4th Anniversary Post
It is hard to believe it has been four years since I began writing this blog. (That will be most likely the start to next year’s version of this as well, just adding a year.) Time sees this to move by so quickly. I did not know how this would turn out when I started planning for Effective Retail Leader in the summer of 2017. I had just left my position with a company I had been with for nearly twenty-five years at that point. There was excitement, hope, as well as fear when I made the decision to set up the website.
I can still remember the full collection of emotions as I finished up the first article, [You Have a Choice.] It seems fitting, especially four years later, that an article on choice was the first one. I had a choice at that point. I could start something new and take a risk, or stay low key and just wait for a new opportunity to come along and get started with a new Company. Obviously, I hit ‘post’ on that first article and now more than four-hundred articles later, plus more than two-hundred leadership quotes shared I continue to ensure sharing my ideas and thoughts on different leadership topics for retail leaders.
Early the following year, I also started a new job with a different company, and I am glad I have been able to maintain doing both. I continue to enjoy writing every week and sharing insights. I enjoy the comments I get back from readers who have taken something away from what I have written. Even through these crazy eighteen months of a world-wide pandemic, I maintain the habit of writing as something I like to do versus feel as though I have to do.
Clearly, I have this same stream of consciousness each year I sit down to write the ‘anniversary article’. I looked back at the previous three, and they are very similar. At least I am consistent. Perhaps the biggest thing I see different for this year is my comfort and satisfaction with where things are and the need to tackle things as they come. Instead of professing a lot of change for the website or new ideas that I would like to bring to life, I am committing to continuing to write and share ideas that make sense for the time and our environment. Certainly, I have some things I would like to do a little different. Some ideas that I believe would be exciting to explore, but the reality is, we all have a lot on our plates right now — whether its work or just dealing with life. I accept that. Earlier this year, with the assistance of my wife Tracy, we updated the look at feel of the website, which I think gives it a more modern look and easier to navigate. I haven’t had the time to ‘tinker’ with it as much as I would like, but in time, new things will get introduced. [Patience and practice] applies here too.
In the meantime, I want to THANK all of you who read the blog on a regular basis. The audience for this website has steadily grown every year since I began, and 2021 is on track to see more than 50% growth again in readership. For that, I am forever grateful. I am always happy to hear from people who enjoy the tips and ideas shared here, and if there are topics you would like to see covered, please send me a note. Completing the research and learning for new articles is still one of the highlights of writing this each week. Again, THANK YOU for your support and I look forward to our continuing journey to all be Effective Retail Leaders.
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