I was (rightfully!) chastised this week for getting so far behind on my blog postings, so here goes…….

This post is much different than it was originally intended to be. F. Oliver’s was so busy in July and August that it was all I could do to keep up with the business. Since then we have been actively preparing for Christmas, and now the season is upon us. So, in short, it’s been busy busy busy. After months of not posting, my first post back was going to be some cute, hopefully clever post about being so busy. But some other things have happened and cute and clever are not what come to mind.

During the last several weeks serious life situations have been on my mind. I learned that two of my friends’ husbands have been diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Another friend’s  family mourned the tragic suicide of a young family member. Then yesterday a customer told me that the husband of a Kodak colleague (and friend) is fighting to keep working while untreatable cancer invades his body.

Hearing about these sad “real-life” situations always serves up a healthy dose of perspective and leaves life lessons to be learned and relearned. Today is only here today, so this is our chance to work, play, live, and love as we want our lives to be; this is it – no do-overs! The things that seem big are incredibly small in the scheme of things; not to overuse the tired, “don’t sweat the small things,”  but….

Another lesson taught by these sad life situations is that we can all be oases of warmth and kindness in a high-tech, increasingly de-humanized world. While running the business well is important, F. Oliver’s is blessed with a kind and sensitive staff who respect and care for each other and who truly enjoy warmly hosting store visitors. Who knows what another person is dealing with in their life? If in the course of each of our daily business we can add a little warmth and happiness isn’t it our place in life to do so?

Yesterday, within an hour of hearing the latest sad news, a woman came into the shop carrying a baby carrier. While the mother tasted oils and vinegars, the baby slept peacefully. After I tried casually to catch a glimpse of the sleeping infant the mother unzipped the tiny sleeping bag for me to get a better look. I saw a perfect TINY little girl with fingers the size of a doll’s, a full head of dark shiny hair, and a lovingly placed pink ribbon around her small round head. The mother told me that she didn’t know until three days after the baby’s birth that the baby would be theirs to adopt and that the baby was truly an unexpected gift. At that moment I was struck by how happy life can be. How nice to work in an environment where people who were previously strangers can share these happy events with us.

So what about the oils and vinegars? Well, not to be preachy, but FRESH extra virgin olive oil is VERY good for you. It helps prevent heart disease and some forms of cancer. Vinegar aids digestion and builds our bodies in countless other ways. Beyond the health benefits though, repeatedly our customers share with us what they made with F. Oliver’s products and how much their family and/or friends enjoyed their creations. What could be more warm, loving, and nourishing than for a family or group of friends to share delicious healthy food and friendship around the dinner table?

Seize the day – it is only here today!

Corporate America leaves an indelible mark on a person. In some cases, such as using goofy acronyms and using words like “debrief” instead of “talk,” it’s not such a great thing. In other cases, like clearly defining objectives (or mission), it is quite a good thing. Does a small business need a mission statement? I don’t know, but establishing a mission statement is part of my corporate America DNA, so F. Oliver’s has one and here it is:

F. Oliver’s will inspire creative growth for its employees, customers and community and will attract a loyal following by offering

• A professional, yet warm and welcoming environment
• A distinct, fun, and informative store experience
• The freshest and best selection of high quality olive oils and balsamic vinegars in Upstate New York

During the first days getting the store open and running I thought about the mission statement a couple of times and laughed to myself; it seemed like a silly, irrelevant luxury amidst the numerous nuts and bolts tasks requiring attention. Then some remarkable things happened.

First, customers started returning to tell me what they had made with their F. Oliver’s purchases. One had done a pasta dish with the Mediterranean Cassis Balsamic Vinegar and the Sage and Wild Harvest Mushroom Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). Another made a “salsa” from tropical fruit, cucumbers, cilantro, and Creamy Coconut Balsamic with Fresh Pressed Persian Lime EVOO, then served it on grilled fish. A third person made a thin-sliced sirloin “pizza” with Smoky Chipotle EVOO and Dark Chocolate Balsamic. Not only did each dish sound DELICIOUS, but truly creative. Clearly, each home chef had fun with the products as well.

The other thing that happened concerned the front windows. I had contacted a visually creative person I know to see if, by some chance, she would be willing to help me figure out what to do with the store windows. By coincidence, she is studying painting in Canandaigua for a few weeks and agreed to stop by. Not only did she stop by, but realizing that we needed something in the windows ASAP she took what we had on hand – some fustis and tissue paper – and assembled beautiful, colorful, fun and interesting displays. People stopped walking by and started to notice us here on Main Street.

