Okay, you would probably expect a post like this in one of the months that ends in “ember,” and not “uary,” but when you’re thankful, you’re thankful. We’ve just passed the one-year mark since we formed our company, and we’re rapidly approaching a year since we did our first dinner as Elevated Gatherings. As we make our plans for 2025, I’ve done some looking forward, but also some looking back, and I have quite a bit to be thankful for.

Being able to even have this business in the first place.

I’m of the age where I can remember cannabis being very illegal, everywhere. It’s still illegal a lot of places but we live in, and are bordered by, states that did the right thing and legalized a plant that should never have been illegal in the first place. Everyone in the industry knows there’ve been some bumps along the way and we certainly have a ways to go, but I know I’m not alone in knowing how big of a deal it is, and we’re not taking any of this for granted.

Our awesome clients.

When we started this business, we knew we could turn out a delicious dinner party for anyone who hired us. I’ve had a few people try our food at tasting events and then seem surprised at how good our food is, and I just want to ask them, “why would you think we would start a business if we didn’t know how to cook?” I don’t ask them that, and they are definitely in the minority anyway. But back to our clients, to the people who invited us into their homes, who we delighted with our food, our service, and the whole experience. We run the business but they make our business. And I’m especially thankful for anyone who tells someone else about our food. I was talking to someone the other day with whom we are planning an event. They haven’t had our food but know people who have. I gave them a few menu suggestions and they said, “you can honestly make whatever you want because I know it’s going to be delicious.”

That. You can’t pay for that, you can’t ask for that. It just happens, and boy does if feel good when it does.

Speaking of our clients, I’m also thankful for the opportunity to be surprised by what they want out of a dinner. We’ve done events where everyone gathered around a big table and we served everything family-style. We’ve done smaller events where we plated everything just like a restaurant would. We once did an event where a few people sat at a table but there were people on the floor, on the couch, even stretched out in a recliner. We go where the client is and we serve the way the clients want to be served. There’s no judgment and your event is your event. And I love that we get to experience your event with you in a way that is meaningful to you.

Our location and our local farmers.

We built our business with the goal of highlighting and showcasing what is so great about New York’s Hudson Valley and our surrounding region. It’s green here (in a few different ways!), we have a good climate for growing all kinds of things, and we are fortunate enough to know so many people who are committed to growing the things that nourish us. If I scroll through my phone right now, I have contact information for so many local growers and producers. Beef, chicken, pork, fruit, vegetables, milk, and I could go on and on. I personally know these people and when I need something I call or text them with what I want and then I go pick it up.

My business partner and my best friend.

I couldn’t do this thing all by myself, even if I might think sometimes that I can. Almost 27 years ago, I gave my phone number to this guy who rented videos at the place where I worked. I still say that was one of the best decisions I ever made. We complement each other’s skills, we lift each other up, and we give each other the tough feedback that no one else will. It’s not easy being married and it’s not easy running a business, but having the right person at your side makes all of the hard things seem a little easier and it makes them all the more worth it.