Everyone involved in the tour was a pleasure to meet right from the get go. Zappos offers complimentary shuttle service to and from Zappos headquarters and we were picked up in the Zappos Escalade.

In the lobby displays the pair of shoes that started it all. When Nick Swinmurn was unsuccessful in finding a pair of shoes in store and online it lead to the start of Zappos.com.

The Zappos name tag ball named Lucille of the many people who’ve taken the tour.

Our first look into the offices and to the right you can get a glimpse of our guide Heaven, yes her name is Heaven.

A live sales map of products being purchased throughout the US.  In another part of the office they also had about four big screens with live web analytics, which was crazy to watch.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh’s office.  Zappos has an open office policy and employees can basically see anyone they want.

The rest of the tour included visiting various departments throughout the building.

In the  fraud department we had the opportunity to speak to one of the employees there and learn how they dealt with fraudulent charges and charge backs.  We have had our share of charge backs and fraud and it was great to see how Zappos prevents the situation from happening.

In the HR department we learned about their recruiting process and how they offer a buy out of $2000 to potential employees after they finish training to weed out those that don’t really want to work there. The recruiting department also spoke about the importance fitting into the culture and Zappos’ core values.

Zappo Core Values

1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble

Throughout the tour you can see the unique culture that Zappos has built and how much it stresses the importance of customer service.  The work environment is a fun and inviting one where everyone knows everyone. While I was there, I’m pretty sure I was almost hit by a Nerf gun lol. Even though the atmosphere may seem lax, employees are hard at work and take responsibility for what needs to be done.

The tour rounded up with a visit to Dr. Vik’s office, where I got sit on the throne where at Zappos I’m royalty. Dr. Vik is the resident coach at Zappos who helps employees be successful in personal and business matters so that they can perform at high levels and provide excellence in service.  Zappos really takes care of their people and it really shows through as you make your way through the offices.

The tour ended back in the lobby where everyone received a Zappos Culture Book and a complimentary book  from the Zappos library.  The books are there to inspire the “Power of Service” and I’m pretty sure that they said Tony Hsieh has read all the books there.

Thanks to everyone at Zappos for the amazing tour.  Special thanks to Renna, our guide Heaven, the Mayor, Pam, Dr. Vik and anyone else I may have forgotten for the great tour.

]]> http://www.michael-li.com/my-zappos-tour/2009/11/10/feed/ 0 http://www.michael-li.com/zappos-here-i-come/2009/11/04/ http://www.michael-li.com/zappos-here-i-come/2009/11/04/#comments Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:39:34 +0000 Michael Li http://www.michael-li.com/?p=964

I wrote about going to the SEMA Show earlier and while I’m out there I will also be visiting Zappos Headquarters. I have an exciting day ahead of me tomorrow with the SEMA Show and Zappos tour.

Zappos is a very unique e-commerce company that has built a culture with happiness as a key. CEO Tony Hsieh has created fascinating and successful culture over at Zappos. After reading a great article in Inc. Magazine about Tony Hsieh it was hard to pass on the opportunity visit their headquarters.

The tour is free and they even offer complimentary shuttle services to their office. It took me a while to find information on the tour but after a bit of searching I finally found a contact form specifically for the tour or I think you can email them from what I read from other people’s visits there. They recommend you make a reservation 48 hours in advance so you could set up a tour on the fly if you’re out in Vegas.

I’m looking forward to seeing a successful e-commerce company at work and hopefully learn a few things. This is going to be a great experience and I look forward to writing about my adventures in Vegas.

For this October I’m recycling a charity I’ve done in the past because it has a personal meaning to me. Today is the last day of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and I’m selecting Susan G. Komen for the Cure once again for their efforts in ending breast cancer. See my post about Komen for the Cure from October ‘08 below.

My Monthly Charity October 2008
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and fittingly my charity for October 2008 will be the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity for the fight against breast cancer. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization was started by Nancy G. Brinker as a promise to her sister to do everything in her power to end breast cancer. Founded in 1982 Komen for the Cure has become the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors, activist and source of nonprofit funds to fight breast cancer worldwide.

“As Susan G. Komen for the Cure, we’ll continue to be the world’s largest, boldest and most progressive grassroots network of survivors and activists, the only organization fighting to cure breast cancer at every stage. To date, we’ve invested $1 billion in research, education and health services. And because so many millions of people are counting on us to fulfill our promise, we will invest an additional $2 billion over the next decade to do just that.” - http://cms.komen.org/komen/AboutUs/index.htm

Just this year in 2008 there is going to be an estimated 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer in women with approximately 40,480 deaths and 1,990 in men with 450 deaths (Statistics from the American Cancer Society Cancer Facts & Figures 2008).

Breast cancer has affected me personally and I’m extremely happy to say that my Mom is a breast cancer survivor. This is not only My Monthly Charity October 2008 it is also a honor to my Mom as a survivor. Join the fight against breast cancer and make a donation to Komen for the Cure.

Find out how you can help in the fight against breast cancer.

