“Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” That quote, usually attributed to Charles Dederich, may seem a little over the top to be used by some guy simply starting a new job.
But for me, it’s not all that simple. Yes, today is my first day at Zillow, where I am the Director of Industry Outreach and Social Media. And as I’ve told several people over the last couple of weeks, I feel like a 5-year-old on Christmas Eve. The anticipation, the nervous excitement, and even that little nagging voice in the back of my head saying, “Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” have me literally sitting on the edge of my seat soaking in a completely different environment than I’ve ever experienced. Ever.
For the record, the nagging voice has quieted. I know I’m doing the right thing.
This is more than just a job, it is also a significant life change for me and my family. I’m moving from the hot, dry desert of Phoenix to the cool, damp Pacific Northwest. As I gaze out the window of Zillow Headquarters, I see the waters of Puget Sound and I say to myself, “Self, you’re not in Phoenix any more…”
There is no question there are some ridiculously intelligent people working at Zillow. Do a little research on Zillow employees and take a look at their backgrounds and experience. They bring degrees from Stanford, Harvard, Cornell, Northwestern. They’ve worked at Microsoft, Yahoo!, Expedia and many more innovative companies.
These are smart people, and it never hurts to surround yourself with smart people doing innovative things.
Many have asked what I’ll be doing at Zillow. The job title tells a lot of the story. “Industry Outreach” is exactly what it sounds like — reaching out to the real estate industry and helping agents and brokers understand what Zillow can offer them. Outreach is also a two-way street. My phone and email are always open to agents and brokers and others involved in the real estate industry to take your feedback on what you need from Zillow. The social media component is just that — helping Zillow develop a strategy and use social media tools to further the needs of the company, our shareholders and our customers.
Education and social media are two of my passions. I am about to embark down a path that I haven’t traveled in this capacity. That is both exciting, and a little scary. I might be 51 on the outside, but I feel like I’m 20 (OK, maybe 30) on the inside. These are exciting times in the real estate industry, and I am looking forward to helping Zillow continue to grow and develop.
The phone lines are now open. Let’s chat and see what we can do together.