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The 2012 Copyblogger Gratitude List

written by Sonia Simone
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The 2012 Copyblogger Gratitude List

Thursday is Thanksgiving in the States … a day devoted to family, football, and eating our own weight in pie. Two kinds, please.

And, of course, gratitude.

I probably don’t take as much time as I should to sit down and think about everything I’m grateful for. I wrote a post like this one last year, and it was surprisingly fun (and humbling). It turns out my gratitude list is embarrassingly long, and it starts (and ends) with the readers of this blog.

If I tried to list every single thing I’m grateful for, we’d all be here until after Groundhog Day. So I’ll just hit a few highlights — and hopefully find out what’s on your gratitude list this year.

Here’s my personal and very partial list.

I’m grateful for the amazing students in Teaching Sells and Third Tribe

This is a repeat from last year. We have the most passionate, motivated, hard-working, and just plain smart customers anywhere. Every day I’m knocked out by their clear vision of what they want to create, and the discipline they show to get there. It’s such an honor to work with them.

I’m grateful for the StudioPress community

Another repeat. 🙂 Brian Gardner is the kind of guy who leads by example. The warmth, the class, and the community of support shown by our StudioPress crazed fanatics valued customers is a direct reflection of the heart and soul Brian has poured into Genesis over the years.

I’m grateful to our brilliant developer team

You know what’s awesome? To come up with ideas like, “Content marketing would be 10,000 times easier if there was some software that did this …” and then have a team that can actually make that a reality. As Keanu said, Whoa.

Support, too

Our support team are the heroes of Copyblogger. It’s not often you find people who are that smart and that patient. I love this crew, they show up every day with so much grace and good humor.

And design

It’s Rafal Tomal’s job to make all of us look really, really fantastic. And he does it so beautifully. Thanks, Rafal. 🙂 I also love the video and other work that Josh Byers has been doing for us. Sweet.

Oh yeah, and a kickass writing team!

In addition to the brilliant and handsome Robert Bruce, this year we’ve added the awe-inspiring brain power of Kelton Reid, Beth Hayden, and Demian Farnworth. With this creative Dream Team, yes, we will be taking over the universe. We’ll also be writing about it.

It’s nice to have a few designated grown-ups, too

Namely Chris Garrett, Jessica Commins, and Ricardo Bueno, who have all joined our team this year. And by “grown-up” I mean “crazy talented, incredibly knowledgeable, great to work with, and slightly certifiable.”

Can’t forget Synthesis

Rumor has it you have to be a little nuts to work with Krewe Copyblogger, and our Synthesis WordPress hosting team has proven it. Derick, Jerod and the Synthesis team are lunatics for getting it right … and it shows. Thanks, guys.

I’m grateful I worked up the nerve …

To ask Brian Clark, almost five years ago, if maybe some time I could write a Copyblogger guest post. Dang, what a long strange trip that has been.

I’m grateful I was too stubborn to keep my day job

And too weird, and too argumentative in meetings, and entirely unfit for life in a normal job.

Phew. Seriously.

I’m grateful for my beautiful little family

To respect their privacy I don’t talk about them a lot, but trust me, they’re the best Big Dude and Little Dude ever.

I’m grateful to my kettlebell trainer

The small but mighty Val Hedlund is one of four women in the world to have completed the RKC Iron Maiden challenge. She’s also my trainer, responsible for my progressive addiction to kettlebells and strength training. Val’s the reason I can swing a 72-pound kettlebell without hurting myself, and yes, I think that’s a little scary, too.

I’m grateful to Seth Godin

For putting ideas into my head. Reading your work was what made me decide to take the red pill in the first place. Thank you.

I’m grateful to you

I know I said it before, but it bears repeating.

Thank you so much for reading, for commenting, for sharing the posts, for your interest and support and intelligent criticism, for keeping us honest, for buying the tools we make, for giving a damn about doing great work.

You are magnificent, and everyone at Copyblogger is supremely grateful for your time and attention.

How about you?

I want to know what you’re grateful for! Whether you’re celebrating U.S. Thanksgiving or not, it feels great to take a minute and think about what’s made your life better this year. Let us know about it in a comment below. And if you do a blog post similar to this one, give us the link so we can all come cheer you on!

P.S. – Whenever you’re ready, here are 4 ways we can help you:
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Reader Comments (53)

  2. Sonia,

    I’m grateful for the web, blogging and freedom of expression.

    I’m also grateful that we’re in a space (the Internet) that permits experimentation until you’ve refined your offering.

    Copyblogger has played a big role in my budding career as an “Entreproducer” and ever so grateful for the fabulous instruction and insight you, Brian and the other great contributing writers have furnished over the last 4 years I’ve been a reader.

    So here’s to turkey coma, loud relatives and renewed dinner table debates … Because that’s just some of the stuff great blog post ideas are made of … And one more important reason I’m grateful this holiday season :-).

  5. I’m so grateful for all of you, and most especially for Tony Clark, who allowed me to become his Lieutenant (full time! benefits!) this year and who has taught me more in 16 months than I learned throughout my entire college career…

    Never before have I enjoyed a full-time job that I would gladly do for free if money was no object. It’s wonderful to wake up every morning with excitement about what I get to do that day.

