Editor’s Note

Our economy is one of the driving forces behind our happiness and well-being.  Since the late 2000s, the entire country has been on edge with the fear of the dreaded “R” word, Recession.  And for good reason: a Federal Reserve report released two years ago showed that the median net worth of U.S. households dropped 39 percent —$126,400 to $77,300 — in the three-year span from 2007 to 2010.

What is the most important thing in your life? Depending on your age, position in the industry and your family life, everyone will have varying answers. Early in a career, it might be friends and your career. But in the thirty-something to forties, your values might change, and it might be your family. Then in your fifties and sixties, you might start to be thinking more about your legacy and how you can pass everything important that you’ve learned about anything on to the next generation coming up.

This summer, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge created a sensation on the Internet and social media. The ALS Association, which works to spread awareness of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a.k.a. Lou Gehrig’s disease, and raise funds for research in hopes of reducing its impact, perhaps even finding a cure, launched the campaign. By late August, the association noted that total donations had topped the $100 million mark.

From time to time, I get a chance to do some work in the DCMA — the Washington DC metro area, for those of you outside of the Beltway.  Typically, they are quick gigs, and the jobs range from running a desk to pushing a road case.  Yes, I am never above pushing a case — it builds character, and some of the stories my fellow stagehands tell are priceless.

During the course of our lives, we have ups and downs, twists and turns and moments of sheer terror and excitement — fairly similar to that of a roller coaster, only spread out over years, not minutes. The best thing to do is hold on tight and enjoy this ride we call life. We spend our entire lives planning, organizing, and preparing for the future, both in our personal and professional lives.  We map out a carefully laid out plan of things that we want to do and accomplish. Then of course there is the day-to-day operation of business and life.

How long have you been reading these pages of PLSN? A year, five years? Maybe 10? Maybe you are one of our original subscribers who have been enjoying the latest in industry news, production profiles, editorial and industry insights for the past 15 years. That is right, PLSN Magazine is five months into its 15th year in the business!  This month I want to share a little bit of history of how PLSN Magazine grew to become the largest magazine for our industry, not just in print, but online and via your mobile device as well.

Summertime madness is upon us!  It seems as though we skipped over the typical spring cool weather and into the thrill of summer.  While much of the country dealt with winter-like temperatures well into April, the industry has been preparing for the intense festival and summer tour season. Shops have been working long hours pulling gear, ordering up the latest gear and rehearsing to get this right for those millions of fans waiting for their favorite acts to roll into town.

The headline sounds nutty, right? “Finding Time to Work?” Don’t we already put in enough hours in the day to make our bosses happy? If you are on tour, in sales or a traveling man, a good part of your business is spent being outside of the office, being on site and, often, working out-of-pocket. Your typical “eight hour day” is spent nowhere near a computer and, most likely, away from paperwork. You know, those pesky pieces of paper or digital files that actually get us paid.

It is a sad, sad day for me.  Earlier this week, I lost a dear friend of mine.  For that past six years, Mielziner has been one of my closest and most trusted friends.  No matter how I felt or what is going on in my life, I could share my stories, photos and so much more with him and he would not think any less of me. He was always there, ready to help me out.