Six months ago today something magical happened. A dream God planted on my heart became a reality: Now Habersham was launched. The nowhabersham.com website went live at 11:49am on September 15, 2015. I recall sitting in my home office watching the clock tick down. When the website popped up on my screen it was exhilarating! (You can’t hear it in my voice, I was exhausted but, trust me, I was beyond thrilled!)
It was a moment thirteen months in the making. Countless hours of discussion, planning, designing, dreaming and praying came together in that one, single, solitary moment. There have been many exhilarating – and exhausting – moments since then but not a single one has gone by that I haven’t thanked God for the opportunity to serve the community I live in and love. It’s just been six months but, wow, what a journey!
When we launched, the Now Habersham team consisted of five people: Michelle Wetherbee, Nora Almazan, Tyler Penland, Johnny Bailey and myself. There were many others behind the scenes supporting us: my mom Anne Purcell, my son Daniel, my sisters Sherri and Debbie Purcell, my dear friend Jaclyn Lee, my cousin Reggie Tatum, my friend and consultant Wayne Morton and Stephen Rosenberg and Michael Hamrick of Perfect Pitch Concepts in Athens. Every time I shared the vision with others God affirmed it for me through their affirmation. I’d had other dreams in the past – some realized, some not – but this one was just…special.
Oh, sure, there were times I was apprehensive. Putting your dream on the worldwide web is a bit daunting, but I have the best boss in the universe. He doesn’t micromanage or demand things. He gives me free will. He daily gives me the chance to do something I’m passionate about and He gives me the resources and strength to do it. What does He expect in return? Simply my trust and best effort.
I hope you know my boss. If you don’t, check out our Faith page. You’ll find Him there.
In six short months Now Habersham has reached over a quarter of a million people around the world. We’ve logged over 1 million page views and are adding loyal readers daily. It’s because of you, Habersham and beyond, that Now Habersham is succeeding and ‘growing’ strong.
There are now fifteen of us on Team Now Habersham. They are the people whose words you read, whose photographs you share and whose faces you see selling advertising in our community. They are the backbone and spirit of this organization and it is my privilege to introduce you to them here.
Now Habersham Team Roster
Mark Watson, General/Sales Manager
Michelle Wetherbee, Business/Feature Reporter & Marketing Consultant
Nora Almazan, Faith Editor
Tyler Penland, Weatherman
Johnny Bailey, Staff Photographer
Georgann Haskins, Events Coordinator/Reporter
Dekotah Lego, Graphics Designer
Brock Bennett, Sports Reporter
Celena Williams, IP Coordinator
Justin Gallagher, Arts & Entertainment Reporter
Daniel Purcell, Social Media Coordinator
Paul Rea, Political/General Assignment Reporter
Angie Birdsall, Sales Associate
Jaclyn Lee, Billing/Human Resources Manager
And then, there’s me, Joy Purcell, a hometown girl with a dream…and a mighty God.
On behalf of our entire team I want to thank you, our readers, for supporting us. Thank you for relying on us to bring you the news, information, inspiration and events that impact your lives. Thanks, too, to our advertisers who make filling these pages possible.
Here’s to our first six months and to many more years ahead.
TGBTG ~ Joy
