Blog Spotlight

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 ...

By David Gee “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” -W.B. Yeats Nobel Prize-winning Irish poet William Butler Yeats, one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature, wrote those prescient words over 100 years ago. If that sentiment rang true during Victorian times, we surely find even more meaning in the words ...

By David Gee How awesome was it to be in Atlanta for the 2021 Boating Industry ELEVATE Summit Conference?! 20 sessions. 23 speakers and panelists. 19 sponsors. Yes, we built it, and many of you came from across the country, representing dealers, boat builders, engine manufacturers, marina and boatyard owners and operators, trade association members, industry research and marketing analysts, ...

By Mark Overbye I recently called a service business and was greeted by a gruff “Hello.” This was followed by, “Hang on,” when they paged the right person. Their harsh and uninviting tone was hardly the recipe for building a relationship. They didn’t know me; I was simply a first-time caller inquiring about their services. This presents the proverbial fork in the ...

By David Gee Big boats, big crowd, big show, big bucks. Sold out. Unprecedented demand. Historic backlogs. Customer boats standing in as show boats. Eight miles of walking the docks. That was Day 2 of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with the Boating Industry team. The day began in a slightly unusual fashion for me. I was invited to ...

By David Gee It used to be that a killer sound system, a cool new gelcoat color or perhaps more power topped my next new boat wish list. Not any more. After one day at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show I now want my next boat to have an AgustaWestland AW109S twin-engine, eight-seat, multi-purpose helicopter sitting on the transom ...