Weekly Wynn #3: "One Step At A Time"

Being there for when times are hard.

July 26, 2022

Hey everybody. Before we get into the usual things, I just want to give out my condolences to anyone and everyone effected by the recent floodings in Southeastern Kentucky. It's been a tragedy, and with so many people losing so much it's hard to keep a positive attitude during it all. But that's what our neighbors and community is here to help with. I've seen so many groups and even individuals go out of their way to help with the relief and rescue efforts - whether it's through donations of food and clothing or physically going out and helping those in danger, we have some genuine caring people out there doing their best.

So, here's to those helping, and to the one's that need help. I know there's not alot only words can do, but just know that we'll all make it through this together.

Another step forward.

It may come across as obvious, but the blog has gone from weekly to bi-weekly in terms of posts. The reasoning? More to talk about, honestly. And with more to talk about, that gives us more entertaining and reader-worthy posts for all of you. Outside of that, we've been doing our best over here at the shop to become more efficient in our processes. On my side of things, there's been alot of sheets and math and brainstorming, etc. etc. But of course, it's all worth it, because if we get iron out the small wrinkles throughout the day it'll lead to a better shop overall. For us, and our clients! It's all very logistical stuff, amount of inventory we use, how fast each station is going, quality assurance, those kinds of things.

The busy-ness of the last two weeks continues still, albeit with a few slow moments from time to time. Everyone here at the shop is doing fine, and we've even had some team-focused meetings and one-on-one talks to help everyone understand each other better. In lines of work like this and many others, it's cliche to say that "teamwork makes the dream work", but honestly it is cliche for a reason. Our staff works side by side all day, so cooperation between each other is of the utmost importance. Every moment we have together can be a learning experience on how to improve oneself, and not just within the work environment. How you hold yourself as a person resonates with the others around you, and when faced with tasks that require more than a single set of hands to get done right, it's up to all of us to do our part.

Adapt and Overcome

Another day, another overcast.

Beyond the paperwork and charts, the main floor is always in motion. Today we've had everything from small Coopers to larger-than-life F250s, while earlier last week we saw the likes of dump trucks. No long ago, we helped out our friends over at Tate's Creek with some of their dump trucks, and I'd honestly never really knew how massive those things can be until I stood next to one in person. You learn something new every day, I guess. Along with that, the remnants of boating season are lingering along the later end of the year, with clients coming to us with appointments right as it almost turns August. Never an issue, of course. If it's driven and needs a cleanup, we'll work on it!

As the days pass, it honestly does brighten our days to see our clients happy. We've had a good handful of people these past weeks congratulate our workers, thank us profusely for a job well done, and so on. It's the small things in life that make it worth living, so it brightens up the day by knowing we've done good for people. As for me, I enjoy getting a chance to sit down with our clients while they're here in our lobby and get to know them for a while. People have shared their life stories, and I've shared mine in return. It's fleeting, but small moments like that not only improve the customer experience here but also gives a real understanding of the people who live here. We see our neighbors, friends, strangers; everyone. And getting to know who our clients are helps us be a better service for them.

As for the rest of the year, we're being hopeful. I'll be blunt, it's hard to be hopeful at times, but it's always worth the effort. We try our best to do what we can for anyone that comes through our shop, and it's great to see when that kindness spreads. For every person that walks in for an appointment, we become a bigger part of this city's community. And we would just like to say: thank you. Everyone, try to stay safe out there. If you or your family have been affected by the natural disasters that have been taking place in the state, our hearts go out to you. Stay as strong as you can.

Cheers.

- Barker