Take a breath

By Adam Quandt

These days it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Things over the last year and a half have been somewhat hectic, to say the least (and that might be putting it lightly to some of you).

Every time we at Boating Industry chat with someone in the industry — be it manufacturer, dealer, etc. — we almost always ask, “how has the last year been?” More often than not, these days it’s answered with a chuckle followed by a question in response, “Man, where do I even start?”

And that’s the question, right? Where DO you start? We as an industry, as a country, as humans have all gone through so many different things over the last 18 months — some good, some bad and some in between. In this issue of Boating Industry, you’ll find an update on where some Top 100 dealers are now as we wrap up another summer of crazy business in boating, and we asked them that exact question about the last year and a half.

“In the beginning, I was worried to say the least,” Nautical Ventures Group CEO Roger Moore told Boating Industry. “No one really knew what was going to happen when things started shutting down. Yet, we worked through it and then the boating boom hit, and it’s been pedal to the metal ever since.”

I think that’s the perfect way of putting things into words for the last 18 months, especially for the boating industry, pedal to the metal. I looked at the calendar the other day and thought to myself, “how the heck is it already mid-August?” And I realized that I just haven’t slowed down.

While the sales boom in boating has been wonderful for the industry in terms of sales and bringing new people into the activity, it has also come with its own set of challenges. So with non-stop sales, adjusting to new ways of selling, inventory and supply chain issues, communication breakdowns and so much more piling up, it seems dealers especially have not had a single moment to slow down.

Allow me to get to the point. It’s time to stop and take a breath. We know you’re busy, we know there’s still a stack of things that need to be done, we know there are problems that still need to be solved. With a to-do list seemingly a mile high, it’s easy to keep the non-stop grind going and push yourself to keep going.

Don’t keep that mindset. While it’s great to get ahead, it’s not going to help you or your business if you burn out. So take that vacation, or that mental health day, that evening stroll, whatever it might be, take that moment to slow down.

Reminder

Now that we’re past the deadline to submit 2021 Top 100 applications and the team here is gearing up to dig into them, a quick reminder for those who applied this year:

The 2021 Top 100 will be announced and celebrated on the final evening of Boating Industry’s ELEVATE SUMMIT in Atlanta, Ga. ELEVATE runs from Nov. 8-10 and will feature two jam-packed days of high-level leadership content and networking. Visit www.boatingindustryelevate.com for the summit’s full schedule and to register today!