Happy Friday!
Seven weeks down, three to go until I need to come up with a new naming convention for these blog posts… Maybe I keep the number theme going. It is pretty easy after all.
I hope you have had a nice week full of success, fulfillment, and, as many of us are reminded to appreciate, warmth.
I was fortunate enough to spend this week with my family on the east coast of Florida. A double surprise visit from my little brother and I gave my mom plenty to fuss over as she and my dad were taking a break from the brutally cold winter months of New York. A much needed break from my landlocked isolation in Tallahassee was something I really enjoyed too. I was able to spend some time surfing the surprisingly playful wind swell near my Aunt’s place. I was also able to spend some time with a great friend of mine in St. Augustine. It was a great little escape, and one that was much needed at that.
This is probably one of my last “vacations” as I am graduating in only a number of weeks. This reality carries a lot of unknown and changes with it. I don’t exactly have a plan following graduation, and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I don’t know what I want to do. I don’t feel ready to commit to a career with a company unless it is my own. I don’t know if it is even remotely realistic to take at least a few months of working on this business full time. I have been sort of ignoring this event on the horizon as it carries so much more than just a career decision along with it.
Will and I have begun the process of building up something. I really have enjoyed the work so far, and I know I will continue to enjoy it as we grow and explore our future as a company. There is a lot of work required of both Will and I over the coming months for me to realistically consider working this as my full time job, but I seriously think it is possible. What would really change the game for us is a significant growth in our audience and our sales volume. We have some interesting developments in our sales efforts right now as we explore the possibility of selling our items wholesale, selling our bags to businesses, like real estate and yacht brokers, as high end marketing materials, and in the continuing development of our products to convert new customers faster. All of these could be directions that we take in the future. Which one, if any, we opt for has yet to become clear.
I think that the next few months will fly by, and that, by the end of it all, we will at least be able to say we didn’t sit stagnant. I am confident the Dunsel’s team will continue to innovate across all fronts, and that we will continue to try until we find success. We won’t give up. We are doing a good thing. We are working on a business that exists solely because we are interested in reducing the overwhelming effects of pollution on our environments. I can’t say how much I appreciate those of you who have followed along with our story, and those of you who have gotten one of our products. You are supporting and validating everything we do, and for that I want to reiterate my thanks and appreciation. We couldn’t do it without you.
I may have been on a mini “vacation” in terms of my location, but I have not slowed down on work. I have had some fantastic conversations with family, friends, and mentors this week. I have continued to work on the digital presence of our website and our other online storefronts. I am excited and invigorated to hit the ground running again when I return to Tallahassee this weekend. I think that’s all I have for now.
Stay warm,
- Jon