During last weekend’s Las Vegas trip, I had the opportunity to visit the Zappos headquarters in nearby Henderson.  It was good timing, as I’d just finished reading this article in Inc. magazine about their CEO Tony Hsieh, their history, and their company culture.

Shop at Zappos.com Since Zappos is the largest online shoe-seller, it follows that they are also one of the largest and best-performing advertisers on my Shoes ‘R Us site.   I was excited to go and see what a billion dollar company looks like from the inside, and also to know that I helped play a (small) role in getting them there.

They picked me up at the airport in a Zappos Escalade and we made the short trip to Henderson.  There I was greeted by my Affiliate Manager / Tour Guide, Ned Farra.  As we walked around the building through the marketing, merchandising, buying, and customer service departments, it was easy to see that all the positive press about the company is true.  Even though there are roughly 700 employees in that location (another 700 work at the warehouse facility in Kentucky), everyone seemed to know each other and they were all happy to be there.

Amongst the piles of shoes and wildly decorated cubicle rows and conference rooms, we found the on-site nap room, company-funded cafeteria, and the office of the full-time Zappos life coach, complete with a VIP throne and crown to make visitors feel like royalty.  Well-rested, well-fed, and well-rounded employees are happy employees!  It’s cool how they’re able to maintain so many of the fun and exciting qualities of a start-up company even though their growth has slowed and the business matured.

I got to chat with the affiliate team about some upcoming changes to their program and growth opportunities for the rest of 2009 and beyond, making it a legitimate business trip.  On my way out I was given a copy of the 2008 Zappos Culture Book, a 450 page tome in which every year each employee contributes a short essay on what the Zappos culture means to them.  In addition, they gave me two more books from their business-book-library lobby: Made to Stick by brothers Chip and Dan Heath, and Peak by Chip Conley.  So in the Zappos spirit of continued learning and self-improvement, I’ve got some reading to do.

Then it was back in the Escalade and off the Wynn to get the non-business trip part of the weekend started.

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