Christine Ford

My road has not been straight… it has been curved, high and low, with many unpaved portions. My husband and I started a bunch of businesses15 years ago. We were unsure of what would work, so we tried all of them. Six years in, my husband passed. It was a complete disaster. I had to decide whether to declare bankruptcy or fight like my life. I decided to close most of the businesses and keep Red Bull and Fossil Creek, it was a struggle to stay alive.

The Fossil Creek liquor stores were recession proof, and I could control the outcome to grow or fail on my own. The first year we grew by one store. With the loss of my husband, I had to deal with creditors, close businesses, deal with probate, be a mom to children who missed their dad, and keep the businesses from failing. There was never enough money or enough time to go around. I never actually knew if I was going to make it. It was one of the toughest years of my life.

The second year, we opened another location, and the third another one, and the fourth two more, after year five years we had 7 locations. Then it was time to improve processes, change our flow chart and give more organization and vision to the company. I wanted all stores to operate the same way, with a shared purpose and same level of customer service. After 9 years, I did not have any debt, we had 14 locations, 4 wholesale operations, and revenue of $52.2 million – which is when I sold.

It was not a straight road, it was an up and down, and a curvy road. I would not have changed it for the world. It has been a joy, a heartache, and an honor.