We're asked all the time why we call our business Gather. There are many reasons, but the truth of the matter is it's who we are and it's what we do. We Gather. People, recipes, ingredients, memories, places, at Gather, in the kitchen, with our families, with YOUR families and even with strangers. We Gather. Everyday.
It's been on my mind recently for a few reasons. And when I found the notebook with all of our brainstorming for a new business name I knew that I needed to share. So that you know who we are, what we do and why we do it. We Gather.
It had always been our dream to build our business on a sense of community. I remember vividly meeting with a local business owner who told me "Build your business around the community - focus energy there as a local business and become part of who you serve." That was over three years ago and it still resonates with me to this day. It's important to us not only to operate a profitable business, but to have a business that is inclusive, open and built on more than teaching a class and going home every night.
We value education and continued learning. Not just how you do it, but WHY you do it! Why do we keep telling you to stop stirring? Well...you should all know the answer to that by now. But you can bet that we will take the time to explain to you not only a technique, but why it is done that way. Where your food came from. How was it made? All of those questions, answered if we can. And if we can't - we'll research it until we do. We always end every class by asking "What did you LEARN tonight?" And we still make sure we're learning and improving every single day. Because we're also Gathering knowledge.
We LOVE what we do. Really, really love it. Eat, sleep and breathe it. And I know a lot of you who know us wonder how we do it. We get to do what we love, with people who support us every single day. Yes...When you ask if we're tired, we are sometimes. But we're also fed an energy that sustains us and helps nurture us. How many of you can say that you get to go to work and do what you love most in the world, with the person you love, surrounded by people who support you? It's rare. And we know it. So we work really hard to continue to serve you in the same way. With love and support, whether it's simple things like recipes for a church pot luck or calling to see how you are. We Gather.
Please enjoy some of the names we could have been! We think we picked the perfect one!!
This is why we picked Gather. There couldn't have been a more perfect name for who we are, what we do and the community that surrounds us. It's not just our name, it's our identity.
Truth of the matter is, we both run on an insane amount of drive. In work, in life, in whatever is in front of us. Something that I think had been unmatched until meeting each other. And now that energy has become Gather. Because that is what we do. We Gather.
Cook•GATHER•Learn
Cortney & Dave