What I accomplished:
- I now surrender to the changing winds rather than fight them. I have seen past needing to control things or having them go one way.
- I realized my own resilience, passion and tenacity.
- I’ve learned to receive and to ask.
- I am more present to my own and other’s humanity.
- I went out on the skinny branches and I went full out.
- I collaborated with amazing people. Great conversations were had over coffee or drinks.
- I had wonderful travels to Wisconsin cheese destinations, Seattle, and Raleigh.
- I generated amazing media attention. Best moment: When a journalist from New Jersey got in touch with me asking for my exclusive story (when I raised the $100,000 successfully, of course) to submit to Entrepreneur and other magazines.
- I was honored by the American Cheese Society for my innovative ideas in the industry.
Other favorite memories of the journey are definitely when I went to Seattle to talk to Howard Schultz and also contemplating doing business with an investor with questionable financial origins. I felt like a player to be potentially doing business with the guy. I had this great talk one of my advisors when they told me that WeatherVane Creamery would cleanse and purify the guy’s dirty money. Ha!
Lastly, I want to thank everyone for their support. There are hundreds of you- investors, advisors, fans, people who contributed to the Indiegogo campaign, people who contributed knowledge and know-how, those that offered connections, those who who offered their valuable time, and for all who offered emotional support- especially Turningpoint in River Falls. And Moscow, my dog of 12 years who passed in the middle of everything.
That’s all I know for now. And it starts right here.