In recent months, I’ve shared my thoughts on how to go from bad to good or good to great, and about passion. The underlying energy that allows us to change for the better, or to feel passionate about our work, is a foundation for creating and maintaining strong bonds within our family, our faith, and most certainly, our careers.

What does "passion" mean to you? There are obvious meanings – strong affection or desire, an outbreak of anger, or an intense feeling or conviction. The Christian religions refer to "The Passion" as the suffering of Christ between The Last Supper and his crucifixion. When I think about my passion, I think about ardent affection and intense conviction. This definition is how I embrace passion and how I've used passion throughout my career.

How do you measure a good year? What are your indicators of success? Have you ever written these down at the start of each New Year and reviewed at the end to see if you achieved those things, or if you changed course at some point due to factors driving the need for change. We all “feel” what we perceive as successes or failures, a good year or a bad one. But even in a bad year we all have the ability to make things better.

I grew up playing a lot of sports. And I remain a huge fan of all kinds of sports. NFL, MLB, college basketball, baseball and football, you name it; I watch it. I’m a giant fan of the Olympics, winter and summer. I’d honestly ditch my cable subscription if it weren’t for the games I’d miss out on.

My knees keep me from getting out there and doing much on the court or in the field anymore, though from time to time I do make some questionable decisions in that regard. Then I regret it for a few days (weeks) afterward.

Ankeny, IA (November 18, 2022) The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, and the Hummel Group announced earlier this month the creation of risk management and insurance solutions designed for the Shooting Sports Industry, called Fortify Insurance.

The National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), the association representing shooting sports wholesalers, manufacturers, and their trade partners, announced last week, at the annual NASGW Expo, donations to five shooting sports industry organizations, including The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), Walk The Talk America (WTTA), the Youth Shooting Sports Alliance (YSSA), and the American Suppressor Association (ASA). 

What a week in Kansas City at the NASGW Expo. I hope you all are catching up on sleep and feeling refreshed after a great week of meetings. Every year the Expo provides us an opportunity to see familiar faces, talk about our businesses, discuss industry topics, get some business done, and have a little fun. I came away from Kansas City very optimistic. There seemed to be a buzz of energy, on the show floor, in our meetings, and at the Annual Appreciation Dinner on Tuesday. Yes, there are some looming uncertainties, but that didn't seem to impact the general optimism. Yes, our sales are down compared to 2020 and 2021, but most everyone I spoke with is still in a better place than they were in 2019, pre-covid. In general, the industry is still growing. We are experiencing a new normal stronger than before the pandemic surge. I'm confident the industry is in a good place.