    And so… for this and so many other things I’m not going to mention in our comments, I’m grateful for everyone at Copyblogger and everyone who works with us. You’ve truly made my year. 🙂 xo

  6. Things I’m grateful for year-round:

    1) People smarter and better than me…at anything. Which is most anyone. They humble me 24/7 and teach me daily.

    2) Sites like Copyblogger who took a chance on a saucy redhead and let her rock her guest-blogging style to grow her audience.

    3) My audience. Without them, I’d merely be a crazy lady with a keyboard. Which might be true anyways, but I celebrate my audience of like-minded crazy.

    4) The challenge. To do better, more, more efficiently, to be honest (especially with myself), and on occasion, to do less.

    5) People who like hedgehogs. Because without them and their need to dress the little suckers up, I’d have a lot less content to share.

  7. I am grateful to copyblogger for sharing beautiful ideas and giving us useful guideline about a every aspect of blogging
    Thanks
    copyblogger team

  9. I’m thankful for all the people I’ve been inspired by over the years like Seth Godin, Chris Guillebeau, Tim Ferris, Leo Babauta, Patt Flynn, and of course all you awesome people at Copyblogger.

    I’m also thankful that I can do pull ups even when the New York Times tells me that as a woman, I can’t do pull ups.

    Thanks Sonia, and the rest of you, for all that you do!

  10. I am grateful for a lot of things. But for now, I am grateful for the inspiration your post brought out in me. I believe in the way copyblogger writes and it would not be wrong if I said, there is so much motivation that I get by seeing your example of starting out with an idea and making it work to reach people like myself. 🙂

    Thank you for your insight and thoughts. Have a great thanksgiving!

  11. Sonia,
    I am so glad you wrote this post. It was about a year ago when I finally jumped on Twitter and found Brian, you, and Copyblogger. I had just made the decision to leave a very lucrative day job as a professor at a large state university. I knew what I wanted to do, but was very new to the “online” game. Content marketing was a new term in my vocabulary. And of course, when you’re creating a start-up on a limited budget and time frame, things get busy in a hurry.

    Your IMSP course was invaluable for helping me to keep all of my ideas organized and my fanaticism in check. Brian’s recorded interviews on content marketing, using Google’s keyword tool, etc. gave me some great ideas. And the materials you sent me about Teaching Sells reminded me that teaching isn’t all bad (although in the traditional classroom sense, that might be another story).

    To keep this short, I’m thankful for all of you – the Copyblogger team – for your willingness to share your insights and successes with your readers. I’m finishing up my first successful year in business, and am getting ready to launch a second, teaching-based site that is already getting positive feedback in the preliminary “research” phase. I’m not sure I would have been this successful without your advice and guidance.

    My only regret? I’m not using WordPress right now (nobody’s perfect) and can’t make use of all the great tools your team has developed. Perhaps that will be a goal for the coming year. 😉 I’ve been meaning to let you guys know how much I appreciate your work. Keep it up. And THANK YOU, again! Have a wonderful holiday!

    Sincerely,
    Rob

  12. I, too, am grateful for the support, enthusiasm, and information I’ve received from new online contacts – and quite especially here at Copyblogger. You have managed to convince this married, stay-at-home mother of five teenagers that the fast approaching empty nest will be one of the most rewarding and productive times of my life. Without your expertise – freely shared – and encouragement – amply provided – Romantic Shorts would still be a nagging idea instead of the budding venture it now is.

    Keep up the great work!

  13. I am forever grateful for YOU!!! Your encouragement and fresh ideas keep this gal going. I am a small business with a big heart. I am thankful that my husband allows me to do this full time. I am also grateful for the traffic that WILL BE COMING my way and my determination to stick with it.

  14. To Sonja and everyone else at Copyblogger. I’m so grateful. Your work has improved my life so much. Thank you. I am looking forward to a much better year next year. Well done.

  15. I’m grateful for you, miss Simone, for the phrase in Freelance X Factor….”boofy haired realtors,” that made me question “do I want to make this a career?”

  16. Hi Sonia, and the copyblogger team !

    I want to thank you for the wonderful articles I read from Copyblogger …I’m so thankful for your generous sharing of your experience and expertise. I love to read every copyblogger …ever since I discovered you through a friend …my life and writing ability is not the same. Thank you and have a great vocation !!

    Solomon

  17. I am thankful for a wonderful colleague and for the chance to work side-by-side with him.

    I am thankful that my mom is winning her battle with the breast cancer beast.

    And lastly, I am incredibly thankful that I got to have real world face time this year with 10+ friends and family members who live out-of-state. What a gift!!!

  21. I am thankful for the great content you have dripped to me over the last year. I signed up for one of your free classes on writing and I loved it.

    Rick

  22. I’m thankful for our customers and audience, because none of this matters without you.
    I’m also thankful for the great team we’ve got at CBM — every day I’m one step closer to becoming dispensable. 😉

  23. Thank you Sonia for writing the post: “Why You Can’t Make Money Blogging”

    Changed freelancing and my life.

