Goodbyes are never easy, even though sometimes they just make sense.
I have been publishing Richmond Macaroni Kid since 2010. My kids were young, I was new to Richmond and my friends who founded Macaroni Kid made this opportunity a perfect fit for me.
Having had NO formal training in online media, advertising, publishing, or evenknowledge about Richmond, I jumped in; It was a great ride for many years.
I have published over 730 newsletters with over 11 million views ! I have worked hard in the Richmond community to share incredible local businesses and events with all of our readers.
There has been a lot of change in the time I have been publishing, and I held on because of the relationships established, the comfortability and the love of connecting .
During these last 14 years, I have made so many connections and helped many people find things to do, places to go, and local businesses to support. In addition, I know I spread incredible information about being a parent to a child with special needs. One of my biggest “why’s”, Marky, is now close to 22 years old. Our lives have changed, and it is time to hand this site over to someone with new energy !
To all of the amazing local businesses I’ve worked with, thank you for supporting Macaroni Kid and taking a chance on a website and newsletter that was the new kid in town 14 years ago. We have come a long way, and I will miss you all! One of my fondest memories was a meeting with the CEO of Romp n’ Roll back in 2011. Michael and I met and created a plan to work together on Mac Kid; in addition, we left having exchanged numbers, with Michael declaring, “ You and my wife Babz, are going to be friends!” Fast forward 13 years and Babz is one of my closest friends in RVA. He knew before it even happened!
My husband and children have been a great support to me during my time publishing. From assisting at events, editing my run-on sentences, and helping to keep things organized at home, I could not have done it without them.
What will I do next ? I will continue to work virtually as life with Marky requires great flexibility. I have become a certified travel advisor and am truly enjoying my new hat! If I can help anyone with any kind of travel planning , please get in touch. No job is too big or too small, and yes, I am certified for Disney, cruises, and so much more ! You can see my site here, and there is never a fee to utilize my services.
Thank you to everyone who subscribed to the newsletter, visited the website, attended an event, shared a story, trusted me to advertise your business, and shared the site.
I’m forever grateful for this opportunity and have learned so much about myself and Richmond!
My time with Macaroni Kid immersed me so completely in our communities, and I loved it all!
If you are interested in taking over this site, please reach out! The job is entirely self-directed with amazing HQ support and is based from home, with an already-established audience.
Please continue to support our amazing local businesses, shop local, support local .
I would love to hear from you, please stay in touch !
Peace, Love and Macaroni,
Carissa Garabedian
631 680 6030
