Grateful to old and new friends

Starting a business is a journey, and what a year it has been. There are ups, downs, changes, lessons and you hopefully come out stronger than you started (and perhaps a little wiser) and definitely more determined than ever! The people though, they are what will make or break a business (any business) and I dedicate this post to them.

First major announcement (and the toughest pill for me to swallow personally so far) Juliette decided to hang up her FoodGrads cap. For a variety of reasons my friend has decided to take a different path and will no longer be joining me on this adventure. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank her for taking this step with me in the first place, I am not sure I would have taken this leap of faith had I not done it with her. Everything happens for a reason and I truly believe that to be so, this is the end of one chapter, and the beginning of another.

So, while I say goodbye (figuratively) to an old friend I am thrilled to say that I have made some new ones along the way! FoodGrads is and will always be a platform for students and recent grads to start their career and some of those students and grads have come forward, waved their interests and passions enthusiastically in front of me and are now supporting us. Shyamoli, Adam, Katie, Veronica and Emily to name a few are the reason I jump out of bed in the morning and do this.

Their involvement, ideas and commitment means a lot and working together like this gives me the absolute desire and confidence to live up to their expectations. Lastly, I want to thank all those who continue to support FoodGrads from behind the scenes (you know who you are) and to those who have approached me because you see a benefit in the platform and a benefit in partnering with us.  I will keep you in the loop about those partnerships as we move forward, and yet again–you will get sick of hearing this from me, but I have to throw it out to the universe–THANK YOU!!  Onward and upwards….

Original Post Published March 2, 2016

Having an idea is great, an idea can change lives. But it’s the team; the team makes all the difference.

My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people. – Steve Jobs

As Founder of FoodGrads I am so grateful to Juliette. We have discussed, deliberated, dissected and brainstormed our socks off. When you start a business you need different personality types as well as different strengths, if you all think the same and share similar experiences and expertise it’s unlikely you will develop the best ideas and ultimately the most successful business. You just end up agreeing with each other which isn’t always a good thing. I know firsthand that I need someone to challenge me and offer an alternative opinion as like many, when I am on a certain track it is sometimes impossible to stop and consider other viewpoints or avenues that may be turn out to be a better course of action. Juliette is a great communicator, extremely intelligent, organized and honest. Hands down, she’s the one.

I am also grateful to Rob, our pet IT guy, as he is affectionately known. Polar opposite to me, he is a technical wiz, logical and brings the practicality to compliment Juliette and I. Quite frankly we would not have a business if it was not for his expertise, vision and diligence is getting FoodGrads off the ground. One of his best qualities is his patience, which at times is tested when dealing with two Brits, who are also old friends who are SO wildly entertaining and funny or at least we wholeheartedly think we are!

I am grateful to our food family a group of professionals who we encourage you to meet. A collaborative team of food sector professionals supporters of this venture from day contributing their insights and expertise through blog posts. Each of them shares the vision of helping other people, supporting students and recent grads as we all remember our own experiences of starting out in our careers. Together we have a wealth of knowledge and dare I say wisdom, which we feel passionate about sharing.

So, week 2, writing a contribution to our FoodGrads story this came to mind; a grateful post because without this team it would just be an idea that could change lives, instead of a viable business that I know will change lives.

Author: Nicole Gallace – Founder, FoodGrads