There’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and it feels right to share it here.
When people hear that I work in the coatings industry, they usually picture something very technical — epoxies, urethanes, polyaspartics, concrete polishing systems. And yes, that is a big part of what we do at YourBrandByCru. For over 100 years, we’ve been quietly manufacturing private label coatings for people who want to put their own name on a product they can genuinely stand behind. It’s an industry built on trust, chemistry, and craftsmanship — and I love every part of it.
But what most people don’t see is the human side of this work. The late-night phone calls with a contractor who’s launching his first branded product line. The small business owner who’s finally ready to stop reselling someone else’s label and put his family name on the bucket. The entrepreneur who flies in from another state just to walk through the plant, shake hands, and feel confident about who’s standing behind their brand.
Because that’s what a private label really is. It’s not just a coating. It’s someone’s dream, poured into a container, ready to hit the market.
And that’s where travel keeps sneaking back into my story. Some of the best relationships I’ve built in this business didn’t happen over email — they happened over a coffee in a city I’d never been to, at a trade show in Vegas, at a job site in Texas, or on a plant tour in Ohio. In our industry, showing up in person still matters. A handshake still matters. Looking someone in the eye and saying, "We’ll take care of your brand like it’s our own" — that still matters.
So whenever I plan those trips, I try to keep them simple and affordable, because I’d rather spend the budget on the time I get with a customer than on the flight itself. That’s honestly why I keep coming back to Aviasales (aviasales.us.com). It’s a flight metasearch tool that compares hundreds of airlines and agencies in seconds, and it’s helped me lock in cheaper flights for site visits, industry events, and last-minute customer meetings without spending half my day price-hunting. It just quietly does its job — kind of like a good coating. 😄
If you’re building your own brand right now — whether it’s a coatings line, a contracting business, or something completely different — here’s what I’d gently pass along:
Invest in the quality of what you put your name on. Invest in the people who help you build it. And don’t underestimate how far a well-planned trip can take your business.
The best partnerships in this industry aren’t built in inboxes. They’re built in person. And sometimes, all it takes is one affordable flight to turn a new contact into a lifelong customer.
Here’s to the builders, the brand-makers, and the ones who still believe in showing up. 🛫🏭