I have been fortunate this past year to have traveled the country as ASA president and was able to speak to many different groups. Each time, I talked about what I call the base case for what ASA delivers to its members, which is impressive on its own.

Knowledge is power. And knowledge is powered by data. Access to real, actionable data is one of the most important tools for any leader in today’s rapidly changing business environment. The ability to analyze, manipulate and act upon real-time information is not only a need but increasingly a requirement for success in business today.

Every industry is dealing with a pending “brain drain” and working hard to find new people to join their teams. Add in the challenges of appealing to a new generation of workers that have unique desires for their nascent careers, and you can be left with a daunting challenge.

I am not, nor do I want to be, in the business of telling other business owners how to run their businesses. If they don’t want to be a member of an association, that is their choice and their right, and I don’t feel it’s my place to try to change their mind.

Knowing these are the expectations we all put on our work travel, we pushed hard to create a conference at this year's NETWORK that we believe is worthy of your very valuable time.

It was clear after attending the ELEVATE conference that connecting women professionals who are building strong careers in the PHCP and PVF industry is enormously valuable.  And having a robust women’s group is something that ASA is already leveraging as we look to attract more women to our teams.

You cannot read a newspaper, turn on the news or even have a casual conversation at one of your counters without hearing about the struggle every business is having to attract talented people today.

We all realize the need for a robust online offering as eCommerce continues to be a growing share of the market. However, as the group discussed and debated the topic, we realized how much more complex the situation is currently.

Given today’s rapidly changing business environment, strengthening your company’s ability to compete requires you to think about your businesses like never before.

The environment requires new levels of strategic vision and a growth mindset that prioritizes strategic planning and investment. We are all challenged every day to stay relevant and enhance our ability to compete, and this is true now more than ever.

As we emerge from this seemingly never-ending pandemic, I realize how much I value connecting with my industry friends.