At Zappos, we sure do like to decorate conference rooms here in Vegas...to my count, I think we have 91,000 conference rooms, all with a different theme. (Editor's note, that number is greatly exagerrated. That's why we don't let Brett near accounting) The rooms are all decorated by employees with little money put towards them. So, creativity is the name of thy game, my friends. And we are chalked full of that, man.

In the original 2280 building, all conference rooms were named after Vegas casinos, but we then decorated each to represent the different departments of our Merchandising team.

At the new 2290 upstairs locations, which is filled with Customer Loyalty Reps banging away at the phones with some members of Help Desk and a few more departments soon thrown in the mix, there are multiple conference rooms with one big theme: Vegas Icons!

Each room is named after a show, a personality or infamous character from Vegas past and present. This includes Cher, Elton John, Hunter S. Thompson, Oscar Goodman, Penn and Teller, Wayne Newton, Liberace to mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Siegel. There are even rooms dedicated to Vegas entertainment phenomenons The Killers and the television show, CSI.

They did an excellent job in true, do more with less attitude, one of our Core Values. Good job!!!

The Zappos.com content team is usually a peaceful, loving group, but during the “Murder at the Salty Sea Dog” pirate murder-mystery party, chaos and distrust filled the air! The shocking “murder” of the Jaded Jewel’s first mate, “Merciless Morgan” (AKA Jay from the Performance Team), created turbulence and disorder among the group.

Actually, this was the backdrop for the Fashion and Performance content teams’ recent outing. The drama unfolded at the old pirate watering hole called the Salty Sea Dog, or Nick P.’s house to be exact, although there isn’t much of a difference!

Being that this was the first murder mystery party I had ever attended, I was surprised to see how committed and in-character some of my colleagues were. In the photos below, you’ll see Jennifer, AKA “JB”, AKA “Butterfingers Bailey”, take on her pirate persona with full-on commitment. Jay, who played the unfortunate “victim”, took on the role of “Merciless Morgan” eagerly, only to be killed off in the first half hour. Needless to say, he wasn’t too happy about that!



In the end, all the evidence led to the conviction of “Sealegs Sam”, AKA Bob A. (pictured above with a big evil smile on his face!) , as the conniving murderer. He was promptly made to “walk the plank” for his vicious crime. Pirates are a ruthless breed!

Overall, the party was filled with shady, suspicious characters, eye patches, “Captain Morgan” poses, and of course, lots of booty…pirate booty that is. The Best Costume award went to Performance Team’s Jeff B., who played the part of “Governor Napier”, and the Best Performance award went to none other than the Jaded Jewel’s captain, “Cap’n Redbeard”, played by Jason Lee of “Getting Down and Dirty with Jason Lee” fame.

I don't really have to explain much about this video...besides we did something kind of cool, and wanted to film the one time experience of it. Even Kyle gave a long speech about the pyramid and how it came about! However, Erin forgot how to use the flip video!


Make sure you have volume for this one! :)

Thanks to Max M. for making this video!

Knee-high tube socks, ridiculously tight gym shorts, cheesy 70s music, mustaches…these can only mean one thing: the Content Team’s team-building outing at the Crystal Palace (Roller) Skating Center.

For those of you not from Las Vegas, Crystal Palace is where many kids and teens spend their days couple-skating and showing off their skills (or lack thereof!) on the roller rink.


We in the Content Team got to re-live our junior high days and roller-skated our hearts out to dance hits of the 70s. In the spirit of competition, we also had a couple of fun contests.

The heart-pounding game of skate limbo was interesting to say the least. We got to witness a 6’6” dude (Jason Lee) in tight sparkling spandex attempt what seemed mathematically impossible. But, in the end, it was Jen Brohl, AKA “JB” that took the victory in the limbo contest.
Although Jason didn’t fare very well in the limbo game (the odds were just stacked against him), he, along with his “side-kick” Matt Thomas, blew the competition out of the water in the costume contest! Their costumes really defy words, so I will let the pictures do the talking.



If you ask me, I think they enjoyed being in spandex and polyester a little too much.
The afternoon was definitely fun-filled, despite a few inevitable slips and falls. I’m not naming any names! ;)

Who doesn't love arts & crafts??

(First of all, that was a rhetorical question for all you naysayers!) :p

Well, apparently, craft activities are extremely stressful for some people. As long as you're able to let go of your inner perfectionistic critic, though, they can be a fun-tastic outlet for creativity!

The training team was all set & psyched to go race cars at Pole Position (with Ray A. threatening to put Loren B. "into the wall," of course).

Unfortunately, this off-site team building event had to be cancelled due to the busy week we were having. :( But, thanks to Renee N. and Marcela G., we were still able to spend some quality time together and build something for all to enjoy! :)

It definitely wasn't easy, though. First, the rest of the training team was called into a room under pretenses of having a meeting (about what, we didn't have a clue, though we were all suspicious). Mysterious graphs leered at us from a stand at the front of the room, and there was a wheel to the left with each of our names on it. "We will spin the wheel and the person whose name it stops on will give us their ideas for the direction the team will be taking over the next year," we were instructed.

