With a high percentage of failure long distance relationships are not easy. But not for Lauren Trucksess and her boyfriend Troy created “Wish You Were Here’s blog” to encourage people to connect with family and friends in a unique way. Let’s discover how two love birds separated by thousands of kilometres shared their daily life on the blog.
Can you give us a little background on your career to date?
I’ve been lucky enough to have had the opportunity to try my hand at a few different careers so far! After I finished uni at home in the States, I worked for a broadcast news station as a producer and video journalist. It was a great place to learn about not only video production and editing but also served as a crash course in writing quickly and efficiently – which has been invaluable. After a few years, I decided I wanted to spend some time outside of the US, so I took a job teaching English at a kindergarten in Seoul. During my time in Korea, I met my partner Troy and moved to Australia to be with him after my teaching contract finished. Since then, I’ve made a great career at a public relations and marketing agency.
Tell us about your site
Wish You Were Here (WYWH) is a movement aimed at encouraging people to connect with family and friends in a unique way. The idea actually came as a result of my relationship with Troy. We first met after he set off on a long holiday, which included a stop in Korea. We kept in touch throughout his travels across Europe and the Middle East, and in each city, he sent me a different WYWH picture. I kept all of them and as our relationship grew over the next year, we started making them for each other wherever we travelled. The WYWH pictures were so special to us and after I moved to Australia, we decided to try and get others involved in the fun by creating the Facebook group and website. Now, people from all over the world have sent in their own pictures. It’s a small, simple way to make others feel special, whether you’re travelling or just having a normal day at home.
What makes you aim your site at women?
WYWH isn’t only for women, although it can be very romantic – something that many women like! But we see WYWH as something that everyone can do and enjoy, whether you’re a parent who misses your child, friends who haven’t seen each other in a way or a couple separated by distance. So far, we’ve seen more women get involved by sending in pictures, perhaps because they’re more comfortable sharing how they feel. I do, however, think it is the perfect way for boyfriends and husbands to start a fun, romantic tradition!
Have you met some major technology problems when you were creating your business?
Setting up your own website and getting people involved can definitely be a challenge. As any marketer knows, it is difficult to get the right audiences to engage with your content, and even harder to get them to take the time to create and send in their own pictures. Our main goal is to motivate people to get involved, simply because we know how fun it is to receive a WYWH and how easy is it to make someone you love feel really special with one. It is hard for people to break away from their routine and take some time for others, but we would all be a lot better off if we all took more time for others in our day!
Would you call yourself a tech-savvy woman? and why?
I consider myself pretty tech-savvy, particularly because my day-to-day involves working with some of the world’s best consumer technology and B2B brands. I read lots of tech-related websites, including Women Love Tech, of course, and keep up with a lot of the latest trends and gadgets. I know some people may feel that technologies such as smartphones and tablets keep us from connecting, but to me, it’s the opposite. With WYWH, we’re using social media and mobile technology to help people reconnect in a fun, unique way and encourage them to say something they ordinarily might not. That’s the best use of technology in my opinion.
What kind of smartphone do you have?
I have an iPhone 4, which is a bit embarrassing as it’s definitely starting to struggle! It’s also got a small crack in the screen, but I think it just has character. Definitely time for an upgrade soon!
Name 3 apps you use every day
My new favourite app is TimeHop, which shows what you posted on your social channels on that day in previous years. I love seeing the things I was doing and sharing and briefly reliving the memories. I use the Facebook Pages app regularly to monitor and update the WYWH Facebook community and I also keep up with news back at home with CNN’s news app.
What is your last tweet?
My last tweet was a shout-out to my former Korean students, with a picture courtesy of TimeHop!
The last picture you pinned on Pinterest?
One of the boards I’ve created for WYWH’s Pinterest page is for “Travel Inspiration.” My most recent addition is a picture of the Glow Worm Caves in New Zealand – it looks incredible!
What is your last Facebook status update?
Our office celebrated the Melbourne Cup, so my last update was to share my favourite pictures from the day.
Thank you Lauren for sharing your fabulous story and blog – all the best to you both.
