It’s amazing to believe we’ve recently left a decade and have already moved into a new one. When I think about the last 10 years … it’s been an amazing journey. Our company didn’t exist 10 years ago. It was a whisper in the back of my brain that would occasionally rise up, wanting attention. I would ignore it as a passion I didn’t have time to pursue.
In thinking about my first blog post for 2020, I wanted to take a step back. I didn’t want to regurgitate the last 10 years. Or bore you with my personal goals for the next decade. I’m sure you’re doing your own goal setting, so there’s no need to interrupt that with mine. J After spending some time reflecting, I thought I would take this opportunity to reintroduce John Osborn & Company to you.
One question I constantly get with new clients is, “Where did your name come from?” Everyone thinks our company name should be Gifts R Us? Or Gifts for You. They want to know how we came to be.
First, if you want to know where my passion for gifting came from, pop on over my post about the Heart and Art of gifting. That’s where I share how I learned gift from a place of graciousness, and not out of obligation. From there, the business sprouted over my heart for gifting and to ease the process for others.
Five years ago I decided to formally establish a business, and with that comes a myriad of decisions. What do we stand for? What’s our value to our clients? Who do we want to be? And probably the biggest decision, what will we call ourselves in the market place?
Have you ever named a business? It’s a weighty decision. You’re looking for something marketable, catchy, and meaningful. Of course you have to make sure there’s not another business out there with the same name. And most importantly you want people to remember your name. With all of those things to consider, I was stuck on who we wanted to be, and I wanted to ensure this business could leave breadcrumbs of goodness that people could weave into their lives and the lives of others.
I pondered this decision for weeks. And the more I thought about who I wanted this business to be for our clients. The more I recalled memories of my grandfather and how he led his life. I wanted this business to operate with those same tenants.
The people close to him called him John O. His name was John Osborn Williams. He loved abundantly, from the deepest part of himself. Every day he dedicated his life to helping others and making their lives better. When I was around 11 or 12, I remember impatiently waiting for him to get home because I knew he was coming home with a new car. Can you imagine my 12-year-old self with an overly active imagination? Paw Paw was coming home with a new car. My mind was racing, I was beyond excited. Would it be a sedan? Or would he get that super cool van for the whole family. Could it possibly be something sporty?
I ran outside when I heard him turn into the driveway. And my heart sank. It was a station wagon. Of all of the cars, my cool, loving, grandfather purchased a station wagon. There it was in all of its glory sitting in the driveway a 1984 Chevy Caprice Estate Wagon, with faux wood paneling. As most 12-year-olds do, I died a little inside. (I’m sure that wasn’t my first time dying that day … I had a tendency to be dramatic.)
True to form, my Paw Paw danced out of that car, came around the side. And as on most days, his joy was vibrating right off his skin. I walked over to the car and said. “I like the color.” I ran my fingers along the wood paneling on the side opening the door. “And I like this wood.” By this time my sister and my grandmother had come out of the house and they were oohhhhing and ahhhhing. I asked him, why did you get a station wagon? Paw Paw went to the front seat and said, we can seat 4 children across the front. Then to the back and said 5… children will sit here. And then he moved to the back of the wagon and opened the door. And he said we can put 4-5 more children back here. (Mind you this was all before wearing a seatbelt was a law.) Then he turned to me with the biggest smile and said. “Do you know how many kids I can take to Vacation Bible School with this car?”
To this day, I’ll never forget his smile. For my grandfather, it wasn’t about driving a flashy car. Or even driving the best car. It was literally about helping out the kids in our neighborhood get to church. The importance of that moment was beyond my 12 year-old brain. I don’t think I fully understood the significance of that moment until I was naming the business and recalled that moment with him. Then I remembered the core of who my grandfather was, and how he decided to live his life. I wanted to create a business that existed in the same manner.
When you’re working with us, you’re getting more than expertise, or great service. You’re getting a partner. An organization that will be fair, loyal, joyful, and come through in a clench. We operate with the same core tenants that John O lived his life by. We believe in kindness. Sharing, giving and showing love abundantly. He also believed in helping other in any way possible, and contributed to the community. These are all of our core beliefs.
As we move into 2020, it’s not so much about our goals and objectives. But what we will do for others. How will we make a difference? In what ways can we bring joy, entice a smile or laughter? That’s the way my grandfather lived, and that’s why the business is named after him. More than anything we want to operate like our namesake and always look for who can we help, and how can we … in every way … make this world a better place.