Adriaan & Ret take a trip down memory lane and share their top five Ned highlights from the past five years.
ADRIAAN’S TOP 5 NED MOMENTS
Our first production trip to the farm (April 2018).
Ret and I had just soft launched the business and we had spent the previous 5 months working hard to build the foundation for Ned. This trip was our first opportunity to tell the story of Paonia, the amazing people we were working with, and our origin story. We hit the road along with my now-wife Brittany and my good buddy and very talented videographer, Ryan Scheer. We camped on the farm, had campfire hangs in the evenings, and just dropped into a slower pace of life. We topped it off with a night in the Utah desert. It was a perfect four days that also delivered an awesome video.
Ned comes back from the dead. (October 2018)
In the Fall of 2018, right when Ned had started to pick up some traction, we were sideswiped. Due to a compliance hiccup with our credit card processor, Ned was placed on a major blacklist that meant we would no longer be able to process credit cards – EVER AGAIN. We were also told that once you’re on the list, there’s no way off. It was the kiss of death for Ned at a very sensitive time for the company. After sitting in a state of shock for a night, we decided we’d do whatever it took to keep the business moving. It took two weeks of tireless effort, but we miraculously received a letter, in writing, that we were off the blacklist. The day after, we were back online and had the biggest day we had ever had.
Ret and Adriaan go to Iceland. (February 2019)
We were in the very early stages of creating a magnesium product and had heard that one of the world’s purest sources of magnesium was an ancient seabed in the Netherlands. Naturally, we had to go see it for ourselves. When we booked flights, we could layover in Chicago . . . or in Reykjavik, Iceland. A 24-hour Nedventure in Iceland sounded like a lot more fun, so we agreed that Ret was going to take care of planning the Netherlands portion and I was going to plan the Iceland portion. I kept it all a surprise, but when we touched down in Iceland, we picked up our Land Rover Defender 110 (with some Ned magnets to boot), met up with the pre-eminent arctic photographer, Ben Hardman, and had 24 hours of exploring the winter-y terrain in search of Icelandic natural remedies. It was one of the coldest and wettest, but most memorable days of Ned.
The first sip of Mellö (December 2020)
After nearly two years of developing Mellö, we were just one day away from shipping free samples to our North Star members. The only problem, we didn’t have any Mellö! The finished product was sitting at our packing partner’s facility in Utah and wasn’t going to arrive in time. To make sure we didn’t let anybody down, Ret and I decided to fly out to pick up a few boxes ourselves. It was a hectic day and a quick turnaround, but we made it back to the Salt Lake City airport with plenty of Mellö in tow. We had a little while before our flight so while sitting at a little airport restaurant, we decided it was time to give it a try. We each poured a stick of Lavenderberry into our waters, gave them a stir, and toasted to Mellö. It was a super proud moment and it tasted AMAZING!
First Ned Ski Day (April 2022)
Last winter, we got the Ned team together for a long awaited day of fun on the slopes. COVID had really put a damper on our team activities so we booked a couple of spots on “The Beach” at Arapahoe Basin, brought out the barbecue setup, and had a blast tailgating, skiing, and laughing with the team. The weather forecast was brutal, but as they say in the Nordics, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!
RET’S TOP 5 NED MOMENTS
It’s so difficult to pick just five! There have been so many great moments. Just the fact that I get to do what I’m most passionate about every day with amazing people and plants is list-worthy! Looking back though, and in this moment with a big smile on my face, I would pick the following:
Our hike up South Arapaho Peak (October 2017).
The day Adriaan and I set out to climb South Arapaho Peak. Now, this is going all the way back to when Ned was just an idea! We got shut down shy of the summit when a freak blizzard hit the scene, but I always say it was one of the most productive days ever at Ned. It was the day we laid out the principles for the business, thereby giving ourselves the guardrails to always operate according to our mission and values.
Our very first Birthday Sale (March 2019).
March 21st, 2019, our very first Birthday Sale. Until then, we really didn’t know if Ned was going to become anything more than a passion project. That day, though, our customers responded in a big way and it became clear we had something truly special.
The first day back after my mom passed away (October 2020).
The Monday after my mom, Win, passed when I was at the Nedquarters bright and early with a renewed drive to bring the absolute best natural remedies to other people’s moms, dads, sons, daughters and loved ones. It was one of the hardest periods of my life, but the fact that Ned’s mission is so aligned with my mom, was and continues to be a real blessing.
Visits to the farm.
Any one of the many visits to Jonathan’s family farm in Paonia! Perhaps the one that stands out the most was when we had a big part of the team from Ned up there and had a big dinner in the fields on a perfect late summer evening among some of the healthiest hemp plants anyone had ever seen.
Right now (March 2022).
This moment right now as I type this flying over the canyonlands of southern Utah on my way to the Natural Products Expo. We’re just getting started and for someone who loves what he does, that’s pretty exciting!
The first taste of Mellö with Adriaan (December 2020).
Like I said, tough to pick just five, so here's a sixth! The first taste of Mellö with Adriaan! So much went into the creation of that product. It was beautiful to see (and taste!) it all come together.