  24. Grateful for my work in front of a computer, and my life in Costa Rica that’s supported by it all. And my family. Three kids and a sexy wife – it’s everything a man could ask for.

  25. Sonia,

    Thank you for the kind words. I am absolutely thrilled to be part of the team. It’s been a long time since I’ve been amped up about an opportunity. It’s truly a privilege. I look forward to taking over the universe with you and the gang–and I AM SO GLAD YOU DIDN’T INCLUDE ME IN THE LIST OF DESIGNATED ADULTS.

    That would’ve been entirely too much pressure.

    Here are ten things I’m grateful for:

    1. My wife for putting up with my antics for the last fifteen years. I knew I picked a winner when she refused to live in my mom’s basement and said I had to get a job.

    2. My children who laugh at all of my jokes. Who look like my spitting image. Who humor me when I’m grumpy (which is absolutely rare, people. RARE). Who are unapologetic creative types. And that I have the awesome responsibility of raising them.

    3. That I get to be a writer. That I get to inform, instruct and persuade people with the written word. That I get the opportunity to master that craft.

    4. Books. I love you. Deeply.

    5. America, and her absurd abundance in all things material like plumbing and Kohl’s and beef. May I never take that for granted.

    6. For every single Copyblogger reader who has read, commented or shared my posts. You make me nuts with happiness.

    7. Naps.

    8. Dreams. Like the one with the image consultant missing his two front teeth because it was “in.” Or the one about the sasquatch trapped in a white man’s body. Who needs direct TV when you have dreams like that?

    9. Brian Clark and his ambition, vision and ability to attract talent. His giving me the chance to put my weight behind CBM. Not to mention his exceptional knack for making connections where there absolutely shouldn’t be any–like between Purple Rain and online marketing.

    10. The cross of Christ. May I never be ashamed of it.

    Happy Thanksgiving EVERYONE.

    P.S. Did I mention I loved books?

  26. We don’t really have a day to stop and give thanks here in Australia – I think that’s a pity.
    One word springs to mind when I give thanks – ABILITY
    I love that I have been blessed with ability and make the most of everything I have been given.
    I love that I am inspired by others like the copyblogger team who take abilty to a whole new level.
    Thankyou.
    xSiita

  27. I”m grateful to Copyblogger for providing so much useful information over the years. Always the first stop for me when I have time to spare!

  28. I’m thankful for the great books out there that inspired me to want to tell stories, and that made me believe the world should hold space for more than just day-in, day-out labor at a job you don’t (and never will) love.

    I’m thankful for great communities online that offer the chance to meet folks outside my otherwise hermit-like existence.

    I’m thankful for the people who talk with me in other languages, even if I’m just a rough beginner, so I have the chance to move beyond proficiency in only English.

    And I’m thankful for the friends and family who have supported me in life, because I wouldn’t be here without them.

    (On a side note: 72 pound kettlebell? Dang, Sonia! That’s awesome!)

  29. this got me thinking, rather than complain about traffic and income from my online IM/AM efforts I need to list what I’m grafteful for. It would be a welcome become and help me focus my mind on the things that can make a real impact on my site. Thanks for put the idea in my head.

    Lewis

  30. Sonia,

    I am grateful for the opportunity the web provides to ALL to start over and do something worthwhile no matter what age you may be (currently 52)…

    …and for sites like Copyblogger that guide us in the right direction…

    …and for writers like you who try (and succeed) to make things clear and easier for us.

    I recently relocated to Germany with my wife and two kids, and not speaking the language, The internet and blogging have opened all kinks of doors for me.

    Thanks for all your great advice. I use it daily.

  31. I’m cheered and inspired reading your post. So important even in the difficult times and difficulties to keep thanking. Because there always is something to be grateful for and we’re almost always doing better than we think. I am grateful every day for my wonderful husband who survived traumatic brain injury 20 years ago and is now tirelessly and steadfastly pursuing his doctorate…a true miracle. I am thankful for my beautiful daughters. Though mostly grown–35, 24, 22, and 18–they bring me unending joy. I am thankful for my new website http://www.CirclesOfFaith.org and for my co-founder Kimberly, without whom I would not have had the courage to start this site. I’m thankful for my mom, who has Alzheimer’s…but is happier than she’s ever been before. Read about that here…http://ourstoriesgodsglory.blogspot.com/ And I am thankful for God the creator of Heaven and Earth!!

  33. Hi Sonia, I’m grateful for everything present, grateful for everything you guys sharing with us and greater things coming in the future!.Thanks heaps.

  34. I am grateful for so many things. A few of my highlights:

    Joining Teaching Sells: Getting advice and support from you and Chris has been great and I am very grateful.
    Graduating from college: Surrounding yourself with smarter and more ambitious people is such a privilege.
    My blog: A place where I can connect and help my own little crew of crazy like-minded people. They’re awesome 🙂

    As Sarah Caldwell said:

    “Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can – there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.”

  36. Totally love your gratitude list Sonia. For me, i just want to gratitude all of the small success that i’ve gained through my blog in 2012. I also want to thank Google that has slapped my blog mercilessly. Really.

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