Happy New Year!

Happy New Year my friends! 

I'd like to start this letter by sharing this story about 2000-year-old food stand found in Pompeii, Italy. The concept of feeding people has been around for so long; it has endured so many evolutions and challenges. Throughout it all, the desire to nourish people has remained a staple in society. That will always live on! If this year has proven anything, it is that nothing is constant, but that survival is possible…especially with a positive attitude, an open mind, a strong team, and a commitment to a slow-and-steady approach for a sustainable future.

There’s no question that 2020 has been hard. But over the past ten years, we experienced all kinds of hardships and we’ve come out stronger. And now, we have a secret weapon on our side… you! The love and support we’ve received this year has been overwhelming, and with kindness at the center of it all, we’ve been truly reminded of the value of being “in it together”.

These acts of kindness, big and small, have helped keep Grounded afloat this year.  Further, they have fueled our motivation to keep adapting and innovating! One particular act of kindness I need to acknowledge is from Lindsey at Living Green Landscaping. He showed up during the summer, and filled our patio with beautiful plants and flowers. He knew times were tough and that we couldn’t afford them, but he showed up with them anyway out of pure generosity. I was speechless. Then came the Festive Season, and he showed up again with foliage for our planters and a 12-foot Christmas tree! Again, I insisted it was too much. That’s when he shared a story with me about the history of John Deere, and the company’s generosity to farmers who had leased tractors they could no longer afford after WW2. The essence of JD’s approach was: ‘don't worry about it, keep working, and we’ll figure it out when times get better.’ Sure enough, they did. And today, generations and generations of farmers are still committed to using John Deere equipment. Lindsey proceeds to tell me: “I'm taking a page out of their book. You'll always be my client." And that I will. 

Moments like that are the ones that take the history of the worst of times and still show the power of people. Whether you’ve switched up your morning routine to start it with Grounded coffee, turned to Grounded instead of the LCBO to stock your wine rack, ordered gift baskets for your colleagues, shared the news of our holiday dinner, joined us for a Purple Cow Dinner, or simply ordered takeout… from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. These are the kinds of things that keep us going! These are the moments I'll remember and take away as pivotal of 2020.  

Ciao for now,

Amir