Shipping updates + some learnings

As most of you know, this kickstarter was created to be a learning experience for me.  I really just wanted to understand how it worked, and I wanted to share something important to me with the world.  

It turned out to be one of the great journeys of my life.  Not only have I learned a hundred times more than I expected to, but I've run into the most amazing community of people I've ever met. The support for this project and the Esington Glass idea is still something that is driving me to learn more and do better.

Before giving the shipping updates, I wanted to share just a few of the things I've learned along the way.  If you are itching to see the shipping updates, go ahead and take a peek at the bottom :)

I always thought "extreme productivity" was only available to "Type A" personalities. That was never me, so I always reasoned that it must be a terrible, stressed-out way to live. Nothing could be further from the truth.  If anything, I now place more emphasis on the importance of taking breaks and getting downtime to increase overall productivity and creativity.  Being super-productive in sprints doesn't even feel like work anymore.  I basically look back and marvel at how much I accomplish each day.  I feel much more fulfilled in my life than ever before, and even more relaxed and upbeat.

Since the kickstarter, I've read books and studied up on the following subjects:

• How startups should be managed, run and funded
• International logistics and fulfillment
• International business management
• Hiring the right kinds of employees (we have 4 now)
• Amazon fulfillment - domestic and abroad
• How to use your brain's energy most efficiently
• Import/export laws for various countries
• How and why you should incorporate a business (we're now Esington Inc)
• Examples of businesses with the happiest cultures (zappos, Joy Inc, etc)

When I started this project, I knew practically nothing about the above.  What I've noticed from other kickstarters that have this type of logistical web to sort through (100's of different order combinations, 4000 hand-made glasses going to 36 different countries) is that many are still fulfilling orders 2-3 years later.  That drove me to learn more about why this happens in order to make sure that absolutely wouldn't happen with Esington.  I also want Esington to grow from this amazing start and I have a vision for a business culture that fits with the Esington way (work/life balance, happiness and ultra-productivity).

Other projects have reached out to me for guidance for how to deal with unexpectedly large projects.  I feel like I can now give a reasonable amount of advice and there are some that even want to partner with me moving forward.  I'll keep you all updated with any developments :)

Now, onto the shipping!  Here is the current state of things:

• The 2nd order is on the way to Amazon's warehouse.  All of the paperwork is in place, import bonds have been issued and "last mile" transportation to the Amazon warehouse has been arranged.  It's still unclear exactly how long it will take for this process.  My best estimate at this point is 1 week from when the shipment arrives.
• I have another order being air shipped directly to me in order to fill some gaps in the previous order and get some additional shipments out more quickly.  This means that the next wave of shipments should actually start going out next week.
• The 3rd shipment (technically 4th), which will cover all of the kickstarter orders has about 10 days left in production.  The bases for these are being produced in parallel, they will all be packed up and sent to Amazon (for US customers) at that time.
• International orders are finishing up the trial program.  If you signed up, you should be getting your shipping notice this week or early next week.  After that, international orders will continue to be filled as normal. 
• As always, once your shipment goes out, you will get an email notification.
• If you have any questions about your shipment, please message me on kickstarter (usually fastest) or email me: rudy@esington.com

I am still taking care of 100% of my personal emails and all Kickstarter messages.  It is important to me to maintain this close relationship to the community.  I really do appreciate you and what you've done for Esington and my own life.  Thanks everyone for your support and patience with me.  

I hope everyone has a great week!

Rudy