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Just wanted to share a little bit of good news!  Earlier today I accepted a Director of Account Management position with iContact, a leading email marketing firm based in RTP.  Many of you know iContact but if not, it is a young company that has seen steady, and one might say rapid, growth even during these rough economic times.  They’re currently ranked 189 on the Inc. 500 and the Triangle Business Journal has given them awards as one of the best places to work in the area.  This is the 2008 write-up for medium size companies and they also won in 2009 for large companies (no write-up).  The position is similar to one that I have held in the past and loved.  I will be leading a team of account managers focused on retaining clients and growing the overall revenue from those clients by providing excellent service.  There are a ton of challenges ahead of me, but I’m looking forward to tackling them.  I’m very excited to get back to work on Nov. 16th.

Through this extended vacation my wife, Laura, has been the most amazing person.  She has been supportive, encouraging and cheerful.  Without her, this experience would have been much different.  She’s the greatest.

It’s hard to believe, but it’s been 10 weeks since Jackson was born. He’s doing great and has progressed well. He’s put on weight and is getting close to sleeping through the night. I say getting close because he’s still not sleeping through the night. Both Laura and I are very tired and are feeling the effects of night after night of insufficient sleep. We’re also very busy. Lots has happened in 10 weeks so here’s a recap:

• Ben turned 3! – Hard to believe it’s been 3 years since Ben’s birth. Last weekend we held a Spiderman party for him. Five or six other kids came over and we had a quick lunch party. A good time was had by all.
• Ben’s diaper habit has gone cold turkey – With the passage to year 4, Ben no longer wears a diaper during the day. He still wears one when he sleeps, but soon, we expect to cut that out as well. So far, we’re having success. Let’s hope this keeps up, especially since we just started over with Jack.
• Mom and Artie visited – Twice, actually. They came down from NJ after Jack was born and again when Ben turned 3. It’s been great having them here. We always eat well and usually, Laura and I get a night out.
• Lord Stanley sets up camp in North Cackalackey – One of those nights out Laura and I used to go to a restaurant and watch the Canes get blown out. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end as the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup during game 7 here in Raleigh.
• Visitors - We’ve had lots of visitors since Jack was born. I already mentioned Mom and Artie, but other visitors include Matt and Carrie, Dad and Karen, Christine and Megan. All of our visitors have been incredibly helpful. Special thanks goes to Megan who took care of Ben during our time in the hospital. Ben is still talking about her.
• Laura goes back to work – Laura completed maternity leave and has returned to Dancik where she has a new position. She’s now the managing implementations which is a great challenge for her. We all know that she’ll do a great job, but she’s got a lot of work to do.
• Andrew changes jobs – My job function has changed. RegEd recently made an acquisition and the integration between the two companies has gone slower than we would have wished. As a result, I’ve been temporarily moved out of my client services role and now put into the role of overseeing the integration. It will be an interesting challenge to say the least.
• 100 - That’s how many strokes it took me to complete a round of golf at Preston Country Club. If you’d ever seen me play, you know what an accomplishment that is.
• Mustache - My father shaved off his mustache a few weeks back. He’s had it for over 20 years and looks young again. OK, maybe I’m lying about that, but he looks like a changed man.
• Graduation - Carrie graduated, has passed a key exam and is well on her way to being a full-fledged speech pathologist. We’re all very happy for her.
• Buffett - Went to the annual phlocking of Parrotheads with my good friend Courtney. It was her first time and unfortunately, it rained from the first note played until we were in the car on the way home. Regardless, we had a good time and it was fun, even if it was wet.
• Marriage - Just heard the news that my cousin Jessie received a marriage proposal. We’re very excited for her and can’t wait to meet the lucky guy.

I don’t know what I’ve missed but I’m sure there’s something. If I remember, I’ll be sure to add it here.

Today there is some good news to relay from the world of work. I have been offered and accepted a promotion with RegEd. For the past two and a half years I have served as the director of product management. My new title is senior regional vice president. I will be responsible for a team of account managers. Together, we will manage an existing client base of over 30 customers worth approximately $3 million in annual revenue. My role will be to make sure they receive great service and remain RegEd clients. In addition, I will be responsible for locating organic growth opportunities. The position will come with full profit and loss responsibility.

It will be an interesting year as I am taking on a business challenge that is different from any other that I’ve had before. Even though I have always dealt with customers, this will be the first time that I’ve had a full-time client facing role. The experience will help me round out my client skills, which will be invaluable.

Talk to me in 3 months and see how I’m doing.