Our loss...

The email was relatively concise:


I am closing Greunke Gifts, effective August 31st, so that I can pursue new opportunities in loyalty and motivation.

Greg Greunke has decided to close his rep firm in Northern California. This comes on the heels of Barb Hendrickson selling her rep firm in Michigan. Two professionals, different situations, but with a commonality of result. The Brain Inventory has been reduced by two "A" students.

I don't consider myself a "bestie" with Greg--I knew and worked with his father in a previous life--but I did work with him on boards and sat in on some of his education sessions. He's a bright, enthusiastic guy who knows more about the social media side than most of us combined. And he's decided that being a rep is no longer in his interests.

He said it this way:

The most effective means to integrate these strategies with tangible rewards are not accessible in our role as a manufacturer's representative

And so it went. He’s off to do gamification, or whatever else tickles his fancy. The market loses a Bright Light who determined that being a rep wasn’t the best use of his talents. This is a sad commentary.

And it was that way with Barb also. The Immediate Past President of IMA woke up one morning and said “Stick a fork in me—I’m done.” She’s now deciding if her new gig at Visible Communications will be a hobby or a third act. And we’ll miss her too.

What on Earth is happening to us? Respected members of the rep community just up and leave? The Minor Chords are resonating all over the place. Maybe it’s just that 5% is no longer enough to run a business given the Unfunded Mandates the suppliers keep foisting on the reps.

Maybe it’s that the mercurial nature of the reseller base is enough to drive one to drink. It might even be that suppliers are too challenging to work with and it’s better to try something else than beat your head against the wall. Regardless of “why”, the “what” is that we’re losing talent we can ill afford to in these dynamic times.

I sure hope I don’t start writing this sort of thing more often…





Pete