For an extended period, Jacob's Well Chai operated as a two-person endeavor, marked by a level of self-sufficiency that seemed almost excessive, particularly for my sister and me. The decision to expand our team was not made lightly and only materialized last year.
The past year ushered in significant changes for Jacob's Well Chai. We relocated our production from the main headquarters, established operations in Salcedo, welcomed new team members, and intensified our marketing efforts. Through most of 2023, everything appeared to be securely in place. However, a pivotal shift became necessary, primarily in our production process.
A brief background is essential. In late 2022, we entered into a partnership with another startup to create a shared production facility. Initially, operations ran smoothly, alleviating our production challenges. Little did we anticipate that it would come to an unexpected halt for reasons I'd rather keep private for now.
It was a substantial setback - the loss of our facility and production. In response, I assumed control once again. I overhauled a facility, revisited old recipes and processes, reminiscent of the early days in 2016 (a surprisingly positive experience in hindsight - a story for another time). Compounding the challenge, not only did we lose production personnel, but our TEAm member for marketing also departed with very short notice. All of this transpired within the first month of 2024. Needless to say, our office also had a break-in. Our laptops, company phone, moreover my beloved personal camera was stolen (story for another time).
Admittedly, these setbacks are undeniably difficult and disappointing. However, I choose to focus on the positive aspects. These obstacles strengthened the bond with my team, provided an opportunity to refine and enhance our recipes, and took us back to the excitement of the early years. In the past, I might have seen these setbacks as bad omens for 2024. Yet now, I can confidently declare that it only gets better from here! You can trust us on that!
P.S. We're currently in the process of reinventing a few things once again - this is going to be an exciting year!