The DV Shop celebrated its 20th Anniversary in May, and this post is a wee bit over-due. I’m writing this on the eve of our summer vacation shutdown, typing with tired fingers and a mushed brain.
Well, it’s been quite a year, to say the least. Covid-19 has been challenge on so many levels (personal-wise, business-wise, society-wise), and the DV Shop, luckily, has done okay. We are very grateful to our customers who have remained loyal during these times, and are very fortunate to be in a business that remained strong in the pandemic. We were able to pivot to curb-side very easily, so for all the challenges that arose and are in fact still present, we were able to ride the Covid roller-coaster and come out fine. So far so good. Our hearts go out to the businesses, and the people who work there, that were not able to ride that roller coaster so easily. We realize how lucky we are, and are very grateful for that luck.
So how do we sum up 20 years? To paraphrase Elton John, we’re still standing. Despite the never-ending challenges that came our way (and there were many), we somehow managed to weave, duck and pivot from all the punches thrown; scrape the cash together to keep fighting for another day (and sometimes that cash was mighty low); and through sheer perseverance and determination (and maybe some stubbornness) we kept the doors open in the early days when we really had no right to be in business. And we’re still here 20 years later, stronger than ever.
Single word on how I’m feeling? Exhausted. I’m working more 7 day weeks than 6, (no 5 day work weeks for DV Dude); 70 hours a week, for 20 years, and it starts to take a toll. Yes, the first world problems of running a successful business. So I’m happily exhausted! Off for a short vacation, to re-charge the batteries, and to prepare for whatever comes next.
