We were socially distant but yesterday we had all of our team members in the building and it just hit me how special that was given the circumstances. I’ve got a great team. In the past few days we improvised as the world changed around us. And you know what? We launched delivery, made an innovative new cider, beautified our urban orchard, reconnected with vendors, raised money for food insecure children, and made customers smile. That’s what it has really always been about.
When everything started shutting down, our team went back into start-up mode. Start-up mode is special. During this period you burn cash, challenge the norm, develop products, network, invest in your team, dream for the future, test concepts and most importantly plan for that moment you finally get to launch your concept to the public. When all of this is over, we will be hungry and ready to go. Our team knows that creativity is currency, the stakes are high, and that it’s all worth it.
Never underestimate the value of good team members. My close friend and incredibly competent Operations Director in Andrew was prepared and led our business into this crazy scenario with a plan in place to emphasize the safety of customers and employees and keep the business running. In an unprecedented moment like this, being prepared allows you the precious moments to innovate, adjust, be responsible, and kick back into gear. Our team took advantage of these moments early on and is continuing to move forward. This is not the moment when we give up the dream, this is the moment we sacrifice deeply because it’s profoundly obvious that the dream is worth it.
In the craft beverage industry, if your business is worth it, your employees have to be too, and there really can't be a distinction. I’m making these sacrifices because Buskey is worth it and they are worth it. The really mind blowing thing about this week as a whole is that Richmond gets it. We’re worth believing in. We aren’t a big company, we don’t have a safety net, and there definitely wasn’t a playbook for this.
We are back in startup mode.