Being the New Guy

At the time of writing this column, I am at Powder Coating Week in Orlando, Fla. This is my first conference since assuming the role of editor-in-chief of Products Finishing back in March of 2020. It’s pretty odd meeting people in person for the first time after having been in the job for almost a year and a half. It’s almost like a reset button — suddenly I’m the “new editor” again. Some might bristle at such a thought after spending a year working hard to try to learn an industry, but I don’t mind at all.

As I walk the show floor and meet folks that I’ve only corresponded over email or GoToMeeting or Zoom calls and the like, I’m learning a bit more about their experience in this industry. I’ve chatted with folks who have spent more than 40 years in the industry. Yes, absolutely I’m the new guy.

Earlier in the week I attended PCI’s Powder Coating 101 workshop and listened to presentations by fantastic speakers including John Cole (Parker Ionics), Suresh Patel (BASF/Chemetall), Marty Korecky (AkzoNobel Powder Coatings), Tabitha McLeish (Sherwin-Williams), Frank Mohar (Nordson Corp.), Joe Laubenthal (Thema-Tron-X), John Podach (Fostoria Process Equipment) and Jeralyn Camp (BYK Gardner). While I have learned some of the information through my work reporting stories of the industry, the workshop was a great way to dig into the fundamentals of the industry and begin connecting the dots of some of the things I’ve learned during my first year as editor. To tell the truth, I found myself wondering if the “101” label for the workshop is entirely accurate — I was very impressed with the wealth and depth of information that was shared, and by the experience and knowledge of each of the speakers.

The keynote at Powder Coating Week was delivered by Conor Cunneen (IrishmanSpeaks), a sought-after speaker, author and humorist. Cunneen spoke about having a clear vision of what success means to you and about ways to improve teamwork, collaboration and productivity. One of the ideas that stuck with me from his talk was his challenge to consider the question “What do I want my attitude to be?”

One of the things I try to do is approach things with more than just an open mind, but a beginner’s mind. This means trying to set aside anything that I think I already know and putting my preconceived notions away so that I can be receptive to learning effectively. This concept (or attitude) has served me well and as I think about the opportunities at this show (and the upcoming travels I have planned), I’m reminding myself to admittedly “be the beginner” — to learn as much as I can, ask tons of questions, and most importantly, to listen. You might be surprised at how much you can learn if you can silence the inclination to show off what you think you know.

Powder Coating Week isn’t over yet. I’m taking a quick break between sessions to write this. During breaks in meeting people and listening to presentations, I’m proofreading the August issue. One thing that is incredibly fun about that is the act of proofreading some of this month’s stories and finding myself realizing a deeper understanding of the topic based on something I’ve learned just this week.

So yes. Here I am, a year and a half in. I’m the new editor of Products Finishing. What can you teach me about what you do — and how can I help you tell your story?