Our Origin Story

Moving to a new place – whether by choice or by circumstance – is tough.

When you start a new job, you typically go through an onboarding process where you learn the ins and outs of your new workplace and your questions get answered.

When you start a new city, you typically go through everything all by yourself as you figure out how to get a driver’s license, where to get a decent cup of coffee, what all these new references mean (DTR? Inside the Beltline? Magnet school?) and how to meet new friends.

When my daughter moved to a new job in a new city in late May of 2021, I enjoyed hearing about her city-discovery adventures. Even through the phone, I could feel her stress level drop as one by one she found “her” coffee shop, a beautiful park to walk in, a vet for the pets and great take-out restaurants (without which she wouldn’t survive).

After a month, she officially started her new job and went through a creative new employee onboarding program, complete with cool swag, that reinforced she had made the right decision to take the job.

And that’s when the thought occurred to me:

Cities need to onboard their new people like employers do to create happier, more engaged residents who want to stay and build an awesome city.

With no business plan but feeling pulled to help newcomers, I just started writing to answer the question, “What do I wish I had known when I moved here with my family?” It took me about 160 hours to research and write the website you’re in now. All errors and omissions are my own and I’ll happily correct, delete, credit or change anything.

I hope you find this information and support helpful. Feel free to call, text or e-mail me to ask a question or share your thoughts.