Wonolo
As a kid, if I wanted to hang out with friends, I would run across the street to a friend’s house and ring his doorbell. He’d tell his mom he was going outside, and we’d run around the neighborhood getting the rest of the kids to join us.
Fast-forward to today: I find the local happy hour, fish out the phone that takes up my entire pocket, take a selfie, upload it to Facechat, Snapper, Twitbook, and whichever one Nate uses to update his top 8, and type #herenowbeer.
No one shows up because we’re all spread out across the country now. But, as I flip through the flurry of messages, likes, new hashtags, and random photos that come my way, I still feel like I’m close enough to run across the street and rally the troops.
But, the fact is I barely know any of my neighbors now. Most of the people in my contact list are miles away, and yet I still feel like we are part of that same block of houses in Washington.
Why? Because at the end of the day, a community is about the people. Technology is what allows us to connect, but it’s the people in the community that give us a reason to stay.
I had the chance to spend some time with the warehouse crew for a staging company this past week. They had full-time employees, but they also had a large number of Wonoloers picking up jobs for them. The Wonoloers said that they originally picked up the job because it looked easy, but they really enjoy working with the crew members, which is why they came back.
That’s a great thing to hear. Yes, I’m happy they’re using the Wonolo app, but I’m more satisfied knowing that our technology helped Wonoloers find an enjoyable work environment.
But what I was most surprised to learn was that the Wonoloers on the job didn’t really know each other that well from just using the app.
That makes sense, though. Wonolo isn’t a social network so much as a technology that allows people to find flexible work. But that doesn’t mean Wonoloers can’t feel connected to something meaningful.
There are more than 18,000 Wonoloers right now. Many have been with us since the very beginning. They have so much to share: tips and tricks, uplifting stories, hilarious job duties, etc. As Wonolo’s Community Manager, I’m excited about bringing everyone together. Wonoloers shouldn’t have to wait until they find that job with the perfect crew to feel like they are a part of a community. As soon as they’ve decided that a Wonolo life is for them, they should know that they are in good company.
That’s my focus for the year: building out that sense of belonging. I want to know why people Wonolo. Are you a Wonoloer to support your kids? Are you putting yourself through school, or looking for that first job out of school? Is this just a little side cash for a vacation fund? Whatever it is, if our technology can help you get there, then it should be shared. Run across the street and rally the troops because it’s a #wonololife.
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