I’ve been in this business for nearly 40 years, all the while working hard, never calling in sick, and having faith and trust in my creator. It’s been wonderful, but it’s also been a challenge.
A few years back, I woke up and realized that things weren’t the way I thought. All of that blind faith hit me between the eyes. Prior to that day, I thought that if I simply worked hard, showed up every day, stayed late and did what was right, that our company and I would be successful.
Success eventually would come, but that was years off. Only now can I look in the rear view mirror and smile.
Back then, I was the best number two there was. I was lucky to have a mentor who was sharp and educated, and we were going to build a business—take it to the limit.
It was actually really happening, or so I thought.
When the economy came crashing down, tempers flared and everyone was on edge. All of a sudden, our company’s future was uncertain, and it wasn’t looking good. Our families were being upended, and our lives were changed. I hadn’t even seen it coming.
Disaster often creates opportunity. Being forced out of your comfort zone allows for personal growth. When you don’t have a Plan B in life, you learn the hard way that you have something inside that you never knew you had.
As the dust began to settle, I was presented an opportunity of a lifetime—if I could dig the company out of the hole we were in and pull off an amazing transformation. I needed to regrow our company on a more solid foundation. It wasn’t going to be easy, but it was going to be worth it.
A dear friend of mine loves quotes. He once said to me, “The school of hard knocks is free if you can afford the tuition.” How right he was.
My first task was to solidify in my mind the kind of company I wanted to build and what I wanted it to stand for. That task was simple. I have been a lifetime recycler of clothing and textiles. Sustainability is what I do.
The second was to incorporate my concern for our community and for the greater good. I wanted to give back. Before, I’d never felt as if I was making a difference, but now I had a real chance.
Changing the culture of a business is a daunting task requiring a vision and consistency, and in the few years since the turn-around, I am proud to say we’re on the right track.
I enacted a plan to put sustainability and giving back to the community centric to our mission. I view giving as a privilege. If we can help change a life or make a positive difference—well, that’s our view of success.
At Mednik Riverbend, we now value and embody integrity, honesty, passion, empathy—all of the characteristics that we feel make us who we are. I am grateful to now have a formidable company to leverage good deeds, and to reflect who I am and who we are as individuals.
We have been able to help organizations who are doing good things among us, and we’ve created a positive, fulfilling workplace where our work is not separate from, but part of the lives we want to lead.
Our company is on a mission. I hope you continually check in and follow our progress. Check out our site. Keep up with our writings. We aren’t perfect, but we will always try. We’re often out of the comfort zone, surrounding ourselves with fresh and exciting new talent.
In the end, I, or we, will be able to look back and smile, knowing just how far we have come—and I’ll never forget what it has taken to get here.
I hope you’ll join us on this journey.
Rick Wolf
President