SEASONAL NEWS & NOTES ~ FALL 2015
FA M I LY T R A D I T I O N S Fall is awesome in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. But to be honest I am already thinking ahead—way ahead—to Winter and 2016! No doubt that I will personally enjoy the foliage and upcoming holiday season, but I try to balance between being present with guest needs and focusing on the future. I’m not only thinking about the next season, I’m envisioning what the next 3-5 years will hold—if not imagining the next 10-20 years. With that said, I keep many of those thoughts to myself. The common thread among all I’ve been mulling over these last few weeks is simple: the heart of Blackberry’s business is family, and anything we do is as a family. So what is your impression of a family business? To many people, I think it carries a stereotype. A parent might say, “kids should go out and earn or prove themselves first.” Some kids say, “I don’t want to work for my parents!” Society may say, “those kids couldn’t get a job on their own, so they had to take the family route.” On the contrary, a few other families have inspired me, where the parents say, “who better than our own children to know, protect, and genuinely care for our family’s business.” When the children respond, I see genuine excitement about the opportunity to contribute to and improve on generations of effort before them and create higher value with the presence of family members working together, because they are backed by a deep-rooted sense of care. I would, of course, love to see my five children working within the Blackberry Farm business. If all of them had interest, I can only imagine what new opportunities we would pursue, knowing we could maintain family presence and quality in this special family business. This is especially relevant now that Cameron, my oldest, will be done with college in less than 5 years! I want our guests to know that Blackberry Farm has always and will always have a family presence and passion behind all that we do. With our internal team, every decision we make, every service we add, it’s all done by a family committed to the very highest level of hospitality. Lodging, restaurants, activities, retail, design, beverage or new hotels are all distinct areas of focus that will be inspired by family for decades to come. Yes, I mentioned new properties; perhaps a conversation for later, but if that does come to pass, it will be with the idea that our family will maintain a clear identity wherever we are. Stay tuned! As for this Fall; the feeling of excitement is busting around here. The Dogwood Restaurant is settling in for our guests, the new Carriage House is incredible, the Event Center is sprouting out of the ground and the new kid’s camp will break ground in November! We are focused on service, sharing new facilities and experiences, and simply trying to “wow” you at every step during your stay. There is nothing we won’t do to try to make your time at Blackberry truly memorable.
Sam Beall, Proprietor