Publisher's Letter / October 2022

GROWTH. It’s defined as the process of change. The process of evolving into who you are becoming. Rising from failure and adapting to the unknown. Striving to learn without fear. Reaching for the best to come. And though this issue is dedicated to the resilient and talented men and women of the food and beverage industry, it is also a tribute to growth -- theirs, yours, ours.

You're going to notice some big changes in this issue of VIP. At first, it will appear to be strictly aesthetic, but the more you begin to turn each precious page and engage with us you'll come to discover that we are embracing change. We have come to know our beautiful city and its inspiring people in a very intimate way. We have heard your stories. We have learned from them and we have realized that there is so much more work to be done, and we have created a platform capable of providing a voice to those who need it most.

This month marks VIP's 4th birthday here in Alexandria, and we are celebrating with this very heartfelt message; a promise to our readers, partners, family, friends, and all of Alexandria and now... beyond. Our mission has always been simple: We are storytellers. But those stories - YOUR STORIES - deserve to be heard beyond the boundaries of our city. This is why VIP will now be found not only in distribution locations across Alexandria but beyond. We are taking your stories to new readers, and we're bringing their stories to you. We're driving more traffic into our beloved city and becoming a more vocal advocate for the charitable initiatives that need our support.

This new growth for VIP also means a brand new website, a more robust digital community for our readers and a new subscription option that will carry copies of our publication directly to your door. These changes have been in the works for quite some time and, now that we have arrived, we would like to thank you all for your loyalty, dedication, support and readership over these past four years. We look forward to watching our platform grow and, hopefully, all of you grow with us.

With much love, hope + thanks,

Kellie Gunderman / Owner + Publisher