After eight years and much thought, I want to share with you the difficult decision I have made to resign from Soapbox. As decisions go, this one was pretty tough.
I became the founding publisher in December 2007 when the idea of reporting on the “long tail” of innovation news in a city was introduced by
Issue Media Group, our parent company based in Detroit. At the time, Soapbox was their sixth publication and only their second outside the state of Michigan.
So with a background in economic development, nary a clue about the media world and a burning desire to do something big for our city, it was the perfect time to launch a startup online publication in Cincinnati. Right?
Actually, the timing couldn’t have been better. Want to talk about real deadlines? I was nine months pregnant when we launched Soapbox on that icy, frigid night in February 2008. Three days later, my daughter was born. I will
always know just how grown up my “babies” are becoming. Time really does fly by.
Back then, we set out to do something quite innovative with Soapbox. There were no other “e-newsletters,” no Facebook and no Twitter, let alone Pinterest or Instragram. People getting local news and information from an online magazine? Unheard of.
In this age of rampant social media, it all seems so long ago.
I lost track of the number of times I had to assure people we weren’t just another website, blog or Chamber-backed marketing program. Not many people truly grasped what we were launching, but they believed in Cincinnati and the stories we could tell.
So week after week, our managing editor, photographer and news reporters put together a new issue we could email to our growing database of dedicated readers. The work they’ve contributed to Soapbox has been nothing short of amazing.
To all of the former and current Soapbox staffers, every time I think about all we’ve accomplished as a team over the years I'm blown away at the impact and impression we've made in our community. It truly would not have been possible without your passion for making Cincinnati a better place.
It’s been a great ride at Soapbox, and I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity and
proud of the work we have accomplished.
Of course, for those of you who know me, you know I’m not dialing back my passion for the city just because I’m leaving these (virtual) pages. In fact, I hope to take all I’ve learned over the years back out into the neighborhoods as I begin a new adventure. Stay tuned.
As you know from reading us each week, there is still more work to be done, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the action.
But for now I want to thank our readers, our sponsors and our many supporters for making it all possible. Soapbox couldn’t have thrived without you.
Please feel welcome to
stay in touch.
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