But it didn’t stop there. Over the weekend she shopped for the best looking faux flowers and plants at the best price and came back again with these beautiful items to replace the colorful tissue paper. Now there is a massive stainless steel fusti sporting a glorious sunflower arrangement in one window and a pyramid of fustis with assorted spring greenery and butterflies in the other. Flanking the adorned fustis are small bottle arrangements, tastefully displaying what we sell here because her research on how to do store windows suggested that you always need to display what you are selling.

Every time I look at the windows I smile, not only because the arrangements are so beautiful, but because it represents the kind, helpful, and generous nature of the designer. She has many hobbies, many friends, and, I’m sure, many things to do. Yet she has spent several hours researching, thinking about, shopping for, and assembling these bright beautiful F. Oliver’s advertisements. Just when I thought that I had received way more window design help than I had any business expecting, I received an email from her. She said that she has enjoyed this project as much as I have and that she is willing to redecorate the windows seasonally. Wow! How cool is that?

So, is F. Oliver’s fulfilling its mission to inspire creative growth? I can’t answer for anyone but myself. In my case the answer is a resounding yes. I am growing and becoming more creative in ways that I couldn’t have anticipated. For our customers, if not growing creatively, at least it appears that many are thoroughly enjoying F. Oliver’s products and being very creative with them. For the window display artist, it feels like a stretch to say that F. Oliver’s inspired creative growth, but the store was at least a venue for inspired creativity. And – all of us have contributed to the “warm and welcoming environment” and the “distinct, fun, and informative store experience.” Business has been great, so maybe the mission statement isn’t an irrelevant luxury after all.

Stop by, we would love to share the F. Oliver’s experience with YOU and possibly inspire some creative growth.

Yesterday I completed my first week working as a “shop girl.” Doesn’t that conjure images of a routine, mundane daily life? My week was anything but.

As a quick catch-up for those of you new to the F. Oliver’s blog, the store had been in its pre-opening phase for several days prior to last Tuesday, when we actually opened for sales. So, as of Tuesday, I started my position working the tasting and retail area of F. Oliver’s. Actually, I am the store’s owner and principal employee; my duties include everything from building the business plan and updating the cash flow projection to scrubbing the floor and taking out the garbage. Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum of responsibility is assisting customers as a “shop girl.”

For those of you who don’t have time to read the rest, here is the bottom line: Both F. Oliver’s and I had an excellent week! Thank you to all who made that possible. For those of you with a little time, following is the color commentary.

I’m still figuring out the rhythm of the day and week, but here are some anecdotes and highlights from week one:

If you are the only one minding the store, how do you gracefully visit the ladies room? So the store is empty at the moment, but it is guaranteed that the minute you duck into “the ladies” the bell on the door rings and one is left to finish thoroughly washing one’s hands and emerge, acting as if just coming up from the stock room, when everyone knows exactly where you are coming from. Oh well, at least “employees washed hands before returning to work” – and –  I am cutting back on my morning coffee consumption.

Ditto lunch. My first day in the shop alone I didn’t make time to pack a lunch in the morning. By about 1:00 I was getting more than a little hungry. For those of you who haven’t visited the store yet, picture this: the cash area is a beautiful high table behind which one sits looking out at Main Street, Canandaigua. A fixture of decades on Main Street is Ken’s Doghouse, a renowned street stand selling some of the best hot dogs I’ve ever had. So here I am, starving, gazing at Ken’s Doghouse. After considering alternatives, I quickly put up the “back in 5 minutes” sign and ran over to Ken’s in my F. Oliver’s apron. During my 5 minutes at Ken’s, I experienced one of the most beautiful aspects of doing business in a small town. I ran into and chatted with my insurance agent, who introduced me to another Ken’s fan, George Hamlin, a big time local celebrity who is the President and CEO of Canandaigua National Bank, our incredibly well-run and growing “local” bank. I can’t wait to see who else I meet during future “back in 5 minutes” lunches.

It is really important to open in an organized manner at 10:00 if that’s what your hours are. I decided to do a quick errand one morning before opening. I was walking back up Main Street when I realized that it was a few minutes after 10. I thought to myself, “Oh well, no one really knows that we are open and who is going to be there at 10 anyway?” Wrong – I got back to the store and found 2 people waiting. When we all entered together there was a ladder in the middle of the store. That was a great message underscoring the reality that the store needed to immediately exit its development phase and become more officially run as a business.

