Grateful. Thankful. Appreciative.

By Mary Shank Rockman | November 24, 2020

Grateful. Thankful. Appreciative. Three simple words that have special meaning and significance this year, like never before, as I start to wrap up 2020. The past eight months have forced businesses to tackle obstacles no leader could have ever predicted or foreseen a year ago. Despite these global challenges, there are still so many reasons to be thankful. Thanksgiving and the holiday season always give me a reason to pause and reflect on something joyful: sharing my appreciation for our MSR community: teammates, customers, partners, media colleagues, friends, and families. 

When I think about what I am most grateful for this year, the MSR team and our loyal clients are top of mind. I am so fortunate to have such dedicated team members who, throughout this unpredictable time, have made me especially proud with their flexibility, positivity, and consistent, hard work. I’d like to give a special shout-out and thanks to MSR Account Director, Enterprise Technology, Chris Blake, who celebrated 20 years with the firm this fall! Chris has been my right arm throughout the past two decades and instrumental in helping shape MSR into the firm it is today. As soon as he came on board, Chris quickly began making an impact with his top-notch editorial skills, and ability to secure significant coverage that has long benefitted numerous technology clients throughout the years, such as Ariba/SAP, AVG/Avast, Bluewolf/IBM, Actiance/Smarsh, Janrain/Akamai, Obopay, and currently, AssetMark and Promethium. As a result of his significant efforts and leadership contributions, Chris has built exceptional relationships and become an invaluable strategist for MSR clients, our team, and the media and analyst communities alike. Thank you, Chris, for being such an important part of my team for 20+ years! 

In addition, this quarter, we also celebrated two year anniversaries for MSR team members Alexa Grunder, marketing and PR associate; and Kaitlyn Lambert, senior account executive. As newer members of our team, I want to especially acknowledge each of them for their extra-positive, can-do attitudes, and willingness to pivot and contribute during what has been a very unusual year. Thank you Alexa and Kaitlyn for everything you do!

While many traditional business practices look different this year, I am extremely grateful to our loyal clients who continually place their trust in the MSR team to help elevate their brands and tell their stories–most especially during a time when editorial interests and target audiences have been preoccupied; and headlines have seemed out of reach. We remain as committed as ever to helping secure impactful results that drive business value and partnering daily to address opportunities and challenges. A big, heartfelt thanks to each of you for your continued support and collaboration. We could not be the strong firm we are today without our invaluable client partnerships!

And finally, thanks to our supportive community of media/analysts, influencers, family, friends, and global network of PR firms, PRBI. As the adage suggests, it really does “take a village” to be successful in providing PR and digital marketing services, especially during unpredictable events. Thank you kindly to each of you for your friendship and support this year and throughout the past 21 years.

I sincerely hope you will find time to safely gather with loved ones and express your own brand of gratefulness this Thanksgiving and holiday season. 

With gratitude and appreciation!

Mary SR