A Season of Renewal

Article written by Michelle Blevins

Many people look at January and the New Year holiday as a time for a fresh start. I don’t know about you, but there aren’t many things all that inspiring to me about the New Year – although that could partially be because in Michigan, we are in the midst of months of gray skies and snow up to our eyeballs.

For me, spring has always been the most inspiring for a fresh start. It becomes a time to regroup, reevaluate priorities, and create new goals. There is something about winter that makes it easy, at least for me, to get lost and almost buried in work. Perhaps it’s the shorter, darker, colder days that make me content to sit in front of a computer with a warm cup of coffee. But spring inevitably brings a reality check of sorts to help me rediscover balance in life.

There is a big push in society today, especially among Millennials, to have a healthy work-life balance. However, I do not believe it’s possible to always have a perfect balance especially in this industry. There are times where your job will require more of you, and your family may see you less. Likewise, there are seasons where your family needs you more, and work occupies more of the passenger seat. In a perfect world, no matter the season, the work is getting done, and the balance is experiencing its normal ebb and flow. Just make sure you don’t lean too heavily into the work, or out of your family! Spring is the perfect time to reevaluate your priorities, create new goals, and embrace the start of a new season.

Season of Renewal Upscale Consignment Sale

It’s my hope that this issue of R&R renews the conversation about properly drying structures. On page 18, three industry experts take on the legend of three-day drying that has been around now for years and become the basis of how some restores tackle drying jobs, and how much some carriers are willing to pay out for the work.

In Our Own Backyard: Cleaning Schools After the Thomas Fire in Southern California