#63 The Next Storm

Hello, friends.

Growing up on the outer banks you get used to hurricane season. It's the time of year when bread, milk and water go on strike, surfers take to the water like farmers during harvest, and the people stay glued to the Weather channel like traders watching the stock ticker. Most years there is little "action", save the surfers picking off waves like dolphin in a school of menhaden.

Unfortunately, the same didn't hold true in 2018.

Florence hit our little coastal town pretty hard. The main island inhabits about 1500 residents and about that many more "weekend" homes. Very few people, if any, escaped significant damage to their homes and/or businesses.

What's the takeaway here? How does this pertain to the usual conversations we have here?
Simple.

Advanced decision making

Here's what I mean. Your marketing plans, website projects, ad campaigns and product launches will face challenges. Conflict and unforeseen circumstances will affect every business, startup, and creative endeavor.

Things are going to happen. Make the decision ahead of time for your team's attitude and response before you need to. Then when adversity comes, you simply respond in alignment to the advanced decision.

Sure there are some tactical contingencies and risk mitigations but the key is attitude. My friends at TTS decided a long time ago to be a "calm" company. And as managed IT providers, they deal with crisis regularly. Their customers rarely freak out because they see that TTS is calm in handling it. Not in a way that makes too light of severity, but that they aren't surprised and caught off guard. This enables them to take the right actions towards a successful engagement.

Back home, I'm seeing this too. Talking with friends and family, there is a calm resolve. They had made the decision ahead of time and now they're working to rebuild. And the progress in just a week has been impressive.

Until next time.

Honestly,
- David

P.S. My kids have watched this video on repeat –– impressive rube goldberg collaboration
P.P.S. I enjoyed this article about Pinterest –– the reluctant unicorn
P.P.P.S. How have music tastes evolved? –– music history (best with headphones on)