For example, I was editing a story today about custom mixer Barco. It was written by Sam Cottrill, our youngest staffer who, as online content editor, is helping lead our evolution to being a truly digital-first publication. I told her I really liked the story of Mike Cash, Barco's co-founder, who joined the industry out of high school.
Sam's reply was spot on: "I always love hearing about how people get into the industry. It's almost always something by chance like this, and it never gets old."
Our newest hire is Robin Clark, about to hit her first anniversary. She is learning how to use her researching skills to bring improved data and rankings to you, something we're all working on together.
Andy Schunk, a reporter for Rubber News for three years, spent more than two decades in community journalism before joining our staff. He has worked hard to learn the ins and outs of the industry, and really knows how to tell a story.
Our art director, Michael McCrady, has a talent no one else on the staff can match. He designs our print pages—bringing them to new heights—and also is designing more graphics to brighten up our digital platforms.
And then there's Erin Pustay Beaven, our managing editor. It's financial reporting season and she's the first to admit that's "not her jam." But bring up the technologies that will drive innovation in the industry, and she'll gladly "lean into" those stories.
Now I may kid Erin about her favorite phrases (see above paragraph), but there's no joking about the passion she brings to the job and the leadership she gives to the staff.
I'll leave you with what I told our owner Crain Communications when, for a social media post on my anniversary, they asked what advice I would give newer Crain employees.
I said the basic journalism premise of telling a good story remains unchanged. But the manner in which you can do that evolves continuously. So remember, every day brings a new opportunity. Embrace that, and never be afraid to take chances.
Meyer is only the third lead editor in this publication's 51-plus year history. Reach him at [email protected].
