Workspace: Tony Hsieh’s Office: Welcome to the Rain Forest

We don’t like the term “executive.” So, we went with “monkeys” instead. Monkey Row is where myself and some of my co-workers sit.

Where the wild things are

We have two buildings that are kind of attached. There’s a 10-story building and a three-story building. We just moved here. The three-story building is where the monkeys are. At the top of the 10-story building, we have the people who answer the phones, the call center reps.

Who has the best view

The call center reps. We’ve always done that. They’re the ones providing customer service and that is what our brand is about.

2. Greenery

The green makes you feel like you are in a rain forest. It started in our old offices, where every row had its own decoration theme and we went with a rain-forest theme. I can’t remember — maybe the term Monkey Row came up after the decorations, not the other way around.

Unexplained objects

My desk kind of accumulates random junk, when people give gifts, or I don’t know. As I look around my desk, I have no idea why things are on it. The only thing I can explain is the phone.

3. Animal vision

I am just noticing this now, but there are two llamas on my desk and they are both wearing glasses. Apparently, that is what is trending in the llama world. They are unrelated. I have no idea why they are on my desk.

Dress shoes under desk

That’s for when they make me dress up for photos. Otherwise, I just normally wear sneakers.

Office uniform

Jeans and a Zappos T-shirt. It’s comfortable, and it means that I have fewer decisions to make in the morning.

What his desk says about him

That I’m messy.

Favorite part of workday

Making fun of and joking with the Time Ninjas. Some companies might call them executive assistants. We joke around a lot here, which is fun.

Lunch

I will either skip it, or grab something quick to eat in a meeting.

4. Caffeine

There’s Red Bull on the desk. I used to drink a lot of it. Less so now. I drink a lot more coffee now. I go in phases.

Least favorite part of work space

There’s no food right here, where I sit.

Available snacks

There is a nut bowl, but not at my desk. I wish there were pickles.

Home? Office? Home office

I live two blocks away from the office. It is convenient for coming in to do a quick meeting. My work and home are interchangeable. I am between the two all the time.

Schedule

I usually start working around 6 a.m. Then I have meetings until midnight or so. We are still building out the larger conference rooms, so many meetings are at my house. There are also meetings we do via videoconference.

No points for neatness

I hate it when there’s nothing on people’s desks. That concerns me. I guess it means they left, right?

Office he covets

What I really admire is the nonoffices. I’d rather work in a random coffee shop somewhere around the world.

Why Vegas?

Ten years ago when we moved here, it was because we wanted to build this brand to be about the best customer service. Nobody in San Francisco wanted to do customer service, so we moved to Las Vegas. Now we are in downtown Vegas, and the whole vibe of downtown Vegas is entrepreneurial energy, creativity, innovation and discovery. Those things fit in really well with Zappos and our culture.

Urban renewal

The Downtown Project is privately funded by myself and some friends. We have a budget of $50 million for small businesses, $50 million for tech start-ups, $50 million for education and the arts, and $200 million for real estate. We want to create a walkable community and make downtown Vegas the most community-focused city in the place you’d least expect it.

Gambler?

Not really. The stuff we are focused on is in an area called Fremont East. It is an area that most tourists don’t know about. It is the complete opposite of the Strip. We are focused on locals and building community. The Strip is focused on tourists.

Interview conducted by Edward Lewine. Comments have been edited and condensed.

Workspace: Tony Hsieh’s Office: Welcome to the Rain Forest

We don’t like the term “executive.” So, we went with “monkeys” instead. Monkey Row is where myself and some of my co-workers sit.

Where the wild things are

We have two buildings that are kind of attached. There’s a 10-story building and a three-story building. We just moved here. The three-story building is where the monkeys are. At the top of the 10-story building, we have the people who answer the phones, the call center reps.

Who has the best view

The call center reps. We’ve always done that. They’re the ones providing customer service and that is what our brand is about.

2. Greenery

The green makes you feel like you are in a rain forest. It started in our old offices, where every row had its own decoration theme and we went with a rain-forest theme. I can’t remember — maybe the term Monkey Row came up after the decorations, not the other way around.

Unexplained objects

My desk kind of accumulates random junk, when people give gifts, or I don’t know. As I look around my desk, I have no idea why things are on it. The only thing I can explain is the phone.

3. Animal vision

I am just noticing this now, but there are two llamas on my desk and they are both wearing glasses. Apparently, that is what is trending in the llama world. They are unrelated. I have no idea why they are on my desk.

Dress shoes under desk

That’s for when they make me dress up for photos. Otherwise, I just normally wear sneakers.

Office uniform

Jeans and a Zappos T-shirt. It’s comfortable, and it means that I have fewer decisions to make in the morning.

What his desk says about him

That I’m messy.

Favorite part of workday

Making fun of and joking with the Time Ninjas. Some companies might call them executive assistants. We joke around a lot here, which is fun.

Lunch

I will either skip it, or grab something quick to eat in a meeting.

4. Caffeine

There’s Red Bull on the desk. I used to drink a lot of it. Less so now. I drink a lot more coffee now. I go in phases.

Least favorite part of work space

There’s no food right here, where I sit.

Available snacks

There is a nut bowl, but not at my desk. I wish there were pickles.

Home? Office? Home office

I live two blocks away from the office. It is convenient for coming in to do a quick meeting. My work and home are interchangeable. I am between the two all the time.

