A little acknowledgment to ACL’s second full year of holding down this corner of the internets. The past year has been some of the best of times and some of the worst. Of amazing opportunities and of difficult challenges. Things will never be the same for me as a person after these past 12 months — it has been a year of learning and self assessment, a time forged of realigned priorities and hope for new possibilities. I’m happy to have come out of it with both feet firmly planted on the ground. In my everyday life I tend to consciously or subconsciously use a lot of my father’s sayings (something our family has come to know as “CJisms”) and one of them came up more than the others in 2009. With business being tough, everyone would ask how I was doing (not really about ACL, about my “day Job”) and I would always reply with a CJism via Benjamin Franklin. I would say: “I wake up everyday and check the obituaries, as long as I’m not listed it is a good day.” That’s how I felt for most of the year.
That’s not to say good things haven’t happened or it wasn’t a good year, it was just tough. I’m happy with what ACL has become and I am still excited to post and share things with everyone everyday. I’m also happy people support the little companies on The American List. Every once in a while I get an email from people at the companies listed, they are always gracious and appreciative of the list. I treasure those emails, and the thought that collectively we are making a difference. More than anything, I’m grateful that you guys choose to spend part of your day with me. I’ve learned to take things less personally and to roll with all of the BS that comes with something like ACL.
At the end of the day (or year as it may be), I’m happy for the friendships ACL has brought me — and you guys know who you are. I want to specifically thank the fellas at GQ for the support and for taking a chance on an unknown kid. Andrew Comer, Adam Rapoport and Michael Hainey — thank you. Bobby Solomon for all of your hard work in making ACL look and work great — I owe you one (or ten). I also specifically want to mention a few people that really mean a lot to me and have been unwavering supporters both personally and professionally: Sean Sullivan, Randy Goldberg, David Coggins, Nick Maggio, Mordechai Rubinstein, Josh Moore, Jason Ross, Nick Schonberger, Mark McNairy, Aaron Levine, Brian Awitan and Paul Witt. Much respect and thanks for everything. Look forward to more in 2010.
-MW
Related: ACL | One in the Books