In less than 2 weeks my partner George and I will be heading to Las Vegas for SEMA Show 2009. The SEMA Show is the premiere automotive specialty products show in the world. I’ve always wanted to go to SEMA but didn’t think there be any opportunity because it’s a trade show. Anyways the opportunity has arise since I am part of Detailed Image now and I can’t wait to go.

Check it out, I have my very own badge.

We will be buyers at the show and have the opportunity to see all the up and coming new automotive products. Hot cars and new technology, that’s some gooooood stuff!

Not only do I get to go to one of the world’s premiere car shows, I also get to go to Sin City and escape the chilling Northeast for a few days. It should be some good times and a great new experience. I will definitely be posting an update when I return, so stay tuned.

The action is looking good and it’s hard to pass on a cast like this but we’ll see what’s up when it comes out.

In this month’s Men’s Fitness I read a great article with simple and economical tips to fighting cold and flu season that I wanted to share.

Win the Cold (and Flu) War
Fighting the flu doesn’t have to break the bank. Here are eight effective and inexpensive ways to protect yourself during the upcoming cold and flu season.

by Nate Millado

Fortunately, a swine flu vaccine will be ready as soon as next month. Still, 36,000 Americans die from the “regular” flu each year. Keep influenza at bay with these tried-and-true (and cheap) cold and flu strategies:

1. Get Vaccinated Now
You can at least rest easy knowing you won’t spread any virus to children and elderly, the two age groups most susceptible to flu-related deaths. “[Vaccinations] may also reduce the risk of other potential causes of illness, like cardiovascular disease,” says Mark Moyad. M.D., director of preventive medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Get vaccinated early, since developing an immunity takes up to four weeks. And don’t get bamboozled into paying more than $50 for it. Moyad advises you go to a free clinic or local drug store (Pharmacies like Walgreens and Duane Reade will administer the shot).

2. Smear on Some Gel
A small amount of antibacterial hand cream (like Purell) before and after workouts will protect you from germ-covered gym equipment. But be wary of cheaper, less effective gels. “Turn the package over and look for at least 62 percent ethyl alcohol as its active ingredient,” Moyad says. “Anything less than that won’t kill viruses.”

3. Sweeten Those Coughs
Honey beats dextromethorphan, the key drug in over-the-counter cough suppressants, according to a recent Penn State study. “If you feel something coming on, taking one to two teaspoons of honey turns out to have an antimicrobial effect,” Moyad says. “Plus, it’s soothing when it goes down your throat.”

4. Clear Your Nose
Buy a sterile saline nasal mist (like Simply Saline), to flush out the nasal passages, one of the most common sources of entry for colds and flu. Use it morning and night, or whenever you’re leaving an area that seems especially germy.

5. Grab Some Supplements
Remember this about supplements: zinc is overrated, Vitamin C is underrated. “One of the toxicities of zinc is a permanent loss of smell and taste,” says Moyad. In June, Zicam recalled its nasal gels for this very reason. “Vitamin C is incredibly safe and cheap. [A 250-cound 500 mg bottle will only cost you about $7.] High dosages of Vitamin C could potentially reduce the risk of pneumonia-the biggest concern of cold and flu season since it could be lethal.” Another immune system builder is Vitamin D. A study this year found that people with low levels of the “sunshine vitamin” were 36 percent more likely to get the flu.

6. Gargle, Gargle, Gargle
Swishing with water several times a day can help decrease changes of getting a cold by 36 percent, says a 2005 Japanese study (a separate report suggests that gargling with green tea may enhance the effectiveness of the flu vaccine).

7. Go for the Soup
We know it’s a cliche, but chicken soup is not just nutritious. The warm, steamy liquid is also a natural nasal decongestant. Hot tea works, too. But it won’t make grandma as happy.

8. Score More Shut-Eye
People who sleep fewer than seven hours a night are three times more likely to catch a cold, according to research from Carnegie Mellon University. How do you get more sleep if you’ve already caught the bug? Try Vicks’ new NyQuil Less Drowsy. It has the same multi-symptom relief but with a less-sedating antihistamine, so you wake up feeling better but less groggy.

Men’s Fitness – Win the Cold (and Flu) War by Nate Millado
http://www.mensfitness.com/nutrition/287

According to Google Trends flu activity is already starting to spike with the US showing high flu activity.

Google Trends uses search terms that has shown correlation to flu activity to estimate it. Check the video below to see how Google Trends works.

Google can predict the FUTURE! That’s pretty impressive what they are able to do with search data.

Also posted on the Google Trends Flu Activity US page is a message from the CDC on fighting flu.

Fight influenza

CDC urges you to take these steps to protect yourself and others from the flu:

1. 1. Get vaccinated against flu.
2. 2. Wash hands often, cover your cough.
3. 3. Take antiviral drugs if your doctor recommends them.

