That’s what Tony Hsieh and his “Happy Bus Team” is doing. He is promoting his New York Times #1 Best Seller: Delivering Happiness: The Path to Profits, Passion and Purpose. This killer book changes our perceptions of what business is and how it should operate.

There are many companies who follow this belief system on a small scale, but none have truly followed through with as much gusto (and success) as Zappos has. Tony is a Fuelhaus favorite because he makes his brand a central part of the business each and every day.

The book is a must read for anyone interested in creating a purposeful life. It takes you through the journey of Tony and his amazing team of dedicated employees as they “go for broke” and make it…then it breaks down the concept of Delivering Happiness in business and life.

My favorite part of this book is the basic concept that happiness and profits aren’t opposing forces. You can have a team of employees working together with their CEO to create a strong brand from the inside out. It cements the concept that Fuelhaus believes in about brand building: If it’s not authentic on the inside, a brand will fail on the outside.

Fuelhaus isn’t the only convert… serious people are listening, too. NPR’s Marketplace just did an interview of Tony to learn more about the magic of Zappos, their stellar customer service and thriving employee culture. You can listen to the MarketPlace Interview (or read it) here!

Now…back to the bus…

From now until November 22nd, Tony and his “Happiness Crew” are touring the country trying to start and spread the happiness movement. They are stopping at locations all along the route to spread happiness, inspiration and information on a movement we hope will change perceptions about our purpose. It’s a tall order, but it starts with just one smile.

Check out the Tour Map on the website and stop buy and see them when they are in your neighborhood.

Fuelhaus designed web design for the Delivering Happiness Bus Tour and is currently redesigning the website for the book. We’re not only believers…we’re getting a rare chance to help ignite the movement as well! Come back soon and see how we do it!

We love it because 1) In functionality, it’s a simple social networking app that lets you buy drinks at a bar for yourself and your friends; and 2) In concept, it’s shifting the reality of how we BUY THINGS.

With bartab, we pull out our new wallets (our phones), press a button and buy things instantly. We don’t say a word. No money changes hands. All we require is a digital ticket.

That’s a pretty seismic shift in the way that people do things. Change, for most of us…blows our minds. Our brains are just wired to resist it on some level.

Not with bartab. Look at the comments on the iPhone page. bartab’s technology is WORKING. People are USING it. People are LOVING it. People want it NOW.

Well, no one at the ‘haus holds a degree in neurological science (we double checked)…but we all believe that the popularity of bartab’s business model is tangible evidence that the way people are buying is changing. Companies (and Governments) who identify and develop for these trends will be the leaders of tomorrow.

Pictured Below: We created the graphic above to help illustrate how the bartab iPhone application works. Feel free to use it if you like…but don’t you dare try to profit from it because that’s just plain unethical.

Well, the shift is complete. Sustainability has officially shifted from buzzworthy trend to shape-shifting megatrend.

But what does this mean?

According to a May article in the Harvard Business Review, companies who choose not to make sustainability a priority risk missing a corporate megatrend equivalent of the information technology revolution.

That’s a freakin’ BIG deal.

American Public Media’s Kai Ryssdal recently interviewed Dan Esty about the importance of corporate sustainability in a recent NPR  Marketplace segment (Click here to listen to it).

Esty notes that sustainable business strategies are a key component of future success and that those that don’t get it right risk failure.

Unfortunately, many companies are working without a strategic plan to develop initiatives that align with the broader strategies of the company.

If you’re one of those companies…don’t worry…start reading!

Dan Esty’s May Harvard Business Review article, The Sustainability Imperative, co-authored by David A Lubin, is a great place to begin. It draws in-depth parallels with other familiar megatrends and provides valuable insight on implementing sustainability strategies.

If you’re the type that learns by seeing things in action, check out the Qualcomm 2009 Corporate Sustainability report. Sustainability has always been an integral part of Qualcomm’s business model. They’re an industry leader in monitoring, measuring and reporting their environmental initiatives.

Think about it this way: when one company can save 17.8 million gallons of water in a year, you begin to see the impact that sustainability can have on the world.

***Fuelhaus designed the online and pdf versions of the Qualcomm Sustainability Report mentioned in this blog post.

Tune in for the real deal.

Fuelhaus designer, Josh Suhre is also a well-travelled BMX rider. From July 29 through August 1, he’ll be at the X Games in Los Angeles, working with ESPN photographer Cody York and hanging out with the riders. While he’s there, he’s going to blog behind the scenes for the ‘haus, providing commentary and photography of everything cool at the games.

We’re excited, because Fuelhaus is all about building authentic brands. Real brands don’t happen in a studio. They happen live…in the environments where people use them, abuse them and love them. We can’t wait to see what’s happening in the action sports market.

Mark your calendar and get ready for a crazy ride!

Pictured above: (Left) Josh, our fearless designer, sporting one of his many BMX injuries. (Right) One of his awesome photos, taken on a late night falafel run in Barcelona, Spain.

Fuelhaus just finished design and production of this direct mailer campaign advertising a Cox High Speed Internet and Digital Telephone Bundle savings offer. We designed it to fit within Cox’s branding guidelines (typography, spacing and color), but used our wild imaginations to make it unique where we had latitude to “shake things up”.

See? A brand can be fresh and foundational at the same time.