When I joined the Insight Publications team last November, I was excited by the idea that I could get back to my roots as a magazine writer. My mother still relishes telling the story from when I was 13 years old and our family bought a new boat: I wanted the Bayliner Classic with a sun pad on the back so I could “lounge there and read magazines.” Three decades later, I still love a tactile magazine-reading experience — and I’m grateful that our loyal Insight readers do, too.
And when it comes to magazines, the legacy created by Brian Rasmussen and Margaret LeBrun here at Insight is a phenomenal one. After moving to this area three years ago, it didn’t take me long to appreciate that Insight was a brand people respected and admired. But after one full, mostly-post-pandemic year on the job, I have a far better understanding of why.
Our small but mighty staff cranks out 12 issues of Insight and six issues of Insight on Manufacturing every year — great products you can see and touch. But I’ve come to understand another important benefit of Insight: the one you can feel.
The community of people brought together through Insight Publications is something hard to describe or quantify. But you certainly feel it when 1,000 people come together at Resch Expo for the Manufacturing First Expo & Conference. You feel it in the laughs, handshakes and hugs shared at events like InDevelopment and the Insight Open. And the inspiration and connection I found in working on the 2022 Women of Influence in the New North Region project is something I wish everyone could experience. (Nominations for 2023 open next month, by the way!)
I know others feel the same because I hear it all the time — both from longtime partners as well as those who have leaned on Insight to help connect them as newcomers. I can’t take much credit, of course, but it fills me with purpose to know that the community created by Insight is a source of pride and value for people across the New North.
As Insight prepares to celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2023 under new ownership, I am excited for the challenges and opportunities ahead. But we would be remiss to let this holiday season pass us by without reflecting on and expressing gratitude for all that Insight has achieved under Brian’s and Margaret’s leadership, as well as the many dedicated staffers who came before. Here’s to a new year of connecting minds and creating insights … in all sorts of ways.