There are two best parts to my new “job” at F. Oliver’s. As I mentioned earlier, my duties are varied and gratifying. I love “doing it all,” from figuring out the point of sale system to bottling product. Emptying the waste baskets and taking out the garbage isn’t bad at all either. At least you can see the results of your work.

The other best part is that I GET TO MEET NEW PEOPLE EVERY DAY! It is really fun and rewarding to become acquainted with people and to help them become acquainted with our products, and, not surprisingly, everyone so far has loved the products!

As the F. Oliver’s “About” Page states, “everyone from the novice cook to the seasoned chef can taste the difference.” I saw the spectrum of cooks this week and, based on the amount of product they bought, they did taste the difference. Based on the comments I received, they love the ambiance of F. Oliver’s as much as I do. I can’t wait to start my second week as a “shop girl.”

F. Oliver’s now has 36 fustis full of incredibly fresh oils and balsamic vinegars!

If you missed my previous post, a fusti is a stainless steel container specifically designed to store and pour oils and vinegars. Most of ours are 15 liter, but some are 5 liter; all came from Italy. The taps come separately and if they didn’t say “made in Italy” on them I would have thought that they were engineered and fabricated in Germany. It seems that we are all used to seeing flimsy, poorly made goods in stores; what a pleasure to have a store full of such beautiful, well-engineered, and well-made containers and taps.

But the best part is what fills the fustis! For each product I noted the date that it was filled by the supplier; most were dated March and some dated late February. Of course I had to try a lot of them. This is probably the freshest product I have ever tasted; one can definitely taste the difference that fresh makes.

F. Oliver’s broad product line includes something for everyone. For a quick weeknight meal, a little Sage with Wild Harvest Mushroom EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) drizzled over ravioli or an omelette is delicious. The fresh delicate flavor of California Arbequina EVOO, which was just pressed early winter, would be beautiful in a light vinaigrette or with some delicate spring vegetables or herbs and seafood. The balsamics mix beautifully or are great on their own. I keep envisioning dipping a nice sharp cheese into the Special Reserve 18-Year-Old Balsamic or the Royal Pomegranate Balsamic along with some fruit; yum.

Now that everything is filled we’ve been trying combinations. The Arromatic Oregano Light Balsamic mixed with the Fresh Bright Basil EVOO was a crisp herbal blend with buttery undertones – a very quick, delicious multi-use dressing. On the fruity side, the Farmstand Strawberry Balsamic with the Fresh Pressed Meyer Lemon EVOO was a knockout; would be great on greens or fruit salad, or with chicken or pork for that matter.

I can’t wait to welcome you here at F. Oliver’s to taste our wares. I know that you will find your own favorite products and combinations. Truly, there is something for everyone and for every situation, from pulling together a quick appetizer or entree to preparing a multi course slow-cooked meal. Welcome and Bon Appetit!

I am amazed at the amount of work that goes into opening a business. Aside from establishing the brand, systems and processes, finding excellent employees and acquiring  inventory, just getting the store physically ready to open requires more work than one person can perform in the amount of time given, and, if help were hired, probably more expense than the business case could easily carry. F. Oliver’s has been extremely fortunate to benefit from “donated” labor on both large and small scales.

My husband, Eric, has to burn vacation this year owing to a new non-carryover policy at his company. While he easily could have spent his vacation time at Bristol Mountain skiing or going south to start the golf season early, he spent his time instead working at F. Oliver’s. More specifically he built (beautiful!) work tables and  a portable wall, he fabricated and mounted room dividers and doors, assembled shelves, installed molding and door returns, painted, and even configured computer systems. Those of you who know him know that he does high quality work, regardless of where or by whom it will be seen. To him, “a job worth doing is worth doing well.” Every bit of what he’s done is done completely and beautifully, free of charge, and has taken hours and hours of hard work. No complaining, no grandstanding; he just gets the job done. His father even painted for two full days to help out!

Another behind the scenes worker is the property’s landlord, Mike Yarger. Truly the landlord doesn’t have to take part in renovations at all, and most prefer not to. Mike is different. When we learned that we needed to install a 3-bay sink and pull up some old, very grody carpeting, he found a solid sink at a great price and installed it. He not only pulled up the carpet, but used some tiles originally purchased for his home to install a beautiful Mediterranean tile floor in the storage and dishwashing room. When we learned that the furnace wasn’t operating as efficiently as it could, Mike installed heating vents and air returns that will result in higher comfort and lower utility bills for the F. Oliver’s team. Additionally, he’s installed a hand-washing sink, the infamous grease trap, and electrical outlets where required.

