What. A. Year.

As we wrap up the year and head into the holidays (or deeper into the holidays, for those already celebrating Hanukkah), here are some overdue or additional notes of thanks, in not much of a particular order:

Mediaocean: Thanks to the whole team I've had the pleasure of working with this year. It's a phenomenal crew stacked with some of the smartest folks in the business. Aaron Goldman, Bill Wise, and co, it's nothing short of an honor. And kudos to Kirsten Maurer and team for making the branded swag look so good on Zoom calls. Or Teams. Or whatever we use.

Aside: Are you going to CES? Come meet some of the MO crew and dozens of all-star speakers at the Mediaocean Retreat Thurs-Fri 1/5-6. RSVP here. I'll be there too -- let's catch up.

Wynter: They've been the biggest supporter yet of the community. They welcome having more experienced marketers as part of their panel, so check it out, and get paid for your feedback. Added thanks to Despoina Ioannidi for leading the relationship.

Honorable mention to Swapstack, which referred other advertisers to the newsletter. Check 'em out if you're an advertiser or publisher.

Sneak preview: I'll also be using Passionfroot for booking sponsorships, including testing new formats like classified-style ads. Want to try it out?

The team: Developer Alastair Marcellan and associate Ellie Rose Almeda have been invaluable contributors behind the scenes. They deserve so much credit for keeping the newsletters and community humming.

The tech: We have two new additions to our tech stack that I'm especially excited about: Dots.community which allows me to target bulk 1:1 messages in Slack, and Reciprocity which powers our Ask/Offer functionality. I'm looking to do way more with them next year and recommend them wholeheartedly.

Events: It's been a thrill to keep working with Zack Rosenberg to grow the First Wednesday series. We've been fortunate to have the support of Marisa Flores and 212NYC New York's Digital Advertising Club this year and will keep doing more with them going forward. Join the Meetup to stay curent on when the next events are, and RSVP.

Readers: You. This newsletter wouldn't exist without you. Or it would, but I'd be the only one reading it. And that would be pitiful.

My family, my partner, and dearest friends: The past couple of years, I've been through a lot personally and professionally. Job changes, marital situation changes, new relationships, parental loss, and some family bouts of Covid were just some of what's gone on lately. Going through all this, you appreciate who's there with you on the best days and the worst days. I couldn't keep it all together without this support network. The cats are cute too.

The composition of a family can change by your choice, by others' choices, or by divine acts. As those relationships shift shapes, the importance of being surrounded by loved ones only comes into greater focus.

If there is any way this newsletter, the community, and I can be a greater resource for you in the year ahead, I'd love to hear about it as we head into 2023. 

Thanks for your presence and for being part of this journey.

David