Change

I’m not sure I had a plan when I set out to write this post. I had some themes that I wanted to touch on. But, all I could think of was slogans on change and how to see it. But perhaps that is now the theme – and it’s happening on a meta level. I had a plan, but only a limited degree of control in affecting it. Things changed both by my bidding and also imposed on me. And that’s much like Sunbird and where it is now.

Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.

There have been quite a few changes, and with more to come. Some were forced upon us, some we’ve been forced to make ourselves. We’ve lost some staff, which as sad as it’s been, has also allowed us to welcome new people into the fold. We've been enjoying the
excitement of how their skills and personalities contribute to Sunbird and look forward to watching them grow and contribute.

You can’t step in the same river once.

We welcome Roxy and Zahrah to our team. Neither are completely new to Sunbird. Some of you may have met Zahrah already when she worked our market stand towards the end of last year. She still holds this role, and I’ll concede that I’m a little jealous that she has the opportunity to interact with customers like this. Apart from visiting the Cederberg, it’s always been my best part of the job. And if you haven’t met her yet, be sure to check our socials to see when our next market is.

Roxy joins us from Wildflower Honey – a business she shares with Clay, her beekeeping
husband. Rooibos and honey are brilliant partners, and Sunbird and Wildflower are already available on our website, and with Yuppiechef. She brings a wealth of experience as well as a positivity and drive to our office that is already making a difference. We feel lucky to have her.

Never let a crisis go to waste.

I have to remind myself often (but not often enough) that running a business is both a joy and a pain. There are highs and lows. Our happy medium is that there are things to be proud of, while at the same time things to be nervous about. This duality keeps our feet on the ground and eyes looking forward - with occasional glances over our shoulder. It also reminds me of cyclical nature of things. And how inevitable these cycles are. From the rhythm of a beating heart, to path of a planet around its star. 

Everything goes in cycles. To a degree.

Sunbird does find itself in a renewal phase. I look back how these happened several times in the past. A change in venue, a change in staff, a change production. They’ve mostly been steps forward. Once, maybe twice, a step back before going forward again. The cycle of things. A new dawn, or a bursting bud. Not a beginning, or an end. But another step down the trail that leads to somewhere we’re not sure of.

If you do not change direction, you may end up where you’re heading.

Packaging changes and new lines are just over the horizon. And we’re looking forward to
showing these to customers and seeing the delight in their eyes. We’re also looking forward to engaging with entirely new markets – both in South Africa and possibly even far offshore. How these will pan out? Who knows? But keep in touch, and find out. We’ll be unwrapping that eventuality at the same time as you. After all…

How do you make God laugh? Tell him your plans.

Till next time, All the Best

Anton – founder of Sunbird Rooibos