BigTent Blog | Product updates and news for groups » Community Coaches

BigTent celebrates its second Coach Summit

BigTent — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 20:35:45 +0000

In mid-August we were honored to host our Community Coaches at the second semi-annual Coach Summit. The first Coach Summit was such a success that we decided to extend the event over two days, giving the coaches more time to meet with onsite team members and learn from each other.

The Summit offered a variety of workshops on topics central to the Coaching lifestyle: customer support, best practices for working remotely, reviewing new features, and sharing marketing strategies based on their own group leadership experiences. The energy and insight the Coaches brought to the table was priceless!

The Summit also marked a special personal occasion for some Coaches – the first time they spent extended time away from their families and young children. Jaine Murphy, a Coach, said she was “excited to have a night to herself and to only talk to adults all day.”

To balance out an intense schedule, we made sure the coaches had time to have fun and explore San Francisco. We took a team photo in our local park, we visited our servers, and enjoyed a scrumptious team dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant near the office.

Diane and Jaine, hard at work.

Jaine and Gary. Look closely for their message.

-Rosa & the BigTent team

Extra, extra! Community Coach wins award in Hollywood

BigTent — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:05:08 +0000

The reasons for celebrating keep rolling in! This time we’d like to applaud our team’s very own Jaine Murphy, who was honored as one of Nabisco’s 100 Extraordinary Women this past weekend in Hollywood. The national contest sought out women who strive to improve their surrounding communities, and Jaine received the award for founding Moms and Tots San Diego (MTSD), a large parent support group in San Diego, Calif.

“Being chosen was a total shock,” said Jaine. “While my members always send me notes telling me about how the group has touched their lives (which is validation enough), it felt really nice to be spoiled a little in recognition for all my hard work.”

Jaine started the group in May 2006, anxious to find support from other moms adjusting to their lives as caretakers for fragile newborns. Today, Moms and Tots has 675 members on Big Tent, connecting 24/7 to chat and share advice. In fact, Moms and Tots members generated over 5000 discussion messages in June alone!

Accompanied by her husband, Brad, and their toddler daughter, Alexis, Jaine jetted off to L.A. for a weekend of pampering and fun. Somewhere between photo shoots, a private screening of Phoebe in Wonderland, and dancing a conga line with two nuns (who also won the contest), Jaine also managed to squeeze in some fine dining. According to her, “The chocolate dipped strawberries with cheesecake filling were to die for!”

Jaine is now back in San Diego, single-handedly (wo-)manning MTSD and helping BigTent launch new groups in her role as a Community Coach. Reflecting on her weekend, Jaine says, “I was truly humbled and proud to be in the presence of so many great women.”

Look for Jaine and her 99 extraordinary cohorts in an upcoming edition of People magazine.

Jaine and Alexis, watching Daddy guest star as a dinner show pirate

Jaine with Bill Pullman, who’s starring in Phoebe in Wonderland

Jaine on YouTube, selling the benefits of Moms and Tots (and a very vintage version of BigTent!)

Mom-to-be finds sanity, BigTent

BigTent — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:42:41 +0000

We’re continually impressed by the outpouring of dedication and support which members receive from their community organizations. From pulling out all the stops to host a reunion gala for former teammates, to dreaming up new fundraisers to bolster youth in arts, such great groups energize our team to continue adding features under the Tent.

In recounting her own quest for parenting advice and camaraderie, one of our colleagues, Archana Bhat, illustrates this unflagging volunteer spirit:

“Are they amazing? Or slightly crazy?”

These questions swirled in my head when I was pregnant with my twins and had just joined my local multiples group, Eastside Mothers of Multiples (EMOMs). Let me explain. When you are pregnant — with twins at that — everything seems overwhelming. I actually was scared of Babies R Us for the first six months of my pregnancy! I didn’t recognize half the items in the store, and the choices for raising baby were almost too crushing for me.

