Meet Dominic Beecham | International Foodie & Yelp Community Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dominic Beecham and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dominic, what do you attribute your success to?
When it comes to striving for success, I truly believe that one of the most important factors is being true to who are and your beliefs. My career puts me in a position where I have the pleasure and opportunity of connecting with and promoting local businesses as well as engaging a diverse community of people. Both of these activities revolve around personal passions of mine – being a supporter of all things local and a connector of people – so I feel that when I communicate with others, I’m expressing my authentic self. I connect people with great local businesses. When I talk with a business, I want them to know that it’s about them and when I talk to others in the community, I want them to know it’s all about supporting these amazing businesses around us. I feel when you’re being true to yourself, you can connect more easily and genuinely with those around you and, from there, you can track success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Professionally, I work at Yelp as the Community Manager of San Francisco. It’s an amazing opportunity that allows me to pursue my passions. On one hand, I feel like a community leader in which I get to engage, educate, and inspire people about Yelp, our Elite community, the resources we provide, and our mission of connecting people with great local businesses. On the other hand, I feel like an advocate for local businesses in which I get to work directly with the businesses and identify how we can drive awareness to and uplift them. I have the opportunity to put myself out in the world as much as I want and I’m proud of the work.

I love what I do but it definitely wasn’t the easiest path to get there. I have a background and degree in hospitality with professional experience in food and beverage and event/banquet management. When Covid struck, my entire industry was hit hard and I was ultimately laid off from my job. I consider my background relatively niche so finding work that aligned with my passions in the middle of a pandemic was no easy task. I was also wanting to pivot my career into something that had elements of both hospitality and tech, but with no formal experience in tech, this made job hunting even more challenging. I actually remember when I became Yelp Elite several years ago, and the community manager at that time had messaged me, I had thought to myself, “this is someone’s job? This is amazing! No way it’ll ever be available.” Fast forward some time, when I was browsing LinkedIn, I saw the position “Community Manager, San Francisco”. My mind was blown so I applied right away and never looked back.

It took patience and perseverance though as I looked for a job that aligned with my passions and interests for over a year. The process taught me more about myself that are now core characteristics of my person; to get back up when you fall, to know my own value, and to be authentic to myself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I definitely feel like I’m asked this question all the time, especially when my job is centered around local businesses and things to do here.

San Francisco is dense and there is so much but here are some of my favorites:

– Breakfast at Breakfast Little, Trad Bone Broth, and Good Mong Kok Bakery.
– Spend a half or whole day walking the Embarcadero. Start at the Ferry Building where there are countless local vendors and make your way north along the water to check out Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. Keep going to get to Ghirardelli Square and even make your way to the Golden Gate Bridge. All the areas mentioned are packed with restaurants, bars, and shops.
– Hike Land’s End along the Pacific Ocean, stroll through Golden Gate Park, and have a picnic at Dolores Park.
– Dim sum at Koi Palace or lunch at Dumpling Home, Chic n’ Time, Tacorea, and apizza.
– Dinner at ILCHA and Serafina. If you’re looking for more formal dining, check out Mister Jiu’s, Spruce, Mourad, and Wako.
– Drinks and evening activities at Emporium, Pacific Cocktail Haven, and Last Rites.
– The San Francisco skyline is beautiful at night and definitely worth checking out from any of the numbers us hilltops.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s definitely no way I’d be where I am today without the support and inspiration of those around me. Living in incredible San Francisco, I feel that I pull inspiration from what’s around me daily. From the diverse collection of cultures to the sustainable and healthy lifestyles to the quirks and charms of the city’s people, I feel embraced by being me.

More importantly, though, is the love and support of friends and family that keep me invigorated every day. Parents who put my interests first and never give up on me as well as a partner and best friends who keep me on the right path and encourage me to push harder, they all inspire me to continue being better.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominicbeecham/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicbeecham

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=wkG9qOX266L4C7GdLirUiA

Image Credits
Darren Goh Jenny Pham