07/31/2026
Today marks one year since we opened the doors to our Uptown location. And wow, what a wild ride it has been.
You would think after being in this business for years, opening a new location would be a little easier. It wasn’t. 😂
This past year brought new challenges, new opportunities, new faces and a whole lot of lessons. We were navigating new waters. Learning a new space, a new neighborhood, new customers and figuring out how to bring everything we loved about Mudlick into a completely new home.
Entrepreneurship is hard. There are some really great days and there are days that make you question every life decision that brought you here. 😂 There are things you get right and plenty you don’t. You learn, you adjust and you keep going.
And one year later, we are still figuring things out every single day. I don’t think that ever really stops. But you definitely don’t do it alone.
Our team is truly the heart of Mudlick. Some of you are brand new and just becoming part of our story. Others have been with us through different locations, moves, changes and many, many years. You have watched Mudlick grow and change and have grown right along with us.
To those who have been with us through all the different chapters, thank you for sticking with us. To those who joined us along the way, thank you for choosing to be part of this crazy ride. And to our newest team members, welcome to the family. We are so happy you’re here. ❤️
One of the biggest lessons this first year has taught us is the importance of a little kindness and grace. We didn’t get everything right this year. Not even close.
We made mistakes. We tried things that didn’t work. We listened to feedback. We changed things. We had hard conversations. We made tough decisions. We figured things out as we went.
And we’re still figuring it out.
We’re still learning what works and what doesn’t. We’re still making changes. We’re still listening. We’re still trying to be better today than we were yesterday.
And I think we are a better business because of it.
It has also reminded me how important it is to give small businesses the opportunity to get it right.
If something isn’t right, tell us. Give us the chance to fix it. Most small business owners really do want to know when something missed the mark.
If you didn’t love your first experience, maybe give it another shot. If you don’t love it the second time, that’s okay too. Maybe it just isn’t your place.
Just be kind.
Behind every small business are real people. Owners who have put everything into it. Employees who are working hard. New employees who are still learning. People having great days and people having really tough ones. None of us are going to get it right 100% of the time.
A little grace goes a long way.
Maybe that’s one of the biggest things Year One Uptown has taught us. Growth doesn’t come from getting everything right. It comes from being willing to listen, learn, change and keep showing up.
To everyone who has walked through our doors this past year, thank you. Thank you for celebrating with us, supporting us, giving us feedback, recommending us, bringing your friends and family and continuing to come back.
And to our team, whether today is your first week or you’ve been crazy enough to follow us through multiple locations and years, this milestone belongs to you too. ❤️
We are proud of how far we’ve come. We are grateful for everything this year has taught us. And while we’re still figuring things out every day, we’re really excited about what’s ahead.
Happy 1st Birthday, Mudlick Uptown! 🥂 Cheers to many more!
