Field Notes
Short writing from Garth Watrous on manufacturing, retention, leadership, and the unglamorous work of running a company for the long haul.
RepeatCustomers
May 05, 2026Retention
My dad started it in a station wagon in 1972. He has had customers for 50 years. I learned more about brand loyalty watching him answer the phone than I ever learned from a book.
On theFloor
Apr 28, 2026Leadership
I'm the last one to get paid. I'm up at 3:30. I'm drained a lot. I'm also really, really blessed to be here. Pressure is a privilege. You don't get to complain about the weight when you chose to carry it.
SellingOnline
Apr 21, 2026E Commerce
We spent 25 years building websites and did zero internet marketing. Zero. Field of dreams. Build it and they didn't come. It took COVID, a lot of bad agency money, and $10,000 checks that bought nothing to finally figure it out.
The LongGame
Apr 14, 2026Mindset
My dad felt like quitting many times. He was down to one employee. He stayed because he was unemployable and had to figure it out. Fifty years later that stubbornness is the whole story.
Buildingin Public
Apr 07, 2026Story
I started selling hats at 15. Couldn't drive, so I hired my brother to take me to the shows. He took half the money. I fired him. By 16 I was doing it alone. No GPS, no cell phone. Just me, a van, and the next city on the map.