Podcast Episode 120: Episode 93: Special Edition w/ Bree Eason

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In this special edition of Rock Cast, Emily and Nick speak with Spark's Community Experience Facilitator, Bree Eason.

Transcribed Content

This episode of Rockcast is brought to you by Rock partner Triumph Tech, a full service specialist partner. Rock partners provide crucial support for Spark Development Network and important services for the Rock community. Connect with Triumph Tech today at rockrms.com/partners. Welcome to a special edition of Rockcast. This podcast helps us take you, the Rock community, behind the scenes with Spark Development Network. And in our special editions, we get to interview some of the important people, both on our staff and in our community. I'm Emily Forman, we have Nick Airdo and a special guest with us today, Brie Eason. Welcome, Brie. Thank you. Hello, everybody. Brie, what do you do here at Spark? You're on staff and let's tell everybody what you do. Although they've probably talked to you honestly. I hope so. If I'm doing my job the right way, hope they've talked to me in some capacity either via email or over the phone. But I to joke that I am the non technical part of Spark. So I do community engagement and events, social media, any way that I can be a part of the community and keep everyone informed in what's going on, that's what I wanna be doing. So if you're thinking right now, Brie, that name sounds really familiar, where have I seen it? Go check your inbox. Yes. Right? Yes. Yes. That's where you've gonna run into exactly where you've seen my name. Yes. That's right. So if you haven't gotten an email from Brie, don't worry. It's coming soon. Yes. And and hopefully regularly because Brie gets all kinds of updates out and connects with everybody, right? Definitely try to. Feels it. Yes, yes. So if we're not emailing, then hopefully we're talking in Rocket Chat or we're having phone calls or Zoom calls. Yeah. So Brie, how long have you been doing what you're doing at Spark? I have been at Spark since November. It feels it's been longer, but it's only been since November. Yeah. Have weird time here. Wouldn't you say, Nick? Absolutely. Sometimes it goes really fast and sometimes it goes really slow and it just it just creates its own time warp. Yeah. Often though, we I just we all want more time. We just want more time in a month and it just goes by so quickly most of the It really does. But I do think that sometimes, six months or seven months can feel a year, a year and a half. Definitely. Yeah. Definitely. I'm not sure how that happens, but I'm glad we can include you in that time or say, I'm not quite sure how it happens, but it's been fun. It's been so much fun. And it's nice for Nick and I to know that it's not just in our heads. Correct. It's a You are not imagining this. Right. It is real. So before Rock, give us a little bit about what you were doing. And I don't think probably people know that you and I know each other going back quite a few years. Way back, yes. And John too, who was not with us this morning, but that goes way back. It does. So before Rock, I actually worked in sales for five years. I had the awesome privilege of working for the Phoenix Suns in the NBA. Actually got the opportunity ironically enough because John is the one who pushed me into it. So while at CCV working for John and Emily, I was 23 I think when I started working for you guys, which seems forever ago. Absolute baby, I don't think I actually even knew what being professional meant at the time. But the credit to my awesome bosses because one of the things they kept doing was pushing me to chase my dreams. And I had always dreamt of working in sports. So it was really cool. I worked with the both of you for a few years at CCV, then I got the awesome opportunity to go work in sports and live out that part of my dream. But it's been funny because ever since the three of us worked together at CCV, we've kind of been trying to find a way to get back together. True. And so when I got the call, I remember telling my mom, I'm , it's gonna work this time. The timing is great. It's gonna work. I'm going back. And I was super excited. I mean, it's rare that you get to work for awesome people who really just have a heart for God and for their staff, and so I was super excited to come back. Well, it's been a lot of fun, both in back in the CCV days when we were all working for one church, and now that we're working for a lot of churches essentially, it's great to work with people who have a common goal Yeah. And who just wanna put their shoulder into it and get some things done. Get it done. And you knew Nick back in that day too because Nick used to pop in, what, every Friday? Every Friday. Every Friday hanging out with the team. I loved your teams. Yeah. It was fun. We'd go to Friday lunch and everything. Right. It was great. Yeah. So we all go way back, but we're doing a lot of the same things. I think you mentioned that the timing lined up. Yes. Every time we've seen something where, oh, we need somebody