Don't Throw Out The Old As You Bring On The New

Progress is good. Innovation and reinvention are key tenets of business. We know that if we stand still, the competition will pass us by. We know that if we are not attuned to our customer’s requirements, then our product will fade to irrelevance.

Walking down the Fort Lauderdale beachfront, you will pass The Westin Hotel , The Atlantic Hotel, The Conrad, The W Hotel.

Nestled right next to the Ritz are two of those old Florida beach hotels. Two-story, U-shaped balcony walkway buildings wrapping around an old simple pool. Built in the 50s, with names like Surfcomber and Resort at the Sea. You still see them all over Florida, but they stand out as oddities next to the luxury high-rise hotels on either side of them.

At some point about 20 years ago, Fort Lauderdale made a decision to no longer be the college spring break capital of the United States. They wanted to attract a new kind of clientele. And over time the luxury hotels sprang up and the new clientele came.

Whether as part of city planning, or whether some of the old Florida hotels decided not to sell, The Florida Beach strip hasn’t forgotten the casual beach vacationer. The Fort Lauderdale Beach product caters to them too.

But what I also see when I walk along the beach, is a reminder – when we reinvent ourselves, we run the danger of throwing out what got us to this point. We should heed that; we should remember that reinvention, progress and innovation are concepts that build on existing foundations that are worth keeping; As we abandon dying business models and products, let's make sure we have the diligence to recognize and leverage the keepers.