Many of our marketplace vendors draw inspiration from their roots, heritage, and family members to start and grow their businesses. This year, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on fathers and father figures and their impact on two of our artisan makers.
Will Altman thinks back to his childhood days and the two sayings his father would repeat regularly:
“Go outside and don’t come back until it starts gettin dark!” That statement was almost always followed by “Take the dog and look out for snakes.”
Altman recalls, "That may sound initially like a bad thing but I learned a lot that way, wandering around in the woods and swamp on adventures with my dog Jake."
Fathers have a distinct knack for encouraging both safety and adventure, and these quotes capture this sentiment so well.
Mark Graves shares how he honors the memory of his father, Griff Graves, the namesake of Griff's Toffee.
"Growing up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, my father, Griff, always volunteered to coach my brother and myself in all of the sports we were interested in playing. Unfortunately, he passed away before he had the chance to meet any of my 3 sons, but it's an honor to carry on his legacy by helping to coach all of my kids' baseball teams. It's a busy schedule balancing a family business plus coaching Little League and Tee Ball, but he showed me what it means to support my children in this way. Coaching local kids is a privilege and having a positive impact in their lives is so rewarding. I am so grateful that he set this example for me to carry on." -Mark Graves, President, Griff's Toffee
Whether your Father's Day is filled with adventure or remembrance, we hope you take the time to reminisce on the inspirations and people that keep you grounded.
From Will Altman of 
