The impact that being a Local Guide has had on my daily life is truly big. I was already really easy to “label” as I am an immigrant from a Latin-American country (VENEZUELA) in a bilingual nation (CANADA) living in a mostly French-speaking city like Montreal.
After enrolling in the Local Guide program and attending Connect Live last year, it is amazing how the first thing that comes to mind when referring to me (by friends, family, and coworkers) is being a Local Guide. It is also funny that lately when I am “outing” I receive very insisting invitations by the members of my party to portrait their dish “for Google”, as they say.
It happens that I am also a proud public servant. As a member of the Canadian Public service, I provide services and information in very sensitive matters to many people on a daily basis. Nevertheless, my supervisor brings colleagues to my desk just to show them that I am the one that was invited by Google and that thanks to my pictures and reviews about Montreal and their businesses I was able to represent our city and that we are represented on Google Maps!
I know that it sounds like a small anecdote but I am mentioning this visible behavior of my entourage just as proof of the impact and meaning of the program in my life. In conclusion, my participation in this program is not only a source of pride and personal satisfaction but also an enormous responsibility because we are in a very tangible way ambassador, we represent our town, cities, provinces, countries.
When I attended Connect Live 2019, in one of the sessions, we received a paper star to write down our “WISH” as a Local Guide. I wrote: “To fully portrait my city for everyone!” I am still trying to accomplish that wish. It’s not an easy task but its success is based on a daily commitment. For me, being a Local Guide is a daily responsibility that demands constant checking of the facts and the extra effort of paying attention to details such as tracking if a business is closed or moved, or updating pictures during the different seasons (here in Canada the front door of a place looks really different in Winter, for instance). It is also the “new normal” for us Local Guides to try new places, to follow the news for opening places and activities to be able to include #ongooglemaps
On a huge black chalkboard, Google (during a party on Googleplex) asked us Local Guides attending the 2019 Connect Live to write down or design the continuation of the title “TOGETHER WE…” I went with “provide the best experience to our users”. Today I still subscribe that thought because a Local Guide is always looking to help and provide our users with updated information, real pictures, honest opinions and reviews based on our own true experience.
To me, the Local Guide program means to be committed to allowing users of Google Maps to have the best experience while looking for honest and real information about places and businesses listed on the platform while strolling around Montreal!
In conclusion, the program allows me to help Google Maps users to make the best decisions in real-time about where to spend their money and where to experience the best of all the multicultural activities that this great city has to offer.
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