Tag: is the pandemic over

It is NOT All Or Nothing

I was wearing a mask
while shopping in a grocery store.

A woman stopped me
and told me
I should stay home
if I was so scared of COVID.

It isn’t all or nothing.

We can wear masks
and continue to do
all the things
we love to do.

The all or nothing thinking
is EVERYWHERE
and it often hampers our success
and, in this lady’s case,
threatens our lives.

We don’t have to, for example,
source
all our supplies locally
or source
all our supplies internationally.

We can source some supplies
locally
and some supplies
internationally.

We don’t have to be
a purely charitable organization
or
a purely for-profit organization.

We can have a charitable component
in our for-profit organization.

It is not all or nothing.
Some is an option.

Take Action

The world has some challenges
right now.
There is at least one
major pandemic happening.
There’s climate change.
There are wars brewing.

This causes stress.
And stress isn’t good
for any of us.

I’m a doer.
Doers…well…
we do.

Taking action
relieves stress
for me.

It doesn’t have
to be big action.
I pick worms off pavement
and put them on the grass
after the rain.
I let my dandelions grow
and feed the bees.
I wear a mask
while in indoor public places.
I stay home
when I’m feeling ill.

I do little things.
But the important part
for me
and for my stress levels
is…
I DO things.

Take action
if you’re stressed
about the state
of the world.

Quietly Do The Right Thing

A buddy monitors
air quality
wherever she goes.

She has noticed
that many businesses
now have awesome air quality.

When she asked
some of these business owners,
they admitted
they had upgraded
their ventilation systems,
improving their air cleaners.

They were concerned
about their employees’
and their customers’ health
and they realized illnesses
weren’t going away.

But they didn’t promote
these upgrades
because
‘no one wants to hear
about COVID anymore.’

They quietly did good.

Not every positive action
has to be broadcast.
You can take positive action quietly.

Oh and consider
upgrading your air cleaning systems.

Because your competitors
certainly are.

Leveling The Playing Field

A friend of mine
works in the film industry.

He told me
that the actors who are most vocal
about dropping mask mandates
on set
are also the actors
whose abilities
to recite lines
have been damaged
by past bouts of COVID.

They can’t remember sh*t.
And they know
this is f*cking with
their ability to do their job.

So they want everyone else
to be in the same situation.
They want other actors
to have THEIR brains damaged
by COVID also.

They want to level
the playing field.

If everyone has
a sh*tty memory,
they won’t be unusual.
They might still
keep their high profile jobs.

It is a devious
and desperate strategy.
But it is ALSO effective.

People are selfish.
Remember that.

Issues On Repeat

You will hear
me mention
both the pandemic
and
climate change
often
here on client k.

There’s a reason for this
– climate change
and the pandemic
will drastically shift
how you and I do business
and how we build businesses.

Neither COVID
nor climate change
are over.
And they likely won’t be ‘over’
in our lifetimes.

Because,
buckle up, beyotches,
we’ve merely started
to see
the impacts
of both of these issues.

Will all the impacts
be negative?

No.
There will be opportunities
created for nimble business builders.

But there WILL be impacts
and I’d be doing a sh*tty job
if I didn’t mention
what those impacts
might be.

COVID and climate change
will alter business
going forward.

Stay informed.

There Are Endless Opportunities

These are admittedly dark times.

We’re still in the middle
of the COVID pandemic.
There are possible
new pandemics (Bird Flu, Marlburg, etc)
on the horizon.
Nuclear war is becoming
increasingly possible.
Climate change is kicking
our a$$es.
Fascism is on the rise.
There are countless other issues.

But the opportunities
are also endless.

Heck, some of the darkness
brings with it
opportunities.

A buddy is an event planner
specializing in
accessible and pandemic-safe
events.
She is hiring more staff.

Another buddy
sources now-hard-to-find supplies.
She is considering hiring
more staff also.

There are opportunities
EVERYWHERE.
Look for them.

Avian Flu And Building Businesses

Many of my science contacts
are EXTREMELY worried
about avian flu
jumping to human hosts.

If this happens
and it isn’t quickly detected
(it has already happened
at least once)
and transmission happens
between humans,
the outbreak is likely to be
100 times worse than COVID.

One expert contact
is privately predicting
a BILLION dead.

Yes, BILLION
with a ‘B.’

What does this mean
for business builders?

It means
having a purely virtual option.

It means
looking into a variety
of delivery methods
for products and services.

It means
investing in masks
and hand sanitizer
and great ventilation
NOW.

It means stocking up
on
essential supplies
and
assuming there will be
future supply chain disruptions.

It means preparing,
taking this possible threat
seriously.

Assume there will be
another pandemic.

Build your business
to survive that happening.

Time Sensitive Tasks First

A close contact had COVID.

I knew I would soon catch it
(for the second time – sigh)
so I organized my list of
must-complete tasks
by due date
and completed them
as quickly as possible.

I was fortunate
because I knew about
the close contact catching COVID.

But we should be now
organizing our tasks
this way ALL the time.

Because this is
the f*cked up world
we’re currently living in.

Any of us
could catch COVID
tomorrow
and be horribly ill
for two weeks,
four weeks.
forever.

Organize your essential tasks
by due date
and then
get ‘er done!

Confirm And Then Re-Confirm ‘Facts’

I post my truths
about business and the world
here.

But they could be
exactly that
– MY truths.

They might not apply
to your business
or your situation.

What I do,
when faced with
someone’s truth,
is ask myself
if my experience is similar.

In my corner of the world,
for example,
COVID is out of control.
It is everywhere.

That might not be the case
in your part of the universe.
Look around you.
Are the pharmacy shelves
holding cold medicines
empty?
When you’re in a crowd,
are people coughing?
Are hospitals full?

‘Truths’ also aren’t constant.
Reality shifts.
We gain more knowledge.
People change.

So I re-confirm my truths
every so often.

Are the hospitals still full?
Are quite a few people
around me
still sick?

I do this with
ALL of the truths
I’m basing my decisions on.

Confirm it is a truth.
Re-confirm it remains
a truth.

Make better decisions.

Delivery Will Increase Sales This Holiday Season

The media makes it seem
like everyone has emerged from their homes
to shop in person at stores.

That’s a lie.

There are still quite a few people
in your business’ neighborhood
who don’t feel comfortable
shopping in person.

These people need gifts
for loved ones
or themselves
during the holiday season also.

The biggest draw for cautious shoppers
is the option for delivery.

Delivery doesn’t have to be free,
though that might be a selling feature,
but it should be offered.

Let prospective shoppers know
you have a delivery option.
Tape a sign to your store’s front window.
Add a line on flyers.
Note it on your website.

Having a delivery option
will increase sales
this holiday season.