The Year of the Fractional Executive

Just Like the National Bubble Bath Day

 

“in vino veritas”

Pliny the Elder

 

Today, as I am writing this on May 5th, is National Sauvignon Blanc Day. At least according to the many emails, I received this past week from wineries nationwide. But who declares a random Friday a National Day for a certain grape varietal? And who declares all the other days, weeks, and months that we hear about?

Let’s start with Sauvignon Blanc and the other wine days. According to the wine blog Travelling Corkscrew, “the majority of them have been started by die-hard fans or wine companies who’ve used social media to help spread the word.” It makes sense that someone who has a vested and often commercial interest in a product uses the masking of an “official” day to sell more.

 

It seems to work particularly well with food and drink items; here are a few examples:

  • National Pizza Day - February 9th

  • National Fried Chicken Day - July 6th

  • National Lobster Day - September 25th

  • National Coffee Day - September 29th

  • National Beer Day - April 7th

There seems to be a day for everyone, parents, pet owners, towel manufacturers, nurseries, …

  • National Clean Your Room Day - May 10th

  • National Towel Day - May 25th

  • National Bubble Bath Day - January 8th

  • National Dress Your Pet Up Day - January 14th

  • National Plant a Flower Day - March 12th

Now, as a manufacturer of toilet paper in the US, there is work to do. To my knowledge, there is no National Toilet Paper Day. However, there is a Toilet Paper Day in Taiwan, celebrated on August 26th each year, to promote awareness of toilet hygiene and the proper use of toilet paper.

 

Then there are genuinely official and very traditional holidays like Valentine's Day or the upcoming Mother's Day that are also referred to as Hallmark holidays. They have been hijacked by a certain greeting card company and are perceived to exist primarily for commercial purposes rather than to commemorate a traditionally or historically significant event.

 

Another group that has a lot of national days are professionals:

  • National Nurses Day - May 6th

  • National Teacher Appreciation Day - first Tuesday in May

  • National Social Workers' Day - March 15th

  • National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day - January 9th

  • National Administrative Professionals' Day - last Wednesday in April

  • National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day - May 24th

I was very disappointed to learn that there is no National Day for the Sales Profession. The lack of a day seems to align with the low reputation that the profession has.

My favorite is, of course, National Freelancer's Day on September 12th. There are several organizations that have recognized and promoted the day, including Freelancers Union and Upwork. These organizations with a vested interest have used the day as an opportunity to raise awareness about the contributions of freelancers to the economy and to advocate for better working conditions and protections for freelancers.

A few weeks ago, I wrote a piece about the state of the Fractional Industry. I concluded that the future is positive. Because no matter the economy, fractionalizing work at the executive level allows for a better growth model. Instead of staffing up in large steps, the necessary talent and skills can be added sooner and in the right increments. Founders and owners of a business do not have to wait until they can afford the fully loaded cost of an executive.

 

With that in mind, I have decided to declare 2023 the Year of the Fractional Executive! Who is with me?

 

 

Contact us if you would like to discuss how to make this happen.

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Casey Bryan – Wine Holidays 2023: International Wine Days to Celebrate

Photo by author

Sales, Interim and FractionalHenning SchwinumVendux LLCnational, days, declaration, fractional, executive