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Wow - what a work of art this is. Harlen & Halcyon have put out very thought provoking, inspirational writings and I am really honored to be asked to share my thoughts and opinions. I don't know that I've been through alot of the same experiences as they have, but I think we all share a general understanding of the elements of success in our industry and the ingredients that make this one of the best places to work, socialize, live, and enjoy connectedness with each other.
Our industry is unique in the respect that both business to business relationships (host companies - site owners) and competitive business relationships (program owners - program owners) are nurtured together. I've never experienced an industry where competitors will have a beer together and are as close of friends as they come. I have personally made some of the best friends I have in this industry, and have met and befriended many of you as well.
I think that the advent of this very unique relationship grew from the need for our industry to come together because of the relatively difficult public perception and scrutiny that we have faced from the beginning. When faced with either - come together with my competitor to ward off those who would stand in our way, or continue to battle with my competitor and we both fall - it created an environment that we have developed into one of the most successful business practices around.
The bottom line is, if we work as a unit, we'll all enjoy more success than if we went at it alone. And in this business - alone is not where you want to be. I have yet to meet any "old timers" in this business that would not go out of their way to help someone new out with their experiences and wisdom. The last place you want to be is out on an island while the rest of the industry works together as a cohesive unit.
Success in our industry is driven by relationships. That's it. Bottom line. You can put the best product out there in the world, but without the relationships - you will not be successful. These relationships can develop in any number of ways given the connectedness we have in this digital age, but the basis of these relationships is trust. We've seen many a time where when the trust is broken - look out. You're in trouble in this industry. But with honesty and integrity - over time it's impossible NOT to develop friendship, comradery, and numerous relationships with the people in this industry. And that is wherein lies success.
Andy
P.S. Oh - and it's a helluva lot more fun that way too...
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