Ah yes, the second half of my trip in Argentina. Plans in place to take significant time away from my laptop and enjoy the wonderful cities of Buenos Aires and Mendoza.
Ha.
Only a few hours after posting last week’s blog I received a phone call that there was a little “shake-up” with our staff at Fountain Forward.
Then a little bit later, another one.
Plans for the week changed reallll quick..
Damn glad I had gotten some decent rest the past few days.
Days like that are why I try to stay as even keel as possible. I walked over to Emiliano and told him what was going on and just as he always does he asked what he needed to do to support and then we got to work.
Same process as always. What’s the problem, what caused it, what’s our solution (short and long term), and what will the outcome look like…
I got on the phone with Phil and I must say he was locked in. He started the call with a laugh (in reference to company changes that tend to happen whenever I leave the continent) and then he laid out his plan. It was really well thought out. Philski, I was really impressed, buddy.
A few team members are going to double or even triple their workload in under two weeks. One of them has been learning under my wing for a few months so I wanted to give her a call. I wanted to make sure I calibrated where her head was at.
After a brief synopsis I left her a break to respond…
“I’m so excited. This is great, I can’t wait”, she said.
She has less experience than the rest of them, but she has a background as an athlete and competitor. She gets it. I’m confident in her ability to rise to the occasion.
The next few weeks will reveal a lot about where we’re at as a company. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities for growth.
A few years ago you would have never caught me saying that I’m looking forward to the unstable road ahead. This is one of the reasons why I write every week. I want to calibrate my mind and it’s definitely helping. One week at a time.
While there was a lot going on with FF, I had plenty of time to enjoy my trip.
My first winery tours were just wonderful. I was blown away by Cristian Moor and the Corazon Del Sol winery experience. Cristian is one hell of a wine maker and an even better human. Should you ever find yourself in the Uco Valley, I know THE GUY.
I finished the week with a once in a lifetime experience… Boca Juniors!
If you know, you know. If you don’t, you should just Google what it’s like at a Boca Juniors game. I was fortunate enough to connect with a leader of “La Popular” and he put us in an incredible spot. Thank you, Facundo!
Time with Emiliano and his family has been special. I’ll never forget my time in Argentina and the people I’ve met. Special thanks to Emiliano’s family for such a wonderful welcome. They’ve raised a strong and ambitious son which I get the pleasure to do business with daily.
With all of that said, I’m ready to be home. I’ve learned a lot about my friendship and business relationship with Emiliano this past week and we are both better for it.
Gracias, Argentina. Fuiste muy buena conmigo.
– SJ