This year we spent Memorial Day weekend on the Huzzah Creek, located in the Mark Twain National Forest. We typically visit a couple of times each spring/summer, and the area is the birthplace of our company name, logo, and values. My favorite attribute is its lack of mobile phone service and internet. We are forced to disconnect from a few things that don’t really matter and reconnect to some things that do. Instead of checking our phones a million times each day (unnecessary even on a work day), we have genuine face to face conversations, often about nothing more than how the water is this year compared to last. Don’t get me wrong. If technology wasn’t readily available to our family, we wouldn’t have this business. But it’s nice to enjoy a couple of quiet days away.
I always seem to turn inward when I’m there. I’m naturally reflective, and there’s something about being surrounded by nature that makes me more so. I often think about “big picture” items and ask myself questions like, “What do I want to be doing in ten years?” or “How can I make this dream possible?” This year’s question was, “How can we simplify our lives to mimic this experience more often?”
The quiet we experience in our surroundings and in our minds at Huzzah is unparalleled. Our children play in the creek for hours, and aside from preparing meals and cleaning up afterward, there are no tasks to complete. It’s a great place to meditate, reflect, and receive. And I notice an immediate change in my thought processes the moment we drive into the first town out of the woods.
The noise and pace of life hits me like an uncomfortable gust of wind, and I’m reminded of the challenges to finding an answer to this year’s question. But I believe taking small steps will propel us toward our goal to simplify. Turning electronic devices off in the evening. Connecting to nature and each other more. Making daily choices that are healthy for our bodies and minds. And we want to make it easier for you to do the same. Our vision for SBK is to offer a low-friction, healthy choice: a beverage that is both enjoyable and nutritious, so that you can spend more energy on other top priorities. And perhaps—for a moment—life can feel a tiny bit simpler.