Just when everyone was about ready to start hyperventilating (our Boss Lady especially!), the offending graphs were pulled aside to reveal a box of clay tiles and paints, and trays of yummy snacks appeared on the side tables.

"SURPRISE!! We're having a team building event today regardless!"

Relieved as we were to not be having that meeting, most of us were still stressed out about what to paint on our respective tiles. But once we stopped over-thinking it and remembered how to let loose and be a big kid again, our imaginations poured out onto the tiles through our little plastic paintbrushes.

Renee and Marcela even took them to be glazed and fired for us, and they came out beautifully!



Soon we will be building a "wall" with the tiles for all to see and enjoy when they come visit us over in the training area. Look for a new entry coming to a blog near you! ;)

I would like everyone to meet LuAnn G! She was on the Vegas Encounter back in March. If you Vegas-ites didn't get the chance to meet her, don't fret! Here's your chance to get to know a little bit about her! She's a lead in our fabulous Kentucky warehouse! Read on to get to know her a little more!



What Dept. Do you work in and what is your position?

I am a lead in the returns department.

Tell us a little bit about yourself:

I have been at Zappos since April 15, 2004. I became full time, August 1, 2004. I also have lived in Shepherdsville for 4 years. I moved from Louisville to be closer to work. I have a daughter, who will be 30, August 30th, she is married. I have a cat named Shadow. She follows me everywhere. When I have the time I like to bake and listen to music.

What's the best thing ever about working for Zappos.com?!

The people. I like the fact that everyone treats you like their friend or family and not just a co-worker.

Favorite food served at Zappos?

Chick-Fil-A!

What's your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I like to walk, go to the mall or my home away from home, Wal-Mart.

What's the weirdest thing you have ever encountered?

The weirdest thing that I have encountered at work is the steak knives, scissors and other unusual items that people send back in their shoeboxes!

Does a chicken have lips and if he did, would he smack 'em!?

I don't really know! I have never gotten that close to a live chicken. But there is always that possibility?!

Upon entering Ellis Island Casino and Brewery in Las Vegas, Nevada the first thing you will hear is not the plinkity plink of the slot machines, but the crooning coming from a very famous karaoke bar inside. Upon entering we gazed at smoke filled old booths, two not so famous Elvis impersonators, and the biggest song books I've ever seen. We ended up at the Ellis Island Casino and Brewery looking for $1 beers from their very own brewery and a chance to sing in front of some serious Ellis locals.

Though they didn't have the $1 beers anymore, they did have a great list of their own brews to choose from. I brought some of my fellow Vegas Experience peeps here remembering what a great but seedy and old casino this was. Bert H. belted out, "Baby Got Back," while Kevin (Mike) M. sang, "Pretty Fly for a White Guy, " by the Offspring. The "Duets," soundtrack version of "Cruisin," was sang by me as this is the only song I've ever sang karaoke to and I couldn't believethat they had it. Amber R. sang Sheryl Crow's version of, "Sweet Child of Mine," while Pat C. gazed at us from the back booth not wanting to get up and sing but he sure gave his support to us brave fools. If you find yourself sick of the new part of the strip and you're looking for some old-fashioned karaoke fun, or want to enjoy a famous $6.99 Sirloin Steak special, or some local brew, head down to Ellis Island Casino and Brewery.



Written By: Erin R

Okay, so KIVA has been up and running for a while now and despite a few bumps along the way, everything is running great. Those little critters are working their circuits to the bone. Last time I talked about some employee's views on KIVA itself and how they liked working with the new system. I heard from a few people how they would like to know how the process works and how it's different from regular putaway or picking. So this is for all those eager young minds yearning for information.

Unlike site manager, which is ran throughout the rest of the warehouse, you don't have to make a new password and type in your login every time. Instead all you have to do is scan your badge with the hand scanner that you use for putaway, or type in your name to get logged in. Easy enough. After the login screen, you are directed to a job option screen. On this screen you choose either putaway or picking/purging. Purging is a tool under picking that helps with picking multiple orders.

Once you choose which job you will be performing, you will be prompted to choose which pods you want to use. There are pods for small and large handbags, shoes, apparel, etc. Once you make your decision, the bots will automatically go and retrieve the appropriate shelving units. Once they bring them, all you have to do is put the items away. The only difference between putting away in KIVA and putting away in the static racks is in KIVA you have to scan the location and then scan the items, while in the static racks you have to scan the item first.

Now that you know the process I bet you can't wait to jump in there and start working, right? Well of course you are. They're just too neat not to want to work with the bots.

Safety is essential in the Kentucky warehouse. Being properly trained and taking an active stand to keep the environment safe keeps yourself and your co-workers safe. Ultimately being safe keeps everyone happy because they are pain and worry free.

The safety team recently had a Safety Poster contest to spread the word of all the important safety efforts we should all perform and remember! A lot of people put their creative side out there, but there can only be one winner! Congratulations to Susan M. of A shift Receiving for winning the contest! She won a dual Family Membership to the Louisville Zoo and the Louisville Science Center! That is so awesome! Below is her award winning poster, and check out the video of all the other posters that were submitted. We had some great posters this year! Thanks to everyone who participated!

