Acknowledgments

Kim and Carol,

This is the part at the very beginning of a book where the author thanks the people who made them who they are. That is you. 💌

Thank you. I wouldn’t be here without you. Not even close. And thank you for taking this cub 🐻 under your wing, for showing me what it means to be fearless, and for being the kind of guides who protect, nurture, and push with equal parts heart and fire. You were like mama bears—watchful, fierce, and impossible to forget. You believed in me when I couldn’t believe in myself and gave me the courage to keep moving forward, even when the path felt uncertain.

In an industry that can feel like a mix of rollercoasters and sometimes puzzles missing half their pieces, you two have been my anchors . You cheered me on when I doubted myself. Guided me when I was lost. And, somehow saw potential in me when I could not see it in myself. You showed me that success isn’t just about skill or strategy. It’s about heart and having people in your corner who truly believe in you 🌈.

Carol, you’re my Gandalf 🪄. Wise and somehow always dropping exactly the right words at exactly the right time. You make impossible feel possible. Help me see clarity in chaos. Even reminded me that strength can be gentle and fearless all at once ✨.

Kim, you are a force of nature. Your support and belief in me has meant more than I can say without starting to tear up and looking ridiculously ugly. You remind me to keep going. To get busy. Trust myself. And, to be brave even when it’s uncomfortable. Your faith in me has been a light in moments when I didn’t know which way to turn, and your energy makes the impossible feel like something I can reach for.

You both reminded me that in this industry, you can find family 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦. You reminded me that mentorship isn’t just guidance. it’s about presence, protection, and encouragement. You lift people up and let them grow into themselves while reminding them they’re never alone.

Thank you for bringing this cub 🐻 into your care, for cheering me on, guiding me, and showing me how to be fearless in an ever-changing industry that is advertising💖🔥.

You helped me find my voice, my courage, and my own fire in a ever-changing world, which is called life 🔥.

These are lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my career—and my life.

Love you both. 🌈🔥✨

And, thanks,Courtney Lanius, Erin Kube, Jodi Cohen, Margaret Bentz, Michele Daly, Tammy Skuraton, Beth Sasseen, Meggie, Dannielle Boozer, Amy Juel, Jesse Triplett, Nicole Gordon, Ayana Picariello.

Inspirations

Just some inspirations, the kind of stuff that lives in my head and probably explains why this platform exists. I’ve always felt a little like Billy Costigan, just trying to figure things out while staying true to who I am. Music like Nirvana, the Pixies, Kendrick Lamar, Outkast, A Tribe Called Quest, Amyl and the Sniffers, the Melvins, and the old Kanye, characters like Django, Dean Winchester, Rick Grimes, Billy Butcher, Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, plus Kobe Bryant’s last NBA game, video games like KOTOR 1, Red Dead 2, and The Last of Us Part 1, and worlds like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars — all of it makes me feel alive.

Barack Obama (not really into politics, but I do support people’s rights — especially abortion rights and LGBTQ+ rights), Phil Lynott, and Kurt Kobain are the only influential people I really look up to, because the ability to tell stories with real depth and knowledge is rare, and they do it like nobody else. Late-night Hot Pockets, old wrestling matches, heroes who screw up but keep going, and figuring life out like everyone else. It’s a weird mix, but it shaped how I think and how I wanted this space to feel: real and for people still finding their own path.