Well I’m into my 46th year of life, there’s a chance I may finally see my name in lights with a No. 1 ranking.
The athletic aspirations from my youth aside — I’m neither going to be the No. 1-ranked golfer in the world nor the top pick in the NFL Draft — my journey towards the top of the employee tenure chart here at ExpertVoice is well into single digits and trending toward the top. There may be a time soon where I am the longest tenured employee at ExpertVoice. Just typing that here and re-reading it sounds crazy.
In late 2018 I celebrated 10 years at ExpertVoice. For an ex-sports reporter and magazine editor where 10 years could constitute about five different stops, this was a milestone accomplishment. But in 2008, I jumped at the chance to join a somewhat fledging operation that was helping fill a major void in online product training and retail education. Bottom line, I was thrilled to join a growing business. I joined a full staff that numbered in the 30s and a writing team of three and served an ever-growing list of clients. Our clients understood that curated brand content on the web could offer an on-demand education for retail sales associates that brand reps couldn’t match on their own.
A handful of brands I worked with in my earliest days at ExpertVoice are still on the platform today: Yakima, FN, Crimson Trace, Smith Optics. Today, our list of brand partners exceeds 500. Our growth has been strong and consistent over my 10 years, having thrived through the economic downturn that squashed the aspirations of many start-ups here in Salt Lake City and across the country. Our staff has quintupled in size.
How has my job changed over the 10 years? Well, the nameplate on my desk has seen quite a few iterations. Those reading this may remember 3point5.com and ProMotive. Those were the names on the marquee when I joined; since then, we’ve been Swarmbuilder followed by Experticity. Each name change has been refining the role that today’s ExpertVoice serves for both our members and brand partners. As ExpertVoice, we’re laser-focused on elevating the voices of our experts, the retail sales associates and industry pros who are trusted for advice on what to buy.
Our creative team is truly a full-service agency that crafts content solutions individually tailored for each brand, whether it’s a deep dive into a brand’s genesis and what it stands for, or robust product details that explain a brand’s latest releases to its most passionate fan base — ExpertVoice members. We always strive to give our experts exclusive insights that not only boost their expertise in a particular category but also fuel their passion for their favorite brands. What results is a tremendous blend of brand advocacy, product training and — I think, most exciting — expert product recommendations that help brands grow.
I’ll always be a journalist at heart. And the most rewarding part of my job allows me to put my reporting hat back on and dig for the most interesting stories with each of my brands. Hundreds of brands have allowed our team to tell their stories and we are having more productive conversations with key stakeholders than at any other time during my 10 years. The brands that have built the biggest followings on ExpertVoice utilize every department at the company to match their marketing calendar with new product launches or brand initiatives that will build buzz. I love fulfilling a large role in a brand’s ROI on ExpertVoice — and developing annual content releases to bolster that return year over year.
There aren’t many of us here that have 10 years under our belts; we’re a small, yet dedicated, crew that continues to believe in the value of trusted experts when they receive VIP-level access to brands and are empowered to spread their expertise. I have not taken this company’s growth for granted and our content will continue to evolve to meet the needs of our members and brand partners.
Cheers to another 10 years.
