While the genomic era revolutionized the dairy cattle breeding industry with its promise of rapid genetic gain, it also brought along the fear of an equally rapid decrease of population diversity. With genomic selection integrated, statistics on inbreeding rate gain in US AI studs are reflecting what was feared. Moreover, the gain in genetic merit appears to be the driving force behind the current unprecedented increase in inbreeding, with selection in the US primarily being focused toward a few total merit indexes. The industry experiences an inner conflict between potentially putting the US Holstein population in harm’s way, and continuing to capitalize on delivering a desired, yet inbred, product. From an outsider’s perspective, there seems to be enough information on the risks and management of inbreeding. Numerous scientific studies present detrimental effects and describe algorithms to manage (genomic) inbreeding rate. Multiple parameters such as Expected and Genomic Future Inbreeding are calculated for industry and producers to use to their benefit. So why don’t we see more commercial producers actively managing the relatedness of their herd? The daunting issue of inbreeding in the genomic era reflects a gap in dairy cattle breeding between the scientific community, the industry and the commercial producer. Concern among US dairy producers may be growing but the ‘pain’ that is the result of this increased inbreeding is not made tangible. The sacrifice in giving up genetic growth to reduce unknown costs is thereby unattractive. A paucity in education and data on how inbreeding truly affects the profitability of a herd is apparent, and until such research gives the industry value in selling out-crossed bulls, the situation is unlikely to change. Genomic relationship coefficients have the ability to open up the pool of potential matings and make use of the additional discovered diversity. Local inbreeding would prep the industry to rather talk about increasing homozygosity in desired regions. There is the potential to manage genomic inbreeding in a way that benefits both industry and producer. But for these prospects to become common practice, research needs to be translated into values and tools that 1. Industry can sell; and 2. Producers can understand.