We had the good fortune of connecting with Kim Messamore and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Kim, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Risks. It’s been a part of our lives since we married. When we first married, we farmed for a living. When you farm, your livelihood is at risk ALL the time. You plant a crop in the field and hail, wind, insects, weeds, fluctuating markets—anything can come along at anytime and wipe out your crop. We put everything at risk every year. So when we moved and quit farming, taking risks didn’t seem so scary or unfamiliar. To jump off and build a venue was/is risky. Each year, we depend on a “crop” of brides to choose The Oaks. The risk is still there. But it’s also great fun to dream and see dreams come to reality. It’s like the saying says—if your dreams don’t scare you—you’re not dreaming big enough!! 😊
What should our readers know about your business?
We have a venue situated in one of the most picturesque locations I’ve ever seen. It’s a long story to tell of how we landed in this exact spot, but we look back on that journey and know that the Lord truly led us here. One of the lessons I’ve learned is that delays, interruptions, postponements, or obstacles can end up being some of the biggest blessings in the end. Time and again, I would be frustrated that x happened—but when it was all said and done, x was the reason we got y & z! It’s a hard lesson to learn. And I easily forget and get frustrated. But, if you can relax and let delays play themselves out—you will usually find a huge blessing at the end of them.
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
It’s funny you ask this question. We had a friend stop by the other day. He and his wife are farmers from Indiana. They’d never spent any time in Texas till this trip. By the time they came to see us, they’d done The Stockyards in Ft Worth. And the Kennedy tour of the book depository and seen the grassy knoll. They were headed to Waco to do The Silos. Then on to Austin to do 6th Street. So—we gave them a tour of the venue—of course! Then we took them to lunch at Whataburger then to see Buc-ee’s! Lol. What says Texas more than these 2! They loved it! They’d always heard how good Whataburger was but had never been to one. It’s hard to beat a good burger and fries for lunch. And you should have heard me trying to explain why we were taking them to a “convenience store”! But they got it! They were as impressed as anyone is. Everything’s bigger in Texas. Yes!! Even our “convenience stores”!!
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many, many people on our journey who deserve significant recognition. I start to name them in my head and I run down different paths that take me to different people who have impacted us. While friends have played a very significant role, I keep going back to our families—Hal’s & mine. They have held our hands, lifted us in prayer, supported us financially and physically worked shoulder to should on projects. We stand because they have surrounded us in love and support.
Website: https://theoaksatwilliamscreek.com/
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/OaksCreek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautifulplacetowed/
Yelp: The Oaks at Williams Creek