What keeps me awake (Part 2)

Haley Joel Osment and I have something in common--we see "dead" people.

Not "dead" in the clinical sense, but "dead" in the figurative sense. People who were once "alive" in the market are no longer so.

Over there is Kim Westhoff, late of Sony, Godiva, and Mrs. Fields. Look--there's Kathy LaRocco, ex of Seiko. And today I learned that Matt Siegel, long-time distributor in upstate New York is returning to his roots in the University business.

Great for him, lousy for us. Every time someone like Kim, or Kathy, or Matt exit the market, for whatever reason, we all "die" a little. We lose the experience and passion for the business that in hard times keeps it moving forward. We lose valuable knowledge that is the foundation of a professional marketplace and serves as an inspiration to younger people seeking to make a career in our channel.

The current downturn has created a "killing spree" of distributors, suppliers, and others in our market. And those who aren't "dead" are "incapacitated", or working below the level of their gifts. And nobody I've spoken to tells me this is over yet-not by a long shot.

Just this week two of my reps lost long-term employees--the principal had to make hard decisions to keep the business going. Two more Dearly Departed to add to the list.

Now where'd I put that Ambien?


Pete