What are you thankful for?

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, there has been lots of talk around my house about what it means to be thankful. I’m still working on the best way to teach my two young boys, Jaron (5) and Tyler (3) to appreciate all the wonderful blessings they have and that there are others in the world who are much less fortunate. I’ve been so busy trying to impart that message on them, it occurred to me that I needed to reflect on all that I have to be grateful for both personally and professionally (I’ll save the personal reflection for another time).

I joined Julie and Jewel Branding back in April and what an incredible ride it has been in just 8 short months. I have enjoyed getting to know all of our talented clients and designers, whose creativity inspires me every day and has reignited my passion for art and design. It has been wonderful to meet new licensees and reconnect with old ones as we all work together to bring beautiful products to market. It has been especially rewarding to be a part of exciting new product launches including Clairebella’s home textiles collection, Shell Rummel’s bedding and bath accessories and The New York Botanical Garden bedding and rug collections that launched at Home Textiles Market in September. Another highlight was seeing Tracy Porter’s beautiful dinnerware and Heather Rosa’s holiday décor prominently displayed at the Atlanta Gift Show in July.

Although I’ve been in licensing for many years, I’ve had several “firsts” since I began working with Jewel including exhibiting at Surtex and attending Brand Licensing Europe (and it was my first time in London!). It was a great opportunity for me to learn new markets and meet a lot of wonderful people (and conduct some business, too!).

I feel truly fortunate that I get to wake up every day and do something I really enjoy and feel passionate about. The Jewel team is a group of smart, talented women and I am honored to be a part of it. I’m excited to see what next year brings and look forward to working with all of our partners to build the business and create beautifully designed products with a growing brand.

Wishing everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!