How Zappos Inspires a Higher Calling

by Jenny LeeJul 13, 2010

How Zappos Inspires a Higher CallingJobs are everywhere. We clock in and clock out, putting in the bare minimum just to get the work done. Sometimes though, we find a career where we have a deeper vested interest in our work, motivated by achievement and advancement. Yet if we’re lucky, we’ll eventually find our calling where work becomes our life mission, and our life mission becomes work.

Online retailer Zappos is on a mission to inspire their family of employees to a higher calling. Since the beginning, they weren’t satisfied hiring people just looking for a job to pay the bills. Under their visionary leader Tony Hsieh, the company made a bold organizational move in 1994, relocating their headquarters from San Francisco to Las Vegas, to align themselves with people looking for a career.

Hsieh wrote in Inc. Magazine, “We were having a hard time finding good customer service people in San Francisco. Las Vegas has a lot of call centers and lots of people who want to do customer service as a career.”

Zappos embraces a singular vision—to provide the best customer service—and attracts people who share this passion. But the folks at Zappos aren’t satisfied knowing that their employees are committed to a career in customer service. They constantly strive to inspire their employees to find their true calling—to find personal meaning in their work guided by a higher purpose.

To achieve this, Zappos employs a full-time on-site personal coach, Dr. Vik, who invites employees to take a seat on the royal “throne” for a one-on-one consultation. He regularly tells his guests, “You are worth a billion dollars. Come have a seat and take your life to the next level!” With Dr. Vik’s guidance, employees are empowered to reach their full potential across their work and personal lives.

How many companies employ a full-time personal coach? Most businesses would view this as an unnecessary expense and immediately reject the idea.

Yet Zappos understands that a company’s employees—their people—are a reflection of the brand itself. When employees find their true calling, work is greatly satisfying and meaningful. Their enthusiasm and passion is infectious. And the customers are first to take notice.

Tony and the Art of Twitter

by Jenny LeeMar 12, 2010

If you haven’t jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet, there is one reason to do so: Tony.

Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is a visionary leader committed to the pursuit of growth, trust, and most of all, happiness. Twitter, he acknowledges, has helped in his quest to become a better person. According to Tony’s blog, Twitter keeps him accountable to his personal values; encourages him to see life through a funnier, more positive lens; inspires him to make a positive impact on other people’s lives, and serves as a reminder to appreciate the small things in life.

Some of his tweets will make you laugh, and feel oddly yet soothingly reminiscent of “Deep Thoughts” by Jack Handey:

  • Feeling pensive today and pondering life’s big questions. For example, what does Luke Skywalker do on father’s day?
  • Going fishing for first time w/ board member. I think they might be taking the whole “teach a man to fish” thing too literally
  • At a friend’s house and when I walked by a cactus it poked me. Personally, I find that unnecessary and a bit immature.

Others will provide a glimpse into his disarming and self-effacing sense of humor:

  • At MGM for Britney Spears concert! Wait, did I really just admit that to 500k Twitter followers? I meant I’m at home reading.
  • At Vegas airport. While in bathroom, I had an AMAZING revelation: Toilet seat covers are shaped exactly the same as life vests!

Others are simple and beautiful inspirational quotes:

  • “Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” – Abraham Lincoln
  • “In the pursuit of knowledge, something is added every day. In the pursuit of enlightenment, something is dropped every day” -Lao Tzu
  • Be Humble: “In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind there are few.” – Shunryu Suzuki

Others are an amalgam of the above. My all-time favorite Tony tweet, quoting Winnie the Pooh: “If the person you’re talking to isn’t listening, be patient. Maybe he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

Tony is a master at building relationships and cultivating community, simply by being himself. He’s found a way to use Twitter to speak to his strengths and inspire legions of followers.

Join Tony’s over 1.6 million followers at: http://twitter.com/zappos.