Some big personal news…

I have made the incredibly difficult decision to move on to the next stage of my career and as of the new year, say goodbye to the incredible Etch team. This was a huge decision for me as I have lead my little corner of it, Etch Play (or Moov2, before we joined), for best part of 20 years. That’s quite a lot of me invested into a business, so making the leap to something new is pretty daunting.

As I’m barrel rolling into “mid-life”, now feels like a good time for change whilst I presumably have as much career ahead of me as I do behind. I’m comforted knowing that the team I have put so much into these past 20 years are stronger than ever and have grown far beyond their dependency on me. I have absolutely no reservations in stating, Etch Play are the *BEST* in the business when it comes to all things web, strategy and digital marketing in the #gamesindustry. Strategically, technically and experience-wise, they are the safest hands for a growing games business to be in. That’s not because of me, it is because of a team of the most dedicated professionals I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. A team who are well supported by the wider Etch business and who care selflessly and devoutly about their craft, the industry and the amazing clients and people we get to work with.

When I set out to build what Etch Play has become, my goal was to build a team who loved what they do and who were delivering outstanding work for brands I love. Four years ago, I somewhat lost my way and was thankfully picked up and dusted off by Etch owners, Thomas and Shelly Frame. This empowered me to double down on that vision by providing a support system that allowed me to focus on the aspects of running a business I loved the most: people, projects and clients. I am truly grateful to now be able to reflect on that goal and look at those people, the work they do and awe-inspiring client roster, and see it realised far beyond what I'd imagined. I have inexpressible gratitude to my team, my Etch colleagues, clients and industry friends that have been a part of that journey in one way or another.

As for what’s next, I’m going to take a break in January to decompress and spend some time exploring and experimenting. Beyond that, I will certainly be staying in games and have a couple of initiatives that I will share more details on in the new year. I’m eager to get closer to the product and people side of games creation. To help games leaders create happier, healthier teams resulting in better products and more fulfilment at all levels. I also plan to spend some time digging into what the “games studio of the future” might look like. So, if you’ve got something in the pipeline or anyone who just wants to reconnect and catch up, please do feel free to drop me a note, I'd love to chat.