This week’s Connect Live Attendee of the Week is Paul Pavlinovich ( @PaulPavlinovich ), a Connect Moderator and Local Guide Level 9 from a town next toMelbourne, Australia. He describes himself as a community-minded person, having spent almost 40 years volunteering on the Puffing Billy Railway and 15 years in a youth movement empowering children to be the best they can be. He sees the Local Guides program as a natural extension of his desire to serve his community. Paul has just completed his 77th photowalk, with his 78th New York Highline, 79th 36 walk San Francisco and 80th Connect Live San Jose walks already planned out!
Paul was nominated by a number of fellow attendees. Nyai Nurjanah ( @Nyainurjanah ) wrote: “Paul really made me feel comfortable and welcome as a new Local Guide. He always encourages me to keep going and be confident.”
Isaac Oguji ( @Mayford ) echoed this: “Paul shows great enthusiasm and willingness to help others. He would respond to questions almost immediately in the most understandable and polite way. He brought the Australian Local Guides to the limelight with great success. Very importantly, I was motivated to continue doing more Local Guides activities after seeing Paul’s Connect Live application video.”
Justine Edward ( @JustineE ) added: “Paul agreed to meet up with me in Melbourne when I first found out I was invited to Connect Live. He introduced me to other Australian Local Guides, too. Paul embodies the Local Guides core values because he’s inclusive and generous with his time and knowledge.”
So how did Paul get involved in Local Guides? “I joined Local Guides roughly the time of the change from City Experts to Local Guides and was running a vibrant photo community in Melbourne via Google+,” he said. “My Maps contributions directly help and influence my neighbours in their daily lives. […] By far my favourite thing about being a Local Guide is that it has given me the courage to overcome introversion and talk to people; that and knowing that no matter where I go in the world there are people like me who are looking out for me and sometimes even want to meet up.”
In his application post, Paul focused on his Worldwide 36 Walk initiative. It was his father who sparked his passion for photography. After attending a photowalk in 2011 where he felt disappointed with the walk leader, Paul decided to host a photowalk himself; and eight years later he’s still doing it! “I’ve led walks from one person (me!) through to nearly 400 people when a visiting famous photographer and influencer asked me to plan a walk for him in Melbourne,” he told us. “I think my favourite [walk] was the first 36 walk where I convinced about 25 people that we should do a walk where each of us took only 36 shots. I relearned the value of constraint and I found that we were all discussing shots with each other before making them in a collaborative way.”
What are his tips for aspiring photowalk leaders? “[Photowalks] are actually pretty easy once you get used to and you accept that failure to gather anyone is OK and that a walk with just yourself is perfectly fine,” he said. “The main things needed from a walk leader are:
- Planning and preparation: get it right in advance as much as you can;
- Collaboration: work with others on the day—they have good thoughts, too;
- Fail fast: if it’s not working, change it up quick, don’t drag it out;
- Learn and try to meet the needs of the people on your walk: keep them happy.”
When it comes to Connect Live 2019, Paul’s looking forward to talking to Googlers about new features and possible improvements. “I want to describe my issues and what I want out of a feature and influence where the next version might go,” he shared.
Tag Paul in the comments below to ask him a question and learn more about him!
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Thank you wise wizard from Straya for being supportive and all round awesome person!