Embracing new beginnings

Kristy J. O'Hara

A couple months ago I read a quote that said, "The grace to be a beginner is always the best prayer for an artist. The beginner's humility and openness lead to exploration. Exploration leads to accomplishment." When I read that quote by Julia Cameron, it resonated with me as I find myself in a new beginning as editor of Greenhouse Management.

New beginnings are exciting. I'm sure you can relate — when you start growing new varieties or try a different approach that may improve your products, you're excited to see what may come as a result. Likewise, I'm excited to see what will come here at GM. We've got an exciting year planned for you next year with a lot of the information you've come to rely on for growing in your greenhouse. But in 2012, we're also going to be looking not just at the technical side of the business but at the management side as well. I previously worked at a chain of business management magazines for CEOs, and I look forward to bringing that experience and writing style to GM next year to help you tackle the challenges you face in running your operations and reaching the next level.

But every new beginning requires, as the quote says, humility and openness, and from my years of interviewing executives, I've learned you have to admit your weaknesses. I'll be the first to admit that I have very limited knowledge of the horticulture industry. While you may see that as a weakness, I like to view it as an opportunity to really connect with each of you. I'll be asking a lot of questions and relying on you to educate me. I want to learn about your plants, flowers and vegetables. I want to know what challenges you face in running your business. I want to know what you want to read about in the magazine.

I look forward to exploring with you so I can better understand this industry and make GM even better. Please drop me a line and introduce yourself, and I invite you to friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter. Let's connect and get to know each other and explore. As the quote says, being a beginner leads to exploration and accomplishment, so let's achieve together.

kohara@gie.net
Twitter: @GMmagEditor