The Cost of Owning Your Own Business

​Sunday 8am, 228 gallons of water from our aquifer are flowing through this hose on its way to the mash tun.  Tom Petty is competing with the hum of the mill, where eleven bushels of wheat are grinding their way through, in route to the mash tun, where H20 and local grain coalesce. The morning light coming into the still room accentuates the fine mill dust on my hands from loading each bushel, and the mill room has a fine coating on the surfaces.     
 
Geri is resting, for the moment, and will arrive shorty before we open.  This afternoon we will be running gin. I have configured the still, tightened every seal, (safety is paramount) scrubbed the pot, rinsed the fermenters and setup to pump over low wines.  I am 2hrs into a 14hr day.  
 
Looking around I am reminded of why Ethanolo¿y works.  It works because Geri and I do.  We work our asses off, every day to ensure that every detail is executed as perfectly as it can be.  I truly believe that value is earned, and if you work your ass off you will be successful. Not financially, that shit comes and goes, and has absolutely no intrinsic value.  I am talking about real success!  Success that can never be spent, and must be earned. 
 
I could be out on the boat, cracking beers, counting down the hours before I have to put on a suit and tie, working some shitty corporate job that sucks my soul out like a Dementor. However, I have chosen a different path and traded time for purpose.  
 
There a thousand things I should and could be doing, rather than writing this blog.  However, I have a choice on how to spend my time.  And come Thursday, I’ll have an ice cold G&T in hand, looking forward to seeing your beautiful faces.  
 
Nick