From my collection of Seven Titans and two Masters who pacify disasters, here is the first:
Tony Hsieh.
Para leer en Español AQUI
note: This is an article a little bit long. If you want to go straight into the point, please click here: Delivering Happiness
but you really need to know about Tony and Zappos.
If you are interested in social changes, social revolutions or social improvements… or social weirdness…this is wow!
I started following Tony by chance. While surfing in the net. I found his book: Delivering Happiness. Because I didn’t know anything about business, I placed the book aside, yet keeping an eye in his book tour.
I didn’t know how to introduce you Tony, so I copy and paste two sentences from Wikipedia:
I need to explain to my family and friends that here in North America with the internet market it is very normal that an internet company grows so incredibly fast that the owners need to work like maniacs and start hiring employees like crazy every day, and in less than two years you can become a millionaire!. Something like that.
Para leer en Español AQUI
note: This is an article a little bit long. If you want to go straight into the point, please click here: Delivering Happiness
but you really need to know about Tony and Zappos.
If you are interested in social changes, social revolutions or social improvements… or social weirdness…this is wow!
I started following Tony by chance. While surfing in the net. I found his book: Delivering Happiness. Because I didn’t know anything about business, I placed the book aside, yet keeping an eye in his book tour.
I didn’t know how to introduce you Tony, so I copy and paste two sentences from Wikipedia:
"Tony Hsieh is the CEO of online shoe and clothing shop Zappos.com. Prior to joining Zappos, Hsieh co-founded and sold the internet advertising network LinkExchange to Microsoft in 1999 for $265 million (and sort of have a cat). "
I need to explain to my family and friends that here in North America with the internet market it is very normal that an internet company grows so incredibly fast that the owners need to work like maniacs and start hiring employees like crazy every day, and in less than two years you can become a millionaire!. Something like that.
This is the case with LinkExchange. At the age of 24 Tony was rich but not very “happy”. In his book, Tony explains how since a little kid he was an entrepreneur, and since a child how much he would love to be surrounded by his dear friends. There is no chapter without a “best friend”, “a buddy” or “a unique accomplice”.
Tony co-founded LinkExchange with a friend, but, due to the fast growing, they end up having a company full of strange people, with a low energy motivation environment, no good culture, and we all know what it means to live very unhappily in the work field.
When I read how Tony and his friends started building Zappos, all I felt is adrenaline, almost like watching a science fiction movie. Fantastic story! It talks to the heart, and how money is not the only ingredient for happiness at all. It’s about being sincere, about building emotional relationships, friends, and family in the work field; it’s about tough reflection, observation; it’s about following high moral values and willing to follow your heart no matter what the world is telling you –It is not the way we do things—
Tony together with his friends Alfred, Chris, Jenn… and 1,000 employees have created Zappos, rank one of the happiest places to work. Zappos places great emphasis on company culture and core values:
Zappos 10th Core Values:
- Free shipping both ways
- A 365-day return policy
- A 24/7 call center
Employees enjoy free lunches, no-charge vending machines, a company library, a nap room, Laughter Yoga workshops, and free health care. Each department has its own decor, ranging from rainforest themed to Elvis themed. Employees often lead spontaneous office parades, like the Random act of kindness parade, or the Underware parade. It is occasionally accompanied with cowbells. Managers are required to spend 10-20% of their working hours "goofing off" with employees outside of the office
The primary sources of the company's rapid growth have been repeat customers and numerous word of mouth recommendations, of its customers, 75% are repeat buyers. The company's customer service reputation has been augmented through viral spreading as well. Zappos is a family, they try to empower their employees, cultivating confidence because the only way to deliver happiness is being happy.
And they have plans for Las Vegas, only Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory can understand Zappo’s plan for Las Vegas! Of course it’s gonna be super duperWow.
