July is upon us, and it has left me wondering, where has this year gone? In a blink of an eye, we are halfway through 2019. I am looking forward to the 4th of July holiday and celebrating the freedoms that we are so gratefully granted through the promise of democracy.

There is nothing like celebrating a holiday just as you “expect” to.  At Thanksgiving, you eat a big meal with turkey and all the fixings, then you watch a football game or go to the movies.  On the 4^th of July, you enjoy the festivities while wearing red, white, and blue, take in a parade or listen to patriotic music, light the BBQ grill for hamburgers and hot dogs, swim in the neighbor’s pool, watch the fireworks, and be grateful that you are an American and live in the greatest country on the planet.  That’s what you expect to do.

My oldest daughter just graduated from Tulane University and we took a family vacation to Italy to celebrate before she moves on to the next important phase of her life — the real world. 

As I sat down to write this column halfway between Florence and Siena, I was reflecting on this past Memorial Day weekend and how so many of us have celebrated with family gatherings, vacations, and special events.

Our industry is actually small.  We’re powerful, but we’re small.  Outsiders to the industry know us as a force to be reckoned with, but the insiders recognize the fact that we must stick together to make things happen and that we rely on everyone’s participation to accomplish our goals because of our small size.  That’s OK though.  We get our business done inside of the trade so that we are prepared to introduce our products outside to the marketplace.

As spring takes hold across the country, we are all thinking ahead and looking forward to our summer plans.  For my family and me, it’s Aspen.   There is no better place to be in the summertime than the cool Colorado mountains (and it’s a great escape from the brutal summers in Louisiana).  Aspen provides a full menu of outdoor activities from hiking, walking, bike riding, and it hosts the most spectacular fly fishing landscape you’ve ever experienced.  It’s my “happy place.”  Besides the beauty it provides, the biggest benefit of this wondrous escape is that of quiet thinking time outside of the hustle and bustle of the office.  It creates time to clear my mind and it affords me the opportunity to brainstorm and generate new ideas to bring back to our team.

In my 26 years in the wholesale business, it has been a blessing to be surrounded by such brilliant people. I’m very fortunate to have an amazing team that makes it all work. Bringing together all the different skill sets and perspectives helps us all stay motivated and makes each one of us better. I’m so lucky to work with them, and their enthusiasm inspires me. As I begin my journey leading our association, I’m also looking forward to being a more significant part of the team at NASGW in much the same way.

In my time in this industry, I’ve been fortunate enough to be surrounded by a lot of great people and learned many lessons along the way. Looking back, there is one lesson that really resonates with me to this day. As a young teenager, my father taught me to give a firm handshake. That valuable lesson has served me well and I have observed several looks of surprise over the years when being introduced to others at social gatherings, business meetings and events. That handshake goes a long way to make a first impression, and as a wholesaler in this industry, it can symbolize the trust and commitment to our partners.