by Eric Tyira
As an education junkie and a JOATMON (Jack Of All Trades Master Of None), life is never simple or easy. Some say life is nothing but a series of decisions and as Rush wrote, “If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.” Encircled wisdom I suppose.
Myself, I’m a jeans and t-shirt kinda guy. I like my world around me simple because it balances the complexity that lies within. As a JOATMON, the thoughts and ideas never stop. Always thinking, solving problems, grinding through scenarios. Plan A, B and C? Ha! We’ve got the alphabet covered!
As Tara and I worked through my desire to have a business, we worked through the different ideas. It wasn’t no much that cider was a calling, it was more of an opportunist looking for an opportunity. Ideas present themselves and you evaluate each one in-and-of itself to determine its validity. All ideas are valid, some just have more potential than others. Remember Pet Rocks?
As I neared the end of reaching my MBA, I had an idea in the medical world that would have done a lot inside of the exam room. It was strong. Good backbone. Technology based. So we did a patent search only to find that there were currently patent applications for nearly the same idea. Lots of validity and potential, but already covered, so we moved on.
Another time we made an offer on a property that would have made a great home base for a tubing company on a creek. Decent idea. Not growth or technology based, but that’s what that opportunity presented. When you come from a manufacturing background, nothing seems impossible anymore. Manufacturing touches on so many disciplines that outside of rocket science, it all seems, and certainly is, doable.
So once we learned a little more about cider and cider apples, we started looking around NY for places where we could set up shop. Now mind you, we still didn’t know Jack about growing apples or which ones were the right kind, or where would be the best location, etc. It certainly was putting the apple cart before the horse. But this is where Tara would shine. Her ability to look at an idea, an opportunity, and quickly decide if it has validity is uncanny. If it were up to me we’d be all over the place doing all kinds of things. That’s the JOATMON in me. Everyone needs a Tara to keep things on the right track.
To get where we are right now wasn’t easy (and we’re not there yet). It has been a trip, though. It’ been like a jigsaw puzzle.
Do you like jigsaw puzzles? We’d often do one around the holidays to pass the time together. You can see the destination on the box cover, and even with the picture, some puzzles are really hard.
Now imagine you don’t have a picture to follow. Now imagine we blindfold you and hide the pieces.
Welcome to the life of the JOATMON and the search for an opportunity.