Happy New Year.
I’ve wanted to write to you for weeks. We’ve been in the thick of moving the heart of Jacob’s Well from QC to Las Piñas, and I hoped to share an update that felt polished, organized, and ahead of schedule.
But humanity got in the way.
Just this morning, a team member quit - a supposed backup for the trainee who quit late last year. It happened just as I thought I was finally "figuring it out"—getting the gears turning for our belated 9th-anniversary celebration this 2026.
As a business in the digital age, we rarely talk about this. Aesthetics are the current kings and queens; looking good has become more important than being real. But this—this friction—is what a soulful business actually looks like.
To run a business is, first and foremost, to manage the unpredictable flow of human lives. When you see a brand turn cold, aloof, or purely profit-driven, it’s usually because they found it easier to kill the soul than to deal with the mess of humanity.
It is a lonely road to try and hold the fort. To scale without losing the spirit. To keep our philosophy intact while the ground shifts beneath us.
I’m writing this because I don’t want you to think we’ve got it all figured out. We don’t. If you feel like you are fighting an uphill battle in your own work or life right now, please know that you aren't the only one.
You are not alone. Neither are we.
We are in this rhythm together—steadfast, even when the music changes.
Chai-rs to a human 2026.
-yourchaiboy