Create Your Network

It is all good: Nicki's ACL replacement went great, now it's time to wait and rebuild the leg. She is a tough girl; Daddy is so happy that it all went so good for her and the doctors. She went to PT today to start the program of getting back on her feet.

We start the small job in Brownsville in the morning; it is a long drive but I am going to find a hotel room so the drive will not eat a ton of fuel. The price of a hotel will be less than the cost of fuel for driving back and forth. I am looking forward to the job; it is walnut with Monocoat finish. This is the second job with Monocoat, and folks, I like the way it makes a floor look. I am a wax floor kind of guy and this will not replace it in any way, but it's great if you have a job that demands the same look with less maintenance for the homeowner.

I also am going to do a whitewash floor in two weeks-now this one has me on edge because it is the first "white" floor we have done. I have been told that whitewash floors are hard to do-not because of the work or finish but because of the demands the homeowner has in their mind. It all comes down to the eye of the beholder, and we all know that can be the hardest part of the job! I am looking forward to the job and learning more; it is always good to grow in knowledge.

On the other hand of things, some of you know that I have been working with Jerry at Revolution to improve his parts and develop some ideas for the market. The flex pad and improvements to his re-covered drums are some of the things we have worked on together. Well, he has asked me to work with him more with some other ideas and, even more, to aid him with tech support for the machines. We had a long talk about the needs of the floor contractors and my path over the last few years. As you know, my path was 24 years with Clarke American Sanders and now to my new path as a contractor. The biggest adjustment for me has been getting the information and insight that distributors do not offer. Now, the distributors I work with are good at what they do, but in the supply line of information it takes some time to get down to my level. I do not live close to a distributor location-we do not walk into a store/showroom more than four times a year. That makes getting the full value of the distributors very hard; not that they are not reaching out-they are. My blessing is that the 24 years with the manufacturer has given me a network of friends and information. What Jerry and I talked about was letting anyone call me with a question they may run into. For things I cannot respond to myself, I know someone I can ask. My number for calls like that is now (731) 333-4093.

So in my blog I am offering my thoughts about the greatest steps for all of us to create the biggest network in any market:

1. Get your company or yourself involved with the NWFA
2. Sign up for Hardwood Floors magazine (you can get it online or via mail)
3. Make sure your skills are up to speed with classes offered by NWFA, distributors, manufacturers, or any and all training that adds value to our market.
4. Make your plans for the NWFA Expo in Orlando next April
5. Get to know as many folks as you can within the network. This is a tough market, and some folks do not like to share ideas or tips; their mindset is: Why give your competition an edge? I have helped two of my competitors in the last few days. One is trying to start up and does not have a nailer that works all the time. I am letting him use my extra gun to get him through a job. The other one is having a HARD time with a homeowner; we talked twice on ways to get past his problem with her. So, long story short, the more we help each other, the more jobs there are that become wood floors done right.

At the end of the day it is about all of us helping each other and getting the best information...we are all trying to pay bills and feed our families. That is my goal now with Revolution, to help and support the flooring market. I will not stop with Cardinal Hardwood & Tile, nor with the HF magazine blogs; I have got to say that this has been a fun ride. It is very hard work, but the rewards have been wonderful for me and my family.

So, like I said, it is all good… good that we can help each other and pull together the best information and insights for our market. To be honest, no one I know does it better than we do… "we" meaning every contractor, distributor, manufacturer, Hardwood Floors magazine and the NWFA. We have lifelong friends and the greatest trade in the world, let's keep it going and growing... it is all good if we work together.