AQUAOSO turns 6 today!

Agcor, a Growers Edge Company turns 6 today.

I started AQUAOSO as a public benefit corporation as a single founder in a garage with a dog.

I then met my awesome cofounder Cameron Burford , and together we built a stellar founding team.

Since then, we have thrived and experienced two pivots, market upheavals, employees coming and going, fundraising, accelerators, customer growth, personal growth and an ever growing market.

Through all of that we have remained true to our values and our core “why’s” of

1. Building generational wealth (beyond cash),
2. Making a positive impact on the world, and
3. Building a team of change makers, who can make and impact here at AO and elsewhere.

We now have a company with 15 employees who have each made major contributions to our amazing culture!

We’ve built a company on the foundation of Customer Love.

We've endured, and I want to share some thoughts prompted by this recurring theme as I reflect on the last six years.

• Endurance is not easy. Training, pacing, direction setting, finding opportune times to speed up or slow down, or taking a break, are critical.
• Having a cheering section is wonderful! And cheering for each other is magical!
• Knowing “why” and having a north star makes the painful moments bearable.
• Cash is not king - it’s the lifeblood of an organization. The market is king. Running out of cash is painful, but not necessarily the end. It can be a killer, but creativity and bold moves can be a lifesaver.
• There is beauty in the world. Take time to enjoy the beauty. Build beautiful moments into the business and customer experience.
• Walk a mile (or a thousand) in customer shoes. Then walk for the customer. Then walk with the customer. (Another way of saying, show the f@_k up!)
• Stand on the shoulders of great people and organizations! Read, listen, watch and seek to understand ways in which to build upon their work.
• Find opportunities to co-create the future with team members, with customer, with partners, with investors, with others. It’s a lot of fun and a powerful way to build a strong foundation.
• My dad always said - “Let your roots grow deep”. How right he was. A strong foundation is better than a house of cards, even if it takes a little longer to get to the same height. Deep roots build a resilient organization.
• Build a culture of inclusion, not just diversity. Stand up for teammates. Include company Values as part of the decision matrix. It’s ok to take a strong position.
• Be bold. Be original. Encourage creativity. Don’t be afraid of starting something over or letting go of a bad idea.
• Don’t play with a$$holes on the playground. Better yet, don’t let them into your sandbox. (yes, breaking the inclusion rule here).
• Have fun!! Smile more! Celebrate the wins (no matter how small). Reflect on the losses. Share the feelings more. Respect those feelings, and don’t dwell on them.
• Metrics matter. Not all metrics matter. Figure out the top three that matter.
• Focus. Focus. Focus. And keep the aperture wide. Continuous learning is critical here. Don’t mistake motion for progress.

I am eternally grateful for everyone who has supported us on this journey to date.

To current and past customers, employees, investors, advisors, coaches, vendors, partners, friends, accelerators, peers and family members! The AQUAOSO tribe is stronger than ever!!

Happy Birthday AQUAOSO!!