Caption: A photo of Top 100 Local Guide Katy Darhel, at her computer in a lovely working setting.
Introduction:
Remember those incredible deep dives into the worlds of Local Guide legends Herve Andrieu and Steve Nieckarz? Well, get ready for another truly special installment, because it’s time for the third exciting chapter in our “Spotlight on Top 100 Local Guide” series! This month marks a fantastic milestone: we’re incredibly proud to announce that our dazzling spotlight is falling on our very first female Local Guide from the Top 100 Leaderboards!
Meet @katydarhel (Katy Darhel), a graphic designer with an amazing eye for impact, a “local hero” on Google Maps, and a Local Guide whose journey began in a very unique part of the world. Katy reminds us that the heart of being a Local Guide isn’t always about racing to the highest level, but about the quality and care put into every contribution, making a real difference for small businesses and users alike. Her insights are sharp, her advice is unique (and hilarious!), and her contributions are inspiring. So, without further ado, let’s zoom in on our Local Guide hero this month and discover what makes Katy’s story so captivating!
The Interview:
1 - Where on Earth (country/state/city) do you call home?
If anyone who knows me is used to associating me with Toronto, Ontario, Canada know that everything has changed. I moved to Seattle. And now I consider the picturesque and amazing state of Washington, the USA, to be my home.
2 - What do you do when you’re not rocking the Local Guides world? (Day job/profession)
I am a graphic designer working in the field of web design and illustration.
3 - How and when did you dive into the Local Guides adventure?
It all started in October 2018. I was traveling a lot at the time and actively using Google Maps. At the same time, I noticed how unsightly my hometown looked on Google Maps. (Just so you know, I was born in the small town of Sharkaŭshchyna in Belarus, which having a population of only 5,900 today, hardly anyone knows in Belarus itself. Not to mention, my dear Local Guides, do you know where Belarus itself is located? Spoiler alert. This is Eastern Europe.) So, I decided to add photos of the main sights (churches) of my hometown. Here is my very first photo added to Maps. It’s of Свята-Успенская царква, Шаркаўшчына, a church in Sharkaŭshchyna.
Caption: Photo of Свята-Успенская царква, Шаркаўшчына, the very first photo added on Maps by Local Guide @katydarhel
Well, after that first photo I received a motivational message from Google Maps. And so I was drawn in. I have to add here that I found Google Maps as a great alternative to Instagram. I traveled a lot, but the goodness called ‘My Photos’ had no use. So when I became a Local Guide, my travels made at least some sense.
4 - What gets you fired up about being a Local Guide?
I really like to help form people’s opinions about a particular POI, to be a game changer. If I really liked the POI, then I want to use my review to make anyone who reads it wish to visit this place. This also applies to photos. I may not always be chasing photo views (although I have that too), but I think it’s good form to take a great photo for a small business, for someone who is still at the beginning of their journey.
5 - What epic message would you love to share with your fellow Local Guides?
My advice for beginners. Do not rush to upload too much content from the very beginning (this applies to photos and videos), as one day you might be ashamed of those early contributions. (Listen to me as much as possible and then you are guaranteed to be stuck at the 7th level for 7 years.)
6 - What’s your absolute favorite type of contribution and why does it rock?
As a Local Guide I strive for a balance of all activities and while I love writing reviews and shooting pictures, my greatest pride is adding new POIs and information about POIs. Adding roads is still an unachievable goal for me.
7 - Which is your favourite all-time contribution and why do you like it?
You will not be surprised to learn that my favorite contribution of all time is my photo of the Mexican restaurant ‘Burrito Boyz’ in Toronto, Canada (shown in the screenshot below). It’s my most viewed photo or as @AdamGT came to call them, it’s my “star photo” and with some 7 million views, it’s an very impressive figure for me! Sadly Burrito Boyz is now permanently closed. Oh how I want to do it again!!!
Caption: A storefront photo of Burrito Boyz, a ex-Mexican restaurant in Toronto, Canada (LG: @katydarhel)
8 - Spill the beans! What gear do you use to create your amazing media contributions?
When I started as a Local Guide I used a Xiaomi Red Note 3 but now I’ve upgraded to the Xiaomi Poco F5. I like it a lot because it takes very sharp and bright colorful photos.
9 - What do you like most about the Local Guides Community, Connect?
The Local Guides Community allows me to connect with other passionate guides from all over the world and the conversation topics can be very diverse, tourist sites, cuisines of all nations of the world, hot photography tips and secrets, and getting the most photos views strategies. All Connect members show respect and a desire to get to know other people better.
