Skipped a year
Posted by Judy Kraushaar on Thursday, January 5, 2017
Holy Moly, it's 2017. Yikes I missed a year. 2016 a year of growth, struggles, and successes which sums up everything in three words.
Growth, our greenhouse business and farm business expanded which left us in a vertical learning curve once again. Who knew that adding on to a business meant everything changes. lol. Not only do you increase your product but it also means increasing your managing skills, customer expansion, more troubleshooting, longer hours, and less appreciation for what we really do in the greenhouse industry. I was thrown into the fire but came out of the fire well done not burnt. I came out with a deeper appreciation for my business, for my amazing staff, for my supportive family, and a deeper love for what I do. But I also came out of that fire questioning what the real meaning of success means and when is enough enough. I know hardcore. lol. After many hours of debating with myself and talking to other industry leaders I came up with the answers. My success is delivering a product to my customers that allows me and my staff to be extremely proud of calling MooseBay Greenhouses'. We spend countless hours transplanting, watering, pinching, shaping, etc. so when that plant leaves the greenhouse it's like a graduation in the family. We raise them to be healthy and happy which gives our customer the opportunity to watch our babies grow into mature adults and blossom to their full potential. So when is enough enough. Well enough is enough when our customers suffer because we don't have the time for them and enough is enough when we stop loving what we are doing. Every day I wake up looking forward to the day ahead of me. I wake up for the adventures, the learning, for my staff family, and my passion for the greenhouse industry. I truly love what I do and when I stop loving it I know enough will be enough.
Struggles, well life isn't life without gentle reminders that we are all human. I believe that the struggles we have in life are good reminders of where our roots belong. I found myself looking at my expanding business as a burden. Not a burden professionally but a burden as a mother, wife, and friend. How does one person divide their time and energy equally between the business and personal life. Well, I am still trying to find all the answers but I am learning. I have learnt that I cannot be super woman even though I still try to be. I have learnt to ask for help from my friends and family and I am learning where my boundaries are and that my business isn't my family even though I think of it as my baby. I have surrounded my life and my business with positive people that reflect my values as a business owner, a mother, a friend and a wife. I continually remind myself to give back to my communities that make my business possible and I am humbled by the response that being true to our business values and personal values has had on me. Having struggles in the business such as disease, bugs, power losses, etc. does take it's toll on a person but when I chose to wake up in the morning and look at all that is great in the greenhouse, it changes a person. When I chose to wake up and see the good in the day, realize that I am not alone in my struggles and start pulling in the professionals that know what they are doing; my struggles then become my lesson for the day. I am grateful for the struggles and I now embrace all that comes my way because I know that I am not alone in the struggle, I have staff that are supportive of what needs to be done, and I have friends and family that will pick me up if I fall.
Successes, well I have spoken of some of our successes but I do want to point out that success isn't in the money that is made.(however, it's nice to pay all the bills lol); success for MooseBay Greenhouses is the delivery of outstanding customer service, the product we deliver to our customers, and expansion of our customer base. If our customers are happy then we have been successful.
So what does 2017 have in store for us. Well my hope is growth, struggles and successes. Growth as a mother, wife, friend, and business owner. Struggles to keep me grounded and more appreciative and successes that reflex me as a person, as a mother , as a wife, as a friend, as a business owner, and as a community member. Let us not forget that life is a gift for us to live and that everyday is a new beginning to struggle, grow and succeed.
Until next time,
Judy
Growth, our greenhouse business and farm business expanded which left us in a vertical learning curve once again. Who knew that adding on to a business meant everything changes. lol. Not only do you increase your product but it also means increasing your managing skills, customer expansion, more troubleshooting, longer hours, and less appreciation for what we really do in the greenhouse industry. I was thrown into the fire but came out of the fire well done not burnt. I came out with a deeper appreciation for my business, for my amazing staff, for my supportive family, and a deeper love for what I do. But I also came out of that fire questioning what the real meaning of success means and when is enough enough. I know hardcore. lol. After many hours of debating with myself and talking to other industry leaders I came up with the answers. My success is delivering a product to my customers that allows me and my staff to be extremely proud of calling MooseBay Greenhouses'. We spend countless hours transplanting, watering, pinching, shaping, etc. so when that plant leaves the greenhouse it's like a graduation in the family. We raise them to be healthy and happy which gives our customer the opportunity to watch our babies grow into mature adults and blossom to their full potential. So when is enough enough. Well enough is enough when our customers suffer because we don't have the time for them and enough is enough when we stop loving what we are doing. Every day I wake up looking forward to the day ahead of me. I wake up for the adventures, the learning, for my staff family, and my passion for the greenhouse industry. I truly love what I do and when I stop loving it I know enough will be enough.
Struggles, well life isn't life without gentle reminders that we are all human. I believe that the struggles we have in life are good reminders of where our roots belong. I found myself looking at my expanding business as a burden. Not a burden professionally but a burden as a mother, wife, and friend. How does one person divide their time and energy equally between the business and personal life. Well, I am still trying to find all the answers but I am learning. I have learnt that I cannot be super woman even though I still try to be. I have learnt to ask for help from my friends and family and I am learning where my boundaries are and that my business isn't my family even though I think of it as my baby. I have surrounded my life and my business with positive people that reflect my values as a business owner, a mother, a friend and a wife. I continually remind myself to give back to my communities that make my business possible and I am humbled by the response that being true to our business values and personal values has had on me. Having struggles in the business such as disease, bugs, power losses, etc. does take it's toll on a person but when I chose to wake up in the morning and look at all that is great in the greenhouse, it changes a person. When I chose to wake up and see the good in the day, realize that I am not alone in my struggles and start pulling in the professionals that know what they are doing; my struggles then become my lesson for the day. I am grateful for the struggles and I now embrace all that comes my way because I know that I am not alone in the struggle, I have staff that are supportive of what needs to be done, and I have friends and family that will pick me up if I fall.
Successes, well I have spoken of some of our successes but I do want to point out that success isn't in the money that is made.(however, it's nice to pay all the bills lol); success for MooseBay Greenhouses is the delivery of outstanding customer service, the product we deliver to our customers, and expansion of our customer base. If our customers are happy then we have been successful.
So what does 2017 have in store for us. Well my hope is growth, struggles and successes. Growth as a mother, wife, friend, and business owner. Struggles to keep me grounded and more appreciative and successes that reflex me as a person, as a mother , as a wife, as a friend, as a business owner, and as a community member. Let us not forget that life is a gift for us to live and that everyday is a new beginning to struggle, grow and succeed.
Until next time,
Judy
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