Opinion: It’s farewell but not goodbye

I knew this day was coming. It doesn’t make it any easier.

Never did I imagine when I took my first job out of college to join Springfield Business Journal as a green reporter that it would take me this far. But I’m sure glad it did. That was in September of 2000. This March 25 publication marks my final with SBJ and puts a capstone on a 23-year career with this media company.

Wow. I know what bittersweet tastes like now.

As SBJ reported recently, I’ve accepted a position as publisher of a division of Arkansas Business Publishing Group. This is a natural next step in my career, and it’s a big opportunity that’s come at the right time.

However, I’m not leaving the Springfield community. In today’s work world, ABPG President Mitch Bettis understands the new dynamics and crafted a hybrid work schedule with strategic travel to the Little Rock headquarters and target markets. I’m grateful to him that I can remain in Springfield for family and community involvement I intend to keep for the foreseeable future: chairing Artsfest this year and finishing out my term on the Springfield Regional Arts Council board; continuing on the leadership team for our budding chapter of the Urban Land Institute and then getting connected with the northwest Arkansas chapter; serving on the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council; participating on the United Way of the Ozarks Community Investment Panel; and other volunteering. I suspect over time I’ll peel off some of those things and open the door for others. I also will look for opportunities to get involved in similar business-building community endeavors in the northwest and northeast Arkansas markets where the ABPG team sees opportunities for business and product development.

I must say, everything I’ve learned in business, I’ve learned from my work at SBJ. I’ve learned it from mother-daughter publishers Dianne Elizabeth Osis, who courageously founded Missouri’s first business journal in 1980 and whose legacy remains in the industry, and her successor, daughter Jennifer Jackson, who has balanced leadership with her head and heart in an impressive way to me. I’m greatly indebted to them both.

Incoming publisher and future owner Marty Goodnight quickly influenced me this year in the way he approaches company culture, values individual skill sets and encourages a team. No doubt in my mind SBJ is in great shape, especially with Executive Editor Christine Temple’s communication and management skills directing the newsroom, and with the sales and design teams hitting their strides. While realizing my time with SBJ is coming to an end, there’s also excitement about the future – for me and the more-than-capable team at SBJ.

There are many other manager leaders I’ve learned from in SBJ’s office over the years. I’ve also learned about business from fellow editors, reporters, sales executives and from countless interviews with business and community leaders and entrepreneurs. I have sincere thankfulness for each of those work relationships and how we made each other better through it all.

This profession is not about the journalist; rather it’s about the people, businesses and connections made around editorial and advertising content.

I am full of gratitude. Period.

But this has been the hardest column for me to write. I feel like I’ve stumbled through these words – and there are so many more passing through my mind, along with many names and faces of colleagues and sources over the years. Guess that’s normal when making a longtime company or career change – I wouldn’t know till now, being it’s my first!

A great thank you to all those who have reached out directly to me and shared kind and encouraging words over the phone and in texts, emails and on social media. I will miss being in this role and working in business together here.

But I know the move is the right next step to advance my career.

So, to my Springfield network, I hope to continue to see and connect with you, and if you do business in Arkansas, I’m sure we’ll cross paths there, too.

It’s time to write the next chapter.

Springfield Business Journal Editorial Vice President Eric Olson can be reached at eolson@sbj.net.