All good things must come to an end.
That’s just one the realities of life. But a conclusion isn’t necessarily negative; it often simply means change.
This issue marks Extol’s fifth anniversary, a milestone that couldn’t have been reached without the support of our advertising partners, readers, staff, businesses that carry our print publication and the Southern Indiana community. We are grateful, humbled and eager to march forward into our sixth year, but we’ll be doing it without one key team member, Creative Content Developer Christian Watson.
Christian started working with us about a year after he graduated from Jeffersonville High School in 2016. A self-taught videographer and photographer who continues to educate himself in his chosen field, Christian quickly impressed us with his multifaceted skills, creativity, and ability to work both collaboratively and independently. He was also a joy to be around, albeit often a quiet one.
Hard working and introverted, at least at work, it took a while to learn about who Christian was outside of his work life, but eventually we did: He is a talented musician who picked up an instrument beginning at the age of 4. He comes from a close-knit family and is deliberate about how he spends his downtime. He loves art and travel, particularly when it includes photography. He handles stress with a maturity many of us never master. And, he’s incredibly thoughtful and kind, but doesn’t want anyone to make a big deal of it.
When we hired Christian, we knew we were taking a bit of a chance because of his lack of experience, but it soon became clear we had nothing to worry about. He possessed the necessary skills and desire to learn more. He far exceeded our expectations. So much so, I made it a point to tell him a few times over the past year that we knew Extol was just the first stop in what was surely going to be a long, successful, beautiful career of doing what he loves, and when the time came for him to move on to the next chapter, we would be celebrating him and continuing to cheer from afar.
That time has come.
With this issue, Christian’s role with Extol ends and his new one at Doe-Anderson begins. Founded in 1915, the Louisville-based advertising agency has served iconic clients for decades and is known around the country. Christian earned his place on the Doe-Anderson team, and all of us at Extol couldn’t be happier for or prouder of him. We look forward to being able to say, “We knew him when.”
We also look forward to what comes next for Extol as we march forward into this sixth year. Thank you for continuing with us on the journey.
Truly,
Angie Fenton
Editor in Chief
angie@extolmag.com
