Spring 2022 – Marketing Group Digest

MATERIALS, ASSEMBLY, PRODUCTION & SUPPLY

Troy Gunnin
Sun Rep Inc.
Tampa, Fla.

Resilience in the face of uncertainty

And just like that, when we thought things were getting better…

Since the first of the year, we have seen the COVID-19 pandemic improve pretty dramatically. Mandates lifted, masks removed, business booming travel at record levels, stock market strong, trade shows happening and we can make face-to-face calls with a growing number of customers. Life is good—right? Well, not so fast.

Just before I started writing this, and long before you read it. Things began to change. Tom Brady retired from football, so what happens to the Bucs? Okay, we will have baseball and the Rays should still be pretty good. Oops, wait a minute, there is a lockout and the season is delayed. How long? Who knows?

To add to the uncertainty, as I write this, there is a senseless war in Europe that has affected all of us and has the potential to be a catastrophic event. I certainly hope and pray that by the time you read this, it is resolved and peace is restored. The stock market has taken a serious hit. Just as we can begin to travel, a trip to the gas station tells us that perhaps we can’t afford to travel. Inflation is a serious problem. Housing costs are through the roof. Car prices are insane. I’m not telling you something you are not already painfully aware of.

What do we do? We are a resilient people. We will come through this as we always have. From the standpoint as a nation, we must all pull together, forget the politics and work for the common good. As independent reps, we have always, and will continue, to find a way to be successful.