Our industry is deeply rooted in tradition—valuing high-quality craftsmanship, building strong relationships, and doing things “the right way.” Most people I’ve met in the hearth industry over the past 20 years take great pride in their businesses and how they uphold these traditions. When I’m chatting with another retailer, it’s usually no surprise to find out they’re second-, third-, or even (like me) fourth-generation. Even when speaking to first-generation owners, there’s often a deep personal connection to the industry. There’s something truly remarkable about an industry that fosters these kinds of connections and legacies. But more and more, when speaking with peers, I hear misgivings about the future.

There’s no doubt that we, as individuals and as an industry, are facing challenging times. Everything from tariffs and unstable geopolitical relations to economic uncertainty and increasingly strict government regulations seems to be knocking us off balance, threatening to raze in years what took generations to build. This prompts a question I hear echoed throughout the industry: “How can we protect what we’ve built?” It’s a question that has been at the front of my mind for the past 20 years. And every time, I come back to the same answer, the one that has always kept me moving forward: adaptability.

I am (proudly) a Millennial. We cut our teeth in the workforce during a time of tremendous economic uncertainty and upheaval. If there’s one thing that defined our early existence, it was adaptability. We were taught by our environment that simply reacting to changes after they happened wasn’t enough—we needed to expect change. I’ve carried that lesson with me throughout my career, and it feels more important now than ever before. The ability to quickly spot changes, make hard pivots, and continue pushing toward our objectives in a disruptive and volatile environment will be crucial—not just for the short term, but as the dominant mindset moving forward.

There are many tools we can (and should) use to become more adaptable, including CRMs, AI, social media marketing, and quoting tools, just to name a few. These tools are all great (like, really great), but tools alone aren’t enough. Handing someone a bat, glove, and baseball doesn’t make that person a ballplayer. Training, coaching, practice, and (most importantly) mindset do. Ask any great ballplayer, from Babe Ruth and Willie Mays to Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, what separates the good from the great, and one word stands out: mindset. Having the right tools is important, but embracing an adaptability mindset is the foundation. This is certainly easier said than done, especially in our industry. 

When speaking with other industry leaders and retailers, resistance to change has been a common issue, but I’ve seen encouraging progress in recent years. Over time, I think the pride we take in our traditions has been distorted, not just to include our business ideals, but also the way we conduct that business. These are two distinct things and shouldn’t be tied together. Implementing new business technologies, moving away from outdated sales models that no longer resonate with our client base, developing new staff policies and training programs that invigorate and inspire new generations of employees, and updating our operations for today’s increasingly digital environment—these are things all of us should be thinking about. Not next year, not next month, but right now. By embracing an adaptability mindset, honestly analyzing our businesses and markets, setting clear goals and directions, and approaching new methods and technology with an open mind, we won’t just preserve our traditions—we’ll strengthen them for our future generations.