Who can adequately describe the last seven days? Experiences like this are beyond language and will be told best by artists, philosophers, and historians in the years to come.
I’ve been in emergency triage mode this week speaking with our teams, securing our finances, cutting expenses, canceling commitments, and brainstorming ways to make lemonade out of these lemons. Frankly, it’s been exhausting. And I’m desperate to establish my own new normal in this and struggling with the idea that this is going to last for months. Though it’s also been incredibly uplifting to see how people are coming together, innovating and leading.
It’s the real estate agents who, with the dedication to their clients, listed homes completely virtual this week like Sue Adler. Or the caterers who pivoted their business model to a home meal delivery services like To Your Taste Catering. Or the fine-dining restaurateurs like Jose Andres who have turned their establishments into community kitchens. Or these entrepreneurs from Estonia who are now working with the Estonia Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to launch Hack the Crisis. Or this heartfelt message from Arne Sorenson, CEO of Marriott International to his team about the crisis they face, that inspire me.
It’s also the story of your neighbor, whom honestly you never met, but she came by and checked on you to make sure you’re ok. At an appropriate distance of course. How about the teachers who pivoted their curriculum online in a matter of days and are doing their best to teach your kids virtually for the rest of the year. And of course, our healthcare workers who are in unspeakable situations and doing things most of us don’t even want to know about – on our behalf. I don’t even know where to start there.
It turns out we’re pretty good at having our backs up against the wall. We’re truly all in this together and out of that will come togetherness that will help us truly solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Make no mistake, the foreseeable future looks rough, though there is always light at the end of the tunnel and we must remember that as we move forward into the unknown.
