Paying tribute to a co-worker as he ventures out on his own: Blogs: SocialVoice Community

Paying tribute to a co-worker as he ventures out on his own Posted Dec 8, 2009 10:00 PM
Long before I had ever heard of Chris Christensen, EVP of engineering and operations at LiveWorld, I ran into Chris Christensen the podcaster and new-media guy. It was the summer of 2006, and I had happened upon Chris's Amateur Traveler podcast episode on Tanzania. Like Chris, I enjoy traveling. And like Chris, I had also been to Tanzania (OK, it was only at the border in my case, but I still count it!). And as a guy whose wife hails form neighboring Kenya, Chris's use of Swahili phrases and his exploration of the Masai culture in that show caught and held my attention. His podcast providing compelling and well-produced audio content while also giving me a real sense of traveling inside the country. There was no doubt this fellow podcast junkie was onto something. Now, more than three years later, Chris has zoomed past 200 weekly episodes of Amateur Traveler (I've podfaded at least twice in the meantime), while also adding a weekly bible podcast and roundtable travel roundup program to his hosting and production repetoire. It's an ambitious and consuming undertaking that I know Chris is passionate about--and that he'd been squeezing in on nights and weekends. But in about a month, that will all change. Tuesday afternoon, during a LiveWorld staff meeting, we learned that Chris plans to take his podcasting efforts to the next level. He'll be leaving his full-time LiveWorld position next month to concentrate almost exclusively on his podcasting and related travel projects. He'll be busy-- I just love this--expanding his "media empire." So while losing Chris the co-worker won't be fun, chronicling his new journeys online certainly will be. Congratulations, Chris!
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7 Comments

I know the feeling of loss when you are losing one of your best resources and Chris certainly seems to be one of those for sure!! It is nothing surprising to see these people flying away to pursue their passion and I am sure that he’ll go to even higher heights with his love for travel and photography!! I am sure that all his colleagues would have been proud to have worked with him and wish him well in his new endeavor!!

Mathews
Expatriate Health Insurance

Chris ranks as one of those people who have had a profound impact in my life without ever knowing they were doing so.

While I haven't always enjoyed the process, Chris has essentially taught me how to *think*...taught me a new perspective on approaching problems and solutions that were beyond my understanding.

He's taught me that if I wanted the right answer to a problem, I had to ask the right question. And boy, that's been a difficult one to grasp at times, but it has made me think deeper, be more clear and concise in stating problems.

He's taught me to think like an engineer, which hasn't always been an easy lesson for this artistic soul. But he's also helped me see the art in engineering.

I'm going to REALLY miss Chris's presence in the office, the helpful, friendly person I could always ask "how do I....., what does this mean...., why does it do this? He's always been a very generous, helpful soul.

Wishing you all the best Chris...and hoping I can one day be a three-time Amateur Traveler Podcast guest!

Loving the comments, everyone. Things will certainly be different at LiveWorld in his departure.

We're going to miss him so much... but at least we'll still be able to hear his voice!

While I've been with LiveWorld - starting with its first incarnation as TalkCity - since 1996, it is only in recent years that I've had the privilege to work with Chris. He is a determined, focused taskmaster who sparks exchanges with that touch of humor I appreciate. I know that when I ask Chris about something he'll get it handled in short order.

The halls, both at corporate and in the virtual world, won't seem the same without him, but I certainly support the person who wants to follow his dreams. I wish you all the best, Chris, with Amateur Traveler and all other endeavors.

--Star

While I haven't worked that closely with Chris... he was always, in my mind, one of the cornerstones of the company...

Wishing you the best in all your future endeavors, Chris...

It was the presence of Chris at LiveWorld that made the company's acquisition of a little two-person outfit called Senti-Metrics (where I was one of the two) a possibility. That was more than five years ago, and I'm glad that I ended up working for most of those five years.

Chris and I knew each other back in the early, early 80s at his church in Cupertino, and I knew him as a decent, kind and ridiculously disciplined, hard-working guy who had been at the same little "start-up" since 1996. If it was the kind of company that could keep Chris Christensen for all those years, it had to be a good place.

I know that LiveWorld won't be the same place without his unnaturally moderate approach to life, and I suspect that the world of podcasting won't be the same with Chris cut loose to give it his full attention.

Bon Voyage, Chris!


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Paying tribute to a co-worker as he ventures out on his own

Paying tribute to a co-worker as he ventures out on his own

Paying tribute to a co-worker as he ventures out on his own