New Orleans—The 2024 North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) and North American Building Material Distribution Association kicked off here in the Crescent City amid strong attendance and enthusiastic participation.
This was readily evident on day one of the event as it kicked off with a pair of engaging, inspirational and informative presentations. Keynote speaker Kevin Brown got things started with a presentation titled “The Hero Effect—Creating a Culture of Heros at Every Level.” Applying a mix of humor, human observations and sometimes painful personal anecdotes—including his allusions to his abuse as a teenager at the hands of a trusted relative, to his own struggles with substance abuse at an early age, to the challenges of raising an autistic son as a grown man—Brown challenged attendees to rethink what and who they consider as leaders/heroes.
“Heroes are extraordinary people who chose not to be ordinary—not ordinary people doing extraordinary things,” he stated. “At work or at home, leaders will live up to (or down to) the expectations you have for them. Heroes solve problems, not make excuses. Leadership is not about popularity; it’s about potential—and helping those you manage reach their potential.”
More importantly, he shared, don’t allow early setbacks undermine your future objectives or goals. “Take the story line that life gives you and make it your own,” he told attendees, warning that they not allow others—or even unfortunate circumstances—dictate their success or growth. “‘Normal’ is code for ordinary; nobody recognizes normal.”
The impressive lineup of speakers continued with a joint presentation by the the tag-team tandem of Eugene and Alex Chausovsky, experts in geopolitics and global economics, respectively. The duo dove into a detail-driven presentation of world events and the current and potential impact on the U.S. market. Eugene Chausovsky, senior director for analytical development and training at the New Lines Institute, a Washington D.C.-based think tank, offered an objective look at the motivations, driving factors and consequences of the latest geopolitical events.
Conversely, Alex Chausovsky, renowned market researcher and analyst with more than 20 years of knowledge centered on economics, business cycle analysis and industry-specific trends, helped put into proper perspective how geopolitical events will impact the macroeconomic landscape. “Our goal is to connect the dots between geopolitics and the U.S. economy and your business,” Alex Chausovsky stated. His overarching message to attendees: “You have to be both aware of the opinion world and the factual world. Your job as business leaders is to cut through all that noise and make informed decisions.”
Other highlights from day one of the NAFCD conference included recognition of the graduates of the association’s Emerging Leaders program, as well as recognition of the accomplishments, dedication and commitment of the former NAFCD executive vice president, Kevin Gammonley, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Gammonley served as the executive director of NBMDA for 33 years and as executive director of NAFCD for the past 12 years. Michael Wilbur, the new NAFCD executive director, made his official introduction to the industry at this week’s conference.
(For more on this story, look for the Nov. 4/11 edition of FCNews.)