The start of it all
For this weeks Carnival of HR, our awesome host Matt Stollak challenged everyone to share the love and talk about bloggers who have inspired us. Well, ask and you shall receive Matt!
Here’s my story:
There I was, a young HR professional, excited about HR and her future. It’s Feb. 2008 and I have just started learning about these new things called “blogs” and “social media”. I was looking to learn all I could about HR, you know, all that stuff that you don’t learn in school, and boy, did I find what I was looking for. Content at first to just lurk on others blogs absorbing all the knowledge I could, I was soon challenged to step up and contribute. It was the start of it all for me.
I have always said that I credit (blame) my start in blogging to Kris Dunn, The HR Capitalist. His was the first HR blog I ever read and it was from his Blogroll that I expanded my horizons to the Evil HR Lady, Laurie Ruettimann, Lance Haun, and Jenn Barnes (HR Wench I miss your blog and you! And my Brother-In-Law is still single if you are interested… #justsayin). I may not have been right for the fledgling Fistful of Talent Blog, but by putting myself out there I came to a realization that I didn’t just want to consume others blogging content, I wanted to create my own. And If I wanted to blog, nothing was stopping me.
Over 3 years later I can honestly say that getting into blogging has been one of the best decisions I could have made. And no, that isn’t an exaggeration. Blogging has been crazy, fun, hard, but at all times amazing. I have grown as a professional, made friends I would have never met, been given opportunities I would have never had, and had more fun than I could have believed possible. Social Media has been the support i needed when I was laid off and unemployed, the resource when I had questions, and the way I have connected with other HR professionals across the country and around the world.
So big hugs to you KD, for inspiring all of this! You still have one of the best blogs out there and I know I’m not the only one who has benefited from your example. Here’s to you, Cheers!
