I’m currently sitting on a plane flying from Denver to Durango. The aspens are showing off as large swaths of yellow snake their way through the rugged mountain peaks. It’s breathtaking. My intention was to reflect on the past few months of business, which have been busier than ever, but here I am reflecting on the past (almost) nine years of living in Durango.
When I moved to Durango in early 2016, I had no idea that I would become a full-time private chef. I had no idea that life would break my heart, nor that through the emptiness, such beauty would emerge.
I could write a novel about “what I’ve learned” since moving to Durango. I can say with full certainty that I’m not the same woman I was a year ago, let alone nine. But for the purposes of today, I’m reflecting on what I’ve learned since starting my business. These reflections span far and wide. They honor the business initiatives that have “tried and failed” – although I don’t necessarily believe in the notion of failure. They honor the ways my business has transformed as my internal landscape has rearranged, time and time again.
*There were the “Adventure through Food” stickers that I ordered before I even knew what my business would be. They cost me a decent amount of money and when they arrived, I realized they were just over the size of a quarter and that my logo was barely visible on the tiny sticker.
*There’s 200+ to-go containers that I purchased when I thought “Adventure through Food” was going to be a different business. I envisioned putting up a menu each Sunday and having people place their orders for the week. Then I realized I had to get into a commercial kitchen to do that, and that dream slowly faded.
*There were the second round of business cards I ordered. They say “Private chef for the food obsessed.” I got them and quickly realized that tagline isn’t one that resonates on the deepest level. New business cards in process.
*There are gorgeous little vases sitting in my garage. I had a wild hair to bring fresh flowers to each private dining experience. This may still happen, but so far the boxes are collecting dust.
*There’s the new domain(s) I recently purchased for a rebrand. While there is something *big* in process that involves something beyond Adventure through Food, I realized that it doesn’t make sense to use the specific domain I purchased three weeks ago.
*There’s a $25,000 job I lost when I advocated for myself. This one hurt initially, but through the experience I quickly realized that I’m not interested in doing business with people where the energetics aren’t aligned.
*There’s a $$$$ deposit I had to return because I didn’t use a contract. “Who needs a contract when the client is so awesome?!” ME. Every time, from there on out.
And on and on…
I love reflecting on what I’ve learned, sometimes through what I’ve lost. For life is the full spectrum. It’s the wins, the losses, and everything in between. I believe that when we embrace that which initially doesn’t feel “good”, we cultivate a deeper relationship with life. We begin to trust that we can weather the storms and trust the “failures” the way we trust “success.”
I am grateful for the ways that being a private chef has stretched my edges and made me more settled in the success AND uncertainty. I’m grateful for the four retreats I’ve worked in six months. I’m grateful for the increasing energetic alignment I feel with my clients. And I’m grateful for the ways this next year will kick my ass in ways I can’t even begin to imagine. Grateful for it all.