Grow your business by advertising on bing, MSN, Xbox, and more!
When I first came to Microsoft in the Spring of 2007, it wasn’t long before my manager and I started having discussions around career development. When I told him that I was interested in learning more about online communities and social media, he put me in touch with the adCenter Community Manager, Carolyn Miller.
Carolyn has been my cross-group partner, my mentor, my boss and my friend for close to three years now… and today is her last here at Microsoft as she’s relocating to be closer to family. On the last day of his recent visit to the states, Mel Carson tweeted about her impending departure:
A lot indeed.
Unless you’ve been following along since day one of adCenter, you might not know that Carolyn has been here the entire time, working behind the scenes to not only build out the adCenter Community from square one, but to address advertisers’ pain points, feature requests and feedback. If you’ve ever posted a question or concern here on the Community site, Carolyn probably had a hand in making sure it was addressed.
She’s been the one checking for new posts in the forums and either answering them herself or alerting our support staff to reply.
She’s been the one taking down and reporting your feature requests to the adCenter development teams for inclusion in future releases.
She’s been the one working to build out and diversify the variety of content you’ve seen on the adCenter Blog over the past few years.
She’s been the one who taught me everything she knows so I could fill in for her while she was on vacation… and now as she moves on to her next great adventure.
It’ll be business as usual here on the Community site come Monday with your regularly scheduled blog posts and forum/Twitter/Facebook Q&As, but I wanted to take a minute to recognize and thank Carolyn for everything she’s done and a post here on the adCenter Blog seemed apropos.
If you’ve ever read a post of Carolyn’s, had a forum question answered or if you’ve worked with her here at Microsoft, feel free to leave your well wishes in the comments below.
Sign in to adCenter | Need an account? Sign up now
Follow us on Twitter @adCenter & @MSAdvertising | Find us on Facebook and YouTube | Share your thoughts and ask questions in the Forums | Subscribe to the adCenter Blog
Well what can I say Carolyn?
For nearly 5 years you've been my closest colleague and friend at Microsoft. We’ve been through thick and thin, ups and downs and roundabouts. I’ve learned much from your calm incisiveness and instinct regarding the right thing to do for our readers and advertisers. Together with the team, we’ve grown our community to many thousands who’ve read insight, tips, tricks and news directed by you, and not a day goes by when I don’t get some kind of feedback that our customers love your work.
I don’t think I’ve met too many people who cared about what they do quite as much as you. The post-it note on your monitor saying “Don’t take it personally!” has got me a lot of mileage when I’ve spoken at conferences about our team, but it shows everyone that at that moment when they’re most frustrated and need help, there has always been someone there with a guiding hand, someone to listen, and someone to empathize selflessly.
I’ll miss our handovers at 6pm GMT. It was normally me handing you some crisis that occurred in my time zone because I was off to the pub, and for those times I thank you……as does the local landlord.
Unlike some people in our team *cough* you’ve always been very modest about your amazing work and dedication, but on your last day, please take time to bask in our saying goodbye, and know that wherever you go and whatever you do, there’ll always be people who become better people because they knew you.
Cheers,
Mel
The most important thing I look for in a coworker is competancy and second to that is trust. You have always been there for the moment that I needed a supporting blog post for an email campaign or just to create a good laugh in the community. Mel couldn't say it any better than to relish in your accomplishments here at Bing. You are amazing and you are going to go on a make an even bigger impact with your next endeavor. I will miss you!!
Best,
Kaila
Carolyn - what an amazing journey it has been! The adCenter and Microsoft Advertising Community would not be where it is without your vision, hard work, patience, and dedication. Best of luck in your new role!
Jeanie
Carolyn, you've been a wonderful co-worker...sweet, collected and easy going, always. It was an extra treat to have you as a neighbor and run into you outside of work now and then! I'll miss you. We all will. But I'm so happy you're able to go home and be near family as your little one grows up. What a wonderful gift you're giving her! Best of luck in the middle of the country. They're all lucky to have you.
Hugs,
-Kellie
Hi Carolyn,
I only heard about your departure/adventure yesterday and now I wish I wasn't stuck in a sales meeting last time we had a call planned, so that I could have wished you all the best in person.
I've enjoyed working with you very much and thank you for all the good times.
Good luck, all the best, Simone
We've worked together since adCenter was in beta, before the official launch. To quote the
Grateful Dead, "what a long, strange trip it's been" but a fascinating one. We'll miss your quiet, steady response to the noise and confusion and your quick smile. We'll lose a bit of our history, too, you're unique perspective and memory of events that now seem distant and shared by fewer people as the organization grows and changes, fewer people who remember the early rough patches in the road and the personalities who helped shape our business. You can take with you pride in having been at the beginning of something important, something you helped shape, something that reflects, in part, your personality. And take with you also our appreciation for your work and your self, who you are and how you made us feel.
We’ll miss and remember you.
Hey Carolyn, you were one of the first people that I reached out to when I first joined Microsoft and adCenter, and you've always been generous with your time, and ever so gracious. You will be missed here, good luck to you in whatever's next in your life!
Best wishes in your new adventures, Carolyn. I look forward to seeing what the future has in store for you (yay for the magic of technology for keeping people connected). Thank you for being so reliable, level-headed and just all around great person to work with!
Happy Trails!
Carolyn- After over four years working together (and even sharing a triple office), I just want to tell you that you are one of the kindest and most thoughtful people I have had the pleasure of working alongside at Microsoft (or at any time in my career). While I'm sad that Microsoft is losing you, I'm so thrilled for your next step in family life and career. Carolyn—you are a genuinely amazing person—I am going to miss you. Thank you for your dedication, passion, partnership, collaboration, writing skills, search expertise, and authenticity.
Carolyn! I wished that we had more time to work together, but in the few months you have been a delightful partner. You have always been the north star behind adCenter communications for the past five years and I will miss seeing your name in everyday emails. Best of luck in your future endeavors :)
Carolyn - my wife told me I have to stop giving you such a hard time about leaving! So here in this farewell comment I will give in to the inevitable and say best of luck with everything! It has been a true pleasure working with you and your presense and poise while dealing with the often hectic issues around our particular line of work has always been reassuring and appreciated. You will be missed. And if your new destination ever gets to cold you might just ring and think about coming back... All the best.
Carolyn, you will be missed! The shoes you leave behind will be difficult to fill at best. Your knowledge of this business, intellect, and drive have left an indellible mark in this organization. I wish you the very best of luck in your new adventures, although I know that you will shine in whatever you put your mind to. Keep in touch and know how much you were appreciated!
Wow Carolyn... the comments above really say it all. You know you've made an impact when all of the people around you are sad to see you go. You're doing things right, my friend! Keep on being "you" and happiness will surely follow you and everyone who is blessed to be around you. Thank you for being a patient, responsive, reliable partner.
Take care,
Susan
Carolyn - You are one of the finest people I have had the pleasure working with at Microsoft. Your dedication to our customers and passion about the integrity of the adCenter blog has been inspiring to me. I will miss you greatly; you are truly one of a kind. I wish you and your family the best in your new endeavors. Make sure to send updated pics of little M.
Thanks so much for everything Carolyn! Good luck on the next part of your journey. Check in every once and a while to keep Mel in line. ;)