Week 6 – It Never Gets Old

Hope you all are doing well.  Summer seems to be flying by.  At this time of the year, business tends to slow down due to people going on vacation.  This can result in longer wait times to meet with prospective partners and customers or reduce incoming orders, both of which are not great for running a successful business.  So far, this summer has been a little different than past summers.  I have been on a meeting extravaganza.  These meeting range from companies interested in learning more about our technology and evaluating potential strategic opportunities to speaking with potential investors.  We have also continued to receive orders for our IVRT products from US companies as well as companies overseas.  We have seen a trend over the past few years of a slight slowdown in sales which then picked up once September rolled around.   So far, ordering has been holding steady and even growing.  Both of these observations are still subject to change as we roll into July, but it doesn’t feel like it will change that much.  I would not complain if it does hold or even picks up more.  We would welcome this to be a permanent change, but only time will tell.

The title for this month’s blog is based on a feeling that I’ve maintained over all of the years that I’ve been a scientist.  I really love what we do and while some things can appear to be repetitive or boring to some, it never gets old.  Science is similar to many different fields that rely on experience to solve complex problems like being an auto mechanic, a doctor, or a detective.  Many people struggle when I tell them what my profession is.  They panic at hearing the word “scientist” since they might not understand what I do.  It is a stigma that I’ve had to deal with for many years.  Science, like other jobs, is something that you either love or not.  If you understand what you do, you should be able to explain it in basic terms.  That really holds true for most jobs.  Science relies on using knowledge that you gain over many years of experience to tackle new problems, develop new designs and/or expand our technology into different areas.  There are many parts of our business where you can get trapped in the daily grind and not truly appreciate all of the things you’ve learned or continued to learn.  

BioSurfaces has recently been getting approached by companies looking for us to apply our Bio-Spun^® technology to applications, ranging from cardiac devices and dermal substitutes to cosmetic actives delivery and new materials for various medical devices.  We’ve had our share of these types of interactions over the years but this year feels different.  When we are having these discussions, I get immersed into each opportunity and start to see if there is synergy with our technology and their application.  You would think after being in this field for over 37 years that these types of discussions would not excite me.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  It truly does not get old.  Each interaction rejuvenates me, probably more than it should. I love the process of solving a problem that could help someone.  Sometimes, I believe that I get too engaged and interested, more so than the party I am speaking with.  I believe that some people take advantage of this.  They also show what I consider a false high level of enthusiasm, which gets me excited since I think they share true interest.  I am sure there is some business courses that teach this type of process.  Nothing is more aggravating than learning a few days, weeks or months later after I’ve had to chase them, that (surprise, surprise) there is no interest in moving forward.  These experiences make me appreciate the good partners that we speak with that are truly interested and want to try to work together to solve a problem.  I believe we are seeing more of these types interactions this year.

When we first started the company, we never thought we would be selling a product directly to customers.  Our IVRT product line changed all of this.  There is so much that we are learning during this process.  We started with a single customer in the US and now we have significantly expanded the number of customers as well as the location of the customers.  This little company is selling this product all around the world.  So cool!  We have learned a lot over the past several years, from creating a quality system that tracks the products and how to package the various products to shipping/tracking and expanding inventory.  We have learned so much in such a short period of time.  It truly never gets old.

I’ve said to Tina that I hope I am able to be working in a lab until I can no longer work.  I love what I do and have been blessed to find a profession that makes me feel alive.  Not everyone can say that they have been able to find this.  Don’t get me wrong.  Nothing is perfect.  There are A LOT of headaches with owning a business and doing what we do.  This also has not been the most lucrative career choice as well.  That being said, I would not trade it for anything.  When this ride ends, I can honestly say that I enjoyed it while it lasted.     

We hope that all of our US readers have a safe and happy 4^th of July holiday.  It is special being able to celebrate 250 years!

Matt