First, hello! Long time, no talk. Sorry I've been absent from the AEO group. @Julian Lopez took over (and crushed it) and I went off and did other things. Second, I owe y'all a huge apology. We launched this cohort to help us gather data, test, and figure out what the hell this AEO thing is. Everyone who joined signed up as a pioneer and put their faith and trust in us. THANK YOU!! Quick detour: For those of you who don't know. I'm dealing with some health issues and have been winding down my involvement in extracurricular activities (like starting new businesses). Because of that: I needed to find someone to partner with on the AEO front who could take the lead in building the company from a day-to-day perspective. I just don't have it in me right now. Good news: I found them!! Molly Pittman and Ezra Firestone of Smart Marketer were actually looking to launch an AEO service and so the timing was perfect. They're absorbing us into their company and taking the reigns from here. This lets me and Julian stay active in the "mad scientist" roles and brings in other grownups who want to actually run a business. It also brings us the financing, staff, and infrastructure necessary to really launch something meaningful. The reason I'm telling you this... I really, really screwed up. Here's how it happened (from my perspective): - My decades long health journey comes to a crossroads and I realize I need to buckle down and focus on getting well. - I pull the plug on everything other than Pareto (my main business). If I can't sell it, I just wind it down or give my share of the equity back. The only thing I can't let bring myself to let go of is AEO. - I post to Facebook in a desperate plea to find someone who can help take over AEO while still allowing me to stay involved. The response is overwhelming! Some massive names reach out and exciting conversations ensue. - I settle on Smart Marketer. They're an obvious choice and I've admired Molly for years and years. I'm so excited and also nervous because we need to move FAST! - We decide on what me and @Julian Lopez have known for a while: We have enough data. We just need to pull the trigger and go for it. We all agree we're going to bring on ten "test" clients for an initial phase of testing. - We pull together an application form. Smart Marketer goes to fire it off to their list and I go post it to my socials.