This flu season could be worse than prior years. A new flu virus called 2009 H1N1 is spreading worldwide. Take these 3 steps to protect against the new flu, too.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

One more tip I can think of for the cold and flu season is to stay home if you do get sick to help prevent others from getting sick and spreading the cold and flu. Here’s an article on reasons why to stay home when you’re sick. It’s OK to call in sick it’s better for everybody. I know the company and I are working hard to stay home when we’re sick to prevent what happened last year when everyone got sick one right after another.

My personal tips are to make sure you wash your hands and not to touch your face to prevent germs from getting you sick.

A little effort can go a long way to a hopefully happy and healthy winter.

Old Design

New Design

New features

• Wide open layout to better accommodate posting images and videos
• Better post navigation
• New category navigation
• Graphic enhancements
• Shared items from my Google Reader
• More ways to to connect with me

Now that I got the new blog design done, it’s time to get back to some blogging. Enjoy the new design!

It’s been over 8 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and My Monthly Charity for this month will be a dedication to the victims.  I have selected the Twin Towers Orphan Fund (TTOF) for my September 2009 Monthly Charity.  Founded on 9/12/2001, the fund aids those children who have lost their parent(s) in the 9/11 attacks by providing educational and welfare assistance.

“The mission of the Twin Towers Orphan Fund is to help mitigate the damage caused by the terrorist acts of September 11 by ensuring the children of the victims have as normal a life as possible. To do so, the TTOF provides long-term higher educational assistance and helps meet mental and physical health care needs for children who lost a parent in the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, or onboard the four downed airliners.” - Twin Towers Orphan Fund Mission

The founders of this organization were truly dedicated to their mission from the beginning. For the first 7 months the co-founders of  TTOF provided out-of-pocket money along with dedicated funding for operations to run the fund. At the beginning of the 2nd quarter of 2002, the 90 percent rule was implemented where 90% of  the funds would go directly to the children and the remaining 10% towards operation costs.  The fact that they have this 90% rule means the money is put to good use and the majority of the funds get to the children.

What the TTOF has accomplished so far:

• They have helped over 1,200 children in 26 states and territories including 32 babies born after 9/11
• Over $1 million dollars has been awarded to the children
• Nearly $4 million dollars has been distributed to fund over 700 higher educational savings accounts in the names of the child beneficiaries
• $3 million dollars has been allocated for mental and physical healthcare assistance
• Close to $400,000 has been reserved children of victims of future terrorist attacks
• The Twin Towers Orphan Fund is a long term support trust fund of about 23 years (when the youngest of the children have reached age 22).

The TTOF has accomplished quite a bit since inception and they are conquering their mission. Help those children that have fallen victim to the events of 9/11 and visit http://www.ttof.org/ to find out what you can do to help.

The charity that I’ve selected for this month is the South Colonie Dollars for Scholars.  This is a very small way for me to give back to my former high school.  South Colonie Dollars for Scholars is a local organization that helps create and extend scholarships to deserving students of  South Colonie High that are embarking higher education.

“South Colonie Dollars for Scholars is a volunteer, community based financial resource awarding scholarships to deserving high school seniors furthering their education with funding from grass roots efforts and local, state and national partnerships.” South Colonie Dollars for Scholars Mission http://www.socoloniedfs.org/

Established in 2003 it is one of thousands of local organizations nationwide affiliated with Scholarship America working to help students fund their college education. Scholarships are funded by local businesses, individuals, and fund raising activities run by students and the community.

As Pure Adapt continues to grow I hope that we at Pure Adapt, Inc. can sponsor our own scholarship.
A sponsored scholarship coming from four graduates of South Colonie High would be a pretty cool thing to do.

What is Z.ips.ME you say? Z.ips.ME is a little open source program that my business partner Adam came up with that lets you create your own URL shortening service.

Simple to use and easy to install, Z.ips.ME gives you control of your URLs. I think it took me less than 10 minutes to get everything set it up. Follow the 5 installation steps and you’ll be golden. The installation process is just like Wordpress.

Key benefits of Z.ips.ME:

• URL naming control with keywords. (i.e. I twittered about Jet Blue’s unlimited flying for $599 using my very own shortened link http://www.michael-li.com/zipsme/JetBlue)
• Peace of mind that your URLs are safe from being dead links because the service you used closed down.
• Private admin system with robust statistics with clicks, referring sites, browsers, and operating systems.
• Branding your own domain.

Don’t know how to do the installation or just don’t want to, Z.ips.ME does offer a installation services if you contact them.

This is one of the many little projects that I hope Pure Adapt, Inc will continue to develop.  We have tons of ideas.  While developing these little projects, hopefully we hit a couple more like Sports Lizard and HotteeeZ.  Those twos sites make some decent money for very little amount of work.  Minimal work and maintenance equaling continuous income is a no brainer, I think.  Like Adam said about projects that don’t pan out, ” If not, there’s really no loss for us and we can just try some more until something works. How fun is that?“  That’s the truth, these are not high risk projects that we’re taking on and it’s fun as H E double hockey sticks.

Back on to Z.ips.ME.  If you’re looking for your very own URL shortening service Z.ips.Me is simple to use and gets the job done.  Check out the Z.ips.Me for more information and screen shots.