else to help out in a communication area or a social media area, events, we always said, let's give Brie a call and see what she's up to. It is kind of funny that everything goes full circle sometimes. It really does. It was honestly nothing but God because it was definitely time for me to transition out and I told my mom, I'm , okay, I really feel my time in this area is over and I'm ready to do something new. And nothing but God, the phone call came in and I remember being , okay mom, I think I'm gonna have to go all the way to the West Side again. I had always been an East Valley girl, know I lived in East the entire time we were at CCV and right? That's lucky. Hey you two East Valley people, I'm feeling outnumbered here. I mean, I'm , I'm not a West Valley girl. But I told my mom, go, I think it's time for me to head over to the West Valley because it's time to just get it done and go where I'm supposed to be. So I'm excited. And you made it kind of permanent. I did, I bought a house on the West Valley. What was I thinking? Was pretty impressed. Nick did the same Yeah, did the same thing. I mean, sometimes you just gotta commit. And I think it's definitely, again, nothing but God because, I mean, I bought a house in less than a month. Who does that? I had an awesome realtor and everything just kinda fell into place. And I think that's when God is , yep, this is where I told you to be and I want you here now. Amen. And so for people unfamiliar with the Phoenix area and the Phoenix geography, when we're talking East And West Valley, what kind of commute were you having to make back in the CCV days and in the current Spark days before you made more permanent arrangements? A very not so fun commute. So we're talking about an hour plus each way. And Phoenix traffic can be rough. Really can be. Mean, it's not Atlanta for those of you down south. It's not that bad, but it is pretty rough and I'm not Phoenix bad. It's as bad as it gets around here. It does and I am not a traffic person. And now my commute is more than cut in half. I have a twenty five minute ride door to door with absolutely no traffic. It's perfect. I'm so happy. Yeah. When I found out you were commuting from the East Valley all those years at CCV, I thought, oh my gosh, I I have nothing to complain about. I drove on a Friday light. Yeah. It was nothing compared to your commute. Yeah. It was definitely not the best thing for my car or my gas, but it was where I was supposed to be and it was what was supposed to happen. I think that time in my life I grew so much as a professional just because the pace we worked at, the things that I was able to see and be a part of, it was awesome. It was. So I think just for context of the community, I'm sitting in the presence of two people who have sacrificed a a way of life and something that was familiar for the Rock community to uproot themselves and move to the other side of the city in order to have access to the offices of Spark and do great things for the community. Yeah. It I I think it's obedience. I was I was just gonna yeah. It's it's not even sacrifice when that's where you're supposed to be. Yeah. Well, I just wanna point it out because I don't think that's not something people see out there, , and and there's a lot a lot that's done for the efficiency of the kingdom work that we're doing here. Yeah. Definitely. So Brie, what does your average workday look here? Oh, is there an average workday? I don't know, it was sort of a trick question. That is trick question. I would say, oh my gosh, my day is so different every day. There's always someone new that I get the opportunity to connect with, whether it be in our community or a new organization that wants to find out about Rock and how they can work with us and join us on a partner or sponsorship level. I think that's the best part about what I get to do. I meet so many awesome people with the most incredible skill sets and just a heart for God's people that I have probably the coolest conversations in the office. no offense guys, I'm sure you have awesome conversations too. But think I just everyday I get to connect with someone new and find out why they do what they do, where they're from, and just hearing people's stories is the coolest thing that consistently I get to do with my day. And there is such a wide variety of background and skillset. Oh yeah. But all these people in all these churches coming together for common missions, which are all tied to one greater mission. It's a pretty awesome thing to be a part of. It's the coolest thing in the world. I mean, I don't think I've ever seen anything in my life the Rock community. I mean, tell you all the time, especially when I first started, I remember you telling me , Oh, just pop in Rocket Chat here and there and you'll see things. You'll see people having conversations and sharing best practices. And I'm , Oh, okay, that's cool. But you don't get it until you see it for yourself. The way our community supports each other is the coolest thing on earth. It really is. It's almost the best kept secret churches. If only