‘Tis the Season to be Thoughtful

Once again it seems that the holiday season has landed upon us with a rush. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that I was making my New Year’s resolutions; and now – suddenly and without warning – it’s time to reflect on a year that is almost done.

Why does the year always seem to rush by so quickly?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact we’ve been working so hard to create a community built on safety, trust and generosity, which is a rare thing in today’s Internet age. Or maybe it’s because we’ve been having so much fun while doing it … time is meant to fly when you’re having fun, after all!

Whatever the reason, this time of year is always precious. It is a special time to stop and reflect on what’s been achieved through the year, to appreciate the great support we’ve received, and to give thanks to everyone who has contributed along the way.

The last 12 months

The past year has been a groundbreaking one for Stitch.

We have somehow managed to grow to a community of tens of thousands of members across almost fifty cities worldwide.

We’ve introduced dozens of new features to Stitch which have turned it from a simple product into a true community.

We’ve launched our iPhone and iPad apps.

We’ve attended or helped organize countless Stitch events across the world.

We ran our first international Stitch Trip (a river cruise down the Danube) and are now following up with a next trip to Cuba.

And we’ve met an incredible number of truly wonderful Stitch members.

All of which means we’ve had a fantastic year, and are very proud of what we’ve all been able to achieve.

We know, however, that we wouldn’t have been able to do it without a little bit of help. So it’s important to give a little bit of thanks to the people who helped us get here.

The Stitch Team

First of all, I’d like to make a special mention of the truly awesome Stitch team. Not many people are aware what a small team we are or how hard everyone on the team works to make Stitch great for our members.

If you’ve ever worked in an environment in which everyone truly cares about what they’re doing, you’ll know what a blessing it is. I feel truly privileged to lead such a great bunch of committed and talented individuals.

Thanks to everyone on the Stitch team for everything you’ve done this year – here’s looking forward to an even bigger 2016!

Stitch Members

There may be only one group I feel even more privileged to work with than the Stitch team, and that is our very own Stitch members.

I am constantly in awe of how much support we receive from the Stitch community. The encouragement we receive – particularly when we don’t get everything right – is honestly what keeps us going through the tough times.

I don’t think I’ve met a Stitch member who hasn’t inspired me in some way.

And then of course there are those members who have done even more: those who have gone out of their way to build their own local Stitch communities. Their generosity of spirit is simply awesome – without exception, each one of our community champions truly cares about those around them, and devotes their time to doing things that makes others in the community happy.

The list is far too long for me to name everyone by name (and I’d be too scared about accidentally leaving someone off the list in any case), but you know who you are. Stitch wouldn’t be what it is without you, and we’re looking forward to helping you make the community even better next year.

Even more importantly

This year I wanted to make a special mention of a group of people for whom the holiday season isn’t necessarily a time to look back on the year with satisfaction.

Some of our members have joined Stitch because they have lost someone close to them, or feel that they don’t have the fulfilling connections in their lives that they once had. And for many people this means the holiday period is anything but happy.

We’ve seen first-hand how being part of a community like Stitch can help someone dealing with grief or social isolation. We’ve even had recent widows and widowers tell us that Stitch changed their lives.

We can’t think of any better job satisfaction than that.

But the point is that it’s not us who has done it. It has been their fellow Stitch members.

They’ve been the ones who have organized events and activities, and created a community for them to join.

They’ve been the ones who have cared enough to bring a little joy into someone else’s lives.

So I’d like to make a special plea for you this holiday season. Please remember that others are not always as fortunate as yourself. If you can spend some time bringing a little joy into somebody else’s life this season, you will have done something truly worthwhile. And hopefully someone will do the same for you.

If everyone takes this attitude into 2016, it’s going to be a fantastic year indeed!

Thanks again for being part of the Stitch journey, and I look forward to seeing you next year.

Thanks,
Andrew Dowling
Chief Stitcher