The HappyHap Project

ZAPPOS PART I: DELIVERING HAPPINESS TO CORPORATE AMERICA

In the past year, Corporate America has been increasingly under attack, especially due to the Occupy movement. If nothing else, 2011 showed that in a global community our own success and well-being turns on the well-being of others. So as we enter 2012, it seems obvious that many of these corporate giants need to shift their intentions and re-prioritize their values. 

Progress, however, is already underway: Zappos, an online shoe-retail company founded in 1999 by Nick Swinmurn and Tony Hsieh is teaching companies around the globe how “Delivering Happiness” can enhance the customer experience, increase employee engagement, and create an energetic work culture based on meaningful company values. 

In fact, ever since CEO Tony Hsieh released his book “Delivering Happiness - A Path to Profits, Purpose and Passion” in 2010, businesses across sectors and continents have sought to benchmark themselves against Zappos. So only one year later, Tony created Zappos Insights, a company dedicated to sharing Zapponian methods of success so that other businesses can grow and prosper just like Zappos.  

Last month, I decided to visit Zappos HQs in Henderson, NV to learn more about their approach firsthand. I took their company tour and also spoke to Elia Lata, the Operations Manager at Zappos Insights. Elia told me that in spite of only existing for barely a year, Zappos Insights has already worked with 3500 business people and hopes to increase that number to 15’000 in 2012 - wow. There are many more interesting facts that I picked up during my visit, so here’s an overview broken down into “Hard” (read: economic) facts and “Happy” facts:

The Hard Facts

• Within less than ten years Zappos.com Inc. has earned $1 billion in annual gross sales in spite of its significant early history of being on the brink of extinction. They also barely used any advertising throughout their existence. 

• In 2011 Zappos ranked 6th in Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list. 

• In the NRF Foundation / American Express Customer’s Choice survey Zappos receives top honors for their customer service.

• Currently, new hires at Zappos are offered $ 3’000 to leave their job if the perceive themselves not fitting the culture.

• Co-founder and CEO of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, makes $36’000 per year, wears jeans to work and sits at a desk in the “Monkey Row,”  a cluster of cubicles decked out in dark plastic jungle vines (check the photo I took). 

The Happy Facts

• Zappos is known as a standard bearer for authentic and vibrant, albeit somewhat wacky, corporate culture.

• Tony Hsieh released his New York Times bestseller titled “Delivering Happiness - A Path to Profits, Purpose and Passion” in 2010. To spread happiness and share the message of the book, he decided to take a three months, 23-city cross-country bus tour.  

• At Zappos “happy hours” occur all day long. 

• In 2010 Tony announces the creation of Zappos Insights and in 2011 he announces the creation of “Delivering  Happiness.” Both companies aim to inspire people and organizations around the world to use happiness frameworks in business and in life. 

Be Inspired And…

• Create a list of values that you stand for. (I wrote up a list in 2008 when I started college and carry it in my wallet ever since.)

• Think of ways how you can deliver happiness to your family, friends, co-workers, customers… 

• Read Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh or The Zappos Experience by Joseph A. Michelli

• Join the Delivering Happiness VHP group on facebook and meet people who love Tony’s book and have become part of a broader movement that aims to celebrate and spread happiness. 

• Check the photo album from our visit to Zappos HQs for more footage.

*In part II of this blog series, I will present you with an interview style format that reflects more closely some of the conversations I had while at Zappos HQs. Stay tuned! 

By Sunnie