On a Personal Note...

Hey y'all!  I wanted to take some time today to let you know what is going on on the Hip Mountain Mama Family front.  As you know our business is a sole mom and pop shop and we have been since day 1.  I started the shop in the summer of '08 and although the first couple of months were slow, we saw tremendous growth within just 1 year.  Andy, our Hip Mountain Papa, was working as a loan officer at the time while I spent my days running the biz and raising our 2 young daughters.  After HMM's 1 year anniversary it became clear that I needed some help.  We made the decision for Andy to leave corporate American and join the Hip Mountain Mama team.  It was a very scary decision, but we went for it with confidence and excitement.  Our plan was to have Andy work with me for 6 months so we could dial things in, grow, and get to where we wanted to be...all while Andy did some soul searching looking for his path in life (banking was not the answer).

As we approached Hip Mountain Mama's 3 year anniversary this past summer, Andy started digging deep and trying to figure out where his passion in life was.  Don't get me wrong..he loves Hip Mountain Mama and will always be a part of our Mom and Pop team...but he wanted something more...wanted to get out of the house and see how he could contribute.  He played around with a few ideas over the past few years, but nothing ever stuck, so he started venturing out to see what there was. 

Andy soon discovered a company focused on sustainability that sold lightweight outdoor hiking and camping gear (GoLite).  He was very intrigued with the company's business model and immediately wanted to jump on board.  He is now managing their flagship store in Fort Collins and is happier than I have seen him in a long time.  Sure, he is back working for someone else, but he is very committed to the company and helping them grow...not to mention working with staff and clientele with similar interests while selling products he believes in. 

As for Hip Mountain Mama, we are still going strong with lots of ideas for the future.  With the girls in school (2nd grade and Pre K) I have more time to devote to my shop and have a wonderful support system in place and helpers willing to jump in and help any time I need it. 

Looking back on the past couple of years, there have been a lot of twists and turns and bumps in the road.  But they have all led us to this place of peace and joy and it is so fun to be at the end looking back.  It really makes me realize how things in life happen for a reason and even though there were times that were hard and seemed to make no sense, it all makes perfect sense now.  Time is what creates clarity and if we have the patience to stick through the good and bad times, there will be great rewards at the end!

On a Personal Note...