I bought a hose last month at a store that shall remain nameless. The hose came in a bright red box that I couldn’t help picking up off the shelf. Right as I did, a clerk appeared in the aisle. “You looking for a hose?” he asked. I told him that I was and he proceeded to tell me that the box in my hand contained a hose that was light and easy to move around. It was made out of a material that stretches as water fills it up. I thought it sounded cool and I really needed a hose, so I bought it. I remember him saying, “You’ll love it,” as he turned around and returned to the register.
When I got it home and opened the box, I saw that the hose was all shriveled up and wrapped around itself. I pulled it out and hooked it up to the faucet. I have to admit that it was really cool when the water streamed in and filled up that hose. The hose expanded and stretched just long enough to reach my garden. It really was pretty cool!
I started watering and then about 10 seconds into it, the hose started to shrivel. A bit gently at first, but then to the point that I was feeling like it was tugging me back to the house. The hose was actually pulling me backwards! It was shrinking. The incredible shrinking hose… What the heck? I don’t love this hose – I hate this hose! I need to water the garden! Needless to say, I stopped using the hose and got by for the past couple of weeks watering with a can that I filled up in the stream. (Yes, I live on an amazing stream – the kind of stream you dream about. It’s unreal…) I much preferred multiple trips with stream water than even just filling up the can with that hose. It was actually pretty rewarding and also some pretty good exercise!
But, I really do need a hose and so yesterday I finally gave myself the time to go get a new one. I went to a store that people call by a lot of different names, but I call it “Williams.” Williams has just about everything you need. Almost everything. They also have an employee named Daniel who is about the sunniest guy you’ll ever meet.
“Hey, Joy – what’s you looking for?”
“A hose!” I replied.
“You looking for a hose? (Seriously, Daniel makes a hose sound cheery.) Come on. Follow me!”
He led me to the hoses. They were stacked two or three tall on the ground tucked under a shelf.
“How long a hose you want? 50? 100?”
Daniel was on his hands and knees reaching for hoses and pulling them out to show me and telling me things like, “there’s an art to rolling up a hose” and “there is such a thing as too much hose.” I told him I wanted the real kind.
He said, “Oh, you mean the ones that don’t shrivel up?”
I laughed, “Exactly!”
He told me they only carried real hoses and with his help, I made the best decision I could and decided on a 75 foot black beauty.
As I left with a hose, a broom, some fly paper, and a few other things that I really needed, I thought about how I hope to God I’m building a business like Williams that stocks things you need and employs people you like…a business that sells products that work and hires people who understand and genuinely want to help…a business where customers find what they are looking for, leave happy and want to come back again.
As I watered the garden last night with my new hose, I thought about how lucky I am to have a store like Williams right down the road. As a business owner, I’m inspired by their ability to help people find what they need for over 100 years. Year Two starts today at JOY. I thank my stars for so many things today…I’m thinking about the women that work at the shop with me, especially Courtney (CW) and Connie (CB) who have been with me since day one. I’ve seen them for a whole year do for you with bras what Daniel did for me with that hose – helping, understanding, and being real. I see you leave the shop happy and I see you coming back. I think about the two “new girls” I hired recently – Katherine and Mary – and how they have jumped right in to help you, to understand you, and to be real. As a business owner, you really can’t ask for much more. Great people make for great business. I am blessed.
Thank you, CW, CB, KRM, and MA. YOU are JOY.
To the owners of Williams, H.N. Williams, Willy’s, Rumneys…or whatever people want to call it…thank you for the inspiration and for the emotions I feel shopping at your store. I’m a better business owner and happier customer because of it. And one more thing…thanks for not selling bras. It’s of the few things you don’t sell that people really need. It’s a real opportunity. And I really love it. Between the two of us, maybe we have just about everything. With good people to help us and lots of love, I think we just might.
Thank you, Universe.
Let’s water.
Let’s grow.
Let’s love.
– Joy
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No Guru, no method, no teacher
Just you and I and nature and the Holy Ghost
In the garden, in the garden, wet with rain
– Van Morrison
