Lots to Be Thankful for at InkHouse

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – no hustle and bustle, no fretting over gifts – just the reminder to be thankful for the things we wish we remembered to treasure more often. This year, we had Hurricane Sandy to remind us of the power of even the smallest act of kindness or generosity (take a peek at the tweets from Newark’s mayor @CoryBooker if you're looking for some inspiration).

Reflecting on 2012, InkHouse’s success continues to exceed my expectations in humbling ways. This year, we were named Small Agency of the Year by Bulldog Reporter and PR News, and again made the Inc. and Boston Business Journal lists of the fastest growing private companies. InkHouse was also included as one of the Top Women Led Businesses in Massachusetts on what turned out to be the 140^th anniversary of Susan B. Anthony’s arrest for voting. It put our achievements in perspective as I took my daughter to the polls the following day and explained what it means to vote.

We owe our InkHouse achievements to our amazing team, which inspires me every day with their creativity, perseverance and humanity. They buoy each other through our struggles and enthusiastically celebrate our wins. So it’s only appropriate for me to let their words speak for themselves as I continue the tradition I began two years ago when I asked the InkHouse team to share their lists of gratitude. We’ve grown since last year, so this post is longer, but I assure you, it’s worth the read.

• Anne: My incredibly supportive family and friends who have not yet dragged me back to the other coast (even though I know they want to!).

• Charlotte: I’m thankful for many things: for porches and docks warmed by the summer sun, for Penobscot Bay in Maine, for fireplaces, for roasted sweet potatoes, for addictive books, and for Rosie The Dog and Snug The Cat. But I am sublimely grateful for (and beyond blessed to have) a wealth of loving, smart, silly people in my life. I’m grateful for my mom, dad, and extended family who support me unconditionally with words, hugs, and home-cooked meals. For my friends, who continue to hang out with me despite my terrible puns, and for my wonderful new co-workers, who have taught me more about this business in two weeks than I thought I’d learn in years.

• Don: I am thankful that the winding road of life has led me to where I am today.

• Elizabeth: I continue to be thankful for a flexible work partnership and this year I am especially grateful. It has made all the difference for me professionally and personally in 2012.

• Francy: In 2012 I am grateful for getting older and knowing the person I want to grow old with. I am also grateful for always having something to look forward to and something to look back fondly on.

• Greg: What am I grateful for this year? It's a little hard to say. Not because I'm not thankful for things but because I have (at the very moment I'm writing this) a general good feeling. What are a few of the things that come to mind? Music. My family and friends. My clients and colleagues. So many faces to photograph. Positive outcomes to uncertain situations.

• Jill: This year I am thankful for firsts – my first nephew and my first home. I’m also thankful for my incredibly patient husband who makes me laugh every single day, for my New England family, for a job that constantly challenges me, and for books on tape.

• Kari: This year, and for the rest of my life, I am most grateful for knowing Jamie – even in her absence, she continues to teach me how to enjoy life and see the world as a thing of beauty. I am also so thankful for my parents, whose unconditional love, strength and support has kept me going at the toughest of times. I feel especially lucky to work at a place where I can not only learn from amazing, talented people every day but also laugh with them along the way. Finally, I’m grateful for my wonderful friends, the Friday InkHouse crew and nachos (my favorite comfort food).

• Katherine: I am most thankful to be in a place in my life where I am happy, healthy and get to spend so much time with my friends and family. Professionally, I get to learn something new at work every day and laugh with my coworkers while doing it. Last but not least, having my very own apartment that has housed countless sleepovers, dance parties, laughs and late night pizza feasts.

• Katie: Health. A large, weird and perpetually supportive family. Democracy! Downton Abbey. Friends who know everything about me and love me anyway. Hilarious, patient and talented coworkers who have already taught me so much… thank you!

• Laura: The colleagues who have become good friends. The clients who teach me something new every day. My family and my little Chihuahua. Most of all, I am thankful that tour season is over and I get to enjoy a solid eight months with my husband, sans continental divides.

• Meg: I am grateful for the people behind InkHouse - employees and clients - who clearly have many options for where to use their talents and time and choose to work with InkHouse. And, of course, I am thankful for the blessing of my amazing family who make home the best place on the planet.

• Mike: I am thankful for a great family, even though it can be crazy at times, I can’t imagine life without them. I also am thankful for all of the great colleagues I’ve worked with over the years and for exciting new opportunities with my new teammates and friends.

• Patrick: The ladies (our two beautiful girls).

• Rachel: This season, I am especially grateful for the incredible opportunity to learn from talented PR professionals at InkHouse. In the short time I have been here I have felt warmly supported and encouraged by a close-knit team, more than I could ever imagine from my colleagues! I am grateful for the gift of being close to my parents, for the ability to run and coach, and for God who makes all things possible. Lastly, for all those who were kept safe during Hurricane Sandy, especially my twin sister and close friends in New York.

• Samantha: I am grateful for being surrounded and supported by the most bright, warm, funny and caring people - co–workers, friends (especially other Mom friends), family and, yes, even several of my Twitter followers. Life is so intense and busy, these are the people that lift me up, remind me to slow down and also make me chuckle. I am also thankful everyday for my kids who remind me that little is more important than Transformers, Pokemon, and where the next snack and hug is coming from.

• Sarah: My supportive family, inspiring brother, wonderful boyfriend, Instagram, the Cincinnati Bengals (sometimes), Zooey Deschanel and wine.

• Scott: I'm grateful that I answered an InkHouse ad on Craigslist more than three years ago. If not for that first meeting with Beth when we got lost in the Watch Factory together (our new space was just being built at the time), I never would have had the opportunity to work with such an amazing list of clients — not to mention a growing list of talented colleagues that I can truly call friends. And after every long day of fun, hard work, I'm grateful for the beautiful family waiting for me on the other side of the door when I get home. Sometimes I can't believe they're all mine.

• Steve: My red editing pen, which may be broken, but I won’t give it up. “Modern Family.” Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney. Nantucket’s Brant Point Lighthouse. A job that allows me to tell compelling stories through powerful prose, while working with the coolest people in the business. My brothers who are my best friends in the entire world, and my parents who believe that I can do anything imaginable. My fiancée who will not only take my long, five-syllable last name starting Sept. 14, 2013, but who I simply cannot live without and love more than anything.

• Tina: Having three healthy children and three living grandparents; having published a book in May, and not being on a new book deadline; having a job that allows me to learn new things every day and write an awful lot; and finally, I’m grateful for recycling bins.

• Whitney: I’m grateful for many things. My beautiful new nephew who has brought us overwhelming joy in his three short months; a healthy family who loves unconditionally and really likes each other too; true friends who keep me strong and smiling; and lastly, I’m grateful that the place I go every day to work is also the place where I go to learn and laugh.

As for me, I am so grateful for the fairly large village of people who supported me professionally and personally through a year that brought a difficult pregnancy and even more difficult delivery. I have been reminded of life’s fragility, and these amazing people have reminded me that life’s hardships bear one great gift: the opportunity to experience profound kindness. I am lucky to have two perfect girls who fill my heart so full that it might burst, a tireless husband who has proven that he can do the job of two parents and still be fun, a family that is generous with their time and comfort, and an amazingly supportive team at InkHouse. Over the summer, the song, “Lucky,” by Kat Edmonson rocked our newborn to sleep and prompted our three-year-old to ask, “Why are we lucky?” For so many reasons, I am grateful to say.

Happy Thanksgiving.