Then I joined EMOMS. When I got access to their message boards, I was so happy to read stories from other moms, who themselves had once been clueless about twin boppy pillows, breastfeeding multiples, and purchasing two of everything instead of one. A member nearby even called to reassure me, talking to me at length about my pregnancy and what to expect in the upcoming months.

Post-pregnancy, I attended the bi-annual Toys & Togs Sale and came home with tons of gently used toys, clothes, and strollers — all for the bargain basement price of $100! The sale was run better than any corporate event I have ever been part of, with enough rules and regulations to ensure a smooth sailing day for buyers and sellers alike. I then realized that the women of EMOMS are nothing short of amazing.

I left that sale deeply inspired by the club, and feeling as though I should give back for all that I had received. I emailed the existing technology chair and asked if I could help out in any way. She immediately replied, “Can you find us a new member site?”

In my search, I lighted upon Big Tent, and EMOMS soon launched on the site in Summer 2007.

Almost all the moms in my club were incredulous that I took on such a Herculean task with young kids at home. But that’s when I realized I had become the “EMOM” archetype that had once puzzled me — the seemingly tireless, always passionate mom. By adding the responsibility of securing a new group technology to my plate, I actually reduced my stress, and gained a mentally challenging outlet to counterbalance the other forces in my life. While raising twins as a stay-at-home mother is hard, my refreshed outlook enabled me to appreciate the wonderful moments of parenting bliss that punctuate the usual chaos.

In the end, EMOMS got a brand-new functional web platform, and I got way more than I anticipated: my freedom, my sanity, and a new network of friends and support.

Meet BigTent in Seattle!

BigTent — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 21:53:15 +0000

Are you interested in learning more about the free online services BigTent provides to help support trusted groups? Do you call the Seattle area home? If so, a special opportunity awaits you! On Thursday, February 28, one of our all-star parents of multiples group leaders, Archana, will be hosting a live demo and information session about Big Tent.

Archana speaks from extensive experience managing her group on BigTent, Eastside Mothers of Multiples. Join her to find out how having access to a collaborative calendar, organized email forums, live-updating member rosters, a searchable database, and more can work wonders for your active volunteer lifestyle.

BigTent Live Demo and Information Session
hosted by Archana Bhat

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Time: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Location: Seattle Public Library – Northgate Branch, Meeting Room
10548 Fifth Ave., N.E. Seattle, WA 98125 (view map)

Light dessert and beverages will be available, as well as cool door prizes!

To sign up, email Archana with:

Your Name
Your Email
Your Organization
Web Site of Organization (if any)

The information requested here is for demo attendance purposes only. BigTent respects your privacy. We will not sell, rent, or give out registration information to any third party for any reason.

We look forward to meeting you!

Coaches’ Summit at BigTent

BigTent — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:44:57 +0000

A good portion of our staff works under a virtual tent, spanning Boston to San Diego to Seattle. But on Tuesday, we had a great opportunity to host our Community Coaches for an all-day summit in San Francisco. Flying up and across the country (and even braving some rush-hour traffic on 101), our Coaches met for a day of sharing best practices, challenges, and questions.

Rosa Terrazas, from our Outbound Team, oversees the Coaching program and led Tuesday’s summit. “After all our hard work, a highlight for me was being reminded of how dedicated our coaches are to Big Tent,” Terrazas said. “They think 24/7 about the groups they support and serve as the most wonderful advocates for their needs.”

Our Coaches’ stellar efforts have given BigTent another way to reach out to groups using our technology, particularly the ones that are less vocal through more traditional feedback lines. Connecting with groups across the country has also given the Coaches the opportunity to see how other groups support their members.

After the summit, our team wound down in the evening with a bountiful buffet of Indian takeout, and some spirited Wii gaming. Jenna, our intern, discovered that staying on the beat in “Happy Feet” is not always as easy as the starring penguin makes it seem. Nick helped Coaches Diane and Leah master a game of pool. And we were all very impressed with Diane’s extensive collection of Wii games – not to mention that she had passes to the 2008 MacWorld Conference & Expo.

And that’s what’s new at BigTent today.

-Mia