When I read how Tony and his friends started building Zappos, all I felt is adrenaline, almost like watching a science fiction movie. Fantastic story! It talks to the heart, and how money is not the only ingredient for happiness at all. It’s about being sincere, about building emotional relationships, friends, and family in the work field; it’s about tough reflection, observation; it’s about following high moral values and willing to follow your heart no matter what the world is telling you –It is not the way we do things—
Tony together with his friends Alfred, Chris, Jenn… and 1,000 employees have created Zappos, rank one of the happiest places to work. Zappos places great emphasis on company culture and core values:
Zappos 10th Core Values:
- Deliver WOW Through Service
- Embrace and Drive Change
- Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
- Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
- Pursue Growth and Learning
- Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
- Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
- Do More With Less
- Be Passionate and Determined
- Be Humble
- Free shipping both ways
- A 365-day return policy
- A 24/7 call center
Employees enjoy free lunches, no-charge vending machines, a company library, a nap room, Laughter Yoga workshops, and free health care. Each department has its own decor, ranging from rainforest themed to Elvis themed. Employees often lead spontaneous office parades, like the Random act of kindness parade, or the Underware parade. It is occasionally accompanied with cowbells. Managers are required to spend 10-20% of their working hours "goofing off" with employees outside of the office
The primary sources of the company's rapid growth have been repeat customers and numerous word of mouth recommendations, of its customers, 75% are repeat buyers. The company's customer service reputation has been augmented through viral spreading as well. Zappos is a family, they try to empower their employees, cultivating confidence because the only way to deliver happiness is being happy.
And they have plans for Las Vegas, only Willy Wonka and his chocolate factory can understand Zappo’s plan for Las Vegas! Of course it’s gonna be super duperWow.
I’m sure Tony Hsieh and his friends come from the business of the future, where we’ll realized that no matter what our position is in a company, from those who answer phone calls 8 hrs per day up to the head directors, everybody will be focused on a higher purpose. And the simple task of answering phone calls in the past was annoying. In the future it will be transcendental just as the unlimited manifestations of how we can deliver happiness- be humble and Pursue Growth and Learning.
I had the chance to send some questions by email to Tony, which he so nicely answered.
Tony Hsieh’s parents are from Taiwan. I know that many Asiatic people also have names in their main language. In Tony’s case, he has a mandarin name, as well as a western name.
tony swimming
and at the computer lab with his little brother.
(I chose this photos because I am pretty sure that in order to have a happy world you need to think as a child)
I asked Tony about his Mandarin name which is:
謝 家 華
in Taiwanese-american spelling: Hsieh Chia-Hua
It can be spelled as Hsieh Chia-Hua or Xie Jia Hua.
謝 Hsieh that means: --thanks—I mean: Tony Gracias :)
家 Chia that means: family, house, home
華 Hua that means: Flower, flourish
His favorite music is: “Rabbit, House music, 80's music, pretty much anything that's on the radio.
Reading: “How We Decide”.
About his family: “My grandpas passed away. My parents have always been supportive (albeit sometimes reluctantly so) of whatever I do.”
If you would have the chance to talk with one of the most wanted criminals in the world, what would you tell him?
“I'd want to understand why they did what they did.”
Natta ask: Do you believed in God?
Tony Thanks Family Flourish, answered:
Not in the traditional religious sense. I think it's strange that there are thousands of religions around the world and each person believes that his/her religion is the right one by the mere fact that that's what they happened to be born into, and the rest of the world is therefore wrong.
I do believe in emergent properties though… So in that sense, there's probably a higher power (and actually multiple layers of higher powers) that we aren't able to comprehend because it's an emergent property… Just like the cells in your body aren't aware that they are all part of a human being with consciousness, we probably aren't aware that we're part of something bigger than ourselves that has its own consciousness or even something else that we aren't capable of comprehending".
This is one more example of the amazing GOOD things that are happening in this so loved and not so loved USA (I wish someone writes an article about Delivering Happiness and Tony Hsieh in Arab). In my crusade to find those REAL - TANGIBLES social revolutions that are impregnated with this kind of supreme cure for self defeating selfishness in mundane daily action, Zappos is an Amazing example! In my search to find those, that every nano second, are using all their Pow! to Wow all the anti-wow... Tony Hsieh Chia-Wow Rocks!
