Hardwood Floors April/May 2019

CHAIRMAN’S CUT

By Chris Zizza Chairman, NWFA

MAKE YOUR MARK ON THE INDUSTRY

As I sit down towritemy nal columnas chairman, it seems ing that itwill run inan issuepreviewing theNWFAWoodFlooring Expowith the theme “MakeYourMark.” I’vebeendoing a lot of reminiscing these past fewweeks about all of thenew initiatives of our association, andhowthose initiatives havehadan impact onmybusiness. Fromthenewly launched “RealWood. Real Life.” campaign to raise consumer awareness of thebene ts ofwood ooring to implementing aprogramthat helps our members obtainhealthcoverage (see the articles onpages 46and66), theNWFA exists toensureourmembers have the resources theyneed tobe successful. I couldnot behappierwith thedirection our association is taking, andasmy time as chairmancomes toa close, I amcon dent that incoming chairmanCraigDuprawill do a fantastic job incontinuingourmission. I’ve alsobeendoing a lot of re ectingonmy own impact, andhowI canencourageothers who share a commonpassion for our trade togetmore involvedandhelp in uence the futureof our industry. e ideaofmaking yourmark, or leavinga legacy, is one that really resonateswithme. I've been in this business for 31years, and I genuinely believe that it takes everyone of us tomake itwork. e reality is, the NWFAcan’t do it alone andneither shouldyou.

So, as you saddleup tohead toExpo inFortWorth, here are someofmy thoughts on leaving a legacy andhowtheNWFA is here to support you. 1.Liveyourpassion. Your passions are your legacy.Don'tmiss theopportunity topursue your passions, andcontinue to look for newadventures. Stay current on industry advances withExpo, HardwoodFloors magazine, and theNWFA’s industry reports and resources. Increase your pro tabilitywith theNWFA’swide varietyof business services designed to improve e ciency and savemoney. Advance your skills as awood ooringprofessional with theNWFA’s toolboxof educational resources includingonline training, hands-on training, certi cations, industry-standardguidelines, technical publications, and technical support. 2. Support thepeopleandcauses that are important toyou. I’malways amazedbyour industry’s generositywith their time, talent, and resources. Everyday I seeon socialmedia stories of contractors traveling across the country tohelpa colleague inneedona job, donating ooring toaworthy cause, or volunteeringwithinour association. eNWFAhas establishedmultiple relationships over the yearswithcharitableorganizations that represent long-termcommitments to initiatives bene ting eachorganization. ese collaborations provide theNWFAand itsmemberswithadditional opportunities toengage in service in their communities, helping those inneedwhilepromoting thebene ts anduses ofwood ooring and their businesses. Youcan learnmore about these relationships andhow youcanget involvedat nwfa.org/giving-back.aspx. 3.Beamentor toothers. Everyonehas some signi cant truth to impart toothers thatwill guide less-experiencedpeople in life. Sometimes these relationships last a lifetime, evenwhen thementeehasmovedon to in uenceothers. Take some time to share your talentswith others. Believeme, the rewardyou’ll receivewill outweigh the e ort. Everyoneneeds amentor.Oneofminewas abusiness tycoonand relativenamedSal Balsamo, whoalways toldme two things. About business, he said, “Always focus ongrowing sales. If the sales are there andyouunderstandyour cost, the rest is easy.”Andabout life, he said, “Youhave to leave yourmark!” I try to leavemymarkbydoing charitywork andbybeing a resource to the younger people of our industry. I always enjoymy conversationswith thoseof youwho reachout tome. Whether it’s on thephone, inanemail, onFacebook, or justwalking throughExpo, never stopaskingmequestions. I lovehearing that I havehelped someone advancehis or her business inany small way. It’smy fuel for pushing forward. Inclosing, I’d like to thank you for allowingme to serve as your chairman. It has trulybeenan honor. I encourage you tohelpus continue toadvance the industrybymaking yourmark and supporting thenext generationof cra speople. Farewell, andbest of luck.

hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com

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