Liz Strauss at Successful Blog

Thinking, writing, business ideas … You’re only a stranger once.

May 4, 2008

Meet Sia — the Heart of a Web Hosting Company

ME Liz Strauss wrote this at 9:01 am

It’s the People

THC logo

The intimate scope of SOBCon automatically draws a certain kind of people together. I’m the luckiest one because I get to meet them all in conversations as we pull the event together. That was how I met Sia Liolios. Sia is with Top Hosting Centre, a sponsor of SOBCon08.

I wanted to share this lovely person I met with you. Sia agreed to answer some questions about herself and what she does for a living.

Sia, THC, I know you to be lady who cares deeply about your customers. Tell me how your company started and how you came to be a part.

THC doesn’t have an extraordinary birth story. It’s a branch of ProWeb Consultants Inc, the “mother” company if you want, at it was born simply because ProWeb Consultants wanted to take care personally of the hosting solutions for its clients. Many companies want to have all their web services in one place - from design to online marketing and hosting. It made sense to create THC as an option for our clients. Eric Vanier, the CEO and my husband (which tells you how I came to be a part) monitored the Web for a long time and saw a need for better hosting solutions for bloggers - which determined him to make THC public and to launch it as a hosting solution for bloggers and small businesses. We soon saw that this was the best possible choice: bloggers are a rare breed, so human, warm and real. I was “observing” how my husband ran the business for a long time, then I felt a natural affinity for the people who asked for advice and support.

If there is one thing a customer really hates, it is half answers and a closed door when he needs help. We don’t keep our clients waiting for answers and we always help. It is not only our duty as service providers. It’s our mission.

What gets you up in the morning? How do you stay so positive?

My kids - they are quicksilver! It is strange to associate your work with your family sometimes. It doesn’t feel right to think about business and the kids, does it? But in the end, aren’t the kids what we are working for? Aren’t the kids what we are living for?

We run our business with family values in mind and we always think about the possible implications and interactions between business and personal life. Positive thinking and living help keep a healthy balance between the two. I managed to make positive thinking more than just a philosophy: it’s a way of life.

Sia, I never knew a child who wanted to be a web host when she grew up. What did you dream about becoming when you were 8 years old?

I often daydreamed about being on a farm riding and caring for horses. Actually I still do, but don’t know if I still have the energy and strength it takes. Maybe one day !

Do you find that dream of the 8 year old fits with what you’re doing now?

We have many dreams when we are young. Some are forgotten, some cherished like treasures. All these dreams have some common traits: they are bold, full of hope, magic. If I only think about these attributes, I dare say that yes, a childhood dream fits in our adult lives.

If everything moves forward ideally, where will you be three years from now?

Top of the world! Hey, it’s my dream!

How do you hope THC will change the world?

We don’t aim to change the world, we just hope to make it a little better through care, respect, honesty, attention. Everything else (like sponsoring a good cause, donating something to a school, going green) comes naturally, because we care and we want people to be happy.

THC, Sia and Eric are making it possible for us to have a second professional signer, so that our deaf participants will be able to fully understand what they won’t be able to hear.

Thank you, Sia! I feel lucky I met you.

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!





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3 Comments to “Meet Sia — the Heart of a Web Hosting Company”

  1. May 4th, 2008 at 10:47 pm
    Mary Ann said

    Liz I have had the pleasure of speaking with Sia, Eric and both of the children. Now I feel like a treasured member of the family- and I am a valued member, too. I sensed it when I spoke to them the very first time.

    Every once in a while Sia or Eric will drop a text message with Skype just to say hello. When that happens, my heart smiles big. THC consists of very warm, kind, and thoughtful business people whose personal and professional business practices emanate integrity and trust like I’ve not known in years.

    I am sold on THC’s services. I’d like to see others learn more about THC and its outstanding hosting services.

    Thank you for this post, Liz. Moreover, thank you Sia, Eric, Mihaela, and THC for being top notch human beings who genuinely care in a professional way.

  2. May 5th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
    ME Liz Strauss said

    Mary Ann,
    I can’t think of a better reason for working with someone than what you just said. :)

  3. May 5th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
    Karen Putz / DeafMom said

    A big, huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to Sia and Eric for donating the funds for the interpreters. You made such a difference for me and Stephen Hopson, the other deaf blogger. Without your generousity, we wouldn’t have been able to understand what everyone was talking about. Thank you for making SOBCon accessible to us. I look forward to a continued relationship with a great hosting company!

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