Year 2 of Vessel Talent is in the books! When 2020 ended, I remember asking myself what an impossible prayer would look like for this business for 2021. With our first kiddo on the way, I knew 2021 would look very different from every year in the past. I was going to have less time, less sleep, and less emotional, mental, and physical energy. Yet, it’s called impossible for a reason, so I said to myself, “Hey wouldn’t it be crazy if I could somehow double my revenue again for 2021?”
Fast forward to June 2021 — baby Hazel is born. She’s healthy, full of smiles, and is a handful of work. Around that time, we found out that Hazel had a strawberry birthmark on her lip, which in short meant we had to be up every four hours to feed her and give her medicine. It also meant we wouldn’t sleep through the night until she turned 1. The delta variant was also getting crazy, and as a family, we decided it was safest for us to isolate till things cooled down.
With my paternity leave ending, I remember staring at my vision statement, scratching my head, and wondering how the heck this business was going to grow. I could barely stay awake in the afternoons, had a foggy dad brain, and felt incredibly alone and depressed. But it’s called impossible for a reason, right?
As the rest of 2021 progressed, I did my part in showing up to work as best I could each day. As a family, we continued to tithe and give above and beyond what we ever thought was possible and served His house in the ways we could. As we took those steps of obedience and faith, we got to watch God do the impossible and provide miracles after miracles.
To start, I was able to not just 2x the revenue but very close to 3x! (Are you kidding! Crazy! I’ve had a chance to deepen my relationships with the Y Combinator startup community and other top-tiered VCs in the Bay. I’ve also had an incredible opportunity to hire my first employee who lives on the other side of the world in Olongapo, Philippines, and sees him thrive in his role as a source. More importantly, I’ve been able to build a genuine relationship with him, week in and week out, and update each other on the struggles and celebrations of life. It has also been a year of refinement. He’s helped me become more patient, wiser in how I listen, communicate and respond to life’s unpredictable interruptions and the power of living a generous life.
Eph 2:8 describes God’s grace as unmerited, or as I like to say undeserved favor. There was nothing I did to deserve the blessings that came this year. I had so little to give with my time and energy, but that’s the beauty of grace. He loves us because that’s just who He is! He’s our Father, Our Savior, and our anchor of hope when everything else seems to be crumbling away. I don’t know why He decided to bless my business, family, and community in the way He did, but I’m thankful He did. We can’t always control life’s outcomes, but we can control HOW we respond and WHO we respond as. When it comes to work, we approach it not as a job but as a calling, an opportunity to serve the work, knowing that when we bring excellence to our work, it glorifies Him.
Pastor Abby, our amazing pastor from our VIVE Oakland campus recently shared a quote that I think summarized this season perfectly. She said, “God doesn’t give us a formula to manage your storm; He gives us with an anchor to outlast your storm. As this year closes, I’m thankful for this anchor of hope that’s found in Jesus. I have no idea what 2022 will bring, but I know it will involve some impossible prayers again that draws from a deep conviction of who I am, who God is, and how He wants me to influence and impact this world.
Let’s do this!
Stories of Albert 