Follow me for a few minutes here as I try to explain how I’ve delved into becoming a Local Guide out of pure accident. When I studied abroad in Italy in 2015, I used every weekend to get on a Vueling flight and visit a different city. Along the way I realized that Google Maps was a great way to get around and also get feedback from people who travelled the same streets, hostels, and restaurants before me so I felt compelled to add my reviews.
Months later, I realized that I was gaining traction and points on a little known (to me, at least) program called Local Guides, and since then I have been furiously making reviews when I travel and visit places, even if that is locally where I live.
The program to me has allowed for expression and feedback between businesses that I’ve either had a great experience, or maybe not so great, allowing them room for improvement. I have connected with people at my place of work who are also Local Guides, and we have talked about how each of us works on getting points, which made me realize that we are all so different in using one platform, something that translates into my job as a software consultant. Finally, it has also allowed me to delve into Google Courses (specifically the ads course), which could eventually lead to opening up a side business helping people learn about finances (that is my college background) and growing that business via Google ads and other platforms
In short, I have stumbled upon Local Guides through my love of travel, have connected with people in my workplace and halfway around the world, and can only see this involvement growing as Google grows.