It's hard to believe 10 years have already passed since TheBestRaces was started in 2014!
It's bittersweet to think how fast 10 years really goes by but also how much this company has been through in the 10 years.
As I reflect upon the last decade, one prevailing thought keeps coming to mind; and it's just the reminder that it was the people in this journey that wrote the pages of this story.
I'm so grateful for every person that came along in different seasons. From the volunteers at our races to all of our colleagues, friends and family who did their best to support this company.
That said, let me share with you a snippet of our Story from when it all first started in 2014.
How We Started:
TheBestRaces started from a very humble beginning of 1 person who slept and worked from the carpet floor of his cousin's living room. Yes, that lame borderline homeless guy was me.
If I had to sum up Year 1, it would be 14 hour workdays and Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
PB&J's were truly all I could afford at the time.
But it was also in Year 1, an amazing friend (and right hand gal) with some incredible part-time coworkers helped us organize our debut events across 6 Cities.
That and a loving sister who gave almost pro-bono design services & brought over hot meals every week for a poor brother trying to start a business.
I wish I could say Year 2 started to look better but Year 2 turned out harder than Year 1. In just its 2nd year, TheBestRaces began to encounter some very challenging difficulties beyond just starting up. Profitability and legal issues were some of the insurmountable stress the company went through.
In Year 3, my parents and sister moved back from overseas to help with the business. With no money to pay for actual staff, family became the backbone of the support the business needed.
From helping with the logistics to a key moment where Dad stayed up through many nights to help ship out orders & packages, these hardships were pivotal in the journey of TheBestRaces.
In Year 4, TheBestRaces formed an office overseas, hired foreign talent, and for the first time hired local teams in each City to help with logistics.
Year 4 was also when the business model drastically changed. This was through an accumulation of over 4 years of learning through failure and experience in the events industry (8 years up to this point if you count the ones I worked before starting the business).
But the new business model made the company profitable for the first time!
Sadly, the success would be short-lived.
Because in Year 6, a worldwide pandemic (Covid-19) almost shutdown the business once again. And for over two years, the company was barely sustainable.
In Year 8 as things began to re-open, there was a lot of fear and hesitation in coming back. But through a good friend willing to work odd jobs with no pay, TheBestRaces was inspired to create better work opportunities.
In Year 9, the focus of TheBestRaces came back ultimately to the Customer Experience. We wanted to make the Customer Experience better. Ultimately, our mission was to give our customers a goal to set and a journey
to be on. That goal specifically was to run a 5K, 10K, or Half-Marathon without the stress of large races.
As we focused more and more on the Customer, our company slowly grew to a team of 7 in-house and over 35 contractors all around the U.S.
In Year 10, TheBestRaces continued building upon improving the Customer Experience but added a core value of looking for opportunities to give to those in need.
As our company continues to grow, we want to be a company that never takes our blessings for granted. Because each day we get to have is an opportunity also to be a blessing for someone else in a world that needs to know there is someone out there who cares.
A personal note from the Founder:
As I reflected on these last 10 years, my grandparents also came to mind. My grandfather had a keen sense for business but his business had failed and it led to a spiral of depression throughout his life.
But through his life and experiences, it helped me see that the blessings I have now are truly a gift from God but also one that I should cherish and continue to nourish. We never know what tomorrow might bring. But we can continue to do our best. Because the best way to prepare for tomorrow is doing our best today!
I'm also grateful my parents instilled in me a habit of hard work by giving me a job at their restaurant when I was just 5 years old. But it was also through a lifetime of unwavering, unconditional support that gave me the confidence I needed to take much bigger risks than I should have.
From dropping out of school to failing in 6 different businesses, my parents & family always stuck through with me and for that, I'm forever grateful.
Lastly, I'm grateful for all of our colleagues, friends, and family who supported this business in ways I can't fully describe. But it's truly through the friendships and relationships that has given life to this business despite all the challenges.
Every day is a new day to keep taking the next step. To embrace the challenges but also the joys of life.
Here's to the next 10 years. I look forward to meeting more amazing people that will help write the pages of this story.
Recent Comments