Or possibly more accurately titled, "Why I lead the charge on buying One Degree and dragged three other investors kicking and screaming along with me." (But that’s a pretty long title).
I have been posting on One Degree since the early days and have watched as Ken’s vision for the site took hold and a community began to grow around it. Canadian marketers posted, read, shared their unique POVs and created a body of work that is a valuable resource for new and veteran marketers alike.
When Ken mentioned that he was thinking about selling One Degree, I immediately put up my hand and said, "Me, me, pick me!" I’m a huge fan of what he has built and hated to think that it might disappear from our toolkits, or worse, pass to someone who didn’t have the passion and vision for it.
Over a couple of martinis, I managed to convince a few other folks, who also hold One Degree in high regard, to come along with me for the ride. They are:
- SpinGlobe headed by Sean Howard of Craphammer.ca fame – SpinGlobe is our design and technical team plus Sean will continue to write articles for us.
- Daniel Ponech, User Experience Architect extraordinaire — Daniel is heading up our business development including site sponsorships, event & job listings and other partnership opportunities.
- Rosemary Rowe, Copywriter and Content Maven — Rosemary will be point on content and contributor wrangling, ensuring we’re readable, coherent, and well-indexed as well as creating some of our new features.
It’s kind of a different mix, but we’re hoping to shake things up a bit. Ken will continue to contribute his wisdom and insight to One Degree. Arieh, who has been for many of you the day-to-day voice and contact of One Degree leaves us as Associate Editor, but will continue to offer his valued perspective as a contributor as well. Ken and Arieh – thank you so much for all that you have done for One Degree!
So today, officially, One Degree becomes a reinvent! Communications publication. Look for some tweaks, enhancements, changes and hiccoughs over the next few months as we wrap our heads around what we’ve taken on and start to get a better understanding of what the community wants and needs.
I would be thrilled to receive any feedback you have; we will be conducting a survey in the next few weeks, but personal notes are always welcome. You can reach me via the contact page or at kate[at]onedegree[dot]ca.
Congrats Ken and Kate!
Ken – you’ve built something absolutely amazing – I remember sitting with you in Starbucks and talking about the concept and where you hoped it would go. It certainly did that and more!
Kate – looking forward to seeing what changes you and your team have in store – and congratulations.
Jen
It’s about time we got some fresh blood and new ideas at one degree (ha ha, just kidding Ken). Although we only introduced ourselves to each other last year I’ve regularly visited and enjoyed the site. Congratulations Kate. Look forward to seeing what you and your partners will be bringing to One Degree.
Hey Kate,
Awesome news. Looking forward to seeing how you will steer the ship.
Ken – congrats on the sale
Congratulations Kate and Ken!
Kate, if anyone can build on One Degree’s success, you can. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s in store over the next several months and beyond.
Ken, you’ve done an amazing job of building the One Degree community and keeping us all informed. Glad to hear you’re staying on as a contributor.
Wow! Big news! Glad to hear someone who’s very connected to the Canadian Internet marketing scene is taking over… Way to go Kate! And Congrats to Ken too!
Congrats, great to see One Degree staying in Canada.
Congratulations! One Degree has always kept me informed and amused, I have no doubt it will continue to do so.
Phew!
Ken told me I’d be happy with his choice of new One Degree owner (not that I was unhappy with the old one), and he was right.
Ken, kudos to you for creating this marvelous blog/site/resource/treasure trove. I’ve had a ball contributing to One Degree over the … gasp … years, and using it on a near-daily basis.
Kate, I look forward to working with you … at long last!
Congrad guys.. I can’t wait to see what comes down then pipe. With it being summer.. there couldn’t be a better time to take over the site.
I am completely shocked with this news! Thanks Ken, and Good luck Kate!
Wow.
I guess moving out west and getting into the “hydroponic” biz created some cash flow and assets?
Wow. Wow x2.
PS… send me an OZ in a bubble envelope filled with coffee, Ok?
You go GIRL!!!
Congrats to both of you.
I think I know you both well enough to say that this really doesn’t change anything. Ken and Kate both have the strategic insights to take this as far as they both desire… so I know that One Degree will continue to shine and be a beacon destination for all Marketers (regardless of geography).
I’ve been in total Lurker mode over the past few months on One Degree, but hopefully Kate will nudge me once in a while and I’ll be inspired to put brain to keyboard again.
I’m proud of what One Degree is… and simply honoured that I was invited to add in my two cents every once in a while.
Please let me know how I can help out in this next phase.
