20 Years of Blessings – Taking Time to Marvel this December
December 16, 2019
Written By:
Jeff Disher | Founder & Chairman of the Board
Greetings to all from the last month of the year! I marvel at the month of December. Each year it is a rich and varied blend of emotions for me… and my guess it is for you too. I enter it with a grateful heart fresh off the heels of Thanksgiving. I get frenzied as I step fully into the hustle and bustle of wrapping up tasks and commitments before year end. And I end up longing for a meaningful and peaceful Christmas season as both the month and the year, come to an end. I also marvel at December because it has the most of the mosts of any other month. It is the most festive and colorful. It is filled with the most traditions. It tends to be the most reflective. It is typically when we give the most. And in many ways, it is the most hopeful month as we plan for the year ahead. Yes, December is a marvelous month!
This particular December of 2019 marks the eve of our 20th Anniversary at DISHER. On January 10, 2020, DISHER will be 20-years old! I can’t help but reflect back on December of 1999. I was full of anxiety as I was just days away from giving my two-week’s notice. Leaving my safe and secure employer of eleven years and attempting to start a new company was both exciting and frightening. Some people were happy for me while others thought I was making the wrong decision. Oh, and some thought the world was going to end from a Y2K meltdown. Glad I didn’t listen to them. My wife, Kathy, was the most supportive. She gave me the encouragement I needed to overcome my fears and doubts. On Monday, January 10, 2000, I took the leap and never looked back.
Jeff Disher on his first day @ Disher Design and Development
Our journey through our first year of survival and the ensuing years of awkward growth and refinement brought with them plenty of teachable moments for everyone involved. And yet, here we stand today as grateful as ever for the good Lord’s protection and provision through all the highs and lows of the past two decades. Although we are on a journey for the long-haul, it’s appropriate to pause and say, “A sincere Thank You to all of you who have helped us Make a Positive Difference.” Some of you are customers, others are teammates or alumni, and the rest of you represent the community around us that gives us all a purpose and a place to call home. My biggest lesson learned as I reflect on the last 20 years? How powerful and meaningful our mission statement has become to our entire team as we all live it out for those around us each and every day.
Like the month of December, our 20-year journey has been one to marvel at— full of frenzy, emotion, and grateful hearts. And like the hope and excitement one might have leading into the new year ahead, our recent strategic planning and visioning for the future give us hope and excitement as we continue on our mission to Make a Positive Difference.
The DISHER team in 2020 at our company offsite in January.
Regardless of the journey you or your company is on, marvel at the joy you’ve experienced when targets were hit and success was achieved. And equally, marvel at the growth and maturation you and your organization have experienced from the mistakes made, trials faced, and lessons learned. Be grateful for the richness and variety of all you have been through and have hope and faith that you and your organization will navigate toward an even better tomorrow.
To you and yours, I wish you a Merry Christmas, a marvelous December, and a hopeful and happy New Year!