half time…

Here we are. Midway (more or less… sorry for my being a month-and-a-bit behind) through the year… It’s August 9th, 2023.
I thought it was an apt a time as any to reflect on the year to date and how things are going in business and in life.

I realised something the other day. Business and busyness differ by a single letter but encompass so much of the same energy. I’ve been actively trying to become less ‘busy’ in my life for a little while now, but at the same time, the busyness of the business has only seemed to grow.
I love my work. I’m not even taking the piss. I really love building with stone, laying stone walls and floors, restoring structures, building fireplaces, consulting and planning, etc, etc… I LOVE IT, and I take pride in the fact that this little business can provide for my family and concurrently connect people to the places they inhabit. That’s the goal in what Stone Society does, and it seems that over time we’re slowly and consistently becoming more refined at this process.

Now, here’s the catch. We run a small crew… and I mean real small. Most of the time, if you send an email, DM on instagram, give a call or book a consultation you’ll see or hear from me, Tim, and I’ll also be the one doing majority of the work on your site.
Over the last few years, I’ve unfortunately had to give a ‘helpful no’ to nearly just as much work as I’ve been able to accept, and naturally, it’s given me reason to think about growing this little niche business that we’ve been lucky to develop over the last little while.
Is it time to expand our team and try to slowly grow the scale of connecting people to the places they inhabit?
I’m not entirely sure… When I think about the idea, a large part of me gets fired up to potentially be able to offer what we do, and more importantly, how we do it, to more people. In the same breath, a small part of me is filled with a mild anxiety around being responsible for staff and being able to support their families and aspirations whilst maintaining a high working standard across multiple projects.

With that being said, a couple of things have ‘come across my desk’ in life lately that have given me a strong sense to push pause on the whole ‘business’ thing and eliminate the ‘busyness’ of it all, to return more fully to presence and what truly matters. After all, all we have is our subjective experience in this moment… and this.

What matters in this moment?
Be an open hearted father, husband and friend.
Be patient.
Be gentle .
Be present.

I know I probably can’t have my cake and eat it too, but I’ll fucking well try.