There’s nothing like a pandemic to force focus and prioritize what’s essential. Whether as individuals managing our lives or businesses fighting for survival. These are times we revert to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. The result is many of us are caught in the crosshairs. That thing we do with such pride that we believe had so much value may not be valued right now. Or it may be valued but not essential. RIGHT NOW.
In business, it can be the marketing and sales teams which can be paired down to the basics given few are buying much. And what people are buying doesn’t exactly require much marketing. For individuals, we might put off a home remodel or other major purchases. Maybe we cut back extra services. Maybe we buy less expensive food and wine. That impacts multiple people
Everything is interconnected and impacted as the dominoes fall. Yet there are outliers. There are pockets of opportunity that savvy businesses and people are taking advantage of. And I’m not talking about the unscrupulous hucksters fleecing unsuspecting souls. I’m talking about people who care about their customers and have found a niche.
None of us want to be made redundant or feel like we offer no value. Yet with all of the bad news hammering us daily, it can be hard to rise above the noise and see the opportunity before us. It’s not going to be easy. Or painless. But we are at a defining moment in our lives. We need to look within ourselves and identify how we can be relevant. How we can offer value to others. How we can make a difference both individually and collectively. This is about self preservation; navigating the storm knowing it will pass at some point. The key is to stay afloat long enough to make it through.
It’s a time for tough questions and tough talk. I don’t like it. You probably don’t like it either. But here we are and we have a choice. It’s time to test your resilience. We can choose to wallow in despair. Or we can choose creativity and curiosity and carve a path forward knowing we’re all in pretty much the same boat. All of us have an opportunity to use our creative to design a better future. We can use this moment as a catalyst for change. Will you join me?