My 11-year-old son, Nathan, is at the age where he no longer places an unwavering faith in the words and actions of his parents. Rather, it seems he’s constantly questioning what we do and say, looking for confirmation – and undoubtedly finding it – that we’re the flawed human beings he has recently begun suspecting us to be.
Of course, I’ve known about my flawed nature all along. And I’ve worked hard to acknowledge it – both at home and at work. I regularly admit to myself, my family and my team that I’m a “work in progress.”
It’s a way to talk back to my inner voice and send a message to those around me at home and at work. If we don’t accept that it’s okay to be flawed, to be human, to try and to fail, then what are the chances that we’re going to take the risk – when we inevitably fall short of perfection – of trying again, of learning from our mistakes and attempting to do it better the next time?
That drive to continuously grow and improve is at the heart of our work at the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas. The one thing that our members have in common is a desire to keep getting better and to ultimately become the best – however you define it. So every benefit, educational program and resource we provide and every partnership we enter into is designed to contribute to that journey.
But if we truly believe in the idea of continuous improvement, then we must actively pursue it ourselves. We can’t call ourselves a “work in progress” if we’re standing still.
That’s the idea behind the launch of the MRAA’s new blog, to be published each week on “Training Tuesday.” By committing to this blog, the MRAA team is promising you that not only will we be working each day and each week to get better at serving you, but we’ll also share what we’re learning along the way. We hope you’ll share what you’re learning on your journey with us too.
After all, the way we see it, we’re in this together. The boating business can’t grow and improve unless marine retailers like you grow and improve. You’re at the heart of this industry, working day in and day out on the front lines, bringing boating to life for families in your local community. We’re here to serve you and your desire to be the best. And like you, we are traveling the sometimes meandering and bumpy path known as progress.
Our end goal is the same. To provide an incredible boating lifestyle that attracts people to the water and to your businesses time and time again.
Make sure you follow along by clicking the subscribe button at the top of this page so you receive notices when we’ve got more to share with you. Until then…