WEEK 11
A JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE
To quote T.S. Eliot, “What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
That quote pretty much sums up how I felt as I left the e2e Accelerator office, this time as an alum instead of a cohort.
Our 13-week mentorship program ended on Monday, October 10. The six of us cohorts spent a few hours that morning talking with leaders about how far we've come as business owners, and how we felt the program benefited each of us. It’s clear from that conversation that each member of our inaugural class walked away a stronger person, armed with the tools needed to continue moving down the path to success.
Each of the cohorts takes responsibility for the e2e program's success. We are now part of a sort-of fraternal organization, having accomplished something never before done in Kansas, as this was the first accelerator program of its kind for our state.
Last week, my work in the e2e program culminated in a presentation to a few hundred people at Accelerate the Heartland. There, I revealed my passions for coffee and the business proposition for making Wichita a more valuable community for people to live and work in. I delivered a presentation based on my values for our industry, fully intending to cause some waves in the way we think about making memorable experiences. I love Wichita, and I love the people even more. And my commitment to the future is to keep doing what I can to push our city in the direction of “better.”
Through e2e, I learned that I’m part of the solution. I had been searching for my path ever since I opened the doors to Reverie in 2013, without ever realizing the path is laid out right in front of me. I’ve been too busy looking for something new or exciting to do when, the whole time, I just needed to share my visions and values for the community. The response I’ve received from my mentors and supporters is simply overwhelming, and I fully intend to soak it all in and make the most of the opportunity.
On Monday, the e2e cohorts left as alumni. But like all ends, there’s a new beginning. Each of us will be looking after each other as we all take this newfound knowledge and put it to use. Keep an eye out for each of us, as we’ve all got big plans for the future that you will certainly want to be a part of.
Keep an eye out for each of us, as we've all got big plans for the future that you will certainly want to be a part of.
In closing, I’d like to thank TheChungReport.com for allowing me to share my thoughts and experiences over the past 11 weeks. If I could ask one thing of anyone reading this, it would be to please take time each week to stay in touch with this site, and find a way to be a part of the solution to the challenges we face. It takes a city to solve these problems, and I plan to do my part. I hope you will join me.
Thanks for the support.
-Andrew
EDITOR'S NOTE:
We would like to thank Andrew Gough for putting the work and time into sharing his entrepreneurial journey with us in Reverie Coffee Roasters' Startup Diaries.
Read his story from week one..
We are on the lookout now for other entrepreneurs to share the trials and triumphs of their work. If you know of someone who may be interested, or want to share other ideas for The Chung Report, reach out to us online or on social media.