I just received the March/April issue of Revenue hot off the press. Your copy should be arriving in the next week or so. The latest issue focuses on changes that dramatically impact the industry.

My editor’s letter is about how change is good and the letter from our publisher is titled “Embrace Change.” I had no idea just how prophetic those letters, written months ago, would prove to be right now.

It is one thing to observe and write about change from a somewhat detached perspective, it’s quite another when profound changes rock your own little corner of the world.

Just a few weeks ago, our much-loved publisher Nick Smith left Revenue. He’s gone off to New York and reunited with his former boss and mentor Lisa Taylor (sadly, I am now the “other Lisa”). He’ll be working on an innovative television project with a new media component. His new job as sales director at Morphogenix is the opportunity of a lifetime that he couldn’t pass up. I’m deliriously happy for him, but selfishly sad for my personal/professional loss.

If you’ve encountered Nick you know he is a high-energy, witty, whip-smart and very charming guy (that British accent certainly doesn’t hurt). He is a salesman at the core, which normally gets my guard up and makes me second guess everything that’s said, but Nick proved himself to me as a truly one-of-kind, genuinely caring person. Roger and Linda, you should be very proud.

Nick made most people he dealt with feel like a million bucks. I was fortunate to have that feeling nearly everyday of working with him. Seriously, how many of you can say that about your boss? Whether Nick was regaling you with tales of his favorite football team (go Liverpool!), buying you a coffee, or chatting about music, motorcycles or one of his rock star nights in a hot tub, he made you feel like part of the story. He was fun to be around and people wanted to be wherever he was.

I’ve never really had a boss that I felt such respect for and kinship with. Nick was the glue that held our staff of talented but very different people and personalities together. He was an inspired diplomat and the Revenue staff psychiatrist (sometimes both at once). He was not only our visionary, our boss and our partner in producing Revenue, he was our friend.

Nick opened up his heart and very often his home to all of us. More than once, I was on the receiving end of a beautiful bouquet just because I was ill or down in the dumps or just because. He was also the person you could rely on to have the Super Bowl party, the basketball bash or host any other event that required a huge screen plasma TV, a kick ass sound system and an extra dry martini. I can’t count how many Friday nights after an especially rough work week we all ended up at his place.

He even hosted a Revenue cocktail party at his swanky Nob Hill bachelor pad during the LinkShare Partnership Summit in January. You’d probably have to search hard to find anyone that didn’t have a great time at that event – even if they lost their favorite sweater. Months later I still run into folks that are talking about that party – especially the amazing downtown skyline views of San Francisco and Nick’s fabulous party hosting prowess.

Nick was extremely passionate about performance marketing and especially about the leadership role Revenue Magazine plays in the industry. For him business was a pleasure. He loved forging partnerships inside and outside of Revenue. He wanted to work with people when it made sense and most times he could figure out an innovative way to make the best for all parties involved.

That spirit of partnership and passion was not lost on the entire Revenue staff. We’ve all cried in our beers and toasted Nick’s departure from Revenue, but our commitment to continue making Revenue the success that Nick had envisioned hasn’t waned a bit. We are moving full steam ahead on all sorts of planned improvements. Revenue is gaining momentum and in many ways, I think we all want to do even more with Revenue to ensure Nick continues to be proud of the brand he helped build.

I speak for the Revenue staff, and our parent company MRI, in wishing Nick all the best. I know that he wants the same for each and everyone of us as well as for Revenue Magazine. We’ve got some big shoes to fill, but we are up to the task. I’ve already stepped up to the plate and purchased a gigantic plasma TV and rocking sound system of my own. After all, March Madness is just around the corner.

If you have any questions about Revenue’s editorial direction contact me at lisap@revenuetoday.com. You can direct advertising inquiries to c.smith@revenuetoday.com. And if you want to wish Nick good luck in dealing with all those pregnant mums, he can be reached at nick@mgxmedia.com.