A Sad Farewell

Dear BCH Family –

It is with such mixed emotions that I write you today with very big news.

While I’ve been largely absent from the support side of things for over a year now, I’ve never stopped working on BCH at large: This company has been my passion, my obsession, since the day I founded it in 2011.

Over these last six years, I have so enjoyed supporting and getting to know most of you, forming partnerships that have resulted in many mutual successes and even friendships which extend outside a professional relationship. However, I have also not had a single day off since 2011, and that has taken its toll. From literally the moment I wake up until the moment I fall asleep for a few hours, BCH is always on my mind. I know how much you all depend upon us, and that is something I do not take lightly.

After much soul-searching, careful consideration, and discussion, I am turning Black Chicken Host over to two of my best and most trusted friends, Adam and Hannah Fortman. Some of you will know Adam as “Roy” from support, and a bunch of you have also worked with Hannah some time ago when she was doing support work for us. Adam is taking over immediately, and Hannah will join the team in late November.

I trust no one more than these two to take care of you and BCH.

I met Adam years ago when he began to work for me at my “real” job, and he quickly became one of my most valued team members, excelling swiftly and proficiently up the ladder. While I had a small hand in molding and shaping him into something amazing, he just inherently brought a whole boatload of awesome to the table.

A year or so after that, Hannah began taking an interest in hosting, and BCH provided her with the experience to get her feet wet in this particular pond. She was hired in at the same company where Adam and I worked and did exceptionally well herself: She is already in a management position within the support organization. Prior to that, she worked on a managed WordPress product, and bring a lot of expertise in that area.

The time has come for them to move on from that company, as I recently did, which affords them the opportunity to take on the full responsibility for BCH.

Both Adam and Hannah understand that, for many of you, your website is not just a hobby – it’s your passion, your livelihood, your income: They take their responsibilities very seriously.

This is not a sale – it’s not about money for me. I am giving them Black Chicken Host, free and clear, because I know they will be a perfect fit – they’ll do an even better job than I did, because Adam’s technical expertise vastly surpasses mine, and Hannah will be able to devote her full attention to customer support, business development, and more. They will inject so much new energy and passion!

You deserve nothing less than the best web hosting experience, and these two, along with our other dedicated support admins like Melissa and Caroline, will provide it.

I will be assisting Adam and Hannah for a long time after the transition – I’m not jumping ship and leaving everything behind. I want to make sure BCH continues to provide the best customer service in the industry paired with superlative server performance. There’s a lot to learn, and I will be very happy to mentor them in this new endeavor for as long as needed.

BCH will get better and better over time, and I am very excited to see what these two create.

They’re incredibly excited about BCH’s future, as am I! Please feel free to welcome them, or to send along any questions or concerns you may have at any time. Adam will be sending out a message to introduce himself shortly.

I’ll be here behind the scenes – if anyone wants to reach me, please ask for me in a support ticket.

Parting is bittersweet, of course; I will miss you all, but I am also looking forward to some much-needed rest as I move out to San Diego to pursue perfect weather and motorcycle riding conditions.

I wish you all the best! It has been my honor and pleasure to serve you.

Sincerely,

Erin D.
Founder and (former!) CEO