I guess this would be the follow up to the What Happened? blog, which you can read HERE.
Did you read it? Pretty messed up, huh?
When someone steals from you, it has a strange effect on how you look at things. You never really feel like you or your assets are protected. If you haven't experienced it, you may not understand. Not just business stuff. Everything. I added additional locks to my door. Changed every password to something Edward Snowden would be proud of. Set up two-step verification on everything that offers it. Hell, I even have a gun now. I never thought I'd have a gun.
After the fiasco of the previous Vinyl Draught Radio, I knew I would rebuild and relaunch. I felt like I had to. I had the DBA and set up a new LLC, as a sole proprietor. If you read the previous blog, you know all that. I still didn't feel secure in moving forward, though. Like I said, it has a strange effect on you. I knew the only thing that would make me feel secure in moving forward was owning the Trademark to Vinyl Draught. I started that process in early 2020. It takes quite a while. Much longer than I anticipated. Everyone's 2020 was rough. Mine was filled with reassembling a business, trying to avoid COVID, an insane political campaign against the town nut cup and trying to secure a Trademark. Well, I've reassembled the business, had COVID, won the election and today, the Trademark for Vinyl Draught was officially registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Seeing that TM change to R was the first moment I've felt on solid ground in a long time. I finally feel like I can move forward and do business honestly and with integrity.
And do so as Vinyl Draught Radio.
To be honest, I could have moved away from the name. A lot of people advised me to. It was tarnished. However, it wasn't tarnished by me and I'm not going to run from the name. I'm going to restore it.
Over the last 18 months or so, I've settled debts that weren't mine. I've met with people who were straight up ripped off, if only to look them in the eye and tell them I had nothing to do with them being unjustly separated from funds. Some of those meetings were uncomfortable, but without exception, they ended with a handshake and an understanding of what happened, how it happened and who was responsible.
So, here we are. Vinyl Draught Radio is back and it rocks a little harder. The monthly events are back. All the info is HERE.
This has been the toughest thing I've ever gone through, but I've learned a lot and am determined to use it as fuel for success. Thanks to those who have stood by me and supported my stubborn insistence that I see this process through and right someone else's wrongs.
Like Sinatra said..."The best revenge is massive success."
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