Big Thank You to our Customers at our Spring Create Your Own 2018

​A gigantic “gourdgeous” thank you to all our customers and our team at Meadowbrooke Gourds. We had our most successful Spring Create Your Own event in our company’s history! We saw many new faces as well as many faces we see at every event. The one thing I can’t get over is how many customers went out of their way to say thanks and go on to tell me how kind and helpful everyone was to them. I want all of you to know that I never get tired of hearing this and I make sure to pass the compliments on to those that make all this possible.

Many new customers do not realize that hosting Create Your Own events is not what we do on a daily basis. The rooms that all of our customers make their gourd creations in is actually our production areas where we craft all of our gourds. On the Friday, before a weekend of Create Your Own we start setting up after lunch. We completely stop crafting gourds and start removing all of our carts, boxes, gourds and tools.

This is an all hands on deck experience. Our store leader starts setting up a checkout station, food station and decorates for spring. Our wholesale sale leader jumps on a forklift and brings all our Create Your Own supplies out of storage. He puts skids of tables, chairs and supplies right where we can grab them quick. While this is happening, carts of partially crafted gourds, sanders, band saws, and everything we use daily are flying past me as I set up the raw gourd display for the event. The mood is one of happy chatter and hustle. Everyone knows just what to do and if they don’t, Kenny (our production manager) is always close with a quick answer. In two hours, all traces of what we do for a living are gone and we are ready for a party. Walls wiped down, tables and chairs in place. Pencils, paints, brushes and a couple of Hershey kisses are waiting for everyone at their table. It totally amazes me that they can do a complete makeover in just two hours while I quietly do my part.

So, I don’t know who I want to thank more, our customers or our team that make all this possible. Without either one of you we couldn’t do this, so I think I better thank both.

Let me start with our customers because if you didn’t come our team wouldn’t have anyone to have fun with and they’d have a bit smaller paychecks too. Thank you for taking a chance making your own gourd. I have designed and crafted so many gourds that I forget how hard it is to paint and decorate your first one. Our old customers are like friends to us, they both tease us and help us. You help very much to set the mood for the room and answer so many questions new customers have. You cant believe how much that helps our teachers and everyone else too. Thank you to our new customers for having the courage to try something new. My most rewarding part is watching the high quality pieces you create especially those of you who doubted your ability. Lastly, I would like to thank all of you who dare to pick on us, tease us and give us a hard time playfully. You are treating us like we treat each other. It makes these events special and very memorable for our whole crew.