In the spirit of the season-
 
As I reflect on this past year, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude both personally and professionally. As we close out 2009 and usher in 2010, I want to share with you a few of the reasons I have to be grateful.
 
1.     I am thankful to work for Aranya. Aaron's passion, vision and unwavering commitment to building this company are simply contagious. His energy fuels our team and creates an environment of empowerment and success each and every day. Kudos, Boss!
2.     I am thankful for my mentors. When I came in to this position, I basically had no network, few resources and very little clue as to what it was we do at Aranya (let alone the verbiage to explain it to others). The generous, collaborative spirits of people like Scott Robertson (U. Inc), Seth Meinzen (StartKC), Tracy Thomas (Tracy Thomas Advertising), Adam Anderson and Max Hobbs (Mine Academy) and Aaron Bono (my boss) helped me find my footing and build a foundation upon which to grow.
3.    I am thankful for our clients. Every day they challenge us, they push us to be better. They inspire us to be creative and require us to dig deep. We have the opportunity to work with young entrepreneurs whose energy is infectious and seasoned business people whose experience is invaluable. 
4.    I am thankful for a wealth of resources. What would I do without Brody Dorland's (Something Creative) social media expertise, Eric Massey's (NAIA Foundation) comic relief and Will Moulthrop's (Riverpoint) tech staffing talent? Where would I be without incredible opportunities for collaboration, education and motivation provided by KC Roundtable, KC Referral Network, Core Advocates and Principle Connections? What would we do without the incredible front end design talent of 20/ 20 Creative, Zing Creative and Something Creative? I am surrounded by great people, great talent and great thinkers.
 
Thomas Stallkamp said, “The secret is to gang up on the problem, rather than each other.” This past year the problem has been a down market. Countless companies have chosen to beat back the problem through a spirit of collaboration. So, to everyone who has so freely supported our efforts, advocated our abilities and fueled our success, we thank you. I thank you, wish you the happiest of holidays and look forward to the New Year!