It’s History . . .
That’s right! The 2009 Home Improvement Economic Summit Conference is now part of the history books of our industry. On April 1st and 2nd, about 100 industry leaders representing the manufacturers, retail sellers, installers, trade media and providers of ancillary services to our industry, gathered at the Westfields Conference Center in Chantilly, VA. Additionally, we had industry experts who specialize in this industry in attendance and as speakers. They included an economist, a corporate lawyer, a CPA, a retail financing specialist, an energy specialist, an advertising specialist and Internet marketing specialists. This was a singularly powerful information event.
In future postings of this blog, you’ll read pieces of some of the massive body of information. But, to start off, here is a short piece from my opening remarks as I challenged those in attendance to participate with an open mind and be ready to consider new ideas during these critical times.
Abraham Maslow, a noted behaviorist who developed the theory known as “the hierarchy of needs,” also studied the concept of accepting new information. He concluded that you and I are at the top of our game when we reach that level when we are aware of – most – or almost all available knowledge in our chosen field. Maslow called this achievement our conscious competency. This is a time when you really know – and you know that you know – that you know. We’ve all been there.
Yet, Maslow dashes our hopes when he concludes that at this point in your learned process, you also measure any new information against that which you already know, thus, judging what is new – and most frequently settling for – what you already know.
Do not let it be denigrated or neutralized by the critical nay-sayers or the prophets of doom who permeate our sight and sound each day.
Some of these are in your own organizations or your circle of friends – while others are in the media – they, who by sight and sound, present themselves as expert prognosticators in a format where opinions are projected as facts.
The entire Summit Conference was recorded by Oakhill Press and is being produced into an eleven CD package with nearly 12 hours of vital information for anyone in the home improvement industry. There will also be a twelfth CD that will contain all of the PowerPoint presentations, some supplemental material and a special one hour bonus audio program. You can go to our Web site at www.daveyoho.com or call our office at (703) 591-2490 for more details.
Best regards,
Dave Yoho
