At Converge 2025, Editor-in-Chief Michelle Graff attended sessions on DEI, tariffs, security, and more. Here are her top takeaways.
Coach’s Corner: ‘Tis The Season to Set Goals for 2021
Pat Henneberry is all about setting goals for her physical therapy sessions, and she wants to help you do the same for your business.

I was at my physical therapy appointment recently. I’ve been in PT for three years. I’m starting to see results and am anxious to start doing more—longer walks, swimming, spinning … the list is a long one.
I realized it’s time for me to have some goals. For the longest time I’ve been focused on getting stronger but with no specific end game in mind.
So, I mentioned to my physical therapist that I wanted to have some goals to work toward.
He agreed and asked me what I thought they would be. I made a list of them and he immediately put me on the stationary bike for five minutes, which I paid for the next day.
It feels good to have a goal in place. I’ve always been an athlete. My days were always training for the next triathlon or open-water swim.
With the difficult year everyone has had, I ask you: Have you been able to stop and think about your goals for 2021?
Here are some simple questions that, I hope, get you thinking.
— What are you most looking forward to in the new year?
— Is your business prepared for it?
— What are your business goals for the year 2021?
Setting business goals might seem daunting when there is uncertainty, but trust me, I’ve learned that answers give you hope. As business owners, you must make the decision that you will not be victims in your story. You must be the hero!
Ask yourself: What did you learn this year that you want to carry into 2021?
You need to think ahead and set your business up for a strong year of growth. Answering these simple questions will help get you started.
Don’t wait for Jan. 1 to make your move. Start now!
There are many areas of your business for which you can define goals.
Some of these might be purchasing new equipment, hiring more staff, joining the American Gem Society, dedicating more time to your marketing, looking for something new that will bring customers into your store (get creative—there are new technologies in our industry), increasing traffic to your website or building a blog.
Your
Below, I share the three important steps in business goal-setting for the new year.
Discover. What do you want to achieve in 2021? Define your business goals. You might want to ask your employees for help with this.
Create a Roadmap. It’s simple—write down what you want to achieve.
Write it in a number of places. Put it up in the kitchen, next to the cash register, on the back door as you walk out. Dream big.
When I was a competitive swimmer our coach made us write down the time we wanted to beat. I had it on my locker, on the front of my notebook, I even wrote it on my hand (thank God tattoos weren’t popular back then, I’d be walking around with 56.10 on my arm!).
Get to work. Make the commitment to stay on course. Stay on top of these goals all year.
Now, it’s time for me to get back to my PT. I’ll be swimming soon, and then running up and down the show floors in 2021.
Best of luck!
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