We're running a phenomenal program at Squarespace that you may not have even heard about yet: Workshops. This program of interactive, online seminars launched 6 months ago, born out of a desire to provide an environment where customers would be able to participate in a classroom-like setting and get the in-person guidance they wanted. Oh, and they're free. 

Before joining the team, I attended my first workshop as an observer. It seemed like an effortless production. It wasn't until after I joined the ranks that I witnessed all it took to make that workshop happen. Behind each workshop are a couple of monitors, mic stands, sound panels, multiple applications running, not to mention the memorization of 45 minutes worth of content.

In addition to all of those moving parts, a workshop is a constant stream of information-sharing. While one customer care team member (usually me) actually presents the material, another team member answers questions in chat. That means anyone can ask any question at any time. We also make sure to leave a few minutes at the end of each session to talk through the questions asked during the workshop, so that everyone benefits from each other's questions. 

At least 5 times each workshop, we see the lightbulb go off for a customer. For some it might be a sequence of questions and for others it might be just one. But it's the exclamatory thank you that comes afterward that gets me fired up, thinking about what this means for the customers—people are making progress and experiencing the potential of this product we all love so much. It means that another person is better able to do what they set out to do. 

Since we launched Workshops, we have not only seen thousands of people attend classes, but the size of the team running the program has tripled. Several other support team members (Paulina, Gavin, Will, Alex, and Shon) have joined me and we've grown the syllabus to include 6 topics, with plenty more in the pipeline. Our vision is to have an ever growing library of workshops that address the possibilities of publishing your site with Squarespace, whether you're a beginner or have been using Squarespace for years.  

For more information about the classes and a full schedule, visit our Workshops site. The classes we offer are:

• Getting Started with Squarespace
• Next Steps with Squarespace
• Beyond the Blog
• Search Engine Optimization
• Building a Portfolio Website
• Custom Domain Mapping

Next week we're offering several sessions of Getting Started with Squarespace, and many of the other topics in the weeks to come. I look forward to seeing you in class!