We don’t toot our own horn too often, but ten years in business is a big deal, so we’re celebrating! I have greeted you from this space 117 times, for ten straight years, and each time, it’s been a thrill to put another issue of RFM in front of Richmond-area families. This month adds another layer of excitement, as we celebrate this milestone and reflect on all of the stories we have told, people we have met, and relationships we have built with local businesses and families.
I can say with certainty that I never in a million years thought that in addition to talking to you from this place, which has come to be my comfort zone, that I would also be greeting you from out there – on the cover! I assure you that it was not my idea, but I’m nothing if not a team player, so majority ruled and there I am, with our newest addition to the family, Charlie, looking much cuter and more cover-worthy than I do (Charlie saves the day!).
This is also the first time in our 10-year history that I have written an article for the magazine, one that came to me as I was lying in bed after enjoying an episode of Shark Tank with the family. I thought about all of the ways parents can get the entrepreneurial wheels turning in our kids’ brains – fun ways! – and I thought they were worth sharing with you. Check out my six ideas on page 16.
It was fun talking to Joan Tupponce, who is one of RVA’s favorite writers and has been writing for RFM since day one, about how this whole thing got started back in 2009. Back when my now middle-schoolers were 1- and 3-year-olds. Back when Facebook and Twitter were toddlers and Instagram wasn’t even a thing yet. Back when there was no such thing as an iPad, and the iPhone 3GS was just announced (the first phone that was able to – wait for it, record a video!). Back when RFM was born! Read all about it, along with some other Richmond-area entities turning ten this year, beginning on page 20.
We couldn’t have made it to year ten without the support of the businesses who advertise with us each month. What a leap of faith some of our earliest advertisers took, when RFM was just a vision, and our sales pitches were filled with going to: “It’s going to look like this, and it’s going to have these sorts of articles in it, and it’s going to be in this many locations.” Back when digital advertising was all the rage, and many thought print magazines were on the outs. Back when other publications were closing up shop, downsizing, and going online-only. Thank you, faithful advertisers, for sticking with us for all these years. And readers, please support these businesses, and tell them you found out about them through RFM.
We certainly couldn’t have made it this far without YOU, our loyal readers, who have made room in your busy lives for RFM for ten years. Some of you are new to the game, and that’s awesome, and some of you have every single one of our issues saved, and that is just amazing. No matter when you first discovered RFM, your support and ongoing readership means the world to us, and all of us at RFM look forward to the next ten years of bringing you this magazine.
