Take a Break!

I believe most in our industry work very hard. Distributors need to be diligent to generate business in today's more challenging economy. Many suppliers travel around the country to attend key account meetings and various trade shows. Our industry is no different than others, but it's safe to say in business these days, many of us are running hard and fast.

In this rant, I'm going to encourage you to take a break. Take some time this summer for yourself and your family. Rest and recharge your batteries. Some may be thinking they can't take time off ... and I get that. I am as driven as they come, but getting refreshed is important.

I've come to discover that I'm a workaholic ... and a workaholic with A.D.D. at that, so I'm just a bit hard to be around. Since employing my son in some projects, I see how difficult I am to work for ... but I'm trying to do better.

Working in our industry is challenging. About three years ago, I chose to affiliate with a large distributor organization. That removed a huge burden of financial and administrative tasks that can crush you ... and was crushing me. I always wondered why we never could keep administrative people longer than two years. Now life is easier.

There are so many details to address and financial issues to deal with that being released from those burdens was a huge relief for me. That stress coupled with me being crazy as an employer ... made burnout in our company commonplace.

One of my good industry friends, Rod Brown takes off two months in the summer to spend time with his family. What ... you might think that's crazy! Rod is the principal of a top-50 promotional products company and a very busy person. He can't fully check out due the commitments he has, but he may not immediately accessible and somehow things all work out. I so respect his decision to do this. It comes with a price, but it is also a clear indication of his values and underscores of what is really important in life.