Meet Alex P. Taylor, the Senior Community Manager for @YelpConnecticut! Our Community Managers help bring our mission of connecting people with great local businesses to life by partnering with local business owners to plan events, marketing outreach, and more. Take a look as Alex shares what a #FiveStarCareer looks like in Community Management.
Tell us about your journey at Yelp
In August 2020, I saw that Yelp was looking to hire a Community Manager for @YelpConnecticut, and I knew I had to apply. I had been with my previous company for nearly 10 years, and I was ready for a change. Applying was one of the best decisions that I ever made!
The Community Management team is an amazing group of fun, creative, and talented individuals. I have fallen in love with this role and was promoted to Senior Community Manager. There are so many opportunities for growth at Yelp and it truly is a #FiveStarCareer.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
Every day is different! One day I am talking to business owners and securing event partnerships, and the next I am managing social media for my metro’s channels. On some days, I could even appear on my local news channels to talk about the Top Places to Eat in Connecticut! The best part of being a CM is that we can be our uniquely awesome and unboring selves daily!
What is your favorite part of your role?
I love all of it. As I mentioned, every day is completely different. The fact that we get to help connect people to amazing local businesses is awesome. We are making a huge difference in their visibility through our marketing and promotion with the Yelp Elite Squad. Working with our Elites (Yelp’s superusers) is such a blast. We are building a tight-knit community, and I am all about bringing people together.
I am so proud of the Yelp Community Manager talk show, CM Kitchen, that I created last year. Each month, I interview a different Community Manager from all over the United States on an open to all Zoom call, interview them, and we cook something together. The show is an amazing way to bring the CMs together, even when we work remotely so far apart. This show has definitely been a favorite part of my role by being able to connect with my fellow CMs!
What is your #1 tip for staying productive while working from home?
My #1 tip for staying productive while working from home is to find your flow. Everyone has a different method, but I am big on checklists. I start every Monday with a block of time to write out my plan for the week. I love checking things off my list, and it feels good to get everything accomplished.
How does Yelp support your work-life balance?
I feel completely supported in my role. I have had two wonderful regional leaders since I started, and they are both huge advocates for work-life balance. I love our weekly 1:1’s and I always walk away feeling supercharged.
How do your leaders show you that your work is valued?
My leaders do a great job of showing me that my work is valued. During our CM Week, which is a time when all of our Community Managers from across the U.S. come together in real life to collaborate and learn new skills. I was awarded the Colleen Burns Yelp CM Value Award for being unboring. I have also been recognized during our national calls which always makes my work feel valued. Our regional leaders are so supportive in helping us to grow as individuals and to harness our innate strengths.
What motivates you every day?
I am motivated by knowing that I am making a difference in local business owners’ lives and helping them thrive. When I establish partnerships with local businesses, I want to knock it out of the park for them. It’s always great sending event stats and recaps to business owners after an event and hearing how it positively impacted their business
Want to work with Alex?
If you’re the go-to person when it comes to planning a night out, always ready with a recommendation for your city’s best or hidden hotspots, joining our Community team may be the perfect fit for you! Check out our open opportunities and apply today.