What I find interesting is that this work most likely won’t be noticed and admired by the public. But it does make the store operate a whole lot better and make it more attractive; in short the store will be a much nicer place to work. The work is out of sight, but far from out of mind as it will be noticed every single day behind the scenes and will help us to work better and more efficiently out front.

So, this post is a small but very sincere recognition of all the generously donated hard work that’s taken place behind the scenes. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

A friend once told me that it is important to “ride the wave” of the good times to carry you through the not-so-good times. It sounded a little too new-agey for me then, but I believe now that I understand better what she meant. To me it means be fully aware and appreciative during the good times and to carry that attitude into the bad times. There is always plenty for which to be appreciative even in what we think of as the bad times; the positive energy that comes from an appreciative attitude is a lot more motivating than what comes from focusing on the bad.

The “ride the wave” perspective carries over into the smaller parts of life as well. After my last post (which was also my first) I received a comment that the post didn’t adequately convey my excitement about starting my new business, F. Oliver’s. I thought about that a lot, reread the post, and agreed. Am I excited about starting the business? YES, YES YES! It is one of the most fun things that I have ever done. However, not every part of it is fun and exciting. So, I need to improve my wave riding so that the fun, exciting parts carry me through the not so fun and not so exciting aspects.

Like most everything else, the project of starting a business has phases. For me the first phase was becoming acquainted with a concept that seemed fun, fulfilling, and economically attractive. The second phase was considering and testing the concept to see if it really would work. The third phase was creating the brand, and the fourth was and is performing all the operational tasks required to bring the business to life. There are many, many tasks to be accomplished in this, the fourth phase!

I got a full dose of those tasks last week. Among other things, I filled out city permit applications, learned how to determine what size grease trap the business needs and then questioned the city code enforcer about whether we really do need a grease trap (according to him we do….), reviewed compliance with NY state requirements for our food processing permit, discussed furnace efficiency with the local heating and cooling expert and the benefit of adequate cold air returns with the landlord, learned how to paint over exterior aluminum, and determined that at this stage Pantone 377 is close enough to Pantone 382 to go ahead with printing. All necessary to get the business up and running, but not exactly my favorite parts of it.

Yesterday morning I picked up the large “coming soon” signs for the store windows, the first time to see the logo large and live. WOW! Last night, I received a proof sheet of all the product packaging artwork. DOUBLE WOW! I am thrilled to see the brand coming to life and to be back on the wave again. There are many more mundane tasks to be completed, but focusing on the emerging personality of the business energizes me tremendously.

Better yet, what’s coming to life results from the collaboration of talented, caring, and fun colleagues and friends. I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to be part of this exceptional team and to create something tangible with people that I like and admire; people who energize me.

Riding the wave alone is terrific; riding the wave with others is exponentially terrific.

“You’re going to open a store? In the middle of the recession? You’re going to sell Olive Oil and Vinegar? In Canandaigua? Have you lost your mind? What else are you going to sell? Nothing! What??” … then a polite smile and the sympathetic eyes that indicate a thought balloon reading, “You have no idea what you are doing and you’re going to be sorry.” Maybe so, but not yet.

So, yes, this is my newest venture. I am opening a store in Canandaigua where we will, at the start, sell only olive oils and balsamic vinegars; but not just any olive oils and vinegars. Hand crafted, small batch Extra Virgin Olive Oils – single varietals, flavor fused, and flavor infused; Balsamic Vinegars – 12-year old and 18-year old, and flavor infused. What does that mean? Details to follow.

What’s important to explain right now is what makes the store so special. Aside from the beautiful historic space where it is located and the caliber of people who will be working there is the store concept. All the products will be lined up in those big beautiful European looking stainless steel containers, called fustis, and every product (and delightful, delicious combinations of products!) will be available for tasting right from the fusti.  We will bottle the product in our own branded F. Oliver’s bottles.

We plan to open soon…. in fact in so soon that the long to-do list is starting to keep me awake at night. I have never opened a business before. If you have, then you know that I don’t know what I don’t know. Got that? So, in the upcoming weeks I want to share with you our progress, triumphs, tribulations, and the general story of the birth of F. Oliver’s. AND – I sincerely hope to see you at the store.