Recently, I became a proud parent. I was doubly blessed with twins: a boy and a girl. Becoming a parent for the first time I was flooded with fears, thoughts, and dreams for my children. Don’t worry I am not going to start to wax poetic about life and children, far better writers than myself have devoted oodles and oodles of verse and prose to the subject. Instead, I want to speak of one subject in particular– longevity.
Being part of the third generation in a family business, it made me think what is Federico going to look like when my newborns become adults? Are they going to want to follow me into the family business? This industry was never forced onto me or brothers. Our parents gave us the freedom to make up our own minds, and I too want to give that option to my children. The question then becomes how will Federico weather the storms of uncertainty the future is bound to bring? In an industry that is constantly reinventing itself, how will we at Federico ensure that we remain at the forefront of these changes?
The answer that I keep coming back to is RIC (Respect Inspire Create). RIC is the essence of what we hold dear at Federico. Some may call it our guiding principles. Everything we set out to do within these four walls is an offshoot of RIC.
RIC is about respecting the craft, honing our skills, and showing up every day to do what we do. RIC is being so inspired that inspiration becomes naturally contagious to all those around you. And lastly, RIC is about creating. This goes far the simple artistic definition. It is about creating a community. It is about elevating everyone by giving back, by teaching and by expanding horizons.
I feel that if we commit ourselves to these basic principles that our reach will exceed our grasp. Federico will continue to not only strive but flourish for years to come so that my children and my brother’s children will have that choice to participate in our family passion.
Thank you for reading this.
Joseph Federico