Three years ago when I was running the boutique, we held a monthly event that we called “Hero Forum,” where we opened afterhours and hosted a surprise speaker for a small group of attendees. Nick Huff, the co-founder of Hutch, was one of our first guests. In his talk he shared his experience about growing up gay in a small Christian community, and how it impacted his path to entrepreneurship. When you finally break out of the box that people put you in, magic can happen. His furniture and home goods company, Hutch, is one of those local businesses that made Omaha cooler. In 2018, they expanded by opening another store in Kansas City, which is beautiful—I have visited. Nick has consistently been one of my most thoughtful, supportive, and kind friends, and many people would agree. He is someone who is a friend to everyone, whether they’re shopping for a couch, trying to start a new business, or just in need of some personal advice. And I asked him three simple questions.
photos in this edition courtesy of nick huff
What’s something you’re really excited about right now?
I actually am super excited to experience Spring. I am taking my dog Gus on long walks everyday and it's been so therapeutic and exciting to see the trees and shrubbery bud and bloom. I feel more connected to the earth and it makes me more appreciative in general to slowly watch this beauty unfold.
What’s getting you through your day?
One thing that I have been doing lately is cooking a lot. Cooking has become my way of coping during this quarantine. I like to experiment when I cook and try not to follow a recipe, but as you can imagine, that doesn't always work out in my favor :) Making everything from focaccia, pasta sauce, soy glazed salmon and tons of different breakfast burritos.
What’s something not enough people are talking about?
How we all really have no idea what we are doing. It fascinating what piques peoples interests, and what avenues that leads people down. These avenues can last hours, days, weeks, months or years. Do what makes you feel good and what aligns with your values. Life is confusing for everyone, and it's okay to give yourself time and space to grow (we never stop). It's a bitch to compare yourself to others, but just know life is ever-evolving and what you do or how successful you are does not have any weight at any given time. What we do for a living does not define us, we are always more. We are all humans, existing in a world that we were not asked to be brought into. The more you realize that, the more space you will have to experience life in a fulfilling way. Bottom line, it doesn't matter who you are, how much money you have, how many people you know - we are all a work in progress - and should look to bring up all the people around us that's within our power.
One great thing about having a long public record of founding and failing businesses, taking risks, messing up, spiraling into despair, having wins, saying stupid stuff, being confusingly rewarded for my own bullshit, and sharing my thoughts throughout the process, is the relationships it has helped me build with other people who go through the same thing. The search for personal and professional satisfaction never ends. Sometimes it's fed by frustration about feeling obligated to some false expectation of responsibility placed on you by others. Sometimes the frustration is that you did everything "right," but that checking accomplishments off of life's to-do list didn't give you any fulfillment or gratification. Sometimes it's just not knowing how to stop the hamster wheel without having everything else in your world spin out of control. Over the last decade-plus of being part of the small business landscape in the Omaha area and then transitioning into public service through elected office, I’ve learned that helping others is the best way to help myself out of the stuck–it sounds beyond corny, but I really mean it. Try it, on purpose. If someone needs something and you can help, offer it. It’s the best way to challenge yourself, learn about what other people are working on and accomplishing, and get out of your own head, which is all invaluable when you’re in these places of transition.
My goal every night when I go to bed is to be able to say, “I did all I could do today.” I actually say it to myself out loud when I lay down—“Well, today, you did all you could.” And honestly, sometimes all I can do is nothing. Sometimes my best, for that day, is just “I didn’t make things worse.” There are those inspired days of brilliance, productivity, laughter, and success, but it’s really dumb to expect that every day. When I experience a bout of dejection—which is common—my friend Senator Ernie Chambers always says, “Well, did you do your best? Then no one can ask any more of you.”
What I’m listening to:
This playlist made by my friend Anna. She says, “This is just a good listen to calm the nerves and relax during quarantine. A mix of ambient, modern, and jazz. It vibey.”
Things I received on May Day:
A bottle of “Island Margarita” scented hand soap
A homemade cake pop
A cinnamon roll
A cellophane bag of snickerdoodles
A roll of toilet paper
An orange creamsicle-scented candle
A pecan tart
A bottle of champagne
A bath bomb
Thank you to Kate and Kim Joyce, Wendy DeBoer, and Anna Rosenlof for surprising me on May Day. You’re so generous. I love women.
More to come. If you know someone who would like this in their inbox, forward it to them and tell your friends to subscribe. Follow me on Instagram and Twitter, too. Stay home, and stay safe!
Meg