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The climate of the 1960s bears an unfortunate resemblance to the state of our country today. We are dealing with issues of political and urban unrest, race baiting and gun legislation. We live in a polarized nation of red state vs. blue state, gay vs. straight, black vs. white and the haves vs. the have nots. Citizens in some states are even petitioning to secede from the nation. What is truly amazing and inspiring, however, is that someone would combat these issues not with a closed fist of hyper aggression and willful ignorance, but an open hand of love and understanding.

With each year that passes, we get a little wiser. Some of our principles and beliefs are reinforced. Others evolve as we learn and grow.

2012 was a tremendous year for us. We couldn’t have been more fortunate. Our team grew stronger. We added signature clients and launched exciting projects. We also learned a lot – both from our successes and failures.

Below are some of the biggest lessons we learned in the past year.

During a government background check in 1988, Steve Jobs famously remarked:

“The best way I would describe the effect of the marijuana and the hashish is that it would make me relaxed and creative.”

So, was one of the most creative minds of our time onto something, or was he just a turtleneck-wearing stoner who happened to be a genius?

The holiday season is upon us, and for many of us this marks the time where we give thanks for everything we have, especially during Thanksgiving. We give thanks for our families and friends, for our jobs, our homes and for the comfy life many of us enjoy.

We also sympathize with those who are less fortunate—those who have less, who are sick or who have loved ones that aren’t well. However, most of us, including me, still miss the big picture. Most of the readers of this blog post haven’t had to experience the kind of life that would make us truly grateful.

First, let me start by saying this isn’t a Left versus Right post. It’s not pro-Obama or pro-Romney. This isn’t about who’s right or wrong. This isn’t about policy or political philosophy.

This post is about the clear winner of the 2012 Election, and that winner is Analytics (by a landslide). Let me be clear—the winner is Analytics, not data, because there is a huge difference.

Analytics at its simplest is “the science of analysis” (Wikipedia). Merriam-Webster defines it as the method of logical analysis. Both campaigns had data. All of the pollsters had data.

However, what carried the day was Analytics—not just Analytics, but Good Analytics. My definition of Good Analytics is analyzing data to draw meaningful and actionable insights. This is where the 2012 Election was won and lost.