Since sending the email I never wanted to send, I have been struck by the kindness and understanding from so many people.

Yes, there are some people who are upset or angry, and I completely understand their frustrations. However, this was a very hard decision to make.

Some of the comments suggest that this was a decision made over weeks or months, and that we could have let everyone know sooner. The reality is that until around 11am on Saturday the 4th of June, I was still actively working and trying to find a solution to keep Macanta going.

Up until that point, I had not decided to do anything other than to keep the business going, desperate to find a solution. I ended up have a long conversation with Sophie, going through all the different scenarios. Only at the end of that conversation did I start thinking that we might actually have to shut down, that we had run out of options. Once that reality settled in, it was hard to shift, and by the Monday, we had made the decision.

Why did we wait until the following Monday before we told the team and customers? Would it have made any difference?

Why do we hesitate with anything? Fear.

Fear of the unknown. Fear of reactions. Fear of having to admit to the world that we tried but failed.
Fear that I had to admit to myself that I tried, but failed.

In this, I find inspiration from my two young daughters. It is extremely important to me that they observe my behaviour in the face of failure, and learn the right lessons from it.

Hopefully I can succeed in that.