One of my favorite quotes from Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project (about to be made into a TV show starring Kristen Davis) is: The days are long but the years are short. I’ve found that time operates this unexpected way in parenting, start-up life, and just life in general.
This week I am living this truism as we celebrate the second anniversary of the opening of our Bellevue Parlor. Raising the financing and opening this parlor during the worst of the recession was terrifying. Of all the decisions I have made at Julep, deciding to proceed with this parlor was the one that was the biggest bet in many ways.
Before Bellevue, with just three parlors, we weren’t quite where we needed to be. We didn’t have quite enough scale to justify all of our innovative products, services, and additional training resources. Back then, the days were so, SO long. They stretched out forever, and I collapsed each night in an exhausted heap, often in the same clothes from the day. My detailed hundred page business plan did not take into account the worst economic downturn of my lifetime.
But cut to two short years later, and we were right. Bellevue was just what we needed. To enable creative programs like our subscription based membership. To boost our growth to the tipping point. To give us the confidence that we are capable of overcoming even the most ginormous of obstacles as a team.
So THANK YOU team Bellevue – and to everyone who helped make Bellevue happen. And especially to our lovely loyal Bellevue parlor guests. You make such a huge difference in more ways than you can imagine. Happy Anniversary.
