Meet Local Guide @ChristinaSATX, a true champion of small local businesses. Christina travels to all corners of her country, the United States, for her unique job as Community Outreach Coordinator. From state to state, she immerses herself in the local community to gather information about the people and share her findings with candidates who aspire to govern that area. “My job is to really understand what’s going on in the community. Before I even start knocking on doors, I go to the car shows, restaurants, street fairs. I go hiking where the locals hike.”
Christina joined the Local Guides program in 2017. “When I started really using Google Maps, I was doing non-profit fundraising. A lot of the small businesses were donating to the charities I was working with. I saw their struggles for what they were going through to compete with the big names; many don’t know if they will survive and thrive year to year. So I started leaving reviews even if they didn’t donate. I’d review any place I went to because I wanted to support them.”
The habit stuck. Christina’s reviews span local coffee shops and delis, bookshops, pet clinics, and her favorites: museums, thrift stores, and any place that offers a sweet treat! In fact, she’s also created Google Maps lists of museums and chocolate shops around the U.S., as well as a list dedicated to roadside ice cream stands — a sight that’s disappearing in most of the country.
How does Christina decide what details to include in her reviews on Google Maps? “I sit for a moment and think of key aspects of the business. What do they pride themselves on? Do they have local artists on the walls? Hire students? What is the feeling of the place? Do they always have the same type of soundtrack playing? Is there something always baking? First impressions and lingering impressions are equally important,” she shared.
As someone with gluten intolerance, one thing Christina always includes in her reviews of places to eat is the availability of gluten-free options, whether savory or sweet. “It’s heartbreaking to go to a place and find that there’s only one menu item that doesn’t contain wheat ingredients. With me, it’s only a minor inconvenience; but some people have severe reactions. I hope that my reviews make it easier for them to find suitable places.”
But what if someone were to write a review about Christina? Friends and colleagues have joked that she is more local than the locals; by the end of her stay at a location, she’s giving everyone advice on what to do and see in the area. “It’s so easy to be swept away in technical details and forget the beautiful sites, sounds, and smells. I always make a point to do one tourist thing a week, any time I work on location, and encourage everyone to do the same. Even if it’s just a lunchtime tour of something. 
Be where you are, wholly.”
If you want to see Christina in action, adding contributions to small local businesses anywhere she goes, check out this video on the official Google Maps YouTube channel!
- Cafes
- Places to eat
- Museums or galleries
- Thrift stores
- Bookshops
- Something else
Share your favorite business reviews you’ve added on Google Maps in the comments below!
What an inspiring spotlight, 
, haces un gran trabajo:+1:
