All of us can relate to the movies at times. Can you visualize that runaway car racing through the hills of downtown San Francisco – with a guy hanging on the top of the hood for dear life? The driver is doing everything he can to shake off the outside passenger without luck. This is how I’ve felt within our business this summer. It has been so busy that I’ve felt like I’ve been taken for a wild ride and the ride is not quite over yet. Perhaps this is one of the reason I enjoy fall so much. The intense pressure of summer is off, the crisp smell of fall is in the air, and the salmon return for yet another year along the river.  
    
Fall is a time of recuperation. More importantly, however, it gives us time to look back and make goals for the following year. What can we learn from this past year? What was profitable? What was not profitable? Is my business headed into the right direction? I’ll be asking myself a lot of tough questions this fall.
    
We can dig ourselves a trench and sometimes feel like we’re not able to get out. It may be easier by using a different tool for digging, or if we dig a different direction it may be twice as quick. Markets change, production methods are improved, and we all get older. Be willing to adapt and innovate. I’ve been in this business long enough to see that nothing too easy lasts forever. Don’t be afraid to slash parts of your business that although may be close to your heart, are not profitable and only adds work and stress to your life.  
    
On the other hand, sometimes decisions have to be made that are not the best for the business, but are best for our family and health. These are the most important decisions. This fall take time to reflect, identify, and plan for next year. There is no better place to start than the National Conference in Orlando. See you there.