Trends in Print and Mail

The Berkshire Company Blog

Changing Times: 5 Ways to Improve Your Professional Network

Posted by Mark Fallon on Feb 10, 2026 4:29:59 AM

Several years ago, I wrote a post about the “Boomer Brain Drain” at the US Postal Service (USPS). The article talked about the growing number of retirements at the USPS, and the need to train replacements. The post is almost evergreen, as the points it makes remain relevant today. It seems we are constantly receiving industry alerts from the USPS announcing the departure of another senior leader.

These changes aren’t limited to the USPS. Each week, my LinkedIn feed includes another peer sharing their transition to retirement. When we send out volume emails, there’s always return messages with the phrase “unknown user”. More and more, friends and contacts are transitioning out of the industry.

At the same time, we are seeing a surge of new people entering the industry. Almost every major trade show and conference reported record numbers of first-time attendees. From young people starting their careers, to others making a change in professions.

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Technology / Leadership / mail / The Berkshire Company / success / positive / inspiration / growth / kindness / optimism / strength / professionalism / networking

My Top Books of 2025: A Baker’s Dozen

Posted by Mark Fallon on Jan 12, 2026 4:29:59 AM

"To live wonder-smitten with reality is the gladdest way to live." - Maria Popova

As my friends and clients know, I have systems for tracking many of my activities. For books, I have two systems – an MS Access Database and posting on Goodreads. The database allows me to track different categories, quickly organize by title or author, and create the content for a page on my website.

To choose my “top books for 2025”, I narrowed my reading list to only those that I gave a 5-star rating on Goodreads. Many of the books I read were published years ago; sometimes many, many years ago. My tastes range from history to poetry to science to social commentary. And sometimes I read books that involve mail. (Note: I do read fiction, but rarely do any of those books rate 5 stars.)

In alphabetical order by author, here are the thirteen books I most enjoyed in 2025.

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Technology / Leadership / mail / The Berkshire Company / books / reading / learning / success / positive / inspiration / management / growth / kindness / optimism / strength / professionalism / information / artificial intelligence

Three Canes – Three Lessons

Posted by Mark Fallon on May 30, 2024 4:45:00 AM

" I am still learning.” – Michelangelo



It wasn’t something I planned, becoming the owner of 3 different canes. There was no intentional collecting – one’s an heirloom, one’s an essential aid, and the other was a gift. My situation brought them together, and each one brought its own little lesson. 

First Cane: The standard wooden cane belonged to my father. It was his last cane, one that he kept nearby – even when he was using a walker or wheelchair. I can’t use it, because it’s not the right height (when I say I looked up to my father, it’s more than a metaphor). Along with some military memorabilia, it’s one of his few possessions that I kept after his death.

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The Berkshire Company / reading / learning / positive / inspiration / kindness / recovery / optimism / strength / gift