Twenty-two years ago, Nancy DeMarco and Gloria Steinberg Briskin invited me on a huge, scary adventure. We want to quit our jobs and start our own magazine. Will you join us? they asked. Absolutely! I replied in a blink. Forget the risks and challenges – here was a chance to hitch my wagon to the two smartest, most encouraging and sparklingly brilliant women Id ever met. Plus, Id get to help create a beautiful new magazine for the lubricants industry. Who could say no?

Looking back at our young(er) selves, Im awed to report that Gloria now has retired. Following the lead of Nancy two years ago, shes eager to fill her life with learning, travel and family. Who could say no? The only possible answer is an assenting sigh.

From a basement start-up in 1995, we built LNG Publishing into the worlds leading source of independent news about this industry. We grew, added jobs and widened our reach with sister publications like Lube Report and LubesnGreases EMEA. But since Glorias bylines are not on articles, you may not realize how crucial she has been to our success.

Business people say that nothing happens until someone sells something – and for many years at LNG that someone was Gloria, our managing director and vice president of advertising. Im extremely proud of our editorial team, but good journalism is expensive, and beautiful magazines are more so. Our existence depends on loyal readers, and also on sales acumen, integrity and professionalism. Advertisers and their creative agencies know that Gloria and her team are always in, always on, always supportive. All of LNGs sales people – Dave Stanworth, Megan Matchett and Matt Rogers – share these values.

Tomorrow I may joke lightly about raiding Glorias vacant desk for leftover pencils (or the dictionary she never used), but today I can only bow to lifes changes. It is indeed a great adventure, and like Nancy, we all wish her a most joyful future.