Brianna Liestman

A strong middle class usually means a strong boating industry, and that means there is plenty of reason we should be poised for success. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income rose to $59,039 in 2016, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year and the second consecutive year of healthy gains. As a result, middle-class incomes rose ...

If you’re annoyed with how attached to technology your customers are today, it’s unfortunately not going to get any better. Next month, Apple plans to introduce a new set of iPhones, one of which is a premium model that can scan 3-D objects. Samsung also recently introduced the Galaxy Note 8, which has a fast dual-lens camera. “2018 will be ...

Most of the Boating Industry staff is based in Minnesota, and so many of us have either already attended the Minnesota State Fair or are currently dreaming about eating our favorite foods on a stick. In addition to all of the tasty treats, attendees of the state fair this year have an opportunity to learn about an important issue to ...

No one likes getting a bad review. Not only is it disheartening ­– especially when you feel you have worked hard – but it makes earning future business more difficult when you’re not rated well. But for better or worse, reviews give today’s consumers important insight into your business and they will look for that information before they ever walk ...

Two weeks ago while driving through my suburb of Minneapolis, I passed the local bicycle shop. I’ve spent money there before, mostly tuning up a Trek bike I’ve had for 8.5 years, and I am signed up to be notified about their ride events (someday I will have a free weekend and attend). As I looked at the marquee, I ...

A recent article on NPR compares the earning power of a summer job in 1982 versus 2017, and for many reasons it should concern the boating industry. In short, the article shows that an average college student receiving no help from parents needed to work either nine hours a day, seven days a week for three straight months or 16 ...

A recent blog post on InvestmentZen highlighted what Millennials make and how they can better budget their paychecks. It’s a neat infographic for any young person trying to figure out how to make those paychecks work better for them. At first glance, the infographic showing 30 percent of income should be going to personal spending, which for someone making $34,000 ...

Next week (June 26) is our deadline for the 2017 Boating Industry Top 100, the only independent ranking of boat dealers in North America. For those of you thinking about applying, now is the time to get started! I field a lot of questions about the Top 100 at press events and through interviews, and one that has come up ...

Yesterday, The New York Times announced that Uber had fired 20 employees amid an investigation into the ride sharing company’s workplace culture. The company has been under fire for what has been described as “deep-seated management and culture issues,” which have been brought to light as current and ex-employees have shared their stories. And they’re pretty bad. Perkins Coie investigated ...

I’ve been around boats my whole life, but even though I’m no stranger to the water I’ve never felt fully confident behind the wheel. It certainly doesn’t help that all my life if I’ve ever made the slightest error, a male relative or in-law has been right there to yell at me about what I’m doing wrong or take over ...