Hard work comes along for the ride
Dear Readers,
I am of the opinion that almost nothing of significant value comes for free. Each Sunday morning, however, sitting in that wooden pew, half-way back on the right side at church, the pastor’s words remind me that there is one exception.
With each passing week, I find myself humbled but increasingly grateful for the blessings I have.
One of those blessings, you may be interested to know, is the sincere pleasure I have in knowing you. Every opportunity I have for getting together with members of this trade allows me to gain a better sense of who you are and who I’m talking to in these pages. The recent World of Concrete show was one such opportunity. Not only did I get the chance to see many good friends, I also had the good fortune to make several new ones.
Starting my journey home from Las Vegas the Saturday morning after, on my 18-hour drive back to Oregon through the desert and over snow-covered mountains, I had some much-needed time to reflect on my week. A common theme that ran through most of my thoughts was the faces of people I met. In particular, it was the expressions of enthusiasm that I saw on so many of you. Now you know why this trade is so contagious!
Decorative concrete continues to gain interest. I’ve seen this interest grow steadily with every passing season. In you I see an excitement to learn, to create, and most importantly, a desire to connect with others. These attributes not only fuel my enthusiasm for publishing, it’s the stuff that I’m confident will lead your business and this trade to increasing measures of success, and most assuredly, to lands far and wide.
We’re all aware of the fact that hard work comes along for the ride. Not always do things go right. Neither is it easy to fix errors that might ultimately pull hard-earned dollars out of our pockets. At those moments, when the excitement fades and work gets the better of us, that’s when perseverance and yes, a degree of humility are critical.
If others don’t understand our struggles, how can they ever appreciate the full measure of our creations? Today, other industries are going as far as to create new associations to address the impact that decorative concrete has on their respective businesses. If there were ever a time we needed to polish our shoes and straighten our ties, it’s now.
Starting my journey home from Las Vegas the Saturday morning after, on my 18-hour drive back to Oregon through the desert and over snow-covered mountains, I had some much-needed time to reflect on my week. A common theme that ran through most of my thoughts was the faces of people I met. In particular, it was the expressions of enthusiasm that I saw on so many of you. Now you know why this trade is so contagious!
Decorative concrete continues to gain interest. I’ve seen this interest grow steadily with every passing season. In you I see an excitement to learn, to create, and most importantly, a desire to connect with others. These attributes not only fuel my enthusiasm for publishing, it’s the stuff that I’m confident will lead your business and this trade to increasing measures of success, and most assuredly, to lands far and wide.
We’re all aware of the fact that hard work comes along for the ride. Not always do things go right. Neither is it easy to fix errors that might ultimately pull hard-earned dollars out of our pockets. At those moments, when the excitement fades and work gets the better of us, that’s when perseverance and yes, a degree of humility are critical.
If others don’t understand our struggles, how can they ever appreciate the full measure of our creations? Today, other industries are going as far as to create new associations to address the impact that decorative concrete has on their respective businesses. If there were ever a time we needed to polish our shoes and straighten our ties, it’s now.
Enjoy.
Bent Mikkelsen, Publisher
posted by Bent Mikkelsen, Publisher @ 8:41 PM
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