We’re a mere two weeks removed from the midterm elections, so you might expect me to reflect on the outcomes. But frankly, I think there has been enough coverage of that already. What’s on my mind today are the wildfires terrorizing California—and how we might reduce future risks. Last week, California Gov. Jerry Brown held […]

As cliché and indicative of old age as it might be, I can’t resist saying: I just can’t believe that Thanksgiving is already here. I had breakfast in a local diner this morning and must have heard that a dozen times—each with a Charlie Brown, melancholy tone about it (as you can probably imagine). But […]

Quick … how much did an average lead cost you this year? Not the industry average, that is, but yours? How about marketing cost as a percentage of revenue for your home improvement business? Many of you can answer those questions quickly. If you can’t, the question is: Why not? The easy answer is that […]

Not with a new baby. And by “new baby,” I mean DWM. Here I am, well into my second month and I have to say: Things sure are getting interesting. And to be clear, by “interesting” I do not mean dramatic or negative. I think if you talked to the average person about doors and […]

As the busy season plays out and we approach the beginning of November, we can finally catch our breath and start pondering what the new year might bring. I usually take a week of vacation this time of year and head into the woods to clear my mind and ponder about the future. I see […]

I am proud to say that I have grown up in the door and window business. And as a result, during my nearly 30 years in the industry, I have seen a great deal of evolution. I have met and worked with some unique and terrific entrepreneurs – both in manufacturing capacities and from the […]

I like to start these things with the good news. After an occasionally painful year in the making, it appears we have a new NAFTA in the form of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, that will mostly go into effect by around 2020 after all the necessary approvals happen within each country. But with […]

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.” You’ve heard it before, and while you might be able to work your way through parts of your home improvement business without a written, well-thought-out plan, when it comes to marketing, that’s one of the biggest mistakes you can make. Yet, for far too many dealers I work […]

My day started off in the wrong direction. I spilled my coffee on the way to the car. I headed down the highway only to come to a screeching halt behind a layer of traffic. I finally arrived at my first appointment. While waiting in the lobby, I noticed a mirror, so I decided to […]

Well, here I am. And as the title suggests—home again, yet in a place I never left. Sounds more lyrical than editorial, right? Well, maybe there’s a story there, too. Some of DWM’s readers have no doubt spotted me by name—amid my bylines, or in their email inboxes. And while I’m contacting many of you […]