Hey folks... if you're looking for witty commentary on the world of branding and naming then today's post probably isn't going to interest you. I'm taking a break from that to prepare for the holiday. Since we won't be here for the rest of the week I have to get my thanks out of the way early...

The list of things I'm thankful for is pretty much unending. As such I'm sure that I am going to forget a whole lot of it. A representative sampling of things for which I am thankful would include:

• A never-ending stream of interesting happenings in the world - many of which are related to names and brands. (We were worried that we'd run out of stuff to talk about at the six month point. Now we're thinking we'll never get through everything on our growing list.)
• An incredibly diverse group of Stoked readers that often share their views and expand our thinking. (We've grown from a readership of 4 per day to over 50 - with some days hitting well into the hundreds.)
• An ever increasing Stokefire client list that has grown to encompass entirely new (to us) industries such as military, hospitality, entertainment, real-estate development, and more.
• A surprisingly receptive and sophisticated local market that has adapted to give our rather peculiar business model a chance to succeed. In a town covered in red tape our brand seems to work like a pair of sharp scissors.
• A devoted team of supporters at the Women's Business Center and Community Business Partnership that have helped us run the less visible parts of our business. Payroll, HR, and all the stuff that keeps us running day-to-day... that stuff is happening because of WBC/CBP.
• A spectacular assortment of business partners that are always looking for ways to help us succeed - be it through partnerships, the forwarding of prospective clients, or just taking the time to ask if there's anything they can do.
• A small but effective group of subject matter experts and associates that work with Stokefire on a daily basis. While I personally do my best to keep things interesting and challenging for everyone, it has pleased me immensely that everyone on the team has found ways to bring more to the table than I've asked for.

I typically do my best to keep family and business distinct, but with everything that's happening in my life I've got to cross that line today.

• Thanks to everyone in my family for supporting this crazy dream of mine to start a business (and blog) that specializes in naming and branding. Apparently the idea wasn't entirely crazy - or perhaps the world is just more accepting of crazy ideas. Two years was a long time to wait for realization. Thanks for your patience, advice, and good humor.
• But the biggest thanks go to my wife for sticking with me for nine years of... well... me, and for adding what I am pretty sure will be the biggest challenge of our lives to the list of things I'll be thankful for next year. And I'm not talking about what we're going to do about naming the lil' tyke.

Happy Thanksgiving and Thanks to All of You!

Tate

Husband (This space reserved until June 2007) Son Brother Uncle Cousin Nephew Grandson Friend Consultant Client Boss Blogger