My best wishes to Zappos to keep strong and always lifting up morale to everyone you touch.
To all the Zappos 家 family , from the deep of my heart 謝 thanks ! for your work in trying to 華 flourish.
And may we all abide the first of the Buddhist Four limitless States of mind:
:)
yours
natta
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pss….
Happiness has been a shining spotlight of psychological and scientific study and pop culture since the 1990s, and it shows no signs of fading (witness Coke's recent ad campaign, "Open Happiness" and happiness courses being offered in major U.S. universities, following Harvard's lead). Newsweek (Feb. 2, 2008) pinpoints the happiness movement catalyst to discoveries of brain activity underlying well-being, and the emergence of positive psychology, which focuses on strengths and virtues rather weaknesses and faults when assessing mental health.
*
I had the chance to send some questions by email to Tony, which he so nicely answered.
Tony Hsieh’s parents are from Taiwan. I know that many Asiatic people also have names in their main language. In Tony’s case, he has a mandarin name, as well as a western name.
tony swimming
and at the computer lab with his little brother.
(I chose this photos because I am pretty sure that in order to have a happy world you need to think as a child)
I asked Tony about his Mandarin name which is:
謝 家 華
in Taiwanese-american spelling: Hsieh Chia-Hua
It can be spelled as Hsieh Chia-Hua or Xie Jia Hua.
謝 Hsieh that means: --thanks—I mean: Tony Gracias :)
家 Chia that means: family, house, home
華 Hua that means: Flower, flourish
His favorite music is: “Rabbit, House music, 80's music, pretty much anything that's on the radio.
Reading: “How We Decide”.
About his family: “My grandpas passed away. My parents have always been supportive (albeit sometimes reluctantly so) of whatever I do.”
If you would have the chance to talk with one of the most wanted criminals in the world, what would you tell him?
“I'd want to understand why they did what they did.”
Natta ask: Do you believed in God?
Tony Thanks Family Flourish, answered:
Not in the traditional religious sense. I think it's strange that there are thousands of religions around the world and each person believes that his/her religion is the right one by the mere fact that that's what they happened to be born into, and the rest of the world is therefore wrong.
I do believe in emergent properties though… So in that sense, there's probably a higher power (and actually multiple layers of higher powers) that we aren't able to comprehend because it's an emergent property… Just like the cells in your body aren't aware that they are all part of a human being with consciousness, we probably aren't aware that we're part of something bigger than ourselves that has its own consciousness or even something else that we aren't capable of comprehending".
This is one more example of the amazing GOOD things that are happening in this so loved and not so loved USA (I wish someone writes an article about Delivering Happiness and Tony Hsieh in Arab). In my crusade to find those REAL - TANGIBLES social revolutions that are impregnated with this kind of supreme cure for self defeating selfishness in mundane daily action, Zappos is an Amazing example! In my search to find those, that every nano second, are using all their Pow! to Wow all the anti-wow... Tony Hsieh Chia-Wow Rocks!
My best wishes to Zappos to keep strong and always lifting up morale to everyone you touch.
To all the Zappos 家 family , from the deep of my heart 謝 thanks ! for your work in trying to 華 flourish.
And may we all abide the first of the Buddhist Four limitless States of mind:
May all living beings forever be peaceful and happy, and may they forever maintain the causes of peace and happiness.
:)
yours
natta
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pss….
Happiness has been a shining spotlight of psychological and scientific study and pop culture since the 1990s, and it shows no signs of fading (witness Coke's recent ad campaign, "Open Happiness" and happiness courses being offered in major U.S. universities, following Harvard's lead). Newsweek (Feb. 2, 2008) pinpoints the happiness movement catalyst to discoveries of brain activity underlying well-being, and the emergence of positive psychology, which focuses on strengths and virtues rather weaknesses and faults when assessing mental health.
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