Alana Ledford, who joined Zappos in February of 2007, left Zappos.com on Friday, May 31st to move back east with her husband. From day one Alana was recognized as not just someone who could be counted on to do a job well, but also as someone who could be counted on as a friend. Even those who did not work closely with Alana felt a sense of comfort going to her, as she had a very welcoming personality and warm smile – as I can attest to when I first transferred to the Business Unit. I sat down with Alana on Friday to talk about her time here at Zappos.com and what she will miss the most.

W: Alana, tell me about – let's start with your history here at Zappos – actually, let's go back further than that, where are you originally from?

A: I was born in New Zealand and we moved around a lot internationally when I was younger and then I grew up mostly in Southern California. Then I went to school in UCLA and I was actually an outdoor guide for them, leading trips for students and faculty doing kayaking, backpacking, rock climbing and all kinds of stuff. When I graduated from UCLA I started working for Adidas in sports marketing for a couple years and then moved to Vegas and
started working on the outdoor team for merchandising here at Zappos.

W: What'd you think when you first showed up at Zappos? Like on your first day, never even hearing about the place and not knowing anything about it, what went through
your mind?

A: I think it was exciting, just the casual work environment and how much fun people were having at work. I think it was a little overwhelming because I didn't entirely know what I was getting. . . it was a lot of excitement mixed with anxious trepidation kind of waiting to see what this experience was going to be like.

W: So, over time as you've continued in your employment here, how has those initial feelings you had, maybe the anxious trepidation, etc.; what has that turned into over time? How has your experience with Zappos evolved over this time period?

A: I think there's so many things about Zappos that are just so hard to replace. I think that the people that I get to work with on the outdoor team, they are just irreplaceable; such great people to work with, but also such great people on a personal level as well. I'm so thankful for the experiences like the 40 mile hike that we got to do together, training for the marathon and half marathon with people and encouraging them to get out and run. At the same time I have learned so much from the job and its been great to have the opportunities to move up and learn my category and taking charge of my portfolio, so there are definitely some stressful times as you are learning and growing and managing and figuring out numbers and all of that. So, its been a huge personal and professional experience and I wouldn't trade my time here for anything.

W: I know, for me, Zappos has had a big effect on my personal life. How has Zappos effected your personal life or helped enrich you in some way? What have you learned the most personally as opposed to professionally?

A: I think the great thing is coming into work and not counting the hours. There are always things going on outside of work, but its interesting how everything kind of fuses together. Your job just kind of becomes part of who you are because you care about it so much, you know, you take it home with you, you talk about it and you work on your laptop when you get home, its hard to put it down. You want your portfolio to do so well its hard to kind of disengage from it. The weekends are also about hanging out with work people and barbecues with them, its just so much that I think the line between personal and work becomes cloudy.

W: What are you going to miss the most about Zappos?

A: The friendships and I really like my category and my reps.

W: Is there anything else you would like to add or say in conclusion?

A: I guess I would just encourage people to just make the most of opportunities that they have. Sometimes on trips that I've gone whether its traveling or outdoors, it never comes at the most convenient time. Its never like “oh, this is the perfect time to train for a marathon” or “this is the perfect time to go hike forty miles before I have a wedding that weekend”. I feel like you always have to fit stuff in and I would just really encourage everybody to really seize those opportunities because when you go on a seven day backpack trip. . .the perspective that you have on who you are as a person and what's important in life, its gonna be so different then just going about your daily routine. Even if its a small step like getting up in the morning and running before the sun rises. The mountains are beautiful here, take the time to go outdoors, don't put it off until there is a better time because who knows when that better time is going to come as you have a family or start a family. So, I definitely want to be the kind of person who is up for those adventures and make the most of those experiences. I really just wanna encourage people that if you have a chance to just jump in a plane and go somewhere you've never been for a three day weekend, just do it! Have those experiences, don't live it through the travel channel or on your couch. Get out and do it whether you feel like you can or you feel like you can't! Seize those opportunities and – if you don't know how to do something find someone who does and try it. You don't know if you're going to love whitewater kayaking until you get in a boat and charge down the rapids. I feel like when I go into a library that its just overwhelming because there's so many books to read and so much out there that I want to try and see and I guess I would just encourage people to never, ever let go of that thirst for knowledge and experience.

Thanks Alana, you're a great spirit, and good luck!

This is the second installment of Q&A with the CLT business units. The first post happened last week when I picked the brains of the Kids team CLT group. This week features the candid responses of our Outdoor CLT business unit!

Read on to live vicariously through the exciting experiences of William B, Lacy J, and Max M!

From left: William B, Max M, Lacy J

Question: What is the most exhilarating outdoor activity you have done?

William: "Scuba diving."

Lacy: "Rock climbing. There is no comparison."

