The Story Behind the Slack Community of Ops Professionals

The cornerstone of any good community is friendship. And for Brad Smith, Mitchell Blanchard, and Todd Giddens, that’s how Wizard of Ops (aka WizOps) began. They had no idea their tight-knit group of friends texting each other about their ops issues would evolve into something more. Something bigger. 

What started back in 2019 with three has now reached 4,000+ people worldwide. While it may seem like magic, it wasn’t the power of a wand that led these friends to form a Slack community for fellow operations professionals. Instead, WizOps began as a way to come together, problem solve, and share ideas. 

Read on to learn how the WizOps community grew from a few like-minded friends to the global community it is today. 

The Magic of Friendship Got Things Moving

A happy hour is where the juices started flowing. Mitchell and Todd had been texting each other back and forth, which had become more of a hindrance than an advantage. Brad let them know about a better avenue for communication – Slack. Its user friendly nature and ability to share ideas more efficiently was key. 

Once it became clear Slack was the way to go, the next step was to set it up. With Mitchell and Todd’s blessing, Brad got to work. He came up with the name and sketched a few logo designs. Wizard of Ops was born.

More Than Just a Slack Channel

WizOps started with a handful of Atlanta-based revenue and sales operations professionals and quickly grew from there. Soon enough, it evolved into tons of Slack channels, like #dreamteam, #pelaton, and one of the most infamous – #dumpsterfire. 

The WizOps founding members were key to growing the community. There was Keith Jones, a major participant in the #pelaton channel, where dozens of people discussed their workout wins. Taylor Young served as a customer success rockstar, sharing valuable tips and tricks with others. Then there was Justin Gavette, the pioneer #dumpsterfire that gave the community a place to have a tongue-in-cheek vent about their grievances and talk through issues they’re facing.

Today, WizOps is full of channels dedicated to whatever your ops function, interest, or problem might be. And, there are plenty of ways to network, hire, and grow your career. 

shOPS Talk Brings the Experts to You

In 2020, the community launched shOPS Talk – an original Zoom series about the latest and greatest in the world of operations. Each episode features a discussion with ops experts, with audience Q&A along the way. 

Recent guests include Andy Mowat, founder of Gated, who gave advice on cutting out the noise in your workday. We also tackled the great debate–is RevOps just Sales Ops rebranded–with LeafLink’s James McArthur. 

To dive further into the world of shOPS Talk, check out our library of past episodes. 

From 3 to 4,000+ Members

Today, WizOps is home to ops pros across the world. As the community has grown and evolved, one thing remains the same: it’s a place where you can foster real connections with others.

Todd says it best:

“My favorite part of WizOps is being able to stay connected with  RevOps professionals. We’ve all gone separate ways with our careers, but it’s great to stay in touch with one another.” 

We agree Todd. And the most magical part? Whether it’s working together to solve problems or sharing funny memes, WizOps is here to connect you with new friends, lively conversations, and helpful guidance. There’s only one word that can describe that level of camaraderie – magical. 

Become a Part of the Magic

Interested in connecting with like-minded operations professionals? Join WizOps today.