The Power of AND

AND - instead of OR.

A few years ago, I attended an improv class, and it was a blast, I laughed and made a fool of myself - a lot. Philip, the seasoned comedian and improv extraordinaire who lead the class, coached me on the creative back-and-forth flow of improv, and hinged on the building power of the word AND. What I realized is that tool has been and continues to be a tool for life. To meet transitions as building blocks. And today is one of those building blocks. Over the next several weeks, I will be transitioning out of my role as CEO of The Well Coffeehouse, and I have truly loved my time here.

Making the decision to transition out of my role as CEO and take an opportunity outside of The Well has been incredibly difficult as there is a lot of great opportunity to continue to grow this business and lead the wonderful team drawn to the full circle work we get to do. From day one, I felt joining The Well was an invitation by God, a new page in the script of my journey that he’s been writing that seemed to make sense in reverse. However, if we are just looking for what makes sense in reverse, we may not look ahead at the story He's still writing. I didn’t anticipate the end of a chapter. I wasn’t looking for a burning bush. I was wrestling with the THIS or THAT, EITHER/OR decision in front of me. However, the decision to accept the new exciting opportunity reminded me that my story was an AND. Every place we go, every opportunity is a part of our AND.

Each person has the power to pivot the story, add to the script, and keep the storyline moving forward, all with the power of the AND. The AND doesn’t discount the lines before it but only adds to their value by building upon them.

I am incredibly grateful to the Well leadership and Board of Directors for their faith and trust in me, and for the staff and customers who have inspired me daily to serve this missional business. The growth we've seen through the whirlwind of the last few years has been amazing, and I'm excited for the opportunity for the next leader to carry it forward and build upon an amazing culture and community. I'm honored to have championed the work of our farmers, importers, and water partners to make an impact on sustainability in our industry. This year will be the largest single-year impact in clean water we've had in our 11-year history, a remarkable impact truly only possible thanks to our customers and employees. Additionally, I'm glad we've made strides in the commitment to living wages and benefits for our employees as our employees are our greatest resource.

The stage is set. The script is being written. The story continues - my story, The Well's story, and the stories that connect us all. Thanks for being an important part of my AND.