A Final Note

I have known for the past couple of years that I would retire when I turned 65 years old.

Well, Happy Birthday to me!It’s time for me to start a new chapter in my life.

Even though I’m “graduating,” PERRLA will continue its journey. I’m thrilled to report that the company has been sold to two key employees, both of whom have been with the company for over a decade. Joey Nixon and Graysen Pack will take it from here.All PERRLA employees are hand-picked, wonderful people. They’re all staying.

You won’t notice a difference in my leaving, other than that Graysen will take over writing the newsletter.I realize that most of you have already stopped reading this article and are now back to your habit of doom-scrolling, watching cat videos on YouTube, or working on a paper that is due before midnight tonight. That’s fine.

To those who are still with me…Thank you.

‍To our customers:Thank you for putting your trust in PERRLA. Thank you for telling your friends and classmates about us. That’s the only way we’re still here after all these years. A special thank you to those who’ve taken the time to write something personal to me over the years.

‍To our employees:Thank you for all of your contributions to our success. You are the best. I am lucky to have had the opportunity to meet and work with you. I’m sincerely getting a little teary-eyed right now, thinking of my good fortune in being a small part of such a great group of kind people.

‍To my former business partners:Thank you for putting your faith in me to lead the company. I’ve tried to make good decisions, hire the best people, and stay out of their way. And thank you for agreeing to step down with me, allowing us to turn things over to the next generation. This means the world to me.

‍To Joey and Graysen:I love you guys. You are the very heart of PERRLA. Being able to pass the torch to the two of you is my final and most crucial act. I will always be grateful to you, and I will always be here for you. But don’t call me before 9 am. And if I’m playing the piano, electric bass, writing and recording music, riding my bicycle, doing nerdy things with amateur radio, or traveling, I may not answer the phone. But I will call you back ASAP.

‍To Hamilton Wallace:You were there to mentor me in 2011 when I started running PERRLA. The wisdom you shared with me over many years made an enormous impact on my life. Thank you for the books you recommended. Thank you for treating me as more of a friend than a client. You are like that 5th-grade teacher that everyone remembers, who doesn’t know the positive impact she has had on so many people.

‍To Barbara:You are the love of my life. Thank you for the past 17 years of listening to me talk about PERRLA. Thank you for your guidance and sound judgment in helping me to navigate business and Life. You are my always and forever.Thanks to all of you for being part of my story. May your days ahead be filled with deep joy, fulfilling work, meaningful adventures, and the warmth of those you love and who love you in return.

— Cliff

(former CEO)

‍

Saying "Hello!" from Joey & Graysen

Hi everyone!

We’re Joey & Graysen – the new owners of PERRLA. 👋

For everyone who loves PERRLA, this isn’t one of those “under new management” situations where everything changes and suddenly your References Page has ads in it. We’re not here to reinvent the wheel. We’re here to keep the PERRLA magic flowing.

Who We Are

Joey is PERRLA’s Chief Technical Officer and the wizard coordinating everything behind the scenes. If you’ve ever thought, “Wow, this just works,” while using PERRLA, Joey had a hand in making sure PERRLA runs smoothly for all students.

Graysen is PERRLA’s new Chief Executive Officer, helping shape the product and making sure students and professors alike get the support they need. He’s spent years refining features, listening to users, and working with PERRLA’s amazing Support Team.

We’ve been here, working behind the curtain for over a decade. Now, we’re just officially taking the reins.

What’s Staying the Same?

Everything you already love about PERRLA:

• Our mission: Help students write better papers with less stress
• Our unicorn mascot: Serena J. Sparkles is here to stay 🦄
• Our pricing: No surprises or gotchas – just the same honest model
• Our obsession with citations: APA, MLA, & Turabian formatting is still our jam (and we still nerd out about hanging indents)

What’s Changing (for the Better)

We’re focusing even more on what matters most to our users: writing.

That means:

• Improving our Word integration (yes, Word for Web is here!)
• Making reference creation even smarter and more streamlined
• Bringing students and professors the tools they need to tackle APA, MLA, & Turabian
• Adding new features to help students with every part of the writing process

We’re also continuing to work closely with instructors and institutions to improve outcomes across the board. If you’re a faculty member interested in a case study or partnership – let’s talk!

Why We Love This Work

Let’s be real: nobody grows up dreaming about citation styles. But we do believe in helping students find their voice, express their ideas clearly, and build something they’re proud of – without getting bogged down by formatting rules.

If PERRLA can give students the confidence to turn in a paper knowing it’s formatted perfectly – that’s a win for us.

And for the record, yes, we really do care about getting every period and parenthesis in the right place. That’s what we’re here for.

Say Hi

We’ve never been a faceless software company. We’re a team that cares a whole lot about helping students succeed. If you’ve got feedback, questions, or just want to share how PERRLA helped you survive a semester – we’d love to hear from you! You can follow all of the upcoming PERRLA news on Facebook, Instagram, and in our new blog.

Thanks for being part of the PERRLA community. We’re excited for what’s ahead – and we’re just getting started.

— Joey & Graysen

(new CTO & CEO)