Cummings Camp
  • Home
  • This is Us
  • 4th Quarter Power Push
  • Life by Design
  • The Right Fight Club
  • experience
  • Media / Events
  • all the things - blog
  • Contact

embracing the chaos

Growing your business and pursuing your family

12/23/2019

8 Comments

 
We planned to start trying for a baby on our 2-year anniversary.  Earlier that year, Buddy and a couple partners started strategizing about launching a company in the renewable space. Wouldn't you know it, we secured our first contract and ended up starting World Wind & Solar the same month that our anniversary fell. Money was tight, so we went camping for our honeymoon. We planned and saved for our "real" honeymoon, to be on our 2-year anniversary, in Italy. Life was crazy, but we followed through with our trip plans, upgraded Buddy's cell phone with international calling and spent countless middle-of-the-night hours on the phone with the team back home at WWS.  As luck would have it, Italy was good to us, and our little Capri was born exactly 9 months later! Talk about overachievers!  Dang, we're good!   

From the beginning the business was on a rapid upward trajectory. Like a new baby, it demanded much of our time, and ultimately required us to live on the road in the early years. We quickly adopted the philosophy, the family that travels together, stays together. Our careers have required a great amount of focus, commitment, and travel at times. And, because we are always chasing a vision and growing a business, we've intentionally incorporated our family life, with our businesses and our adventures. Our children have been part of our business pursuits their whole lives. We have embraced the motto: Work Hard, Play Hard in everything we do.  

When we needed to connect with our team members, we planned a cross-country RV road trip and visited projects and hosted team dinners along the way. When a construction project wasn't hitting margins, we'd pack up the motorhome, or rent a local apartment, move to the nearest town and get to work. When we needed to attend a conference, and our babies were small, they went with us! Heck, we should have had them on payroll. When the kiddos started school and travel got a little more difficult, we'd divide and conquer as required. And, when we both needed to travel, and the kids couldn't join us, we've been blessed with an amazing support team who love our kids! More often than not, we've loaded them up and gone on tour! They're like our little roadies! They even have their own desks in our offices to do homework. We've lived in Hawaii multiple times, Utah twice, Vermont, Indiana, North Dakota, California and probably a state or two I'm forgetting.

We have a second home in Mammoth Lakes, Ca and escape to the Eastern Sierra every chance we get! Thanks to internet and Skype, we're able to work remotely, attend meetings and screen-share spreadsheets as needed. We get up, conduct business and then hit the slopes, go for a hike, or get into some trout to serve up for dinner. Our kids have occasionally asked, "Why do you have to work on our trip?" My answer is always the same, "Kiddos, we are blessed to be here, and to conduct our business from the top of a chair lift in Mammoth. Lots of other parents have to go to an office or facility for work and don't get to be places like this with their families. We consider ourselves fortunate."  With the change in perspective, the kiddos easily shift to a place of gratitude.     

Not gonna lie, there are also rare occasions when we straight up get away for a couple days! Unless we're on a plane, or some wildly remote local (which isn't often) we're available via cell phone and respond to emails at least twice a day.  Other than that, we are fully immersed in the day's adventure with our babes.

Whether we're at our casa, incorporating pleasure into a business trip, working remotely, or on the occasional vacay, one thing is for certain, we are living life to THE FULL!!! We are giving our all to our family and our teams, playing full out, and exhausted when our heads hit the pillows at the end of each day.  
​

It's not a "one size fits all life," but who's is? I cannot wait to see how the exposure to this life, extreme entrepreneurship and hard work will impact and hopefully inspire our children in pursuing their futures.  It's and unconventional life indeed, but it's a supernatural one and we make it work.  And, so far, I think it's working out pretty great! 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
8 Comments
Dayle Brandon
12/23/2019 06:11:51 pm

You will never ever be sorry for the life you have created. What great adventures mixed with hard work. Most people don’t understand taking chances and not giving up. It isn’t easy but the rewards are amazing. Best of the best to you Cummings Tribe. Sending love.

Reply
Nikki
12/24/2019 07:46:34 am

Dayle! Thank you so much for your encouraging words! We so appreciate you! God Bless You! Merry Christmas! Love, Nikki

Reply
Michele Dorner
12/24/2019 07:59:22 am

A very inspirational family..we are so happy for all your dreams and accomplishments. Merry Christmas!

Reply
Nikki
12/24/2019 11:12:07 am

You and Mike are an inspiration to us! You are truly living your dreams!!! We love it!

Reply
Sally Lawrence link
12/24/2019 10:09:58 pm

You guys are totally inspirational and I love your choice and living your life. Keep doing what you do!

Reply
Nikki
12/26/2019 09:16:59 am

Thank you, Sally! I so appreciate your kindness and encouragement. It got a little hard with #3, but we make it work!

Reply
Gary The Eugenius Perlin link
12/24/2019 10:43:25 pm

What a great article. Coming from nothing and growing into an empire is not an easy endeavor, nor is it likely. Yet you guys persevered as a family and did not adjust the wheel for maximum comfort, instead took a hard turn right into uncertainty. Ambition is actualized by action. You guys sought success and fought regress. Kudos to you and your family. God has blessed you and you are unfolding those blessings to your community. What a story!!!

Reply
Nikki
12/26/2019 09:23:03 am

Gary! Thank you so very much! It's been an incredible ride! Each new season we evaluate the needs of our family and made adjustments along the way. This next new chapter is scary and oh so exciting! I'm so excited to see what 2020 will bring for the Cummings Camp, your family, Tehachapi and beyond!!!

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    WRITER

    We're a family who loves living life to the full. We try to live each day with intention in an effort to find gratitude, seek wonder, show love and a experience a ton of laughter. 

    JOIN US!

    Facebook
    Instagram
    LinkedIn
    El Jefe & the Family IG
    Get Email Updates

    ARCHIVES

    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    December 2015
    August 2014

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Adventure
    Books
    California
    Entrepreneur
    Entrepreneur Parents
    Goals
    Homesteading
    Husband Wife Partners
    Leadership
    Life Hacks
    Mammoth Mountain
    Motivation
    Personal Development
    Professional Development
    Purpose
    Travel
    Work Hacks
    Work Life Balance

    RSS Feed

    GOOGLE
About
  • Home
  • This is Us
  • 4th Quarter Power Push
  • Life by Design
  • The Right Fight Club
  • experience
  • Media / Events
  • all the things - blog
  • Contact