Laissez les bons temps rouler

Last week I had the opportunity to join my fellow members of the ATA Moving and Storage Conference at the annual meeting. The annual meeting was held in New Orleans, and we had a chance to do all the things one does in the Big Easy.? Watch my short 20 second video of all the fun!

Eating beignets at Cafe Du Monde

Riding the Streetcar

Listening to live music at jazz bars

Walking the French Quarter

Eating Charbroiled Oysters

Po Boys at Parkway Tavern & Bakery

Eating at Butcher

Watching wedding parades

The schedule included lively sessions where new and old friends in the industry were able to connect with each other.?

On Monday, I had the distinct honor to participate in a debate of perspectives for the Independent Movers program.

If you know anything about our industry, you know the inspiring and uplifting story of Spero Georgedakis , founder of The Good Greek Moving Company, a $40M+ moving company based out of Florida. I was lucky to have been in his team. The opposing team was, Oded Carmi , founder of D & N Van Lines, a successful multi state (New England, Virginia, Florida) mover based out of Boston and founded in 2001.? As well as Justin Hart , founder of Just In Time Moving and Storage, from the beautiful state of Arizona, with over 70 employees, 20+ trucks and doing intra and interstate moves. And me!!!?Michael Gonzalez (no relation!) moderated and kept impeccable track of time.

Why am I wearing a cowboy hat and an eye mask on these pictures you ask?

You know my story, I am an employee in my husband’s moving company, when he is around we are Charlie Gonzalez Moving Company, when he is not around, Olga Garcia and I are The Cool Girls Moving Company. Well, why not add a CowGirls Moving Company to our aliases!?

We debated "Open Financials vs. Private/Closed Financials”, "Weekends Open for Business vs. Closed for Rest", “Taking a Deposit vs. Not Taking a Deposit", "In-House Crews vs. Contracted Labor: Building the Best Moving Team", "Local Domination vs. National Expansion: Strategies for Growing Your Moving Business", "Traditional Marketing vs. Social Media Dominance: Building Your Moving Brand in the Digital Age" and we even took a couple of topics from the attendees.?

After each topic was debated, the audience took a vote on each team, and I am happy to report that Spero and I were the winners of this exercise! See Kate DeWald ’s post for a mention.?

Our industry is known for trucks, trailers, diesel, sweat drenched uniforms, hard and labor intensive work. You know there are even some people out there that think we are a bunch of nuts, who will just play along with the game as they reconstruct the system. Message me if you need clarification.?

You know what we are, we are a bunch of smart, resourceful, upstanding people. Are there bad players out there? Yes! As there are bad lawyers, bad cops, bad “you name it”. But the majority of us are trying to build something for our families, our workers, our communities. We are trying to run and grow family owned businesses that bring money and good paying jobs to the local economy and beyond. We deal with labor, materials, fuel issues, all while paying our commercial mortgages, running payroll every two weeks, sponsoring our little league and youth sports, collecting and dropping off food for those in need, learning AI to keep up with technology, and don’t get me started on our drivers who have to go out there, rain or shine.?

We are a bunch of fun loving people and if you missed the annual meeting, I am sorry. We had talks on the GHC transition, we heard directly from a Department of Labor representative regarding the Service Contract Act, we heard from the FMCSA, the National Association of Realtors, American Mortgage Association, and others.

And in between those meetings, there were a lot of connections, introductions and bonds formed between our fellow members. Steve Weitekamp and I almost died ingesting a super strong, but delicious horseradish at Mr. Ed's Oyster Bar & Fish House, we stopped at gorgeous The Elysian Bar with Justin Hart , Kate DeWald , Olga Garcia , and others while visiting Olga’s former San Francisco State University professor Andrew Jolivette . Professor Jolivette was giving a keynote the next day at Tulane University on the 4th Tulane Gulf South Indigenous Studies Symposium. Don’t you wish you were with the cool girls??

Now that we are back at home, still stuffed from all the oysters, beignets and po boys, the work continues. Following up on the conversations that were started and keeping engaged with the industry and the associations that collect our membership dues. Don't just send your checks, be active and engaged so that we have good and effective representation with the people we elected to represent us at municipal, county, state and national levels. As John Chipman Jr just said: “We are stronger together!”

Join me in Hawaii with my friends at the California Moving and Storage Association (CMSA) convention, April 30th to the 5th! Maybe we'll share some Mai Tais???Until then....