I had a lot of fun this week with a lot of exploring.
First of all, it was Amalfi, then Florence, and finalizing the week in Montalcino.
It was special.
We saw beautiful waters, ate incredible food, and tasted new types of wine.
There are two things that stuck out to me most this week.
Business first…
First, strong support from everyone associated with the manufacturer project.
The magic number was five.
At 7 PM local time in Florence, I received a phone call from Philski that we hit five.
Nothing is absolutely concrete yet, but every sign says we’re good to proceed to the next stage.
Assuming this is in fact the case, this is a great day for Fountain Forward.
I also think it’s important to remember what this means to the team.
We didn’t NEED this for survival.
I think we needed a really solid opportunity and a tough goal to aim for.
We needed one, and we needed to hit it.
Now, we accomplished our goal and feel solid about our efforts as we move to the next stage.
What I believe this should teach us is that we CAN if we want.
It takes all of us, but when we need it, we can get it done.
With all of that in mind, it was Philski who won the week.
I’m on vacation. I’m barely working compared to my norm.
Did I push? Hell yeah I did.
But Philski took this thing and got it over the finish line.
That’s what I will remember most.
That Friday night conversation with him was a long time coming.
What he did this week, for himself, is bigger than anything he did for the company.
He got out of his comfort zone, called his contacts, riled up the sales team, called his contacts contacts contacts!
Got it done.
Mamba Monday is in honor of Phil this week. Kobe would be proud.
Second… a personal note.
It was very nice to have Elizabeth be completely “in the know” this week regarding the company initiatives. She was rooting us on every step of the way.
She knew dinners would have interruptions and conversations would be abundant, and as things progressed, she became more interested.
That meant a lot to me.
In so many ways, I’ve always felt like we (Fountain Forward) are David and we’re going against Goliath.
Months ago, Elizabeth scheduled us time to go see Michelangelo’s “David” in Florence.
That was the day before the deadline.
Randomly, I looked up and saw her admiring the incredible, larger than life sculpture of David.
That was the metaphor for me. She has been looking at us, admiring our journey, rooting us on.
What made it come full circle is the story behind what Michaelango was trying to portray.
Unlike earlier sculptors like Donatello and Verrocchio, who showed David after he killed the giant, often with Goliath’s severed head at his feet—Michelangelo chose the tense, focused moment before the fight begins.
He is standing in deep concentration with his sling and stone as he watches Goliath approach.
That’s fucking beautiful, man.
I spent a ton of time this week concentrating on trying to win this battle, and she was there rooting us on. Also worth mentioning that she was super sharp in her reads. Not just a fan, a smart and capable partner.
Rooting on her team.
Rooting on David.
What a great way to end my writing this week.
We have three more days here in Italy. It’s been a blast, and I’ve learned a ton.
Today we will confirm we’re good to go with the factory and move to the next stage.
Looking forward to our final days in Italy and getting back home to grinding with the team.
Thanks again to everyone for their support this week.
Forward!
– SJ
PS: I fell in love with Italian wine so if you drink wine with me, get ready for me to talk about it!