Getting Sentimental
Last weekend I went to a wedding. Yes, I cried.
Our family has been incredibly blessed over the years to have the support of wonderful “extra parents” who’ve helped with the kids, with family transitions, and with life’s stresses.
When Carter was born we brought on a new babysitter from church – a Jr. High girl named “Miss Emilia” – who has been a part of our family for more than a decade since. Health challenges? She was there. Sick kids? First one with a care package. A dyslexia diagnosis? She learned the Barton System and became a weekly tutor. When we began our foster care journey, she was the first person to show up to help get kids settled, groceries purchased, and shoes sized.
Now she’s a teacher at the local school and Mrs. Emilia. *sniff*
Talk about transitions. One of the benefits of times like these, though, is that they force you to take stock and reflect on life’s blessings.
One of the greatest blessings of my life continues to be my time here at Resch Strategies. That’s due to a lot more than just the client work and the food on the table.
I’m surrounded by a really excellent team here, too. I don’t tell them enough – and chances are you don’t know enough about them, either.
Matt makes it all go. He’s a genuinely next-level strategist, a tremendous leader, a gifted writer and a great friend. Man is he good in meetings. He’s the kind of guy you want to bend over backwards to make happy because that’s the kind of effort he models every day. Most importantly, he possesses that rarest of qualities in Lansing and in politics. Matt is a good man.
I’ve collaborated with Stephanie for more than a decade. She handles complex research like getting out of bed in the morning. She can write circles around most public relations gurus. First one in. Last one out. Unstoppable work ethic.
When I grow up I want to have half the interpersonal wisdom as Anna Heaton. Yeah, yeah, she’s top of her field as a writer and a strategist. What impresses me most about her, though, is her ability to handle different, complicated, and sometimes difficult (raising my hand) personalities with calm and this quiet patience that I really, really covet.
If you’re reading the Resch Strategies blog you probably know that Joe Becsey just got a shiny new well-deserved title. Earned it. If you’ve worked with Joe you know he’s brilliant, but you might not fully realize just how creative the guy is. The Cold Oatmeal podcast? It never happens without Joe. The latest techno-tools we’re using on behalf of clients around the office? Good bet Joe either discovered them, troubleshot them, or taught us all how to use them. His Christmas cards make the trip to the mailbox an Event. What I probably value most, though, is his wit and his incredibly unique charm. I’m lying. What I value most is that he’s the one person in the office who doesn’t roll his eyes at my attitude on a Monday morning after a tough Broncos loss.
Laura has been my friend for years. She’s an almost supernaturally talented event planner. She manages high stress, high dollar productions like she’s ordering lunch. She’s also one of the best people I know. She’s the first person to ask about your family – and to actually help. Off the clock. Away from the office.
I think Nikki is actually a genius. Her brain functions on a level mine doesn’t even understand. Her capacity to immediately master (or fool me into thinking she immediately masters) evolving digital strategies, digital tools, and digital languages is legit astounding. My favorite part about being on client Zooms with Nikki is listening to her work and watching everyone else on the call immediately start to nod their heads and smile.
I’ve only just scratched the surface with Sean, but I’m so happy he joined our team. He’s a perfect fit. If he’s got a professional weakness, I haven’t learned it yet. I’m more impressed, though, with his character. He prioritizes his faith and his wife and his baby girl. And it’s so obvious how much he loves them. The Capitol City could use a lot more of that.
Then there’s Carly. Somebody’s going to nominate her for one of those fancy newspaper lists one of these days. Top 30 under 30. Then top 40 under 40. Then CEOs to Know. Or… whatever list she wants to be dominating at that point in her life. Work product: 5 stars. Work ethic: 5 stars. Skills: All of them. Weaknesses: None of them. Carly just makes everything better. I don’t think she realizes yet quite how talented she is.
See? I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting lately. Came to a pretty easy conclusion.