Cheers to 2021!
Wow! It’s New Year’s Eve already! We made it! As excited as I know many of us are to move on from 2020, I lost a little bit of sleep the other night thinking about next year.
As I sat up reading and thinking and drinking tea, I realized that all the plans in the world can go awry at any given moment. 2020 taught us that. I thought about Nirvana Soul’s journey, and how under the wildest of circumstances, we managed to garner support while many of our neighbors have sadly shuttered or continue to muscle their way through.
With what feels like so much good fortune for us already, I couldn’t help but wonder: Are we even allowed to ask for more?
There will be plenty of articles and analysis and books written about what a historical year 2020 was. What I’m reminded of, once more, is how necessary it is to own and tell our own stories, even as history is being written. Yes, some of the stories from this year will downright suck. I won’t even try to deny it. People are losing their lives, jobs, businesses, and homes. It’s ok to sit with that for a moment.
But, even so, some of the stories we tell will be testaments to our courage and resilience. 2020 might be about the great unlearning brought upon by our collective social awakening, or about how you baked bread and nurtured plant babies in your precious time alone, or how you spent more quality time with your family than you ever have before, or about how you opened your business in the middle of a pandemic.
As important as it is to allow ourselves to feel all the feelings of this random and tumultuous year, it’s equally important to give ourselves permission to be happy in the next.
That’s what I landed on that night: permission to be happy. Nirvana Soul is a happy place. You’ve told us, written letters, sent gifts, and tagged us in your photos about just how joyful it’s been for you to spend even just some of your time here with us. We feel the same way about you!
So are we allowed to ask for more? Heck yes! We’re giving ourselves permission. We always said we would never stop, and there’s no point in playing small as we go. And just because we (finally!) opened our shop, that doesn’t mean it’s all over. Let’s keep this thing going! We’re in this together.
Here’s what we’re thinking for 2021:
1. Scale the roasting biz - The biggest single coffee order we fulfilled this year was for 105 bags. We’re also set to fulfill a single order for 200 bags in March. But what if we had to do 2,000 bags or 20,000 bags?! (If the sky's the limit, we have to dream that big, right?) Operationally, we’re just not there yet.
We’re fortunate to have partnered with an incredibly talented roaster here in San Jose, who kindly helps us with our orders when we need it, but with such a small team and facilities, we’re not really built for scale.
With that being said, we have to figure this part out. We can’t sell out every month and a half and we can’t miss out on opportunities either. We’re hurting your experience, which goes against our core values. So, expect to see some movement here.
2. Create better merch - We came through with some hats, mugs, and a couple of t-shirts this year, but we could totally do more… and better. The scary thing about merchandise is that you have to pay for everything up front. Yes, the expectation is that you’ll sell out and get all your money back, but there’s no guarantee. So, as a brand new business, we just couldn’t make the investment this year considering what the next few months might hold.
Fast forward, and you all have been asking for more merch! You want hoodies and beanies and masks and more. We love that you want to rep the brand! We’ll be looking for designers and manufacturers to create quality products you’ll enjoy wearing. (If you’re interested in designing Nirvana Soul merch, feel free to email us at hello@nirvanasoulcoffee.com.)
3. Hit the streets - This might be our most ambitious priority for next year. We want to get a coffee van! Since day one (literally, at our grand opening), people have been asking us to open up a Nirvana Soul location in their neighborhood or city, from South San Jose to San Diego to Oakland. And we’d love to! We’ve made no secret about our random goal of 20 stores, so why not start now?
As we’re still in a pandemic, we’re thinking a good half step to the next shop is a van. And also, can you imagine the fun we’ll have?! We’ll just come to you! You tell us where to meet you and we’re there! Nirvana Soul – coming to a city near you. :)
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So that’s the plan. As usual, we’ll keep you posted on our progress. And as you head into the new year, we hope that you continue to dream BIG too. (It’s ok! We’re all allowed!) You also get to find your joy no matter what the circumstances are. Give yourself permission!
As a final note, I like to name my years. Personally, I’ve had the years of grace, gratitude, calm, expansion, etc., and I’m thinking next year is the year of mindfulness. For Nirvana Soul, 2021 will be The Year of Execution.
What’s your theme for next year? Let’s dream and do it all together!
Cheers to 2021! 🥂
-Be’Anka