Right now communication seems key, and so does explanation. So, I’ve decided to add regularly writing on the website to what might be considered an already busy schedule. If I stop or go long periods without writing, assume I’m working, or I was crushed by an apple box.
I’m hoping that I can write a little about my thought processes for why this business, that we all so love, looks so different this year.
First and foremost, I love my community. They are the friends and family that make up the staff, our awesome neighbors, our passionate and loyal customers, the farmers and ag workers of Virgil, the front line workers and first responders, anyone that’s helping make Virgil a great place to live and still striving to make it better (to the handful that are all of those, you’re great), and last but not least this business. Its an institution, an icon, something Virgil hangs it’s hat on, and something that a lot of people feel ownership over.
In every decision I’ve made this season, the first thing I’ve asked myself is, “How do we mitigate the risks to the community?” (That might be a funny sounding question, but having worked in the outdoor adventure industry, they drill into your head that nothing is ever safe. “Is it safe?” “Nothing is safe, There is risk inherent in everything we do. We do our best to mitigate all the risks.” Ask a raft guide, or zipline guide, or someone like that, “Is it safe?” and see how they answer). In every case the answers to that question drove me to the systems I settled on. It’s a question that I will continually ask as we move through this season, because while we have an opening plan that I am confident in, if 2020 has taught me anything its that situations and plans can change.
