Since everyone else seems to be awarding companies the “Best Company of The Year” Awards, I figured I’d do it too.

What gives me the credibility do do this? I don’t know, who really cares? I spend a lot of time reading about companies and admiring their work - these are my favorites for the reasons below:

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#1. Zappos

I’ve actually met their CEO and this company is beyond amazing. Having gone from nothing to near $1 BILLION in sales in just 10 years is quite a task and all that SELLING PRIMARILY SHOES!

Zappos has two things that really stick out to me (I’ve been to their office, had the full tour and all).

A) Corporate Culture - It’s like being in a playground there, everyone is happy and enjoying what they do. I’ve learned a lot from this.

B) Customer Support - UNHEARD of support, these people turn into your best friends in 3 minutes on the phone. Zappos has a tag line called “Powered By Service” - just amazing.

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#2. Apple

Apple continues to shock and awe me with their neat “inventions.” They keep innovating and last year they get #2 because the finally released the iPhone. I don’t own one (because I don’t have AT&T), but have seen it.

If nothing else, it’s different and the one feature that allows you to scroll through your voicemail like you would with e-mail is amazing enough to help them win in my book. Keep it going over there Steve!

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#3. Flip Video

Have you heard of this company? I’m fast becoming a HUGE fan…They launched in May of 2007 with a $40M venture raise and already have multiple product lines in the market and being distributed by MAJOR retailers (impressive).

Basically this is a video camera that is smaller than a small digital camera. The nicest thing…no nifty features, just a big red button, a play button and a “trash” button to delete and yes you can zoom in and out. The quality is not the highest but this has been ridiculously helpful.

You ever seen how teens are running around with digital cameras all the time now? Well, move over, cuz Flip Video is coming next - this thing is going to take over like the iPhone.

For 2007, I think Flip Video takes my award for “innovation” - I’d give it to Apple, but innovation is easier when you have thousands of employees (well some may argue otherwise).

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#4. Bill Me Later

This company takes the award for REDCIULOUS growth, since they launched just a few years ago, they’ve experienced 8,600% growth. It’s just a brilliant concept that allows consumers to speed up their transactions and get ALL their bills on one …bill…

The consumer does not have to go through the “credit card” process, this makes it easier for them and also helps increase the merchant’s conversions.

The company achieved $53.6M in revenue and was #6 on the Inc 5000 List.

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#5. Berkshire Hathaway

I know I just recently posted blasting Warren Buffet for being cheap, but that does not change the fact that this man is a genius. I’ve also had a chance to visit the office of Berkshire Hathaway and let me just say that I was shocked to see a Fortune 50 company running with 12 employees!

Granted, if you count ALL the employees of the companies he owns, that’s a different story.

But he can make all these investments and control his BILLIONS in market cap with 12 employees - that wins my “efficiency” award!

There you go - Mystery CEO’s 2007 Top Companies (I do reserve the right to change these as the year goes on and I learn about new companies).

Popularity: 10% [?]

I’ve never been particularly a neat person - but sometimes I look at my desk and just think “things are out of control.”

I’ve visited other entrepreneurs or start-up CEOs and have seen pretty much the same exact thing - my guess? THIS is what Entrepreneur desks are like…

A) Messy
B) Messy
C) O So Messy…

But still, ask me to find anything and I’ll find it in 10 seconds (me brain knows where it is).

I also just bought a cool little gadget - a Flip Video Camera, so here’s my first shooting.

For the next 60 seconds, you’re a humble guest in what I call my office…

More where that came from later…

Popularity: 11% [?]

Businessweek announce the best performing top 5 companies in the world - but the only competitors have to be S&P 500 companies.

Nope, last year’s #1 company, Google did not make the list, it was actually #34!

Here are the 2008 winners:

1. Coach - Yeah, seriously they make handbags.

* They were awarded for being the best at adapting to the shifting economy. Basically people are poorer, so they released cheaper handbags.

2. Gilead Sciences - A biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes therapies for viral diseases, infectious diseases and cancer.

* They are being rewarded for innovating in medications for HIV patients. They’ve made a treatment that allows just ONE pill a day, rather than 20 that many patients have to take.

3. Allegheny Technologies - One of the largest and most diversified specialty metals producers in the world with revenues of $5.5 billion during 2007.

4. Verizon Communications - We all know Verizon, phone, cell phone and high speed interenet.

5. Questar - Questar Corporation is a natural gas-focused energy company.

Too bad for our friends at Apple, they were in at #6 - I guess if they had partnered with Verizon rather than AT&T, maybe they could have made the top 5?

So there you go enterprising CEOs - a list of companies to aspire to.

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I actually have not RECENTLY met Mr. Buffet, it has been about 3 years, I met him while still in college through a program. A few of us were hand chosen to fly out to Omaha and meet him.

He does a program every month where some students come to spend a day with him.

Overall the day was great, we started the morning with a round table session with him where we discussed the U.S. Economy and how he chooses his investments. By the way, he straight out says that the U.S. is in deep trouble with China - we need to stop borrowing money from them.

He was a bit amusing - he has that “old man” sense of humor, but it was refreshing.

For example, he owns about 8% of Coca-Cola so he INSISTED that we all at least hold one drink in our hands and open it. He said, for every 1 of 12 opened, he made money. It was funny out of his mouth.

A few interesting points though…

1. He did not seem to want to talk about his family/kids.
2. He drives an OLD beat-up car.
3. Still lives in his old house
4. Office is NOT impressive and he actually leases most of it out.
5. Most people in Omaha are NOT fans of him - they think he’s cheap too…

Why I was not only disappointed, but even OFFENDED…

First of all, we were all college students paying our own way (and that was hard enough). But, would you believe that for the 30 of us, we all had to PRE-pay our lunch, it was $8 a person. That is a total of $240 that he could not even cover for us?

We ate at his “favorite” restaurant and it sucked - the chicken was dry, pink and felt like it was cooked the night before.

The entire time he was showing us his wallet with over $3,000 in cash in there and a black card, yet he could not even pay our $8 lunch?

The man is a genius, but he is seriously too cheap for his own good, but it was an honor meeting him - definitely one of the most amazing experiences of my life.

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I suspect highly that this is a joke by Google or else someone there is on some good crack…

http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html

Google is allowing you to BACK date your e-mails and send e-mails to the past (but of course only until April1, 2004 - launch date). This is such a weird April Fool’s joke, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense…

How do I use it?

Just click “Set custom time” from the Compose view. Any email you send to the past appears in the proper chronological order in your recipient’s inbox. You can opt for it to show up read or unread by selecting the appropriate option.

Here is another one…

Ahhh Google and their sense of humor - keeping it real and great culture.

All you entrepreneurs and CEOs can learn something from them!

Popularity: 10% [?]