Your contributions mattered. They still matter.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I’ve been thinking about what I’m most grateful for this year.

It’s not the business wins or the revenue numbers.

It’s you.

The executives who’ve spent 30, 40, even 50 years building companies, leading teams, and solving problems that most people will never understand.

The leaders who’ve made the tough calls, weathered the storms, and carried the weight of responsibility that comes with senior leadership.

The professionals who’ve mentored countless people, shaped entire industries, and left organizations better than they found them.

I see you. And I want you to know that your experience matters.

In a world that often celebrates youth and novelty, it’s easy to feel like your decades of wisdom are somehow less valuable.

But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Your ability to see patterns that others miss. Your network of relationships built on trust and mutual respect.

Your calm in the face of chaos.

Your judgment that comes from having been there before.

These things don’t depreciate with time.

They appreciate.

And they’re needed now more than ever.

So as we head into Thanksgiving, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for the wisdom you’ve accumulated.

Thank you for the people you’ve developed.

Thank you for the standards you’ve set.

Thank you for showing the rest of us what true leadership looks like.

And thank you for being part of the Epic Encore community.

Whether you’re still in the corner office, recently transitioned out, or building your next chapter, know that your contributions have mattered.

They still matter.

And they will continue to matter.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

What are you most grateful for this year?

Ted

P.S. Want to dive deeper? Every week in my Epic Encore newsletter, I share frameworks, stories, and strategies to help you turn your decades of experience into a meaningful next chapter.

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