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Christian’s death left the RoadRUNNER office noticeably quieter, and the work of keeping the magazine alive suddenly felt personal. I took on that responsibility to preserve the publication and the editorial voice he had built.
Rebalancing roles after a loss
Grief narrowed our world, but practical needs did not pause. With the support of my sons and a small, loyal staff, we reorganized quickly to keep the magazine operating.
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Florian moved into Christian’s former office and shifted to part-time hours while continuing college. My other son, Manuel, assumed the role of remote IT lead. I also hired an assistant to manage the expanding administrative load.
From behind the scenes to the public role
I had always worked in the background while Christian was the magazine’s public face. After he died, the mantle of publisher fell to me.
Industry partners maintained their relationships with us, and readers responded with numerous letters of condolence and encouragement. That support helped steady the newsroom and gave me the resolve to push forward.
Maintaining editorial standards
One immediate task was taking over the editorial calendar—planning, assigning and editing stories to ensure continuity. My priority was clear: prove we remained committed to producing high-quality journalism despite the change.
As I reviewed Christian’s materials, I discovered detailed notes and mapped tour routes he had been developing. Those pages felt like a direct link to his editorial vision, and they guided our planning for upcoming issues.
