I love this time of the year.  It’s the time we look forward to the year to come with awe and excitement and wonder.  We dream and we vision what we will make.  We also take this time to look back.  What did we do?  What did we fail to do?  And hopefully, how did we succeed?   But what I noticed was, I did not do any of it alone.  So…here are some of the things that I am most proud of from 2016…and those that helped me make them happen.

Fan of Happy:  As I look back at 2016, one of the things I am most proud of is the book Fan of Happy.  Many of you know this was a group of 110 lessons that I wrote for my daughters, Skylar and Jade.  These lessons turned out to be well received by people of all ages…so that was super cool.  This was a labor of love and I want to thank them both for inspiring me to write it.  I love you both.  Thanks for inspiring me to be better than yesterday.

Side note:  Thanks to Bill Petrie and Russ Fehrman for acting as editors for this book.  These guys did this out of the kindness of their hearts…and I so appreciate the effort!

Episode 100 of Delivering Marketing Joy:  Interviewing Seth Godin for the Delivering Marketing Joy web show has been a goal since I started it.  Seth was gracious enough to join me for Episode 100 and I SO appreciate him doing it.  Thank you Seth.  But I think I would be remiss if I did not thank Mark Graham for introducing me to Seth in the first place.  So thanks to you too Mark!

Skylar Dancing to Thailand:  2016 was a big year for Skylar as she graduated from High School and then headed off to Kent State to study dance.  But the thank you goes out to everyone who is supporting her as she chases her dancing dream.  She is heading (with the Kent State dance program) to Thailand to perform and teach, and countless people donated and bought t-shirts (and encouraged her)…so thank you.

Jade Starts JAD Cosmetics:  In addition, 2016 saw the beginning of JAD Cosmetics, which is a private label cosmetics line from my youngest.  She is just beginning but I love that she is spreading her entrepreneurial wings.  Thanks to everyone who has supported her so far.

unScripted with Bill Petrie:  This year marked the beginning of the Promo Podcast unScripted with my buddy Bill Petrie.  Bill and I surprise each other with topics each week and give an inside look (or listen) to what our conversations sound like.  It’s fun and (hopefully) we create some conversations worth having.  Thanks to Bill for doing this with me.  And thanks to our band of loyal listeners like Harvey, Jon, Johanna and the rest of the bunch.

Oh…and of course thank you to PromoCorner for putting the Podcast in the world.  Joel Moore and Bruce Sachenski are huge supporters and I so appreciate it!

Speaking Events:  Hopefully 2016 was just the beginning of more and more speaking events.  I really enjoy it!  Thanks so much to PPAI for inviting me to EXPO, Mark and Catherine Graham for having me at SkuCon, the SAAC Show in Long Beach and the Geiger Team for having me speak at the Galleria!  Wow!  I want to give a special shout out to Janet McMaster who put her neck on the line by inviting me.  I am so glad I didn’t let you down.

Oh…and if you ever want to brighten someone’s day, ask Janet how to leave a message on Thanksgiving.  She left me one that brought a tear to my eye.  Thanks Janet!

PromoKitchen:  If you are in the Promo World and you don’t know about PromoKitchen, now is your chance.  PromoKitchen is a group that wants to elevate the industry through mentorship and education.  It’s a great mission.  More than that, it’s a great group of people that really want to make a difference.  Thanks to all the PK Chefs for working to make a difference in the industry.  It helps us all.

Hasseman Marketing Team; A huge and sincere thank you goes out to everyone (current and previously) on the Hasseman Marketing team.  We have had another great year, and I am excited about what is to come!  So thank you to Libbie Granger-Prince, Dustin Haywood, Josh Williams, Jeff Wickerham, Momma Hasseman, Chris Kirkhope, Eric Dingler, Julie Arnold and Amy Hasseman (more on you soon).  You guys are making everything we do happen!  I SO appreciate it!

Oh…and spoiler alert…we will be adding a new team member VERY soon!  🙂

Entrepreneur Dude Team:  I was struggling with how to classify this group.  Do you have a group of people who you run things past?  If you have a crazy idea or a business thought or a problem, you look to them for advice.  Me too.  2016 would simply not have been the same without them.  So thanks to Patrick Clark, Bill Petrie, Jim Brown, Mark Graham, Jason Given, Danny Rosin, Todd Brown, Dana Zezzo, Matt Miller, Marty Hagerty, Phil Hunt…and more.  Whether I need help thinking through an idea or moving a fridge…these guys step up.

Hasseman Brewing Begins:  Speaking of crazy business ideas, Hasseman Brewing is just in its infancy.  We have applied for license and have a ton of work to do.  But thanks to Jason Given and Patrick Clark for jumping in on this with me.  I am really excited to see where this could go!

He Said/She Said:  Okay…so we created this piece of content this year and it’s fun (especially if you watch to the end).  But this really gives me the chance to say “thank you” to the one that makes me want to do any of this in the first place.  Thanks to Amy Hasseman for helping me make a life where it’s okay to take chances and stretch myself.  As I have said before, you make me want to be a better man.  So thank you for that.  Really…thanks.

Now that I have said “thank you” let me also say “I am sorry.”  I am sure that I have left out countless awesome people that have helped me make this year great.  It was not on purpose…I promise!  So please help me give a shout out to anyone I missed.  Thanks again to each of you for being a part of my life in 2016…and beyond!

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