From an app, to a platform, to a community: Being part of the Xero family

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Community…

It has to be my favourite word at the moment and TOTALLY favourite concept. Our daily lives are based around so many different types of communities, and my daily life is entrenched in the global village that is the work and playground for Xero advisors all over the world, it’s pretty special.

Just last week, our Americas community came together for Xerocon in Austin, Texas and it was literally a meeting of digital minds in real life!

Community in real life

So many of us are connected through digital platforms – think Facebook, Slack, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram – and being able to connect in real life and spend time together is absolutely one of the highlights of Xerocon. I am based in Australia but have spent quite a few years now chatting online with so many accountants and bookkeepers from all over the world, it was such a treat being able to do it in real-time.

Our communities are so focused on support and knowledge sharing. So many advisors take time out to help other new advisors on the Xero journey, sharing their own experiences, business development tips, war stories, moments of triumph and also bonding and coming together when one of us needs help.

community-xerocon-austin

A recent example of this is an advisor who was going through a tough time with health, she reached out for help to the community. In a matter of moments there were people there to help with looking after her business, meals coming to her door, fundraising happening and people stepping in to help with childcare. Now this is from other advisors who have their own businesses and lives, but they stopped to lend a hand where it was needed to one of their own that was in trouble.

A meeting of the minds

This spirit of outreach was so apparent in Austin, with hugs galore and so many great chats, this wasn’t just a tech conference, this was a gathering of like-minded people that were drawn together, sharing a passion for transforming small business and a true desire for collaboration.

To quote Keri Gohman, President of Xero Americas, “I’ve never gotten so many hugs at a conference before”. It is an absolute testament to the closeness we have as a group.

And the highlight of the event definitely was Greg Kyte’s rendition of ‘I Need A Xero’.