It is hard to believe one year has gone by since we turned the key in that door. On the other side stood a facility in long need of repair. It was worn, tattered, a casualty of neglect. The road was long to get to that door, but none of us have since looked back. Once we stepped inside we had promises to fulfill. And although the work seemed endless, often impossible, there was no direction to go but forward.
So the cobwebs got dusted off, the paneling was stripped down, the walls were bludgeoned and a vision started to become a reality. There was no time to waste as we had long since started our ad campaign promising the finest service in the finest facility. There were days when the work seemed endless and we questioned when, if ever, the new facility would be completed. It wasn’t simply about an aesthetic enhancement. We toiled long and hard over ways to make the building more accessible to those who used it. A handicapped accessible bathroom, something that so many people take for granted, kept us up at night. We insisted on providing one and wouldn’t relent until we found the where and how? A dingy lower level that housed offices and a selection room also gave us motivation for change. We wanted a space to be welcoming, open and inviting. We’d have to do some (significant) extra legwork relocating our offices to the third floor. But true to form, this wasn’t about us, this was about making it better for others.
The growth and change transcended the physical realm. As a family, we developed a groove in working together. A party of three where there was once two. It was a time to recognize that everyone has an opinion but each opinion is rooted in the desire to make something the best it can be. Opinions vary as each of us sometimes saw a different means to achieving a goal. Overall, the lessons of respect, tolerance, and sharing the belief that we are in this together, are lessons every family in business can learn from. It’s not always easy, but we are in it together.
Finally the dust cleared away, the last coat of paint went on the wall, the finishing touches were made, and the facility that stood only in our imagination for years was now the place we turned the key each day. Now the realization; that was the easy part. It’s humbling to begin again. While we know the difference in the services we provide, would others give us a chance? Change is difficult, often met with resistance. As human beings, we tend to like what we know and take refuge in the comfort of the familiar. It wasn’t enough for us to know our difference, others needed to see it for themselves. Slowly, the phone began to ring. The families who took a chance on us were worthy of our best efforts and beyond. We recognized there are choices out there and we wanted them to walk away fully confident in the choice they made. To those families, not only for the trust you placed in us, but also the kind words and encourageent you expressed thereafter, we thank you. You’ll never know how your words impacted us, but they gave us the confidence to keep going. Doubting yourself seems so easy at times, but you gave us a reason to believe in what we were doing. In all of our years, we have never forgotten a family we served. And the list of those we fondly remember continues to grow.
As we turn the page on the calendar, we renew the commitment and renew the focus. We are humbled by this journey. Thank you Greenwich for the warm welcome. Thank you to friends, family, mentors and advisors who encouraged us along the way. Thank you God for the blessings and the opportunity.
Our work and our story are just beginning…
F
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