My wife and I had just purchased a home in northern California to be closer to our children. We thought that having a family home that is located within an hour’s drive of both of our children and their families would enable us to more easily spend time together.
It did not take too long for us to discover that finding new friends would be challenging. But new challenges can result in unexpected outcomes that can serve to forge opportunities that I could never have imagined.
Perhaps it was fate. Sheryl and I were on a walk through our new community when we met Ann who was holding the leash of her fluffy, white-haired tiny dog who energetically wanted to jump on us to engage in a play session. This segued into a conversation during which it became evident to Ann that we were new to the community and did not know anyone. We exchanged email addresses and within a day, Ann requested to have dinner with her and her husband which, of course we accepted with elation.
What became a serendipitous event during a walk culminated into a partnership with Jenny Maxwell’s company, Jambar and Healthy New Albany. During our dinner conversation, Ann’s husband, Rod asked about my background and I mentioned my previous involvement with Healthy New Albany. Without hesitation, he strongly recommended that I connect with Jenny which he facilitated with an email introduction. Without remembering his exact words, his perception was that Jenny and I were cut out of the same mold. He shared that he thought both of us championed well-being, were innovators and risk-takers and that we believed in paying forward.
After only a few minutes on a Zoom call with Jenny, we both realized that we connected on number of different levels. It usually does not take any length of time for me to validate my perceptions and that was certainly the case with Jenny. Both of us concluded that we could work together and impact others by partnering on a number of endeavors. For Jenny’s part, she donated thousands of Jambars to Healthy New Albany’s race participants, the idea being that our walkers and runners would be exposed to a nutritious energy bar that can aid their athletic performance. In return, Healthy New Albany would serve as a vehicle in which Jambar receive the exposure it deserved in the crowded energy bar market. The result, a win-win for both entities.
I have always believed in the power of partnerships as exemplified in the relationships Healthy New Albany has formed over the years, whether it be with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Jambar to name just a few. Helen Keller
was on target when she stated, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
