From Ashes to Legacy: Crafting a Future Together After 15 Years of Incredible Growth
The first 15 years were incredible, the next 15 will be extraordinary. Genuinely. We‘re not just rebuilding. Together, we're crafting a legacy.
It was 8 months ago today on May 7th 2023 that our building burned down. To the minute, exactly 8 months ago I was standing outside the destruction along with everyone while Chris Schmohl, Brandon Jones, and the rest of the incredible Trussville Fire Department successfully extinguished the blaze before it became fully involved.
The building that we bought in 2012 as a foreclosure with busted plumbing, no walls, and a leaking roof that was storing city vehicles that still had a rusty water line 4' off the ground following the May 7th, 2003 flood (which that date itself is truly unbelievable).
This was the building that we invested our lives into, the building that allowed our lives to be invested into by others. We did virtually everything ourselves; painted the murals, grinded the floors, built the rig Mike Pender, fixed the leaks, painted the exterior, and more. We worked hard to make it ours.
But this isn't a tragedy, it's always been an opportunity, it just required an objective perspective. We are announcing and showing the building in the next couple of weeks. Starting with a podcast format tomorrow with Gabriel (GFC's pastor), James, and myself tomorrow morning.
From there on the 18th we have a Zoning Adjustment Meeting with Trussville that will determine the future in a big way, then the downtown Design Review Meeting on the 22nd, and then the 25th Candace and I will be joining our friends at The Trussville Tribune for their podcast. From there, pending thumbs up from the city, it's demo and build time. So strap in, this month and year is going to be a whirlwind.
Everything we've been doing (us and our community), all the late nights, the long hours, the setting up and tearing down each week over the past 8 months is culminating to this moment right now. 2024 is going to be insane. The building is not being rebuilt. The new building is better in every way. 10x better, and I cannot wait to raise my kids here.
Get ready!