Blog Spotlight

By Bill Yeargin Many people don’t realize how close the pandemic and related supply chain issues have come to both shutting down the U.S. economy and putting our national security at significant risk. And the risk was largely related to semiconductor chips. 92% of semiconductor chips are made outside the U.S., and these chips are in almost everything. According to ...

By Mark Overbye Confusing innovation with novelty can be lethal. When I started Gekko Boats years ago there were plenty of daily reminders that we swam in a pool filled with sharks. A young company in a capital intensive, seasonal and cyclical business meant continually sharpening our knives. Committed to our craft, we eagerly showed up. When Toyota entered the ...

By Sarah Prellwitz April is International Customer Loyalty Month! While I encourage dealers to focus on building customer loyalty all 12 months of the year, April presents a great opportunity to analyze your customer retention strategy and look for improvement. After all, loyal customers are the key to growing your business and supporting long-term growth. Not only do they come ...

By Mark Overbye Quit worrying about competitors, other forces closer to us are greater obstacles to our successes. The stories we tell ourselves and internal chaos can do more harm than any opponent. We all carry challenges that either become a rock in our shoe or the fire of inspiration. Mediocrity and disappointment hold hands. Give frustration a foothold and your dreams will ...

By Bill Yeargin My retirement is not imminent, but I cannot help but be focused on the future success of our company, even for the time after I am gone. One of the best things I can do for our organization is prepare the next generation of our company’s leaders for the day when they will be in charge. I ...

By Bill Yeargin Luxury taxes, on items such as boats that politicians see as a “luxury,” are traps that don’t impact the rich but have a huge negative impact on people who can least afford it. They are the quintessential example of unintended consequences; history has demonstrated this unequivocally.  Politicians, many of whom I believe are well-intentioned, see luxury taxes ...

By David Gee empəTHē/noun/the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. How much time do you spend thinking about being more empathetic? Do you know the impact that a lack of empathy in the workplace has on employees’ mental health? What are some of the habits – and characteristics – of highly empathetic people? Is empathy even on ...

By Mark Overbye Contemplating the death of a close friend recently has me wondering whether I’m investing my time properly. Am I exercising my talents in ways that add value, increase joy and elevate my life beyond the generic? This metric could be a good measure of our business success as well. We all experience selfish businesses more interested in their ...

By Mark Overbye There are only three answers; yes, no, or not right now. I always prefer a quick no over a long maybe. If you believe the universe is conspiring to help you and that all things happen for your benefit, it’s good to dispense with the distractions that keep you from being on the right path.   We ...

By S. Chris Edmonds If you’re trying to hire people right now, you’re up a creek. The US Federal Reserve Bank in September estimated that the average time required to fill an open job rose from 20 days to 50 days over the previous four months. And a new global McKinsey study finds that 40% of respondents are somewhat likely to quit in ...