If you live in a cooler climate like I do (the U.S. Midwest), perhaps you are experiencing a slowdown this time of year. It might be time to sit back and take a long-deserved break. You’ve worked hard all season, and it’s time to take it down a notch.
Now is also a good time to start developing a game plan for the spring pond season. Catch up on your paperwork. Brush up on your skills, and perhaps you can learn a new thing or two. Down time doesn’t have to mean idle time, after all.
Here’s another idea. Sit down and kick back with all the issues of POND Trade you’ve put aside during the busy season. Now is the perfect time to sink your teeth into them and catch up on any articles you might’ve missed in print or on social media.
If you’re all caught up, not to worry — we’ve got eight great new features in this issue to keep you informed and entertained. Speaking of the latter, I was particularly entertained by Paul Holdeman’s article about his client from hell (“Get Out of My Way!” pg. 20). His unfortunate yet hysterical account of the quintessential micromanaging customer might hit pretty close to home for some of you.
I was also intrigued to read former Water Artisan of the Year winner Jonathan Marston’s cover story (“From Asphalt to Oasis,” pg. 8) about restoring an urban driveway back to its natural state, complete with koi pond and fire pit in a beautiful sunken patio. What a retransformation!
If you’re looking for ways to improve your business acumen, check out Clay Graba’s profile on customer experience (or CX) automation (“Go the Extra Mile,” pg. 25). His high-touch customer outreach and follow-up policies are rather impressive, especially considering that he’s the only human involved!
As you flip through this issue, pause on pg. 41 and think about which of your projects might be a good fit for our next Water Artisans of the Year contest. Enter them on our website by Dec. 15, 2022, and your craftsmanship could be gracing these pages in our March/April 2023 issue!
Happy PONDering!