Schedule

I usually start working around 6 a.m. Then I have meetings until midnight or so. We are still building out the larger conference rooms, so many meetings are at my house. There are also meetings we do via videoconference.

No points for neatness

I hate it when there’s nothing on people’s desks. That concerns me. I guess it means they left, right?

Office he covets

What I really admire is the nonoffices. I’d rather work in a random coffee shop somewhere around the world.

Why Vegas?

Ten years ago when we moved here, it was because we wanted to build this brand to be about the best customer service. Nobody in San Francisco wanted to do customer service, so we moved to Las Vegas. Now we are in downtown Vegas, and the whole vibe of downtown Vegas is entrepreneurial energy, creativity, innovation and discovery. Those things fit in really well with Zappos and our culture.

Urban renewal

The Downtown Project is privately funded by myself and some friends. We have a budget of $50 million for small businesses, $50 million for tech start-ups, $50 million for education and the arts, and $200 million for real estate. We want to create a walkable community and make downtown Vegas the most community-focused city in the place you’d least expect it.

Gambler?

Not really. The stuff we are focused on is in an area called Fremont East. It is an area that most tourists don’t know about. It is the complete opposite of the Strip. We are focused on locals and building community. The Strip is focused on tourists.

Interview conducted by Edward Lewine. Comments have been edited and condensed.

Workspace: Inspirations All Around (and a Gym Downstairs)

WHERE SHE IS We’re at 895 Broadway in Manhattan, right above one of our Equinox clubs. My office is one floor above the top floor of the club. I can hear music pumping through underneath me during group fitness classes. I like it, actually. It’s inspiring.

WORLDLY VIEW You have to have a globe when you are a global citizen. I was born in New Zealand. I grew up in London. I moved to the United States in my 20s and became an American.

ATHLETIC INSPIRATIONS I have photos of Derek Jeter and Serena Williams that they signed. On a different wall, I also have one of my father, who was a rugby player.

DAILY BLOOMS It’s nice to have something fresh there on a daily basis. Maybe that’s the feminine side of me coming out. That is done by my assistant.

NEAT OR MESSY? Despite my best efforts to be tidy, I never am. I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I am comfortable with that, because it says something about me. I’m one of those people who have a lot on her their desks, and for me those are little pieces of inspiration.

DEVICE JUGGLING My workspace is really my phone, tablet and computer. I tend to navigate among them all day.

LAPTOP FRIENDLY My MacBook Air has to fit inside my handbag. It’s a Tory Burch bag.

FLATS, HEELS, SNEAKERS I come in every morning wearing flats, carrying a little bag with heels in it. Then I always have sneakers and workout gear in my office, because at any moment I like to know that I can pop down to the club.

FIRST-STRING SEAT I try to sit on the exercise ball on and off during the day. I find it hard to sit on one for long periods of time, but that forces me to get up and move around more, which is something I am really working hard on right now. I don’t want to remain seated all day.

SECOND-STRING SEAT That desk chair is something I inherited. I focus more on the exercise ball.

CARPET-FREE ZONE The building has hardwood floors. They have character. They are creaky.

PENCIL BOUQUET We have a bunch of pencils that have the Equinox logo and flags on them, which we made when we were celebrating our move to London. I love looking at them on the desk and remembering the day we had the meeting and celebrated.

Interview conducted by Edward Lewine. Comments have been edited and condensed.

Workspace: Inspirations All Around (and a Gym Downstairs)

WHERE SHE IS We’re at 895 Broadway in Manhattan, right above one of our Equinox clubs. My office is one floor above the top floor of the club. I can hear music pumping through underneath me during group fitness classes. I like it, actually. It’s inspiring.

WORLDLY VIEW You have to have a globe when you are a global citizen. I was born in New Zealand. I grew up in London. I moved to the United States in my 20s and became an American.

ATHLETIC INSPIRATIONS I have photos of Derek Jeter and Serena Williams that they signed. On a different wall, I also have one of my father, who was a rugby player.

DAILY BLOOMS It’s nice to have something fresh there on a daily basis. Maybe that’s the feminine side of me coming out. That is done by my assistant.

NEAT OR MESSY? Despite my best efforts to be tidy, I never am. I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I am comfortable with that, because it says something about me. I’m one of those people who have a lot on her their desks, and for me those are little pieces of inspiration.

DEVICE JUGGLING My workspace is really my phone, tablet and computer. I tend to navigate among them all day.

LAPTOP FRIENDLY My MacBook Air has to fit inside my handbag. It’s a Tory Burch bag.

FLATS, HEELS, SNEAKERS I come in every morning wearing flats, carrying a little bag with heels in it. Then I always have sneakers and workout gear in my office, because at any moment I like to know that I can pop down to the club.

FIRST-STRING SEAT I try to sit on the exercise ball on and off during the day. I find it hard to sit on one for long periods of time, but that forces me to get up and move around more, which is something I am really working hard on right now. I don’t want to remain seated all day.

SECOND-STRING SEAT That desk chair is something I inherited. I focus more on the exercise ball.

CARPET-FREE ZONE The building has hardwood floors. They have character. They are creaky.

PENCIL BOUQUET We have a bunch of pencils that have the Equinox logo and flags on them, which we made when we were celebrating our move to London. I love looking at them on the desk and remembering the day we had the meeting and celebrated.

Interview conducted by Edward Lewine. Comments have been edited and condensed.