My Top 3 Takeaways from the NSSF Industry Summit
One week ago I was in Austin, TX for the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Industry Summit. Chris Dolnak, NSSF Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, summed it up best when he posted about it on the NSSF’s blog.
The Summit provided valuable content for all segments of the industry – from manufacturers, retailers and ranges, natural resource agencies and hunting and conservation groups – and focused on the opportunities and challenges the industry now faces in a new political environment and ever-changing and growing digital landscape.”
Not only did I have a fantastic time networking and connecting with so many wonderful people in our industry, I learned so much. Here are my 3 major takeaways.
- Listening is a superpower. It’s something I always tell my daughters. I wish more people would use their ears and take a moment to truly listen, let the words sink in and think about them. Too often we speed listen, glossing over things to be the first to say or post something. There are also those out there who listen selfishly with the singular purpose of being LOUD. There’s certainly enough of both going on, even in our wonderful world of shooting and hunting. What struck me about this year’s summit is that the real leadership in the firearms industry is using that superpower. They are listening for all the right reasons, letting it sink in and working to come up with plans for success. That, my friends, is awesome.
- Happiness matters. A lot. Sunny Grosso, Coaching & Culture Chief at Delivering Happiness, provided many examples of how happy people are productive and that success doesn’t make us happy, it’s actually happiness that makes us successful. That and hitting a target with one of your favorite firearms. 😉 Sunny’s presentation struck a chord with me as a happy, on-the-bright-side kinda person. There are so many things about the firearms industry and the shooting sports that make me happy and proud.
- What can I do now? From Kim Rhode whose awesomeness is in Olympic proportion to key-note speaker and best-selling author John O’Leary who had me both laughing and crying with his inspirational message, to the panelists and speakers who weren’t afraid to celebrate success but also understand that progress must continue, this was definitely a theme. What can I do today? The best efforts, those that are successful on a massive scale, require individual commitments. Big or small, that daily dedication to making a difference is the difference.
From diverse panels that educated, dynamic presenters who offered solutions and the incredibly dedicated staff of the NSSF who put it all together, I am so glad I attended. The firearms industry, shooting sports and hunting organizations are dedicated, energized and inspired!