Max: “There are too many times that I could mention and go on and on... but basically anything outdoors.”

Question: Our customers do a lot of shopping in preparation for upcoming trips. Have they ever shared a trip with you that you were totally jealous of? If so, where were they going?

William: “To Patagonia for four weeks. I was way jealous of that.”

Lacy: “This actually happens everyday. Yesterday I spoke to a mountaineer that's climbing Grand Cathedral in the Tetons this summer. I was born a couple miles from there, so I'm a little biased, but they're some of the most beautiful mountains in the world! I'm not usually the alpine mountaineering type, glaciers scare me, but even I would like to see the world from the top of Grand Cathedral. I've talked to people going to Kilimanjaro, the Alps, and even a couple to Everest and some of the other Seven Summits. I've also talked to rock climbers going to Thailand, South Africa, Madagascar, South America, Europe, etc. I can't go a day without wishing a customer could take me along with them!”

Max: “Some customers taking trips overseas, to Italy, or the one guy who was going to hike across Europe for 2 months.”

Question: What is the craziest animal you have come across in your outdoor journeys?

William: “A giant eagle ray while I was scuba diving. The thing had to be three times my size, it was HUGE. I was both terribly scared and excited at the same time.”

Lacy: “I seem to be a wildlife magnet, so this is hard. But there is a refuge in Jackson, WY where the buffalo can roam and graze freely. You can also drive through this refuge and take a look. I have a picture of a 3-4 year old bull crossing the road, 10 feet from the front bumper of my car. No matter how many times I go see the herd, being that close to such a giant wild animal is a major thrill. And when your little car is surrounded my a hundred of them snorting and grunting and doing their buffalo business...well... let’s just say it's crazy.”

Max: “I saw a panther on the beach in Guam. While on vacation, I was walking on the beach, just as the sun was setting, and I saw what looked like a large dog on the beach. He was with his trainers. So it wasn't exactly a wild animal, but I was walking very close before I realized what it was.”

Question: What 5 items would you pack if you were going to be stranded in the desert for a month?

William: “Flint/Clothing /Jerky /Fresh Water /A signaling device”

Lacy: "Nutrogena Full Spectrum SPF 85/Therm-a Rest mattress/Gerber multi-tool with a decent blade and a shovel attachment/Topo map of the area/Snake tongs or a .22 rifle.”

Max: “Enoughwater/Shelter/Food/Map/Compass.”

Question: Would you rather be stranded on a remote island or lost in the mountains?

William: “I would rather be lost in the mountains because you can - eventually - find your way out of the mountains. On an island you can’t get past the ocean. There is also more potential food and fresh water in the mountains.”

Lacy: “That would depend entirely on the specific island or the mountains I had to choose from. I've seen examples of both that I would be perfectly happy on and could survive on easily enough, and I've also seen examples of each that would kill me in a day. Tropical Islands are okay, Desert Islands are not. The Northern Sierras I could handle, but I would freeze to death in the Himalayas in the first 24 hours. I'd pick whichever one had more stable, temperate weather conditions, lots of available food and fresh water, and potential shelter.”

Max: “I would rather be stranded in the mountains. I don't think I'm that good at building boats... yet! But I sure can hike!”

Question: What is the most common question asked by our customers?

William: “How does this shoe run?”

Lacy: “It varies by season and also by degree of activity. We have hard core customers and casual customers. Right now a lot of casual customers are looking for hydrophobic shoes and sandals, while the hard core folks are looking for backpacking and mountaineering boots. In the winter we get lots of calls for Sorel bootliners and "fashionable" winter boots that will keep your feet warm in -60 degree weather. Haha.”

Max: “Most customers want to know how different shoes, boots, or sandals fit.”

Question: What was your favorite outdoor activity as a kid?

William: “Riding my bicycle and seeing the ocean.”

Lacy: “Horse Camping. It basically involves riding your horse out to the most remote location you can find, and camping there. You can fish and hunt at the same time. It's like backpacking, but with a horse to help carry stuff.”

Max: “Riding bikes.”

Question: What do you love most about your job?

William: “That it happens to be at Zappos.com!”

Lacy: “Product testing! I feel so fortunate to work for the lifestyle department that embodies my lifestyle. I shop on Outdoor.zappos.com constantly! Because I love the lifestyle, I also love the product, buying it and using it. A few minutes ago a lady called for help finding rock shoes for her son, who is just learning. I was able to make several recommendations based on actual hands-on experience. I am also a beginner and have tried several of the styles on our site. I was able to give her real life evaluations and personal experience to help her decide. Customers really appreciate it when I can relate to their situation and they enjoy talking about the activities they love with someone who understands and relates. It makes their experience and mine much more enjoyable. Instead of work, it's just a nice day talking to people about the activities, places and products we love.”

Max: “Being able to help our customers!”