Happy Wednesday, Folks. I wanted to take a little extra time to write this note, as it will be my final letter from the (non) Editor.

I officially started with The Message in January 2020. You’re all familiar with what happened next: Historic pandemic, followed by endless Zoom calls and long bouts of very reticent at home teaching/schooling. I’m not being trite when I say it’s been a journey.

I’m so proud of all that our team has been able to accomplish in the nearly three years that I’ve been here. We’ve gone from two newsletters a week to three, launched a paywall that put us on stronger financial footing (thank you again and always to our subscribers), created unique content verticals that celebrate our amazing community (shout out to The Mighty Women, Message in a Vodcast and The Mighty List!), and continued to watch our readership grow week after week, month after month and year after year.

I’m sure you’re wondering why I would leave after all of the success we’ve had, and the truth is, I was here to do a very specific job. Although Chris and David have indulged me by letting me write this column each week, my real goal was to create a viable business model for The Message. We’ve done exactly that and I’m proud and thankful for getting to be a part of the story.

I want to take a moment to say a heartfelt thank you to my partners Stephen and Mike: Our angel investors who are always there for support, guidance and occasional tough love—there’s no way we would have accomplished this much without you. To my daily partners in crime, Chris and David, it’s been a great ride. In the immortal words of Jon Lovitz on SNL: “I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats!” Let there be no doubt that I will be your loudest cheerleader as you continue to build this brand with the integrity and passion for which you are known industry wide.

My last day is Oct. 14 and because there’s no way I’ll get a chance to speak with everyone, I’m sending my final thank you to everyone who has put up with my Monday musings for the better part of two years. You’ve helped me feel less alone through some very weird times, and I can only hope that in some small way, The Message has helped do the same for you.

Have a good week now and always,

LB