A year in review
2021 was tough, but there's still a lot to be grateful for.
Like most people I’ve spoken to lately, I’m feeling flat after everything that’s happened over the past few years.
The double whammy of the bushfires and pandemic has been hard on everyone, but the holidays have given me time to slow down and reflect.
Retiring from Rugby has been tough, and I’ve only recently came to terms with the fact that that chapter of my life is done, as I’ve been so focused on Alfred since the day I retired.
So focused that I never stopped to consider that perhaps the best days of my working life might already be behind me.
A thought I find very scary and depressing.
But I don’t believe it’s true, and despite another year of well laid plans going down the shitter, I still had a lot to celebrate and to be grateful for 2021.
During December alone, we celebrated 3 milestones as The Dock turned 7, Running for Resilience turned 2, and after a 4 year labour, Alfred is now 1!
All 3 mean so much to me, and whether you’ve come to the Dock for feed, joined us for run, or subscribed to Alfred, I can’t thank you enough for your support, and the rest of this blog will be a gratitude journal of sorts to remind me that while a lot went wrong in 2021, plenty still went right.
The Dock
I never thought you could love a building, but I struggle to communicate just how much The Dock and its community has meant to me in retirement.
Going into lockdown for the 1st time was very scary, as we worried about how to pay staff and whether our patrons would come back.
But fortunately the federal government stepped with Jobkeeper, the patrons returned, and I have no doubt their support has kept us going during an unprecedentedly tough time for the entire hospitality industry.
Navigating the pandemic aside, The Dock has taught me so much about business, and been an amazing stepping stone while I transition from Rugby to Alfred.
After being a regular customer at their first pub “The Lighty” during my uni days, I’ll never forget the night Shooter and Jane asked me to be involved. And despite originally saying “no” out of fear it wouldn’t work, changing my mind and saying yes has been the best decision I’ve ever made… apart from marrying Jen! lol
And while the lowlights have been tough, they quickly fade as the great days and nights shine bright in my memory, with a visit from the Richie Benaud Army and watching the Wallabies during the World Cup Final rank as two of my most special memories.
I’m so proud of the relaxed atmosphere we’ve created, and the feedback I get about how friendly and welcoming our staff are always makes me smile.
We’ve even been responsible for a few weddings, and with 7 years of incredible memories under the belt, there’s hopefully at least another 7 more still to come!
Cheers!
Alfred
Because I knew that one day I would have to retire from Rugby, I had time to think about what I’d do when I finally hung up the boots.
And after much thought, I came to conclusion that I wanted to build a tool that made it easy for people to improve their health, after being inspired by my Dad (who cares for sick kids) and Mum (who cares for the elderly).
But while I’ve grossly underestimated how hard doing a start-up would be, a lot of good has happened over the past year with Alfred, including:
Had 4 more great people join the team
Had over 80,000 meals tracked using Alfred
Won an ACT Grant for Innovation
and took a huge step towards becoming sustainable, as we launched our paid subscription and finally started turning a buck!
But the highlight for me has been hearing how Alfred is helping friends lose weight and develop a healthier relationship with food, with my old mate and fellow Owl Benny Bartlett taking the cake!
Tracking my food has taught me so much about nutrition, and along with staying active, it’s helped me lose over 20kgs since retiring.
I started tracking while I was playing, because I was desperate to get out the Brumbies “Fat Club”, and while it worked for me, it didn’t for my family and friends, and I believe it’s because most tracking apps are too complicated and take too much time to do.
So I built Alfred as a way to make weight loss simple, and to help people cut thru all the weight loss BS I see online and in the media.
For me, losing weight has been as simple as:
Accepting that “making change takes time” and,
“Eating a little bit less than I burn” consistently.
And I can’t those of you who’ve given this approach a crack.
A much improved version of Alfred for the iPhone went out this week, and our first Android version is due out any day.
So if you have any questions about Alfred and how it works, please leave a comment, or tap the button below to find out more.
Thanks for reading Ben’s blog in 2021.
Writing my thoughts at times has kept me sane, and I hope you're having safe and relaxing break.
See you in 2022!
Cheers,
Benny