customer loyalty program, myWalgreens is a free personalized digital platform that offers new features to give every customer a unique Walgreens experience. Walgreens Stories chatted with Kaling to learn more about how the program has helped her and her family so far, how she plans to use it during the holidays, and, of course, what Kelly Kapoor and Mindy Lahiri would buy at Walgreens:
Between having a newborn, chasing after a toddler, releasing a new essay collection, and writing and producing, what’s your secret for juggling it all while staying healthy (and sane)?
Kaling: Honestly, my secret is that I’m in a position where I'm lucky enough to have the resources to have help. Because I don't have a husband, because my mother passed away and because I really wanted to have a family, the only way I'm able to juggle it all is with a nanny to help with my kids. Particularly now during the pandemic, I wouldn't be able to do the writing I need to do, and the two shows and the auditioning and everything else, if I didn't have her. The other secret is that I'm lucky that I love my job. So I feel this really seamless thing where my job doesn't feel like work, my children don't feel like work, and I just bounce back and forth between different things I really love that don't stress me out.
Why did you decide to partner with Walgreens on the launch of myWalgreens and Pickup?
Kaling: The partnership with Walgreens was so organic to my life because I think it's essential that I’m able to pick up everything I need in one place, in as little as 30 minutes. I just feel like, whether it's my prescription meds or a magazine or makeup or Christmas wrap, Walgreens is the only place where I can really get everything I need. And as someone who has two kids, two jobs, in the middle of a global pandemic, who's taking care of my dad, it's just wonderful to be able to go to one place, feel like a provider and also feel safe. I love the efforts Walgreens is taking to make you feel really safe when you go in there.
One of the many benefits of myWalgreens is how personal it is to the one and only you – unique to every customer. How has it helped you so far?
Kaling: I just hop on to myWalgreens on the app, order cough medicine, diapers, vitamins, toys for my daughter, batteries for the kids' toys, makeup for me and melatonin to get to sleep. And then I jump in my car, and in 30 minutes, a Walgreens team member is bringing everything to my car. So especially during the pandemic, it's so safe and great and fast – it's faster than ordering online and having a box arrive a week later. It's just uniquely suited to me and all my needs.
Imagine yourself at Walgreens as Kelly Kapoor, Mindy Lahiri and Mindy Kaling. What does each one buy?
Kaling: Oh, this is a great question. Kelly Kapoor would buy makeup – mascara. Mindy Lahiri would buy sour candy. And Mindy Kaling would probably buy a box of diapers for her son.
Of everything the new program and service has to offer, what’s your favorite feature?
Kaling: What I love most is the pharmacy chat. When you have two kids, it's so great to be able to talk to an expert and get advice from a Walgreens pharmacist for product recommendations rather than having to hit up my doctor every single time I need something.
How does it feel to have the option to donate your Walgreens Cash rewards to charities through myWalgreens?
Kaling: I feel like people inherently are good and want to help, but sometimes life gets in the way of being charitable because it takes so much time to find the charity, go to the website, get your credit card, donate – it's just a lot. What's so great about being able to donate Walgreens Cash rewards is that they make it so easy to do good. You're actually doing something to help yourself, which is buying the stuff you need, and then you get the opportunity while doing that to help other people who are not as fortunate. They've made it so easy to feel like a really good person [laughs].
How do you see yourself using myWalgreens and Pickup during this unique holiday season?
Kaling: Going into the holidays, I literally don't know what I’d do without myWalgreens. Between getting presents, last-minute things for cooking Christmas dinner, and then also medications for me and toys for the kids … I’m just psyched. I think I'm probably going to use the app like every day.