Letter from the Editor
A new year. A new page on the calendar. A few random temperature dips into the 40s.
All the signs have arrived that indicate it’s January in Southwest Florida.
And in keeping with that theme of change, renewal and refocus, we present the new issue of Business World magazine for your viewing pleasure.
It’s a project I’m particularly proud of because it marks the first complete issue that’s been produced since I took over as managing editor in our headquar-
ters office in lovely Fort Myers.
As with any job transition, it’s not been one that’s gone precisely according to plan. I’m learning every day – getting used to the way things are done here,
getting used to the workflow patterns and learning to live with the personality quirks brought in every day by my new office colleagues.
Some of those, to be sure, are a little easier than others.
But seriously, along with the processes and people, a main part of my job will keep me learning daily, which is a huge plus. Every day, I’ll be able to have
conversations with people in leadership positions at companies and trade associations throughout North America and the Caribbean who’ll tell me about
the wonderful and exciting things with which they’re involved.
It’s an element of working that drew me into journalism in the first place back in 1988. I like meeting new people. And I like finding out how successful
people got to the levels they’ve achieved. Put those objectives together and it becomes a pretty rewarding task, in which my role is to tell the stories and
perhaps help educate others on the topics that we’ve discussed.
I want to continue that as it was done in the magazine long before I arrived, while also kicking around new ideas on how to augment the content that
you see on these pages every month.
Toward that end, we’re beginning a feature called “One Last Question” in this issue. In it, we’ll plan to ask some of those aforementioned leadership people
that we encounter a similar question each month, with designs on providing additional insight into their way of working beyond the company’s story.
To mirror the fresh, new feel of 2014, we decided the inaugural feature would ask the question “What is your No. 1 individual career-development goal
in the New Year?” Take a look at the back page of the magazine to see who provided responses, please feel free to contact me –
or 239-
247-5827 – with any suggestions for pertinent questions we could ask each month.
Elsewhere, the changes will be introduced intermittently as the year progresses – a few new visual elements here, a new department of business news there.
All with an idea to make your reading experience a better one and to leave you more informed upon exit than you were upon arrival.
That’s my job here, and it’s one I’m very happy to have. Thanks in advance for reading and please don’t hesitate to provide input, criticism, praise or ideas
as we go forward.
Until next month…
Regards,
Lyle Fitzsimmons
Managing Editor, North America
Business World magazine
