Squad!
This past weekend Run Gum had our first ever annual team retreat, and this one will go down as one of our very best. The team went from only 6 people in 2019 to 12 in 2020..that seems so crazy and amazing!
Getting everyone on the same page to start a new year is essential for any company. Here are three takeaways from that retreat and what you can expect from our company in 2020.
1) Run Gum is growing, FAST!
Anytime a business grows that quickly there are some growing pains, and we certainly had our share of those last year.
In 2019, we...
- Moved into a bigger office, only to grow out and upgrade again.
- Added over 4000 new retail stores.
- Shipped out more gum in one month (October) than all of 2018.
And as I mentioned above, we more than double the size of our team. As we project continued growth for 2020, we now have an incredible team to help us tackle the challenges ahead.
2) There is no I in TEAM!
That may sounds cliché, but it really is true. I like to think of myself as a hard worker that is relatively capable of getting things done, but by myself, this business would be nothing.
Building Run Gum has truly been a team effort, and as the team grows, our business becomes much, much stronger.
3) The customer is king (or queen!).
We have a large poster in our office that reads, "Never forget that your customers pay your salary." It's a friendly reminder, but one that we always need!
Our entire team is SO passionate about our customers... Their satisfaction is all we talk about. Not just from a product standpoint, but from all aspects, how can we help our customers dream big and tackle their goals.
We have some crazy big audacious goals for 2020. Some of them I know we will achieve, while others, if I being truthful, scare me a bit. (Have you heard me say, "If your goals don't scare you, they aren't big enough." 😁?!?)
If we stick to our guiding principle that People Matter & Performance Matters, we will not only continue to grow, we will continue to bring about meaningful change in the incredible community of ours.
Run The Day,
CEO & Co-Founder
Nick Symmonds
PS. You've heard me talk about it again and again, but I truly believe that by writing out your goals you have a better chance at achieving them. That is why our entire office has taken up the Build the Path method here and we can't wait to hit these big goals we have set out for ourselves!