THE WINNER!

Written by Christina Y and Lisa M !

Our Front End Development team, or FEZ, as they are also known, went on a day outing to the city of San Francisco on Wednesday. SF is actually the birthplace of the wonder that is Zappos; it welcomes any Zappos group with open arms!

Led by their fearless captain of code, Alex K., they flew out early Wednesday morning and boarded a plane bound for the bay. They all garnered their custom made (by themselves) t-shirts, which have become their official travel Uniforms. While roaming the beauty that is SF, they reaked havoc, frightened locals, rode trollies and conquered the Golden Gate bridge.



Ryan A. has the height advantage here, I do believe.



Here they are taking over the Apple store...only these crazy kids would choose that color for their shirts!

The FEZ team is quite loved in Creative Services and we salute them!

One of our B shift Receiving leads, Wayne Downey, decided to follow in our supervisor's footsteps and make a little wager of his own. The wager went pretty much the same as before. If we processed over 18,000 units in one shift then he would belittle himself for us. An offer we couldn't refuse. After some brainstorming, we decided that it would be fun to have him shave his head and we would get to draw on it with PERMANENT marker. Needless to say we achieved our goal and once again one of our bosses was humiliated. Two bosses down, three to go! The best part is that he left it on all day.... and it took him a couple days to get it all off.

Wendi B, Office Assistant at Zappos.com shaves her head has part of an annual team
building event. Her hair was donated to Locks of Love, a charity
organization that uses human hair to produce wigs for children with
cancer. www.locksoflove.org

Tony and Alfred can also be seen having their heads shaved, but I think we can all agree, Wendi's move was pretty admirable!

At Zappos we have a very unique culture where each team and/or department is responsible for creating their own environment. By environment, we mean our surroundings…our home away from home…the place that we live and breathe Zappos.

While it's unheard of in most companies, at Zappos we tend to think it breathes a little life into what could otherwise be very drab and dreary office walls. Plus, it’s kinda fun!

So, what’s the marketing theme? Hint: Save the Customer, Save the World.

Okay, you’ve got it! Heroes! Here’s a quick introduction to a few of the heroes in the marketing department and what they think their superpowers are:

Fletch, the Investigative Reporter (aka Andy)
Super Shopping Woman (aka Ashley)
Guitar Hero (aka Brian)
Ultimate Multi-Tasker (aka Britni)
Search Sensei (aka Darrin)
Fairy Godmother (aka Holly)
Kristaman, does what the Kristaman can do (aka Krista)
Rapid Reader/ Predicting the Future (aka Libby)
Bionic Woman (aka Linda)
Keeper of Time (aka Michelle)
Donatello’s Voice of Reason (aka Mig)
Mandal Man (aka Ned)
Flying Wonder Woman (aka Rachel)
El Sonador - The Dreamer (aka Robert)
Spreadsheet Surfer (aka Vegas)

If you had to pick what kind of hero you’d be or superpower you’d have, who/what would you be? Comments welcome! Oh and by the way, we're always looking for more heroes to join us in the good fight!

In keeping with the core values, our supervisor on B shift Receiving decided to embrace "Create Fun and a Little Weirdness" by making a bet. We were facing around 50,000 pieces on back log and were looking at overtime on Saturday. CJ, our supervisor, made a bet with us to help boost production. The terms were simple; if we hit over 18,000 pieces for the day he would show up the next day in a dress. Of course we all jumped on the opportunity to see our boss walk around in a dress all day, so we rushed to hit that goal. By the end of the shift we not only hit our goal, but we surpassed it with flying colors. Our supervisor, being a man of his word, showed up wearing not only a dress the next day, but also brought a purse too.

The first ever Zappos.com flag football team had a very successful season finishing 5-5, just missing the playoffs. With only a couple months of playing together under their belts, they were no slouches. Most teams in their league have been playing together for years. That kind of chemistry takes time to develop and Zappos.com put up a fine effort in their short time playing together.

Here are those dapper guys!

From left to right: Top: Derek L., Zack D., Jaime A., Anand D., Kevin W., Aaron T., Norbinn R. Bottom: Paul P., Rico N., Mike F., Jay D., Nick P.

After the season, the team decided to have a bbq at Nick P’s house. Nick played center/defensive line during the season. Many times in preparation for each game Nick could be heard saying, “I just want to hit people!” He certainly brought that nasty streak you look for in a lineman. He knows his way around a grill as well.

The bbq was quickly planned, but did not lack variety. Teammates had their choice of 3 different kinds of bratwurst, burgers, bbq chicken (the Quarterback’s specialty), bbq pork and ribs (pre-marinated, store bought by the Free Safety, boo). Drinks were flowing and food was consumed on an easy Sunday afternoon. Even a couple games of H.O.R.S.E. got pretty competitive for these guys.

It was definitely a good time. Here’s looking forward to next season. If anyone loves some football, we’re sure to be even better the next time around!