acroSS the Board

Deep end of the pool

When I was younger, everything felt like I was in the deep end of the pool. Whether it was by chance or my own decisions, it was a feeling like I was barely holding on, gasping for air and happy when I didn’t drown. Looking back, a lot of lessons are learned in the deep end of the pool.

As I’ve gotten older it seems that I try to avoid the deep end of the pool. Yes, there are always chances to take and I joke that just getting up in the morning is a risk, but it’s not the same. I wonder if this is a case of “wisdom” as you get older, or is it fear? It’s hard to blame anyone for staying in the shallow end—it is safe, predictable, comfortable. It can also get a little boring.

There has been a “little” project that I’ve wanted to tackle for over a decade now. In reality, it’s not so little and to me, not unimportant. It’s one of those “callings” that just keeps nagging you but practicality always seems to talk me back from the ledge. How should I reconcile this? As a young man with fewer responsibilities and the grace that comes from being “young and stupid,” you could chase these whims and when they fail, it’s chalked up to a “good try.” But now, with a business, a family, and enough experience to “know better,” if it flops it’s going to feel different.

This year celebrates our 100th year of service to this great industry. No small feat in any business, but media publishing is especially brutal. Finding the content that an audience values is not easy, and delivering it in this growing sea of “noise” at times feels like a losing battle. But every month for 100 years, we’ve found a way to do just that. At this stage, not only do we know you, but we know your family and, in most cases, the prior generations who are to blame for the career that you “chose.” Every morning when you come to work, we’ve met you there. This year, we are launching many new things that, hopefully, will serve you and your future generations for another 100 years although I have to admit, it’s hard for me to imagine what that will look like.

In this journey however, I’ve made a lot of great friends and realized that I’m not alone in this country that at times feels like a foreign land. I’ve worked hard to live by a set of values that in my heart has always felt “right.” That I

Patrick S. Adams

Publisher/President padams@526mediagroup.com love this country and my family, and that I try to live in a way that does more good than harm. Where I live however, I’m surrounded by such a mixture of culture and values that oftentimes I feel alone in this. It has been this industry that reminds me that I’m not alone.

So for the past year, I’ve jumped into the deep end of the pool yet again to work on this little project that has been pestering me during the quiet hours. Something that will serve us for the time when we are not on the job. Something the reflects the people we are, instead of only serving what we do. Hopefully, it is something that reminds us we are not alone and also, reminds us that the American dream is alive and well. Next month, this mystery will be revealed starting with each of you because you are my inspiration to not be afraid. Every day, you get up before the sun, work in an industry where a million things can go wrong, do your best, and then go home to your family. You’re not afraid of the deep end and so, neither will I be.

I think I’ve teased this long enough for now and will let it rest until next month, where I will find out from each of you first whether or not I should have stayed out of the pool. In the meantime, I’m always grateful for the opportunity to serve each of you and this great industry.