Goals for the New Year

As the New Year arrived, I have been working with my staff on our three year goals.  And we put some big growth goals in our A3 that left one of my staff asking “why go to all that trouble to grow Cherry Republic?  What’s the meaning of it all?”

There is a fine line to growing the company and becoming a slave to it’s growth.  And having meaningful goals helps overcome the extra work growth entails.  Long ago, my mother offered me some advice when Cherry Republic was in it’s toddler years.  “Bobby, relax and go for a swim.  You’ve grown Cherry Republic enough to support yourself.”

But the truth is.  Cherry Republic just had more to do.  The creative expression wasn’t complete and it isn’t going to be a finished canvas anytime soon.  There is still new products and new stores to create and new activities to do in each present store.  Everywhere I look seems so unfinished– even in Glen Arbor.

And there are millions of people that don’t yet know Cherry Republic.  We hope to touch every heart and lift every spirit we can reach with cherries.  It is a passion– to reach people and help them make their day with cherries.  Everyone deserves a ruby red morsel of joy in their mouth sometime in their life.

But this is where it gets personal to me.  I love the personal growth I acquire from growing the company.  There is a challenge to growing.  Tackling those challenges leads to personal growth.  I read a Abraham Lincoln biography when I was in college.  And the biographers conclusion to his life, was that Lincoln was fiercely committed to improving himself as an individual.  It was his lifelong passion.  His example is a terrific example for all of us as we head into a new year.

“Let us strive to improve ourselves, for we cannot remain stationary; one either progresses or retrogrades.”
– Mme. Du Deffand

Bob’s goal in 2013 is to share more business stories and passions with his staff and customers.