 Hi, I'm Kristie Jones, and I'm a Door Hardware Nerd. My role is General Manager of Laureate North America. Besides my GM role, I'm also the sales team, and I make up the other half of the technical team. I would say one thing that makes me a Door Hardware Nerd is that on display in my office is my collection of Door Hardware or industry-related magazines and publications. I started saving these in probably the mid-2000s. I like to keep the ones that focus on fire protection up front. It's been a great source of training over the years, not only for myself, but for new staff that showed interest in learning more about our products and other fire-related products in the industry. It didn't take long for me to become a Nerd. In 2003, I had just started with Laureate. I was invited to attend my first industry trade show. And of course, like we all do, we want to make a good impression, and we want to represent our company well. So I was trying hard to learn our products and learn what they do and the need for them. I was feeling a little bit overwhelmed, as many of you know. Our industry is very difficult for newcomers to learn. But once I got to the show, you see your booth and you see your products on display, then you start seeing your customers and meeting the people that you've been talking to over the past few months and seeing how our products are incorporated into theirs. All that training and learning starts to make sense, and I guess my eyes were opened and I became a Door Hardware Nerd then. Like many of my fellow Nerds, I too love to check out openings and buildings, whether it's a hotel, a hospital, or any other type of building. It's the first thing that I check out. I just can't help myself. I think it's ingrained in us all at this point. For me, it's a chance to see if it's one of our customers and it's a chance to see how they use your products. It can be a great training tool. But probably the nerdiest thing that I've done recently is on one of my recent family trips when I was doing my initial inspection of the door, I noticed that part of a smoke gasket was missing. I then proceeded to inform the hotel manager and explain to them why this could be an issue and done this in front of my 13 year old son. To say that he was embarrassed would be a major understatement, that it don't take much and you too will be one of us very soon. There is something about this industry that does become a part of you. It's a sense of pride knowing that you're part of a group that takes life safety products so serious. So if you find yourself on the verge of becoming a Nerd, I would say be open to finding a mentor, someone that you can learn from. I was very lucky to have a mentor for over 15 years. They had no problems sharing information, sharing their knowledge, sharing their experiences with me, no matter how many times I ask. This will be key in helping you become the next generation of Door Hardware Nerds.