Six years ago this week, I joined ERE Media to tackle what seemed at the time like an overwhelming project: Develop a new blog/website focused on HR and talent management.
My first thought on Day 1? What the hell did I get myself into?
Today, 72 months later, as I prepare to depart TLNT and ERE Media, I scratch my head and wonder — how did I manage to build a brand like TLNT, anyway?
It took about three months from when I started, but back on June 22, 2010, ERE Media launched TLNT with the hope that it would resonate with smart managers, executives and HR professionals looking for high quality news, trends, insights, and analysis about the world of talent management and HR.
You will have to be the judge, but I think we’ve done a pretty good job accomplishing that.
It’s been a labor of love
For me, TLNT has always been a labor of love. It was scary, at first, because for the first time in my long career I was creating something like this all by myself.
Yes, I had great technical help (and thank you Jim Dalton, wherever you are) and marketing and sales help (kudos to Scott, Kevin, Danielle, and Rick) but the content, tone, and quality of TLNT was all on me.
As I told people many times, for better or worse, TLNT was me and I was TLNT.
If it succeeded, or failed, it was all on me.
Reader comments like these that let me know I was on the right track:
- “I have just discovered your website and have spent the last ½ hour just looking around. What a great website. Your articles are interesting, insightful, useful and needed. Keep up the great work you all do.”
- “I’ve recently started following TLNT and reading your Weekly Wrap, among other articles. In a space full of regurgitated press releases, your thoughtful and critical reviews are a refreshing exception. Thanks for your good work.”
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“I had someone on LinkedIn let me know they really liked my “HR Worst Enemy” presentation and let me know they learned about it from your article on TLNT.com. Thank you so much for for such a nice article encouraging people to view the video. I’m going to assume my new Twitter followers from HR disciplines in the last 24 hours are also thanks to you. I’m so glad you personally found it interesting.”
Yes, the positive feedback was good and helped to sustain me, but as with all things in life, the time eventually comes to wrap up and move along.
“It’s been quite a party, ain’t it?”
Today is my final day as Vice President and Editor of TLNT. Starting Monday, my ERE Media colleague John Zappe will be taking over as Editor. John is a fine editor, a longtime colleague, and I know that TLNT will be in good hands with him at the helm. Feel free to contact John Z directly at john@tlnt.com (yes, he is taking over my old email address).
As for me, on Monday May 2 I will be joining Checkster, an HR technology company, as Vice President for Content. You can contact me there at john@checkster.com, connect with me on LinkedIn, or message me at Twitter. Of course, you can always reach me via my personal email address at johnhollon@yahoo.com.
I’d be happy to hear from any or all of you, so please, don’t hesitate to reach out.
I’ve lost track of how much has been published on TLNT since June of 2010, but it is at least 7,500 posts with some 860 authored by me.
So, as I finish up No. 861, let me say one more time that it has been a pleasure to bring you TLNT these past six years. I hope that whatever I do from here on out is as fulfilling and fun as this experience has been.
Yes, all things must pass, and for me, TLNT must pass too. Thanks so much to all of you for joining in and making it so.
As my favorite fictional cowboy once said, “It’s been quite a party, ain’t it?” and to that, I would have to agree.
Aloha, adios, and goodbye, because I couldn’t say it any better.