How a 4.5 hour buggy ride across the Island of Sal in Cape Verde, West Africa [unknowingly] prepared us for a 72 store launch with Meijer supercenters

Let me give you some context: I'm currently writing this piece on my Macbook in my dining room in the wee hours of the night while I am on Facetime with Dominique, who's at The Mushroom Angel Co kitchen pulling an all-nighter to seal units so that when he gets home some time early morning (maybe 4 or 5 am est), he can take over the children and I can get a head start labeling and packaging cases to complete our most significant order to date for 72 stores across the midwest (Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky). And yes, we have amazing team members, but in a newly founded company such as ours, life behind the scenes as cofounders still looks like this.

A few minutes ago, we were working side-by-side in the production room. But, I had to leave him and return home to release our mommy-helper/nanny. Facetime has now become the best resolution for supporting him from afar. As we're in the last and final stretch of completing this order, I am reminded of our trip to Cape Verde.

Without getting into the details of our trip and for this reflection piece, Dominique and I celebrated ten years of marriage in Cape Verde. Cape Verde holds deep meaning for us as a family because that is where his grandfather immigrated to America from. Until our trip, Dominique had always dreamed of returning to the very place where much of who he is resides. The trip was so divine and we're forever grateful for the restoration and reset that took place while on such extraordinary land.

Now, on the topic of land. My goodness, we explored. We explored the entire Island of Sal, Cape Verde on a buggy. Upon reflection, here are some life principles we relearned subconsciously before we headed back to the U.S:

1. "Every driver needs a passenger; sometimes, it's the journey itself that provides the company." You know as entrepreneurs, we often embark on our business journeys alone. Essentially, we take on the role of the "driver." We wear many hats. We're responsible for making decisions, setting goals, and steering the course of our business. Not all entrepreneurs have someone to accompany them on their entrepreneurial journey -- in this case like a traditional "passenger." Thus, the lessons one learns along the way become the company they keep to themselves. Scaling into 72 new locations across the Midwest is not something I wish for anyone to do alone. Although the road was and still is bumpy, I am eternally grateful that Dominique and I have one another (and our very big community) as passengers along for the ride.
2. "Roads may be bumpy, but sometimes those bumps elevate us to experience a higher level of life." Listen, just as bumps in the road can lift a vehicle to a higher level, overcoming business challenges can elevate a company to a more advanced and capable state. Let me tell you about these bumps during that 4.5-hour buggy ride across the Island of Cape Verde. Do you see that photo above? Most of the ride was full of bumps and dust. Our vision was blurred hence the reason for wearing bandanas and big goggles. We were full of dust. In fact, I had to throw away the leggings I wore during the ride. But, you know what? With every bump we went over, we literally were elevated to a higher height. And after every bump, we felt more confident about venturing forward. This has been the exact feeling over the past few weeks. Each week has brought a different kind of bump but each had landed us higher above our current placement.
3. "The vision is clear, but the journey is blurry" I keep this principle very close to heart. The journey, with its twists and turns, like the buggy ride, provides valuable opportunities for learning and personal growth. Just because the journey comes with blurriness doesn't invalidate your vision. Literally, dust yourself off. When you "dust yourself off," you're acknowledging that you can learn from your mistakes, and any pitfalls and grow stronger. Each setback is a setup for improvement.

Keeping these life lessons in front of us over the past few months has been monumental. I can't begin to explain the private sacrifices in order to achieve public smiles.

I wanted to share these with you as we journey into our next phase of scale. I have a lot of updates to share in the upcoming weeks. In the meantime, learn more about the work we're doing here https://themushroomangel.com/. Sending you all my love and light. Let's keep flying high together. Below are other ways to connect with me.

Oh, we've successfully launched into 72 more Meijer locations across the Midwest. We need your help to spread the word and get us off the shelves!

Visit our store locator to see if we're in a store near you!

W.E.

https://www.desk.thedigitaldiplomat.com/

https://thevgcgroup.com/