Allow me to kick off this post with a bit of truth: I've written, deleted, and re-written it over and over, trying to make it perfect, or at least worthy of a "farewell." Unfortunately, those perfect words haven't come yet, so I figured I'd just do what I do in my personal conversations: just come out with it.
I'm very happy to announce that I'm passing the WeddingIQ torch to a trusted colleague whose contributions to this blog, and to the wedding industry, are well-known; someone whose star is definitely on the rise when it comes to speaking to, consulting with and educating event business owners: Kevin Dennis of California-based Fantasy Sound.
My reasons for giving Kevin the reins are many, and I'll probably discuss them all at some point over on my personal site. For now, I'll just say that my co-editor, Kyle, and I were in agreement that it was time for this blog to have a fresh perspective, one that was more influential than any guest posts could be. Kevin is not only a leader in the wedding marketplace, but he's also significantly more involved in the day-to-day realities of wedding business owners and their staffs than I've been in years. We have no doubt that Kevin and his team will bring quality, relevant content to this site, which matters to me more than I can say.
Because, as most regular readers know, relevance has always been one of my most important goals for WeddingIQ. I've always wanted the posts here to speak to the realities of wedding business ownership, not just the "fluff." And I believe someone with more involvement in those realities is an ideal candidate for being at the helm of the site.
As important as relevance is to me, authenticity means just as much, and in my own efforts to be authentic, always, I should probably acknowledge that I've taken a new career path in recent weeks, in an industry completely separate from weddings and events. And truth be told, I think I'm in love. 20 years is a very long time to be in one field, and 13+ years is a crazy long time to be doing one specific job (in my case, owning and operating a wedding DJ business in which I'm not, and never have been, one of the performers). I was ready for a change.
While I still own MyDeejay, and am fortunate to have an amazing colleague managing all its operations (with the same high standards she and our team have always upheld), most of my time is now taken up doing this new work. And WeddingIQ deserves more focus, more involvement and more diversity of voices. It's evolving, just as I am. And I couldn't be more proud to turn it over.
Again, I'll share more of my thoughts at some point, and will most likely pop into the WeddingIQ blog as a guest contributor now and then. I'll also continue to be a contributor to WeddingWire's Education Center, and can be seen at select speaking engagements in the coming months, including Mobile Beat 2017 in Las Vegas. Kyle will still be around, too, operating her photography business, exploring new creative outlets and getting into new adventures with yours truly.
I have total confidence that everyone who reads WeddingIQ is going to love the new owner and editorial team, and I'm eager to continue following the conversation here. I'm also gratefully accepting all good vibes for this next chapter of my life.
As I finish up this last "official" post as WeddingIQ's owner and editor, a Paolo Coelho quote comes to mind:
"If you're brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello."
With that, I'm signing off to answer that hello, and I can't wait to share more whenever we meet again. Until then, friends...
Hello, everyone!
I can say with confidence that much of our company's success over the years can be attributed to our continuing education. As WIPA national’s immediate past president and NACE Silicon Valley’s chapter president, I’ve been afforded the opportunity to learn a great deal from experts in the field.
So it’s with that, I’m thrilled to take over the reins from Jennifer and Kyle and continue the successful venture that they’ve created with WeddingIQ. My goal is to continue their stellar work while serving as an informational hub for all wedding professionals.
Stay tuned for more great articles, guest contribution and industry updates.
Best,
Kevin