Ken… let’s grab some drinks 🙂
Kate… let’s grab some drinks 🙂
One Degree Community… let’s grab some drinks 🙂
Ken, as much as this was a business for you – it was at its heart an invaluable gift to the Interactive community in Canada when it was just beginning to re-emerge from the dark days of collapse…very much an investment on your part in ‘us’ as much as in yourself. And for that leadership I think everyone involved in the industry owes you a big thank-you! Your vision helped draw many of us together around common causes, forged new friendships and has given us a central rallying point for the community that will last on in its impact for many years. And in the end you also found a successor in Kate – who will respect that history and maintain your strong Canadian vision. Well done!
Wow – big news – congrats all!
One Degree has been my “secret asset” for a long time now… I regularly send links to your articles to clients looking for clear, concise info about the online marketing space and how to think about it.
Thanks for making me look like an expert. I look forward to much, much more!
As a regular reader of blogs, can you give us a clue what the blog may have sold for? Any ballpark idea would be cool and newsworthy.
Congratulations Kate, Ken and Arieh on your new endeavours.
Kate,
You really should consider being slightly less enterprising—keep this up and you’re going to hurt yourself. Is there no end to your energy? 🙂
I’m really looking forward to tracking this latest venture of yours—as is everyone else it seems.
Congratulations to be sure!
Congrats to all involved. OneDegree is one a great hub in this business! I hope the credible community of owners, readers and contributers can keep up the relevance and insights long into the future.
Best Wishes!
Congrats guys. Looking forward to the next iteration 🙂
I’m late to this post (blame Third Tuesday and Mesh). But late or not, Congratulations Kate. I’m sure it will be a great adventure (and hopefully a profitable one.)
One degree has long been in my subscription list. I’m looking forward to the good things you do with it (it was already pretty darned good.)
If I can help, don’t hesitate to call…
Thanks everyone for all the kind words. I’m blushing over here!
Remember AIMS? Why do I have a deja vu? Ken does it again! 🙂
Congrats to all of you, One Degree is indeed a great resource, Kate – keep it up’n running!
I love this site as it was my first foray into the online community and marketing scene from a Canadian perspective.
I’m thankful to have had an opportunity to contribute and (more importantly) to learn.
I’m pleased to hear that 1 Degree is going into good hands as the bar has been set very high.
Everyone .. thank you so much for your comments, compliments, well-wishing, encouragement, offers of help, and not-so-subtle reminders that I have big shoes to fill. 🙂
Also, many thanks to you who sent personal notes as well as accosted me at Mesh. Your support is truly heartwarming and your advocacy for what Ken has created is wonderful. I look forward to building on his passion and am practically giddy about the potential in One Degree and in the community that believes so strongly!
This is terrific news! A must-read site just became a… er… must-er-read site!
Congratulations, Kate!
Wish you all the best Kate.
Onedegree.ca as we know it, is a valuable resource to the Canadian internet marketing community – both to we fossils of the industry and to the up-and-comers. There is great “Canadian-Specific” information posted to onedegree that you can’t get anywhere else. I love onedegree!
I have been promising Ken for months to become a contributor, but have never found the time in my multi-tasking mommy-and-career balance of life. I admit that I read, but don’t participate. But, seeing the news of this sale is jolting me into action – and it should inspire all readers of this blog to help Kate. Our industry is still in its infancy and if nurtured through thinktanks like this, we can all benefit.
So, Kate you will see a submission from me on Monday and you can count on me for content from now on. Ken, having worked with you at Tucows, I know everything you touch turns to gold, so I look forward to what you’ll do next.
Congrats to you both! Looking forward to the new and nostalgic too. 🙂
Congrats, Kate. I know you and your team will preserve what OneDegree.ca is all about and extend the brand and the ideas behind it. I know OneDegree.ca is not broken but your energy and ideas will certain help it grow and prosper.
PS: Does this mean we will get total coast-to-coast coverage? Feet on the street in the major Canadian Internet centres?
Thanks again, every one! We are so excited. And after a full week without the Ken & Arieh safety net … I am in awe of what they managed to do.
Specifically to Stefan .. YES! My marketing includes all of Canada. I would love to have local correspondents across the country. I want to hear about local marketing events, local campaigns. Calgary, Montreal, PEI, Halifax, Vancouver .. I know you folks have got it going on! We want to hear from you!
Kate,
Catching up on the good news…formally, congrats on the new media purchase…first My Space, then You Tube and now this…it’s a topsy turvy world. I have no doubt, Sean and you & company will do a great job…it’s important for us insanely passionate Canadian marketers and media-ites that you do!