I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the experience of working for Tony and learn from his brilliant genius. As a naturally inquisitive person, a bit of a cynic & non-conformist, I found such solace and alignment in Tony. He was constantly longing for soulful workplaces and for authenticity, togetherness, passion and purpose. He questioned every speculation, he shared all of his learnings, he was constantly curious and he truly thrived on creating community.

I’ll never forget our first meeting that took place while I was working EDC NY. He mailed me his “Delivering Happiness” book immediately after with pages highlighted & sticky notes on the chapter around his experience in the rave culture, and how it influenced him to build Zappos. Six months later after moving to Vegas to work on DTP, we would stay up late nights talking about the science of human connection, how to create a “PLUR” culture in the workplace and how to best create authentic connections through events. He encouraged me to lead with my heart, make calculated decisions, but always play with magic & serendipity in my professional and personal life. I am forever grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside a visionary who fostered my desire to push boundaries, embraced unique ways of innovation, was genuinely KIND and who really loved the weird.

My fellow rave slave and rare, brilliant soul—I love you, you burned bright and your teachings will live on forever. The world has truly lost an angel, a mentor, a visionary and a friend.

In honor of Tony, I am going back through my collection of the many books he’s given me over the years and re-reading the one I found to be most impactful for me. If anyone is looking to feel particularly inspired from all of this, I recommend it. “Reinventing Organizations” by Frederic Laloux, it advocates for a people-centric approach with radical streamlined structures that fosters active involvement and self management. I think it’s important to take the best parts of his teachings and permeate your workplace, your management style, your every human interaction with those teachings. Bring passion to everything you do, just like Tony would.