Elise’s Reflections on 2009 at BEEDOCS

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

I joined the BEEDOCS team in March 2009. The last nine months have been an exciting, eye-opening time for me. I want to take a moment to reflect on where I have come from and what I hope to move toward in the coming year.

I have always valued independent businesses, and have made a life-long commitment to supporting them. Small businesses are the tocks that make our communities tick, which I am especially reminded of during this Season of Giving and Shopping.

My background is very brick-and-mortar. Before joining Adam Behringer at BEEDOCS I worked for small neighborhood boutiques and bookstores, always for long stretches of time - long enough to get to know my customers and to feel like I was an important part of the neighborhood’s heartbeat. When I joined BEEDOCS this year, Adam challenged me to take this spirit and apply it to our online community.

At first, it was difficult for me to imagine a feeling of “neighborhood” remaining while engaging with customers from all over the world through email and Twitter. I have learned that the value of human contact and engagement on a personal level does not diminish with distance, or with advanced technology. A small business has exponentially more opportunities to thrive and grow and connect to people without being tied to a single location.

I find it funny now, and almost quaint that I was so out of touch nine months ago. Many of you may not remember this, but the Twittersphere is a pretty big idea to wrap one’s head around. This is a world where so many people like Adam have known about these things for a long time. For me, it was a revelation. I look at my first nine months at BEEDOCS as a great example of how adaptable people are and how quickly we learn.

Now for the next nine months...

I am very excited about 2010. This has been a year of great change, and I am ready to settle in, buckle down, and move forward with all the things that I have learned. I am looking forward to meeting more of our BEEDOCS community in person, and to continue to hone my digital-engagement skills. The learning curve has been steep and exhilarating, and my intention is to continue to explore and connect with our community.

I would like to wish everyone throughout the BEEDOCS community a joyful and peaceful New Year. Stay in touch!

Elise Hunt
Customer Care / Community Development