I love a good origin story: how someone discovered something or a “how it all began” story. Everything has a beginning.

So, how did “HuzzahBoss” begin? Let me tell you.

During our school’s Distance Learning Plan days, teachers made digital lesson plans and increased our used of technology for communicating these plans. We gathered resources. We embedded links in Google docs. We made interactive learning tools.

I wanted to keep and easily locate these resources again later. I hoped to transfer the things that I learned and the insights that I had gained for future use in the classroom.

I needed a single location that was easy to find and easy to use.

Additionally, aside from gathering a reservoir of resources, writing became an outlet for me during these days as well, so I wanted a “place” to freely write thoughts and ideas (not necessarily history related) – other than making Facebook posts.

During one of my more insightful technological moments, I was delighting over turning an ugly URL into a beautiful link in my Google doc. It looked clean and beautiful. My husband replied to my glee with a chuckle saying, “Next you’ll be wanting your own website.”

I chuckled as well.

But …

The very next day during a faculty Zoom meeting, the question was posed about what we had learned during our Distance Learning days that we could take back to the classroom. Comments were made regarding empathy and technological growth and transference back to the classroom. All of these things I felt and desired as well.

So early the next morning, I thought about: a website.

For two purposes only:

1) A place to house resources

2) A place to write my thoughts and ideas

I told my husband. He immediately helped me get started.

We looked up a few website names, checking for availability.

I wanted something along the lines of history or boss or my name or thoughts. Several that we tried were unavailable. Then he suggested StephanieJBoss. Boring, but available. “Let’s get it.”

But, the host let me know it was available by the typed word “Huzzah!”

Huzzah! Huzzah … I love the Revolutionary War era and it was a little play on words with Boss … so I said, “HuzzahBoss … check that one.”

“Yep. Available. Let’s grab it.”

So we chose the name, purchased the dot com, and then my husband began to help install WordPress on the host. At this point, I had a decision to make. I had to become a learner. Before I did not feel the need to learn; now I did.

I determined to be a good student. It was a choice.

In that moment, I realized that I had been the problem whenever he tried to “teach” me technological things. I was a bad student. I always wanted it right away and did not want to take the time to learn. Up until this point, I had always said, “Just show me this or do that. Just show me only what I need to know.”

If this was going to work, I was going to have to be … teachable. I would need to listen, submit, be patient, wait … Aaah so hard … “Get to the point already.” (“Ouch, my poor students. Is this how they feel?” Yikes, so convicting.)

Defining moment. I chose to sit and listen. Quietly.

I pulled another chair up to the computer to watch a 40-minute WordPress tutorial (for non-techy people haha). I watched all of it. AND I took notes. I even paused a few times to go back and listen.

It was hard, but I patiently waited to ask questions instead of jumping ahead – let it unfold.

We went to the WordPress dashboard and chose a theme. He helped me position the artwork that I wanted to use.

We had a conversation about widgets. That was a first.

I made a first post. It was going well. I was listening and learning.

Thus HuzzahBoss.com was born.