Blake and I recently had the great privilege of touring the offices of Zappos.com, the web’s largest shoe store. It was one of the most impressive and inspirational experiences of my entrepreneurial life. I believe in the power of corporate culture, and the impact it can have on the success of an organization. In my career I have been part of a company that was enthusiastic and energetic as well as a company thats culture could be described as complacent and and uninspiring. The first company was successful and fun to be a part of, the second failed.

Zappos is a company that exudes a positive, energetic and fun culture. Our tour guide and friend, Meghan Boyd, described the dedication to the culture that the employees exhibit as almost cult-like. Founder Nick Swinmurn and CEO Tony Hsieh have instilled their internally-famous 10 core values throughout the organization.

One of the words you first hear when you walk into Zappos is WOW. The monthly “Master of WOW” gets the Bob Hope (best) parking spot. Their goal is to WOW the customer at every turn. Below is a list of the WOW’s I experienced at Zappos.

1. Everybody (literally every person we saw) smiles and waves to visitors.
2. There is a employee library with recommended reading. These are books the employees can take home and keep at no charge. Clearly a great focus on continuing education. Examples are Good to Great, Purple Cow, The World is Flat, The Tipping Point.
3. Zappos has a full time life coach who we sat down with. He helps “Zapponians” to set growth goals and build balance into their life. He snapped our picture in the King’s Throne for his “wall of fame”.
4. Free employee meals.
5. Every employee knows the company history and is conversant about fashion trends and customer loyalty
6. During the hiring process, potential employees are screened to make sure their values mesh with the Zappos 10 Core Values. This is a major part of the hiring process.
7. There is a “chill out room” where stressed out employees can recharge as well as a game room to blow off steam
8. Zappos is clearly a fun place to work as Halloween decorations still were all over and we heard stories of the legendary haunted house.
9. The CEO, CFO and entire management team sit in the middle of everyone in an open workspace. No closed-door corner offices around here.
10. Everybody has fun working there. Meghan says she can’t wait to get into work every morning.

I’m currently reading the book Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win by William C. Taylor & Polly G. LaBarre. I highly recommend the book to all entrepreneurs looking to create a powerful and unique corporate culture. Zappos has clearly done that, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with their energy. I told Blake as we were leaving that the visit was inspiring and gave us a glimpse of what we are working to create with Voodoo Ventures in action at the next level. Kudos to Zappos and thanks for letting us get a peak inside your world.