This Thanksgiving falls very close to Evermore’s 10th anniversary. We are extremely grateful for these ten years and look forward to many more. We are a dedicated team of three people and each of us has our own reasons to be thankful.
Alison
The mindset of being grateful hasn’t always come easy for me. Over this past year especially, however, something has begun to shift inside me. Instead of having to remind myself of my blessings, I am now overcome daily by how much I have to be thankful for in my life. There are several reasons I can point to for why this change has occurred, but the reality is that it would not have been possible without Evermore.
After years of trying in vain to manage my long-standing stress and anxiety, the most surprisingly effective way I found to genuinely address it was to start a business… with a stranger… around a product no one had ever heard of… during a recession… where neither partner had business experience, industry contacts, or access to real money. Hanna and I can both attest to the emotional and health toll our work has taken on us over the past 10 years. Turns out that planting myself in a perpetual stress cycle made me finally come face to face with outdated habits and coping mechanisms. At times, it took more courage to stay than walk away or bury my head in the sand, but that ultra-important life lesson winking at me from the far reaches of every room became more and more alluring, until I finally had no choice but to truly want to get off the internal chaos wheel I can control, so that I had more stores to deal with external chaos wheel of life I cannot control. Once I stopped reflexively resisting it, I was forced to grow and develop in ways that I may not have been motivated to do otherwise in a more gentle environment. The empty space created by doing this opened up more room for me recognize and be grateful for what I already have.
My partnership with Hanna has not always been smooth, especially in those stressful early years, but the 10-year-tunnel has transformed us both. I honestly couldn’t dream up a more perfect partner, the yang to my yin, and I love her dearly. The magic that brought—and kept—us together all these years still blows my mind. We’re so different on many levels, but we’re also eerily aligned when it comes to our earnestness in creating the best and most accountable dog food we possibly can. This year has been especially hard for Hanna, and I am grateful that we have built a strong enough foundation to support her during this time.
Another powerful catalyst that had been floating around us for a while now crystallized once Erin joined our pack. I like to think the best explanation for how she found our way to us is more magic (which in part may be true, but also, Hanna’s lack of industry contacts has always been inversely related to her wealth of contacts in the rest of the world, particularly the creative world). Watching the two of them interact with our customers with such compassion, respect, and integrity is inspiring, and I am in awe of Erin’s optimism, enthusiasm, and ability to stay cool as a cucumber in difficult situations. I feel so blessed to be growing this company with such strong, positive women who naturally share the same values as I do, where a sense of integrity permeates all aspects of our business. I have come to think of us as the Silver Lining Sisters, and when things go awry—and believe me, things go awry—I get so excited at how quickly we are able to identify the silver lining in every situation. This is one of the single most valuable and profound life skills I am now thrilled to call mine.
Hanna
Not only does November mark the official beginning of the holiday season, it is also National Epilepsy Awareness Month. I didn’t know this until last year, when I was diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy after experiencing two tonic clonic seizures out of the blue (I’ll spare you the details here, but I did write a longform essay about it). While I do seem to have the situation under control with medication, a lot has changed for me in terms of how I function on a day-to-day basis. Some of our long-term customers may have noticed that I have stepped back a bit...
I’m still processing this major life change but am certain that as far as these things go, I am extremely lucky. Every day I am grateful for Evermore, for this company that we built. It is so much more than a business, it is the framework through which I navigate my life and has become my safety net. I am grateful for Alison. I could not wish for a more empathetic and hard-working partner. She is the wise older sister I never had. While we may have our disagreements at times, our moral compasses are calibrated to each other and we always align on the big stuff—like prioritizing building a business that would allow us the flexibility in our lives over fast growth and big money.
I am grateful for Erin, our customer service ballerina. Hiring her was one of the best decisions I have ever made and, based on glowing reviews, I know our customers agree. I am grateful for the Evermore support squad (shoutout to Noah, Mom, Morgan and JD) for believing in us enough to volunteer their time and skills. I am filled with gratitude for all of our customers, thank you for entrusting us with nourishing your dogs. And thank you for sharing your dogs’ stories with us. I cannot tell you how many times your words have made our day,
This is the hardest one to acknowledge, but I’m extremely grateful to my past self for working so hard for a decade to get Evernore to a place where I can work at my own pace. I’m naturally very hard on myself and easily fall into the trap of guilt and self-judgement. In hindsight it’s clear that I must have been doing something right...
Erin
January 8th will be my two-year Evermore anniversary. The past two years have been a transformative time for me, and I have made many changes... all with the goal of living the life I want. My ability to make these lifestyle adjustments has largely been due to my job at Evermore.
My “past life” as a ballerina-in-training was derailed by chronic illnesses and injuries. Following ballet and a stint as an aerialist, where I met Hanna, I moved towards more traditional employment. These jobs came with long hours, little flexibility in schedule, and I was continuously getting sick. When I joined the Evermore team, I was able to realize a better working environment for myself. Now I am able to work from home or from “the office” (Hanna’s kitchen) and manage my own time, which has allowed me to stay healthier, keep up with doctor’s visits, and pursue my passions.
Working with Alison and Hanna, whose company and personal ethos is in line with my own ideals, has been refreshing after years of compromise in other lines of work. They are incredible bosses who always seem to know the exact level of support I need. It has been a pleasure to get to know the two badass women behind our amazing recipes, and I don’t think I have ever felt quite as an appreciated employee as I have during my time with Evermore.
Now on to my favorite part, our wonderful customers! Our clients are beautifully caring pet-parents who all had their own journey towards fresh food pet diets. It has been an uplifting experience for me to hear all of the stories of pups transformed by their Evermore diets. Each “pup-date” we receive is shared between us and serves to renew our energy and excitement for our work and products. We have been learning so much about how to serve our clients better over the years and will continue ironing out the kinks as we go. We are so thankful for those who have stuck with us during the growing pains!
With all of these things to be grateful for, I am looking forward to another year of growth, both personally and professionally with the Evermore pack (furry or otherwise).