Letter From a Human: Evelyn Bai

Some people know what they want to do in life early on. Others take paths that meander hither and yon, eventually leading them where their gut was telling them they should’ve been all along. 

Bet you can’t guess which one is me! (pssst -- it’s the latter)

I’ve always been the creative type, constantly journaling, laughing at jokes inside my head and making connections between abstract things. Writing came naturally to me, and I figured it was that way for everyone. News flash: it’s not.

That’s how talents work. They exist, waiting for us to notice them while we look around for something big and sparkly. They’re patient. So patient that people often look right past them until it’s too late to nurture them into something that could’ve been not just good, but great. 

There’s an important word there. Did you catch it? Talents are just raw material — pure potential that will wither and fade if you don’t nurture it. Far too many miss this. People end up settling for less than what they’re capable of doing and being because they don’t realize that nurturing requires effort. (Ew.) 

The paradox of choice has blinded us to the obvious by leading us to discount or even flat-out ignore our natural talents. But we don’t realize that cultivation is necessary for full realization, so we keep looking, thinking it should be easier. It’s not.

Being a writer was everything I never knew I always wanted to be.

My Path to Human

I started working part-time for Union 76, then a Fortune 500 company, when I was 16 years old. The company called my high school, asking them to recommend two of their top business students for a summer position. I was one of them. I got the job and ended up staying for fifteen years. I even met my future husband, Fred, there.

A few corporate takeovers later, we both ended up in the mortgage industry, where I worked until our first child was born. I took a hiatus from working while I raised our son and, a few years later, our daughter. Then the itch began.

I had committed to being a full-time wife and mom, one of the most demanding jobs in the world. When I stopped working for a paycheck, I didn’t intend on going back. 

But as time passed, I started getting nervous about being out of the working world for so long. Quite by accident, I met someone through our children's school who owned a small ecommerce consulting firm. I heard the acronym “SEO” for the first time, and I was hooked. 

I started working at this firm part-time on client projects, then moved to another small agency, Inkblot Digital. 

At Inkblot, an ecommerce development agency specializing in BigCommerce, Shopify, and Lead Commerce stores, I wore several hats, working directly in clients’ stores, writing blog posts and maintaining Inkblot’s social media presence. 

When Inkblot’s owner, Scott Williams, was wooed away to work for Human, I was initially at a loss. But Human offered me a contract job as a content writer, then hired me full-time fifteen months later.

Honestly, after years of multi-tasking, I was pretty nervous about writing exclusively. I didn’t know if I was good enough, smart enough or experienced enough. But I did it, and I ended up loving it.

As a writer at Human, I craft targeted content for our clients and optimize existing content to keep it current, relevant and SEO-friendly. In full-service marketing, it’s our job to make our clients’ lives easier. We strive to deliver value by providing the guidance and expertise they need to get noticed and thrive in a highly competitive landscape.

Reflecting on 25 years of work experience, I feel honored to work at Human. I’m impressed by Human’s philosophies and our team’s dedication, integrity and commitment. We work hard to deliver quality service and results that drive our clients’ long-term success while enjoying fulfilling and balanced lives. 

Plus, we have an office dog. It doesn’t get any better than that.