Are we there yet??

Now that my kids are all but flown from the nest I find myself missing those long drives with the constant asking "are we there yet?" Just for laughs my wife will ask me that question whenever we are laying out our long term plans for life after our youngest enters college next year. Then the front door flies open and I hear the voice of my 3 year old grandson Carter yelling "where's pappa?" and I am reminded of the joy of being part of something very special.

Likewise I feel very fortunate to be part of the very special growth in the placement of retail venues within healthcare. Although it is a slow process to communicate the need for a retail entrepreneur mindset for the management of a facility dedicated to the healing and care of the sick or injured, it is very rewarding to see their willingness to be open to the idea.

I have had an extremely rewarding summer of sharing our mission with many healthcare executives that are always willing to turn over any rock in search of ways to positively impact patient care, even if it is in the form of a coffee shop. They realize that what we carry a message that is deeply rooted in providing appropriate services to enhance staff retention and visitor satisfaction, but equally important to retain the income for furthering the overall system mission.

As my earlier entries have indicated, we are entering my most desired seasons of fall and winter. I have many friends, and now the addition of another grandson (Brady), to remind me that I am coming closer to my own personal fall and winter seasons. That stated, I remind them that I feel the same energy and stamina I felt when I was chasing my own kids around on the beach after arriving from a long drive to vacation. Likewise, I feel that same level of passion and desire to provide strong guidance to our clients in the addition of retail to their lobbies and atrium's.

I become very agitated as I witness other "consultants" guiding hospitals to implement franchise owned offerings, only to the benefit of the franchise owners. For that reason I am reminded of the other phrase heard in many a family packed vehicle headed down the highway........

"Don't make me come back there!"