2021: A New Beginning

I’ve spent hours trying to find the right words to wrap up 2020.

In a normal new year, I’d be setting intentions for the year ahead, setting some business goals, and reflecting on what worked and what didn’t work from the the past year. Right now, all of that feels…well, frankly, exhausting and also a little premature.

When we began 2020, we had illusions of the beginning of a new year and decade being some sort of huge  milestone. We had business goals of reaching a certain number of Instagram followers and reaching a certain number in revenue. We had no idea that survival, both for ourselves - personally and professionally - and for the small business environment in general, would be the biggest goal of all. And, that pivot in mindset actually set off a chain of events that will make this year a new beginning for Do North.

If you've noticed our messaging as of late has a lot of "I" (as in me, Charlotte, who is writing this letter. Hi!) and less "we" (as in Charlotte + Mara who normally contribute), well, there's a reason for that. After 3 years, our Do North path together diverged into something different. Mara's path has led her home to Minnesota to be closer to her family and to start an exciting new job. With all these changes and the logistical challenges of being a state away, Mara made the decision to leave her co-ownership of Do North behind. 

With Mara’s exit from Do North, I had to look at the landscape of our brand and decide if/how to move forward. Ultimately, I’m happy with what we’ve built over the last few years and I’m excited to carry it forward. I spent a lot of time up north this year, and I feel like the inspiration and connections I gained from that part of my life will help propel Do North forward and help hone in on what this community is and was always intended to be.

So, going into 2021, Do North is a one woman show. We’re still working through a lot of the legal/accounting/partnership changes on the back end, which is why planning for 2021 feels a little premature. But, for you, not much should change other than we’ll all miss Mara whole bunch. I’m still committed to bringing you thoughtful merchandise and peeks into my personal up north experience. I’m comfortable letting this year surprise me and I’m excited to explore some additional avenues to offer helpful guidance, tips, merchandising support, and small business support to the community/region I love so much.

This has been a year no one could have expected and certainly no one wished for. At the very least, we've all had to pivot our families, work, daily routines, how we connect with each other, etc. At the very worst, we've lost people, memories, time, security, and livelihoods. It can be hard to look at that and think there's anything good to take out of this year. We’re blessed to say that, through the chaos, we both found some unexpected but welcome paths forward, even if it’s not what we expected.

Our hope for you is that you can find one good thing to bring with you into the new year. And, our hope for all of us is that this is a brighter, happier, more connected year.

Thanks for being here and for your continued support through this new beginning.

Yours in adventure,

Charlotte