“7 miles. 3.5 up & 3.5 down. Simple, easy, a “walk in the park”. Ha!
We just completed our yearly Port X Logistics Leadership retreat in beautiful Montana. While we changed a few things up this year, we had as jam-packed a schedule as ever and some of the most productive discussions revolving strategy and planning to date.
A lot has changed this year as we’ve significantly and strategically added to our asset division and continued to grow our Carrier 911 division (huge news forthcoming).
The freight market has also kept us on our toes as we’ve shifted from a white-hot pandemic driven market to a market that is as cold as the ice water I was dreaming about during our day hike this past Sunday.
Through all of the growth and efforts this year though I’ve personally neglected something very important, me.
I’ve let myself get a bit soft and out-of-shape. I haven’t been as focused and driven on the personal health side as I usually am.
Our day hike Sunday was a reminder – do not stop grinding and let your focus drift, no matter what is going on.
What should have been easy was hard. What should have been accomplished without strain took every fiber of my being.
You know what though? I’m happy it did. We’ve always said at PXL that “We do it not because it’s easy but because it’s hard.”
The struggles that I had though weren’t mine alone, our entire team was not up to par for the challenge. We all struggled in our own way.
Good.
We needed the reminder that the journey is meant to be a grind that we have to constantly prepare for. That it won’t take just 1 attempt but many (7).
Day 1 was a theme of the retreat and the hike showed us the importance of treating EVERY day as Day 1.
While the 3.5 mile mark was but a small hill at the top, it seemed insurmountable in the moment.
The good news though is that we are a team at Port X Logistics and we are led by the man, the myth, the legend, Brian Kempisty.
When all seemed lost he turned to me and simply said – “Go towards that peak”. In the moment all I knew was to trust him and trust that I could do it because he knew I could.
I trudged on, I reached the peak – the goal of the day. I relished in the moment and had a frank conversation with myself. I took a moment to cherish it and I then headed back to the team. Individually we didn’t all do it but yet we all did because we are our best when we trust and believe in each other and move as one mind.
It’s going to continue to be a grind as we move through this sluggish market and face new challenges but with the mindset that we have trust and faith in each other as a team, “We’ve Got This!”
Day 1. Time to row the boats and continuing hammering it out.”
👏👏👏