I started my tenure at The Karcher Group (TKG) over 20 years ago, after the birth of my fourth child. I had, of course, done small tasks from time to time by helping set up office spaces, cleaning and filing. I can remember sitting next to my sister, Dana, as she would look through paper forms that had been filled out by clients. They had key phrases that Dana would then load into databases for search engine algorithms, the very earliest days of SEO.
I also remember Geoff, my brother, driving all over Ohio, knowing that he had an answer for so many companies that didn’t realize the full potential of the internet and what it could mean for suffering businesses, as well as those that just wanted to grow. He could see the nearly untapped business potential of the web, all the way back in 1997.
As those first few years flew by, I was charged with ensuring a website was clean – checking for good copy, typos, functionality and testing forms. I learned so much about a great variety of industries! It was a lot of fun – from antique auto parts to fashion, to everything in between. It was an exciting time. We used to bang a gong when a new site launched! More than once, that gong signaled a huge boom for the people we were serving. We watched a lot of people’s dreams come true through the hard work they put into their businesses and the benefit that a website could provide by giving the whole world the opportunity to access that business. And I got to watch my brother build a people-first family business that has grown up and into an industry standard setter.
As the world moves into the 21st century in ways we could not have predicted, I think Geoff’s insight into what the internet could mean to family businesses, small businesses and even Fortune 500 companies is bigger and more important than even he could have imagined. I think of all the people TKG has served along the way and am grateful that the ability to do business online was able to save so many people’s livelihoods during Covid and beyond. I am also thankful for the ways that TKG helped me and my family through the years, as well as so many others. TKG was started to be of service to others – I am so honored to have been part of its history and grateful for the opportunities for me and my family.
Congratulations on 25 years, TKG! May God Bless you all with many more.
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