This one, however, is going to be a little bit different, in that I'm going to be a little more candid, and a little less, well, seasonal.
This year, I'm thankful that...
> I no longer rely on online banners to pay the bills.
What a year for digital, honestly. Starting with the slow-moving avalanche that was the end of Flash, going to the growing horror that was maladvertising, and ending with the increasing mainstream nature of ad blocking, and you just had a year unlike any other in the two decades that this has been, well, a thing. I still believe in the medium, if only because there's too much money in it, and I believe that tech will solve many of the problems that it's caused. But for the time being, it's nice -- really nice -- to not have to defend all of the issues of the medium.
> I have no equity in my last gig.
This seems odd, but honestly, I am thankful my options were underwater and pointless to exercise, and the entire sum and substance of the past gig is now something I can brush off my shoulder. There's a value in being able to speak openly about an experience, and to not have to, in any way, "root" for the enterprise. Clean break and move on and no, um, you know, given.
> My network has never been better.
From the designers that we've worked with at M&AD, to the old friends and contacts that I've caught up with, 2015 has been a great year for conversations and renovation. There's no such thing, when you work in the Wild West of digital marketing and advertising, as true job security, but an active and engaged personal network makes that ugly reality a little easier to take. And honestly, some of the people in my world are just game changers. (By the way, if you are looking for people, ping me. Got
> Health, and the health of loved ones.
It's not something you get to just take for granted, honestly. The time commitment to maintaining such things is not an easy thing to carve out, given the other parts of my day. You also get to the point of reading obits for people in your demographic. It's not something anyone gives thanks for, until it's entirely too important. Be grateful.
> The current gig.
It's in a challenging category with great opportunities, in a medium that has exceptional advantages, for a management team that's supportive and respectful, without any dead weight co-workers. The work-life balance is dramatically better, and while there are aspects to it that I'd change, no problems look like they are just going to be the same for, well, years. And I'm learning new stuff. If I can't be thankful for that, I'm doing it wrong.
What are you thankful for this year?
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Feel free to comment, as well as like or share this column, connect with me on LinkedIn, or email me at davidlmountain at gmail dot com, or hit the top right RFP fields. RFPs are always free, and we hope to hear from you soon.
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