I love Mike Rowe. "Dirty Jobs" made you think about the millions of people who have less than glamorous jobs that make our society go on a daily basis. No one dreams of being the guy who cleans the insides of dams, but our electricity supply depends on someone doing it. I am much more aware of and thankful for, say, the trash guys and snowplow drivers thanks to that show. And cheesemakers! Surprisingly hard, that job.
Here at our office, it wouldn't matter how great our books are if truckers didn't deliver them to our warehouse staff, who stores them and then sends them out to stores and customers as needed. You don't need a college degree to drive a forklift and pack a box, but you do need specific training and you have to be detail-oriented, careful, quick, and accurate. Our business wouldn't run without the warehouse staff, and you can bet we know it.
If anyone is a fan of podcasts, Mike Rowe has one, "The Way I Heard It." Like Paul Harvey's old "The Rest of the Story," it tells the behind-the-scenes story of famous people and events in a short but intriguing way. The podcast also advertises his foundation and the concept that trade school and apprenticeships are valid and valued ways of getting not just jobs but careers.
Anyway. We are not going to start a revolution in industrial arts any time soon, but we support the grassroots effort. We did promote our show to high schools and Scout groups (but also retirement homes) within a 50-mile radius. We probably aren't going to get many truly young people taking up scroll saws, carving knives, or lathes, but millions of young baby boomers should be just about the right stage of life for a new hobby and have the money to buy a nice shiny saw. We're talking to some marketing folks and working on our digital properties in hopes of luring some of them in our direction. More ideas are welcome.
And if anyone is in the neighborhood, come on out to Artistry in Wood in Wilmington, Ohio, this weekend. It's mostly a carving show, but they have a few scrollers and some terrific furniture builders, too. We'll be there!
Here at our office, it wouldn't matter how great our books are if truckers didn't deliver them to our warehouse staff, who stores them and then sends them out to stores and customers as needed. You don't need a college degree to drive a forklift and pack a box, but you do need specific training and you have to be detail-oriented, careful, quick, and accurate. Our business wouldn't run without the warehouse staff, and you can bet we know it.
If anyone is a fan of podcasts, Mike Rowe has one, "The Way I Heard It." Like Paul Harvey's old "The Rest of the Story," it tells the behind-the-scenes story of famous people and events in a short but intriguing way. The podcast also advertises his foundation and the concept that trade school and apprenticeships are valid and valued ways of getting not just jobs but careers.
Anyway. We are not going to start a revolution in industrial arts any time soon, but we support the grassroots effort. We did promote our show to high schools and Scout groups (but also retirement homes) within a 50-mile radius. We probably aren't going to get many truly young people taking up scroll saws, carving knives, or lathes, but millions of young baby boomers should be just about the right stage of life for a new hobby and have the money to buy a nice shiny saw. We're talking to some marketing folks and working on our digital properties in hopes of luring some of them in our direction. More ideas are welcome.
And if anyone is in the neighborhood, come on out to Artistry in Wood in Wilmington, Ohio, this weekend. It's mostly a carving show, but they have a few scrollers and some terrific furniture builders, too. We'll be there!
Karl in Sunny Southwest Florida 
My wife always tells me that she could paint the whole house a different color, and I'd never notice it.
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