Letter from the Editor: Five Years Later…

Dear Readers,

It’s hard to believe that five years ago, an idea about creating a site that empowers readers through relatable subjects like lifestyle and entertainment, could still be thriving and evolving. Many sites like ours dive deep when it comes to chiseling their own unique fingerprint and making their mark on the web, but it isn’t easy to be exclusive in a pool that advances every day.

As fast-paced as the media is with its nanosecond coverage readily available at our fingertips, it’s no secret that readers in today’s social climate have become fickle in their needs when it comes to absorbing information. Moreover, concepts once regarded as imitable, quickly deflate. Yet, when it comes to catapulting an idea that stems from a place of meaning and love, it makes all the more difference when others believe in the dream too.

This month on June 16, The Hudsucker celebrates its fifth anniversary and one of the greatest rewards of working on this site over the course of 1,800-ish days is being able to work with this team. Not only was this site rooted in the foundation of friendship, but it was also able to blossom thanks to one idea between two good friends that helped grow this team into what it is today.

Since creating our site in 2012 with Senior Managing Editor, Katherine Hernandez, I have learned that a good idea can often show up at inconvenient times — or in this case as kismet has shown through every group achievement, most convenient. As previously revealed, heartbreak played a part in this site’s conception, but it was the power of friendship and trust one night that helped console that fractured bit for an idea that sprouted an incredibly beautiful project of love, passion and creativity.

For years, creativity has been akin to images of geniuses like, Alexander Graham Bell or Albert Einstein scribbling down ideas with feather pens and light bulbs going off on the top of their heads. But the truth is, creativity is surrounded by a fog of myths. It’s not reserved for the elite or a trait that comes naturally to solely creative people — it’s a habit we learn and harness through passion, something I have seen since 2012 in every single writer who has contributed to our site.

{Image Credit: iStock}

Defining ourselves to others can be hard, but our team has been able to do it through their writing, while relating to the reader. But thanks to each of our writers being so creative and expressing themselves through every written word, they are mapping out their intentions, relatability and gaining a better understanding of their contributions, which allows them each to build on their purpose and creativity. It has been astonishing and so inspiring to see each of them grow over these past five years.

Since opening up our site, we have had the pleasure and humbling honor of working with 37 creative, passionate writers from over four continents and we don’t take a second of it for granted. As a team, we have been able to harmonize our efforts and work towards a common goal every day, while reaping the rewards of higher productivity, projects that are more enjoyable for a vibrant reader experience and working with individuals who too believe in the meaning and message of our site.

Throughout these years, I have learned a lot about friendship, but a lot more about how a great team plays into our understanding between success and failure. No matter how talented, smart or driven you are as a leader, your successes depend on your ability to build and inspire a team. Truth be told, it hasn’t been easy running a site like this one. It can bring about self-doubt, discouragement and a slew of sighs, but as Shakespeare said, though she be but little, she is fierce.

While our team is incredibly gifted when it comes to writing on a slew of subjects, it has been documented in a little more than 1,300 articles covering arts, entertainment, lifestyle and pop culture, that being a team has helped us progress and push us towards greater success when we are able to put our heads together. Thanks to a streamlined communication, we are a team that stays connected. And with the way we work together, we can be confident to say that attitude speaks more for aptitude to determine our altitude.

In the last five years, we have had the chance to work with gracious PR firms, companies and individuals who understand our message, received acclaim from readers and kind words from some of the finest minds in the industry, including one of our dear friends, esteemed CNN anchor and reporter, Chris Cuomo.

The Hudsucker might be one of my favorite accomplishments to date, but the best part of this site is the writers, each one of them. Delivering great, rousing content every day that inspires and engages our readers is a challenge, but not for this team.

As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, join us all-month long as we deliver unique, stirring content from our talented team. From interviews to exclusives, and much more, we promise to amp up the start of summer and bring more interesting reads to you, our beloved reader. Moreover, we hope you all have a wonderful summer and stay tuned as we’ve got plenty in store for you in this milestone year ahead.

Sincerely,

Tania Hussain
Editor-in-Chief, The Hudsucker

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Stay tuned as we have plenty in store for you this month! Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest!