The High’s and Low’s of running a start up in the age of…

There’s something special about Feb: garden bulbs are coming up, making it through the January blues, it’s a short month, spring is closer and oh... well, it happens to be my birthday! (So yes, admittedly, I am entirely biased for my love of February)

I don’t know about anyone else, but it certainly felt like a slow start to the month. I think I heard the phrase ‘groundhog day’ in every single meeting one week. 
Groundhog day it still may be, but after BJ’s recent announcement, at least we can anticipate some relief on the horizon. 

I am certainly looking forward to a trip to the gym, followed by a haircut and a beer in a pub garden. All in one day of course... roll on April!
But first, a quick glance back on February:

• A Birthday in Lockdown: goats, and really great wine
• World Kombucha Day (woah that’s a thing)
• Fix8 hits 10K followers. For a start up, this feels pretty MAJOR

A Locked Down Birthday

Safe to say most of us will have had a different birthday this year.
My birthday usually feels a bit funny, I share it with St Valentine (14th February) so there is always something going on… and plenty of love in the air. 
This lockdown, I’m isolated outside of London but LUCKILY, fresh pasta in the post is now a thing. All hail modern times, and perhaps one thing we can reluctantly thank COVID for?

So let me tell you: a Padella Pasta kit direct to my door - was the best thing I have eaten in this ENTIRE lockdown (inc 2020). I mean, wow. The attention to detail was like no other: curated quick videos from founder Tim to demonstrate the pasta perfectly (tips i’ll keep for life!), a spotify playlist to listen to whilst cooking ‘pasta fredda’, and food that puts my finest lockdown dishes to shame. It was nice to remember why we eat out… 

Other excitements of the day included: 

• A socially distant hello from my 95 year old and twice vaccinated grandad! His first proper trip out of the home since March last year
• Zoom. Because, what is a birthday without a group zoom these days
• Really blooming good wine from Twisted Cellar 
• But, perhaps MOST of all - a virtual happy birthday wish from REAL LIFE goats. Yes, you heard me, this is apparently now a thing for lockdown birthdays - you can hire goats to wish you happy birthday over zoom. Organised by two of my best mates (including our very own Helen Callaghan), whose tact for spontaneous fun continues to amaze me

World Kombucha Day

Yes, it’s true, and it happens in February - an entire day dedicated to kombucha: on the 21st February 20201. 

I mean, this might not be that exciting to you, dear reader, but let me tell you if you’re a kombucha brewer - this is EXCITING. We even took part in a ‘Pass The Boochie’ video connecting kombucha brands from all around the world! Find out more about world kombucha day here.

Fix8 hits 10,000 followers on Instagram

The moment your Instagram numbers go from 4 fragmented digits (eg: 8,145) to a crisp clean cut ‘K’ number: (eg: 10K) - is a big day for a brand!
It baffles me to think 10,000 individual Instagram users follow Fix8 and interact with us in some format. Whether it’s enjoying our product, social content or perhaps a new homebrew kit! Safe to say, when I started brewing kombucha under my university desk I didn’t think we’d ever be here. So a big thank you to anyone that’s come along for our Instagram journey. Here’s to the next 10K!
(and if you haven’t yet, come follow us @fix8onthis)

That’s all for this Feb. I’m hoping March feels less like groundhog day and more like spring. The weather this week seems to suggest just that…

I hope everyone’s keeping well, sane and looking forward to relief soon. We’ve got this!

Freya

PS. What were you drinking this month? We got all aboard the Mermaid Pink Gin + Strawberry Fix8 boat.. A match made in heaven!