A Fresh Idea Makes Letting Go, Embracing Change Easy (Opinion)

I’m back.

That’s what I wrote back in January, the first time I filled this space with a column intended to be a mix of sports and business.

It’s hard to believe seven months have gone by since then.

When I wrote that column, I introduced it by recounting my sportswriting days, and particularly those when I was blessed enough to write a weekly column for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

I also relayed my one, overarching goal during those Democrat-Gazette days: to simply write what I believed to be the truth, especially as it related to University of Arkansas athletics. My goal was to write what I thought a Hog fan would want to know.

Similarly, I’ve been trying to fill this space with content that is interesting, thought-provoking and hopefully entertaining, too, at least on some level. I’ve tried to provide a unique perspective not just on all things Razorback, but the many other sports-related happenings in Northwest Arkansas.

Judging by the response from you, the reader, I have hit a few home runs. Admittedly, I have not hit them with the frequency of an Albert Pujols, and that’s OK. Hopefully, the ones I did hit were memorable, a la Bucky Dent.

All of this, really, is a long way of saying I’m ready to put down my bat. I, and the rest of the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal staff, will continue to provide you with meaningful sports business content. We’ll just do it in a different way.

To put it even more bluntly, my heart just isn’t in it, it being this column. I haven’t had the time and/or energy to write it the way I believe it needs to be written. And as those who know me best would tell you, I do not like to do anything halfway.

The good news for you, our readers, is this column will be replaced with something infinitely more interesting than my musings on attendance at Bud Walton Arena or the financial impact of the Walmart FLW Tour when it comes to town. This column will be replaced by your stories.

As many of you already know, our next issue – Aug. 22 – will be the latest installment of our ever-popular Forty Under 40 program.

If you don’t know, the Business Journal annually honors 40 individuals under the age of 40 who were nominated as best in class by their peers in all industries.

The issue and the luncheon to recognize the honorees are a must-see and must-do, respectively, for those who want to get to know the best and brightest Northwest Arkansas has to offer.

The featured speaker at this year’s Aug. 23 luncheon, by the way, is David Glass, former president and CEO at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and current chairman and CEO of the Kansas City Royals.

Having once been part of a press junket to a Royals game that included sharing a private flight with him and a few others, I assure you Mr. Glass knows how to tell a story.

Back to the matter at hand, though, we’re also happy to announce we’ll be celebrating our 15th version of Forty Under 40 in each upcoming issue. How, exactly, will we do that?

Essentially, it will work like this: Each issue, beginning Aug. 22, will feature a past Forty Under 40 honoree. In that sense, we will provide readers content by and about you.

These mini-features will take a look at why we decided to recognize past Forty Under 40 honorees in the first place.

Consider it a history lesson of sorts, most likely with some bad haircuts included.

There will be more to this effort than simply looking back, though. Life, we think, is more about looking forward.

With that in mind, we’ll take a look at what honorees have done in the years since they appeared in these pages. We’ll look at the lessons they’ve learned, what they’re doing now and where they’re headed.

There will be tales of triumph and tales of woe, and tales of everything between the two.

We believe that is a winning formula, one that will provide a valuable and entertaining service to our readers.

So, with that, I am leaving this space happily and having had a lot of fun. Or, in other words, I’m gone.

It’s your turn.