10 - Which particular Top 100 Local Guides Leaderboards do you like most and why? Also, are there any new Leaderboards or features that you’d like to see?
My favorite leaderboards include Photo Views and Star Videos. And of course I like Average Views/Photo because it gives us a good simple measure of the quality of our photos. in terms of impact that they have on Maps users.
You’re asking which new leaderboards or features I’d like to see. Why don’t you ask me which leaderboards I would like to exclude? I miss the days when we had 6 simple Leaderboards and I was able to get into the finer details of these and also in the in-depth discussions with fellow leaderboard enthusiasts. Today there are about 80 different leaderboards and that’s not including ‘Who are the Local Guides knocking on the door here?’. My available time just does not allow me to study all of them in the same level of detail. Having said this, how @AdamGT can possibly find the time to generate and publish all 80 leaderboards each month is just staggering and beyond my comprehension.
And yet, having said that, if we talk about which leaderboards I would like to add, I would say Reviews Views and the Average Views per Review. I wonder what fellow Local Guides think about this idea 
11 - What is your favorite holiday destination and what do you like about it?
The last place that captivated me with its beauty is Newfoundland. It’s an island in the Atlantic Ocean belonging to Canada. Walking along swamp trails, climbing high into the mountains, boating in the hope of seeing whales and icebergs. Mosses, mists, forests, all that inspires me. To experience the beauty of the island to the fullest, a traveler will need to travel 900 km (or 560 miles!!! I still can’t get used to the metric system in the USA) from east to west. And the same amount back, since there is no ring road around the island (this is not Iceland). Below I share some photos of the scenic Newfoundland, beauty.
Caption: Lookout Hills Trail, Newfoundland, Canada (LG: @katydarhel)
Caption: Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada (LG: @katydarhel)
Caption: Tablelands Trail, Newfoundland, Canada (LG: @katydarhel)
12 - What destination in the world would you just love to visit one day?
The thing is, I’m a big fan of the ‘Twin Peaks’ TV series. And now I dream of seeing the series filming locations. There are Snoqualmie Falls and the adjacent ‘The Great Northern’ Hotel. I feel like eating cherry pie and drinking a cup of black coffee in the ‘Double R’ Cafe. I would like to find the location of the ‘Welcome to Twin Peaks’ entrance sign. And finally, I want to sneak up on Palmer’s house. If you were ‘Twin Peaks’ fans like me, you would understand me.
13 - What’s a super fun fact about you that might surprise us?
Just like @Herve_Andrieu, I can ride an electric unicycle. But I’m stupid enough to think of using it for my work as a Local Guide. Now I know exactly how to achieve level 10 and billion views of my contribution.
During my work as a Local Guide, I have been to 11 countries and about 50 major or significant cities. And I’m still at level 7. Well, in short, you’ve got it all figured out about me.
Conclusion:
What an absolutely captivating journey into the world of Katy Darhel! From her humble guiding beginnings in a small town in Belarus, then to Toronto, Canada and now impacting in her new home town, Seattle in Washington, USA and from her keen eye as a graphic designer to her insightful advice (and shared love for electric unicycles!), Katy truly embodies the diverse and passionate spirit of our Local Guides community. Her dedication to quality Maps contributions, and her honest perspective on the leaderboards, are inspiring. We hope you found her story as engaging and valuable as we did!
And with that, we’re wrapping up another unforgettable “Spotlight on Local Guide” feature! It’s been an absolute thrill highlighting Katy as our first female Local Guide in this series, and her story underscores the many ways Local Guides make a difference, regardless of their level. The Leaderboards are brimming with incredible talent, amazing local heroes, and we’re already buzzing with excitement about who we’ll feature next. Which amazing Top 100 Local Guide will step into the limelight and share their unique journey in our next edition? You’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled for next month’s post to find out! Until then, keep exploring, keep contributing, and keep being the amazing Local Guides you are!
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for the countless compliments you have showered on me. I would really like to inspire other Local Guides and amuse them 
with my text.
!!! At least someone understands me.
to you being the first female Local Guide from the Top 100 Leaderboards to be featured in this prestigious Spotlight series of 
!!! Заўсёды прыемна бачыць на Канэкце ўдзельнікаў з Украіны!!!
thank you 
of this amazing series of interviews. I sincerely believe that you deserve it.
, which I miss very much. (My move is related to family circumstances.) And it’s really a pity that we never met for a cup of coffee. This is what I miss so much, my dear and beloved Tim Hortons 
(No Starbucks compares to it!!!) Have a cup to my health!!!
.