There’s been a ton of change here at Zeo in the past year.

New product, new website, new content, new people, new everything. We even tore down the walls to create a new space for our ever growing and changing team.

But we’re still not done. We’re a work in progress, and as part of that work, there’s going to be some more changes.

Not willy-nilly, throw-spaghetti-at-the-wall changes, but serious, thought-out changes that will help us adhere to good community support behavior and practices. Because at the end of the day, you are the reason we do it all.

Without you, there simply is no Zeo. We want you to feel supported, no matter the state of flux.

So here's what we've got in mind to make that happen.

The #1 Rule of Community Support: Streamline Your Channels

You know how you hate having multiple emails? Your work account, your personal account, that one hotmail account you use when companies or salespeople ask for your email account? And good luck remembering which one it linked to Amazon.com.

Companies feel like that when their communication channels get too numerous. Sure, there’s a place and need for blogs, a Facebook page, and customer support, but it’s easy to have too many. Too many gums up the works, mixes the messages and often leaves large chunks of your clients and customers miss really important stuff when it comes along.

It can also leave you feeling frustrated. “Just where exactly can I connect with someone? Is this channel even monitored? Hello?”

This is not what we want.

So to avoid that mess, we’re simplifying and consolidating our communication channels. More specifically, we’re shutting down our original Zeology blog on the blog.myzeo.com domain. It’s hard to do this (it was our first channel!) but if we’re to stick with rule #1, it’s time for this one to go.

Rest assured, all that good, juicy content you love is also on myzeo.com. You can find the Expert Answer or Featured Blogger post you wanted. Your coaching links will take you to the correct piece you need. You just won’t have to bounce between two sites anymore.

Our new Zeology blog will now handle all sleep info, company notices, product updates, and general awesome that you’ve come to expect. We’ll stick to a schedule (we know you like that) and keep you informed.

Just like our old blog, you can subscribe via RSS; just click on the RSS icon in the left hand menu, and you’ll be set!

The #2 Rule of Community Support: Ask For Help

Another change that’s coming is we’re going to be asking for your help and input more and more. The Field of Dreams motto of “If you build it, they will come” does not actually work that well when you’re trying to build a community, mostly due to it’s focus on things rather than people.

We at Zeo want you to feel as though you have access to the best possible sleep data and information you can get without a prescription or a co-pay. We want you to have the support of your peers, your family, your friends, and us as you undertake your own journey to sleep fitness. We want you to feel empowered to ask questions of your doctor, of us, of anyone, about your sleep.

We want all of this for you - and we need your help to make it real.

In the next few days, we’ll be asking for your input in a brief survey. You’re not obligated to fill it out, but I want to make the case as to why it’s worth your time.

The last time we sent one of these out, over a thousand of of you responded. People of all ages, sex, tech savvy, health & wellness levels told us what was working for them and what they now needed from us. The results were quickly shared across the office and set of a chain reaction of hustle, product development, and customer support initiatives, some of which have already launched.

But we wouldn’t have been able to do this without you. Instead, we’d still be throwing spaghetti at the wall, trying to guess what you wanted or needed, and wasting time going down millions of rabbit holes.

We need you more than ever.

So we’re asking for your help.

The survey that we’ll be rolling out in the next few days is an opportunity for you to help shape the development of Zeo: of our services, of the community, of our products, everything. In exchange for your help, we won’t harass you. Spam is bad for business.

In fact, the only thing we’re going to ask you for is whether or not you’d be interested in influencing service and product development at a deeper level. This is the last box on the survey; check it only if you’re interested.

If not, no worries. We’re grateful that you took the time to help us out.

The #3 Rule of Community Support: Turn and Face the Strange Changes

Change happens.

Sometimes it’s expected. Sometimes it’s not. Sometimes, you’re the one shaking everything up; other times, you’re the one being all shook up.

As humans, we have a love-hate relationship with change. We crave it when things seem stuffy and static, but fear it when it threatens to tear down our walls of security and comfort.

In order to determine which camp a potential change agent or event falls into, we investigate. We poke at it, ask questions, and generally avoid shooting (that guy always ends up dead in the movies, anyway).

Admittedly, we sometimes even run away or plug our fingers into our ears and yell “la, la, la, not listening!”

But change does happen - and those who embrace it can decide how it will impact them.

As always, we’re right here with you. There is no such thing as going at it alone.

So poke away. Ask questions. Join the discussion. Be a change-maker, not a change-receiver.