The Power of Reimagining

Written By Katie Goar

When we were downsizing my grandparents’ house, no one wanted the Santa decor. I didn’t really want it either but I couldn’t let it get tossed.

Years later, this quirky Santa has become one of my favorite holiday constants. My kids cringe and roll their teenager eyes at it.

But I can still see him by the mantle, making my grandmother giggle as she enjoyed the season with candy, fudge, and joyful impracticality. 🎅

I did some digging into blow-mold history. 🎄 These decorations had their rise in the 1960s, then fell out of favor when many manufacturers closed, and now has reemerged. General Foam Plastics helped lead that comeback with pumpkin candy pails. 🎃➡️🎄

One small product that reshaped a whole category and revived another.

And there’s a parallel with affordable housing.

When we rethink how we offer housing - through design, service, technology or partnerships - we can reshape the entire market. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰.

Funny how a cringey Santa can be a reminder of so many things.

Katie Goar

Katie Goar started with Quadel in 2007 and began leading the company as president in 2015. She leads Quadel with a special focus on customer service and has shifted the company’s corporate culture, resulting in excellent client service. Katie brings decades of affordable housing experience, having held a mayor-appointed position in city government, a top-level management role within a public housing authority and provided portfolio oversight for 60,000 multifamily units before leading Quadel, a nationwide affordable housing consulting and training organization.

https://www.katiegoar.com/
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