The Launch of Merrow & Crone, By the Cup ☕
The launch of every business can be measured in something. Some people count it in to-dos, or feet of bureaucratic red tape. I’m counting it in coffee.
Cups 1 through 10 — The Napkin Sketch. The idea for Merrow & Crone was born the way most good ideas are: over coffee with friends, bemoaning the many brilliant artists we knew who were struggling to find the time and energy to grow their creative practice. One cup in, I already knew I wanted to build something that treated the solution like a craft, not a chore.
Cups 11 through 50 — Building the Bones. This was the unglamorous middle. Starting the LLC. Learning how to market and launch. Building the Artist Ops Starter Kit and Grant Coven from the ground up. Coffee here was what kept me awake enough to get through the hard parts so I could keep clawing towards the light at the end. I drank it the way I worked: in big, burning gulps, whenever I could get myself up to make it. It’s what helped me get things done.
Cup 51 — The Imposter Syndrome. This was more like a full carafe than a single mug. The "is anyone going to want this" brew, usually consumed cold because my anxiety kept me awake regardless of caffeine. I forced it down and kept going anyway, because weirdness is magic, and betting on this idea was never going to be the safe choice, but it always felt right.
Cups 52 through 100 — The Launch. I sipped these cups for what seemed like forever, even though I had put myself up against a hard – if not arbitrary – deadline. They powered the tedious, vulnerable work of getting all the final touches together. Reading, rereading copy. Making, editing, and scheduling socials. Finally saying “It’s time,” and putting M&C out in the world at last. These cups were bittersweet. I’d come to love building, prepping, and dreaming of what this venture could be. Moving into the next phase has been like putting down a good book and starting something new.
Cup 101 — This One, Right Now. The one you're (maybe) drinking while you read this. The first newsletter. I hope it perks you up and becomes a regular part of your morning routine.
