2021 Wrap-Up and Final Thoughts

Wow! 2021 was a year of growth both personally and professionally.

We expanded our team at Greater Than Zero Percent (GTZP) by adding multiple board members (to be announced soon!) as well as marketing and PR leads (Riley Brown and Alexa Anderson). We shared 64 stories, reached listeners in over 7 counties, and through our partnerships allocated over 10,000 items to be donated to communities in need across the nation.

Kory and I expanded our family as well, with the arrival of our daughter Evelyn "Evie" Keith Smalzer. Fun fact Evie's middle name is a tribute to the volleyball coach who introduced Kory and I when we were eighteen. Evie's arrival is also my personal favorite highlight of this year. Becoming a dad made me a more disciplined person and pushed me to manage my time better. Learning balance is important, as well as when to 'turn off' from work and keep my priorities aligned.

Another personal goal achieved was limiting my time consuming television/media to 3 hours per week (the US average is 3 hours per day). This allowed me to focus on my non-profit GTZP, spend more time with our new baby, continue learning Japanese, investing more time in meditation, and developing our new house that Kory and I are building in the suburbs!

Professionally, my day job is working as a Global Account Representative for Amazon Web Services (AWS). Another highlight on the professional front is the recent announcement of Rivian and AWS deepening their partnership. I had the opportunity to attend one of their events and test drove their R1T pickup truck, making my anticipation to receive my pre-ordered shipment in 2022 even more exciting.

There were so many episode highlights from GTZP, that it's hard to choose a favorite. Watts of Love, Alrowwad Culture and Arts Society, Mountains of Sound Greenway Trust, and Culture Aid Nola just to name a few! Next year we will host our first GTZP gala/black tie event, introduce larger partnerships, a new line of merchandise, and expand our interview reach even further.

Reflecting on this past year, I couldn't be more thankful. Which brings me to my final thoughts as I close out this article. Let's all vocalize gratitude in others more, something I am currently working on myself. Let the ones you love and hold close know how much they mean to you. If there's one thing we've collectively learned as a society the past two years, it's that life is too short not to.

Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy holiday season!

Cheers,

Joseph