Happy summer to all our pals! It sure has been a great one personally and professionally. When you run a small business, every day is a mix of family, friends, and big dreams… (adding in laundry, carpools, house projects—we all know the list is long). This summer however has felt especially sweet.

Over the last few months, we have made lots of new friends and we are SO glad! We thought it would be a great time to re-introduce ourselves and share a bit of the 2021 Co. story.

We are back from another trip to the Atlanta Market and wow, it was great. We liken going to market like going to camp. You get together twice a year to see friends from all over the country, you share in an intense few days, then pack your bags and head for home.

Thirty-six years ago today, as I left my high school softball practice, I spotted my mom, sister, and brother in the car, their expressions unfamiliar yet immediately understandable to me.

My brother Tim, missing since before Christmas, was dead. Despite my 15-year-old brain never considering this outcome, I sensed its truth before my hand touched the car door handle of my mom's car.

"There are some of us who are desperately lonely, grieving a loss, struggling with physical or mental health, or fallen on financial hard times and this time of year makes all of that SO MUCH WORSE."

We’ve been a little quiet over the holidays, taking time to be with our families, but we are back with great excitement for the New Year. As we dive into 2023, we are trying to once again set intentions and focus on a few key things for both our business and our lives.

We are nearly three and growing like a weed!

2021 Co. will be three years old on Monday, November 22^nd and being a toddler in real life and in business life is both incredibly fun + frustrating.

Being in the awkward toddler stage, we are learning a new language and phrases like “supply chain,” “cost of goods sold,” and “cost per square foot” are starting to feel a little less foreign. Although we freely admit that having to discuss such topics can still inspire a good old-fashioned temper tantrum..

I’ll be honest, the summer is my favorite season. The days are long, bright and warm. Also, during the summer I still have fall to look forward to—which I also love, but a little less.

For me, fall feels like a Sunday night when I was in high school, trying to enjoy the last few hours of the weekend before the alarm goes off the next morning and remember the test you haven’t prepared for.