PUMA PG Saddle shoes at Zappos.com - $94.00
O'Neill Bermuda shorts at Zappos.com - $44.00
Linda Long dancing on the table at Zappos.com gathering - PRICELESS

(A little background: It was a Thursday night. The marketing department and other Zappos friends took over the Roadrunner patio. There was a farewell party for our friend Neill. There were friendships blossoming. There were funny stories being told. It started to get dark. There might have been a full moon? Hmmm...and then it happened...our very own Linda Long up on the table! Linda, we can probably never live up to that moment again but you set the standard high - you go girl!)

In the spirit of Zappos Core Value #5, Pursue Growth and Learning, Jeanne and I took a group of Assistant Buyers, Merchandising Assistants and members of our Product Information team from Casual Lifestyle on a one-day, turn-around round trip to Southern California to tour the Magdesians shoe factory. One of only a few left in California, the Magdesian family was gracious enough to open their doors to us.

They have an incredible laser cutting machine that eliminates the need for costly dies and is also 30% more efficient in terms of raw materials. For those of you who don't know, a die is, in essence, a metal "cookie cutter" traditionally used to cut the upper pattern from a sheet of leather or other material. As each size and width combination required a separate die, this is one of the highest costs to a manufacturer in production. By using this new technology, Magdesians can keep the costs, and in turn, the retail prices of their U.S. made shoes significantly more affordable.

Thank you VERY much, Magdesians! It was a great trip and very educational for all!

So, there is this lady, let just call her Lynn shall we? Anyhoo, this lady, Lynn if you will, sits at this desk and claims to do something or other for this web site Zappos.com. Something about UX or something? Who knows. Anyhoo (part two), while UX'ing apparently she takes some personal web browsing breaks. How do I know this information? Just look at the photo below and you decide whether I need to talk to her about her productivity. Sheesh!