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20 Years, and Thank You

20 Years, and Thank You

Hey you, For those of you who have stuck with me for the newsletters and blog, I have a longer post to share with you. It dawned on me that it’s been 20 years since I bought the company. On March 3, 1999, I was 28 years old. The remaining sales staff had recently...
You Win Some You Lose Some

You Win Some You Lose Some

Hey folks, It’s been a while since Air Flow shared any news to share on the product front. Here we go! Bry-Air – Win Air Flow has joined up with Bry-Air for desiccant solutions Many of you remember Air Flow’s promotion of Advantix. Unfortunately, Air Flow’s...
Almost Perfect

Almost Perfect

“How are you doing?” “Almost perfect.” That’s how Randy Sikkema answers that question. It makes me like him more, want to share more information with him, and work harder. Most likely, things get more perfect for Randy because of his engaging method to answering that...
Air Flow is a Prickly Supplier

Air Flow is a Prickly Supplier

A few posts ago, I talked about the merits of prickly customers for the supplier. Think about the upside of being prickly – yourself. To be prickly, it is a requirement to state: “What I really want is …”. This is in lieu of hoping the supplier figures it...
My Favorite Customers? The Prickly Ones …

My Favorite Customers? The Prickly Ones …

Perhaps it’s a Wisconsin cultural thing, but it’s rare that customers speak up when things aren’t going well. If it’s glaring, (missed date, incorrect submittal, etc.) it’s easy to make a point about a dropped ball. If the issue is attitude, fairness, understanding,...
Stop working so hard and podcast

Stop working so hard and podcast

For the last 4 years, I listen to podcasts, and almost every day.Many will think that’s weird. At 5-10 hours a week, it’s more time than what I spent in 4 years of college lectures and labs.I listen to health podcasts, leadership podcasts, religious podcasts, and Bill...
The Professional Negotiator’s Best Advice Is…

The Professional Negotiator’s Best Advice Is…

About 6 times a year, my leadership group sees a presentation by a professional speaker. The topics are broad ranging. One such speaker was a professional negotiator. (I thought I had married the only professional negotiator in the world. ?) Anyway, Mr. Pro Negotiator...
Getting to know people – watching the maestro at work

Getting to know people – watching the maestro at work

Definition: Maestro maestro [mahy-stroh] noun, plural maes·tros. an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music a title of respect used in addressing or referring to such a person a master of any art I’m pretty close friends with Vic Colwell, the national sales...
My most embarrassing management moment

My most embarrassing management moment

I’ve had plenty. Here’s the worst. When I first joined Air Flow in 1995, we had a warehouse guy named Gerry. He was a recovered alcoholic, and he had committed to 5 years at a job below his skill level, and after my first couple of years he quit after having fulfilled...
You don’t know what to say at funerals?

You don’t know what to say at funerals?

You don’t know what to say at funerals? When a close family member of one of our team members dies, I usually go to the funeral. I encourage others from the company to go too. Some do, but most don’t. The pat answer for not going is “I don’t know what to say.” Outside...