This is my last column for a while. But wait: Don’t go anywhere.
I’m taking a couple months off — something I haven’t done in my, um, 48 years as a working professional. I’ve got just a few plans — a bit of travel, some long-delayed projects, a pile of reading. But mostly, I’ll just … be. Or, at least, I’ll try. It’s something new for me and, to be honest, a bit scary.
Think of it as my mental rewilding.
In nature, rewilding can involve restoring habitats and ecological systems that have been lost or degraded, or simply leaving things alone so that nature can do what comes — well, naturally. That’s a fair approximation of what I’m looking forward to in the coming months: a combination of feeding my body and soul as well as just leaving things be and seeing what sprouts.
When I return in September, I plan to continue writing for GreenBiz.com, focusing on longer-form, deeper-dive pieces than my weekly newsletter deadline has afforded. I’ll also continue to be engaged in a variety of other roles, including as chairman of the board of GreenBiz Group, contributing to our events, attending meetings of our peer networks, mentoring my colleagues and supporting GreenBiz.org, our nonprofit arm focusing on advancing professionals of color in sustainability.
I’m. Absolutely. Not. Retiring. Not even close.
This is an opportune time for me to rethink my role in this amazing, dynamic company.
In the mean time, I’m passing the reins of GreenBuzz, my weekly newsletter for nearly 20 years, to my friend and talented colleague Dylan Siegler, who leads GreenBiz’s programs for the corporate sustainability community, including our annual GreenBiz conference. At the same time, I’ll hand our weekly podcast, GreenBiz 350, to my esteemed co-host, journalist Heather Clancy, who will take a summer hiatus and be back in the fall with a fresh approach.
This is a pivotal moment for GreenBiz Group, and an opportune time for me to rethink my role in this amazing, dynamic company. We’re growing steadily, thanks to a C-suite of seasoned professionals and a badass group of thinkers and doers at every level of the organization — nearly 80 people and counting. Under the leadership of CEO Eric Faurot, we’re leaning into some exciting new products and services that we believe will fuel our growth and impact — and, of course, help you accelerate your impact, too. More on those in the coming months.
It’s that solid foundation that’s contributed to my ability to step back from day-to-day activities to focus on more strategic plans and products.
Writing this column and newsletter each week has been a joy. I’ve tried to cover a broad range of topics — things you were likely expecting and, I’m certain, some things you weren’t. The topics, above all, have reflected my own curiosities and idiosyncrasies, the musings and explorations of someone who’s been around this field for more than three decades but who still has an insatiable appetite for learning what’s new and what’s next.
Please accept my humble thanks for your readership and listenership these many years. Your feedback, both positive and negative — all of it instructive — has been critical to my learning and growth. Writing for you each week has been an honor and a privilege.
As I said, there’s more to come — but first, a little rewilding.
So long, for now. I’ll see you in September.
