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G R A PH I C S - PR O.C O M 2 0 2 2 J U N E G R A P H I C S P R O 4 7 many brands, models, and sizes of lasers as there are grains of sand on earth. You talk to those who have a laser, those like-minded people that will one day soon become your peers. You ask them about all the ins and outs of how they decided which machine to buy. You ask them all the questions about how they use it every day, the ups and downs of the personalization industry, business and marketing plans for laser engraving, and ask them to provide you with information that you can likely only nd from someone that engraves daily or regularly. After all of the conversations, reading all of the marketing materials and reviews, watching all of the videos, cautiously tiptoeing into a few online forums, doing a deep dive on the most intricate details and how they may or may not coordinate with the direction you have nally chosen to go, it's time to make a decision. THE MAGIC With all that information in hand, all the planning and a bit of faith, you take the leap. e day comes when the laser engraver arrives, and you start to feel the magic. It is almost permeating through the packaging. en comes more research — so much learning. Nothing has ever seemed as big as pressing that small, green "Go" button for the rst time. But then you do, and you are hooked. e magic takes hold. anks to your research, you fully understand how it works. the pieces and parts that make up the machine, but that really could never fully encompass the feelings it invokes as it works. You have absolute fascination watching the machine perform. And even when all you aspire to seems certain, it can be very easy to get lost in the everything – and the nothing. It will almost immediately change what you had planned for the who, what, when, where, why, and how of your personalization business. I have been called an information "junkie," and that pertains to all the parts of my life. Knowing the details, the hows and whys, fuels so much of what I do and who I am, but sometimes (especially in the beginning), that can turn into jumping into the rabbit hole. Laser engraving as a part of the personalization in- dustry has been around for many years, and we entered the arena when tumblers started to be all the rage. And immediately, it was a whirlwind. And as you would expect, while the magic was still with us every day, we were more than a little overwhelmed. at was not the rst time we took a step back to reassess, but it would also not be the last. Plans and research, all those hows and whys will always be a key part of the equation, but those assess- ments (big and small) are vital. ey are crucial for the growth you are looking to achieve, and ultimately, for your success. No one begins as an expert. Remember to be patient but honest with yourself as you move through the intricacies of this remarkable and extraordinary industry. As our company has progressed, we have been presented with some amaz- ing opportunities to share what we have learned. and we were honored recently to sit on a panel and answer questions from our peers. Toward the end of the discussion, one of the other panel members said, "After all of this time (almost 30 years), I can walk by a laser and I am still fascinated by it!" It was a statement made by the teacher in one of the rst engraving classes I took that really spoke to what we all do (and will always stay with me). She said, "We are in a feel-good industry. Everything we do, no matter how big or small, makes the people giving and the people receiving feel good." And we could not agree more. is is the magic! GP DEANNA RAMM and her husband Jason, own & operate CenTex Laser Engraving & Embroidery in Hutto, Texas. Having grown their business throughout the last six years, they remain dedicated to providing customers with a full customization experience. " THE MEANING OF LIFE IS TO FIND YOUR GIFT. THE PURPOSE IS TO GIVE IT AWAY. " – PABLO PICASSO