Running Your Business: Race day

Photo: Paul Bradbury/OJO Images/Getty Images

There’s something exciting about race day. It’s time to reap the rewards of all the training and hard work you put in. It doesn’t matter if it’s a small local 5k or a huge marathon with tens of thousands of runners, there’s an undeniable electricity in the air.

Running is a unique sport. So much of it is individualized. You’re running by yourself. Maybe you’re challenging yourself to run at a faster pace than previous races. Yet when race day comes, you’re surrounded by so many other individuals. You become a team.

It starts even before the race begins. You stretch and nervously chat with those around you. The talk quickly turns to comparing favorite running shoes and what time we are hoping to finish the race in.

But the real magic begins once the race begins.

Very quickly, the running field spreads out; and you’re in a pack of runners all running at a similar pace. As the miles add up, the faces next to you become more and more familiar. Before you know it, conversations start flowing and friendships are formed. With each step, you push and motivate one another. Suddenly, this person who was just a stranger to you, has become a coach, cheerleader and friend over a few sweaty miles.

Similar relationships can begin at our industry seminars and conferences.

When I first went to  pest control industry seminars as a teenager with my dad, I was somewhat misguided. I thought the sole purpose was to attain knowledge from the speakers and exhibitors. I looked at all the other attendees as competitors and kept to myself. Only now do I realize how shortsighted this was. It took years to see the tremendous value of networking and sharing information with fellow pest control owners and managers in companies just like my own.

What more can you ask for than the opportunity to pick the brains and share ideas with others who are going through the exact same issues and struggles as yourself?

I have found industry networking to be the most valuable tool that has helped guide me to grow my company. This was the biggest thing I missed during all the Zoom seminars over the last two years. While the content was there, there was no way to recreate the magic when two pest professionals could talk casually and share information about the industry and their companies.

One of the most incredible networking opportunities I have ever experienced in our industry is the PMP Growth Summit. This is a unique event designed to allow companies of all sizes to freely share their stories and experiences. Through the relaxed setting, I have created incredible friendships with some amazing people in every facet of the pest control industry.

Whatever challenges you face, others in the industry have faced and dealt with them as well. Like those runners who push each other through those tough miles of a race, your colleagues in the industry are there to help you every step of the way.

Ask for help when you need it. Give help to others when they are down and together, we all get to run to the finish line.

Have a great run!

Editor’s Note: More coverage on this event will be in the May issue of PMP. You can also learn more at pmpgrowthsummit.net.