The Chairman's Corner

By Shiree Hammer

November 2022

Attitude is everything! In October, the CMSA board met for their annual fall meeting in Long Beach. It was a successful weekend discussing the state of the industry and the future success of California movers.

Perhaps Cal Farnsworth, a board member from the North Bay chapter, said it best. He brought up how important a positive attitude is and how the success of movers in the future needs to start with changing the attitude of our industry. When you think about it, attitude can have a large effect on so many aspects of your business. Your customers, employees, partnerships, and even your reputation. Especially if negative.

Attitude starts at the top and trickles down in organizations. We have been talking about labor and driver shortages for years now with no real change and moving does have a reputation for being hard work. But Cal is right, maybe we can attract future movers through a positive mindset. This change must start at the top though. What can we do as industry leaders to entice potential movers and drivers?

One idea that comes to mind is to become more prideful of our work; moving is tough but rewarding. Providing a quality service is something to be proud of. No one wants to start their career in an industry that is considered difficult or has a bad reputation.

Another idea is to lead by example, you are only as good as the employees who represent your company. The example you show sets the tone for the company, the day, or even a particular job. Employees tend to be willing to go the extra mile and work harder if they are recognized for their effort and hard work.

This year has been tough, but honestly so were the years before, just different challenges. There will always be something new facing our industry. That is life though, always evolving, some change for the better and some not. Having a half-glass-full attitude versus a half-empty just might be what sets one company or industry apart from another in its future success. A positive attitude will lead to positive outcomes; it may take time, but I believe movers can and do, make a difference.

Not only did the CMSA have our board meeting in October but CMSA President Steve Weitekamp and I got to visit five chapters on our tour of the state. Both Ventura/Santa Barbara and the Greater LA chapters hosted events with beautiful views of the water. It was great to get up north and see how the North Bay, Northern Region, and Sacramento chapters run their meetings. We had great food, saw fun Halloween costumes, and competed at Top Golf. Thank you to Hazelwood Allied, NMS Moving Systems, Crown Worldwide Moving, Farnsworth Express, Redwood Moving, CG Moving, and Chipman Relocation for your time and hospitality during our visits.   

November 2022- CMSA Communicator