the churches knew what was going on with their own staff, sharing amongst each other. Some of the largest churches in America, and you're getting to facilitate that. And I I kinda get a front row seat to some of the coolest connections happening. I mean, even just yesterday I had an organization who was working on their implementation and the lady who was leading all of this, she is in the Dallas area. And she's , I would just love to connect with some folks who are in my area. , I know you mentioned there's these things called regional communities. How does this work? Your wish is my commitment. Exactly, right? And so I hopped in in Rocket Chat. I'd open up the Dallas regional community and I tag her in it and tell the community , hey guys in Dallas, , she's really looking for some help. And I mean within ten minutes she probably had eight It incredible. I'm , this is the coolest part of my job. I love this. Yeah, hands down I think I have the coolest non technical job here in the building. We constantly have other organizations reach out and say, hey, we'd love for you to tell us how to set up a really great community. And we're , what, It's a God thing. I mean, it's just going of its own accord because so many people are selflessly pouring in everything that they can to make ministry better. Yeah. I don't think you could pick another topic. , what would it be? Let's pick a pick dog food. You couldn't build a community, , around dog food that you could around Rock, it's because of the the ministry Yep. Purpose behind it. Yeah. And it is it's really something that you said, until you get in and see it in action, you just can't even fathom what this community's You can't. Yeah. It's it is again, it's one of those moments where you realize this is totally a God thing. Mhmm. Because you you can't fathom anything this outside. It it's the actualization of Jesus' words when he said, they'll know you're my disciples by the love you show for one another. I mean, they're literally pouring into one another out there in that community, helping each other. It's just great to watch. It is. It really is. So Brie, do you get bored here very often? No. At least not yet. Mean granted I just started, but I don't think that's coming anytime soon. Yeah, we move a little bit faster here than a lot of places. Yeah. I remember thinking when we were at CCV that we moved really fast. Oh yeah, we've we've lapped that though. But yeah. Definitely. Yeah, it's pretty quick. So what do you to do outside of work? Oh gosh, what do I to do outside of work? Honestly, I am all about my family. If me at all, everything I do is with my family and I am just blessed to have awesome parents who are my best friends now. I have the amazing opportunity of being a basketball coach alongside my dad, which is the coolest thing in the world for me. I grew up playing basketball and my dad was the sideline coach. He refused to come and coach my actual team as I was playing. So to be able to now as an adult stand next to him and coach these younger kids is the coolest thing in the world. And we have some amazing boys on our team who are just the coolest eighth grade kids you've ever met in your life. And all of them have such a heart for God in helping other kids. And I mean, they do community service and they're just the sweetest kids in the world. Now granted sometimes you're , why did you do that? Why is that the pass you chose to do? They're eighth graders. I Right. Heaven forbid, we coach through the YMCA and every now and then we use their gym. And so you're trying to time it so that the volleyball practice doesn't start the same time as ours is ending because I'm gonna lose my whole team at that Oh yeah, that's right. Unfortunately, but they are the coolest kids and I absolutely love it. It is probably the highlight of my week every week is being able to work with them. So unfortunately coronavirus canceled our season right as it started but we've still been able to stay in contact with our kids and they're sending us videos of all their drills they're doing in the front yard. So I'm still a sports girl through and through. So anytime I can get with my kids or get with my family, it's gonna be a good day. Well thanks for joining us today. Know the community is gonna be excited to know a little bit more about Brie Eason whose messages hit their various inboxes. 247. Yes. Yes. That's right. So reach out. Tell Brie hello if you haven't yet. Yes. She'd love to chat with you, and, just thanks for joining us today, Brie. Thanks for having me, guys. Appreciate it. Do a church that loves the idea of using Rock but hasn't taken that leap yet? With managed hosting, churches of any size can get access to Rock's amazing technology, hassle free. With just one click, Rock's managed hosting removes the roadblocks that might stop a church from switching to Rock by making the process simple. Churches get the ease of a SaaS church management system without losing any of Rock's powerful features. Are you ready to take the next step or share with another local church? Visit rockrms.com/hosting today.