We Have Some Good News To Share
The Madison+Main-iacs have been “sheltering in place” almost one month now, since March 13th. Here’s a photo of me before and after the quarantine. At first, it was voluntary and we held our famous MMMMM (Madison+Main Monday Morning Meeting) via video conference on March 16th. Now “work from home” isn’t just a great part of our benefits, the Governor made it mandatory, because we are “non-essential.” Regardless, we’ve been working very hard — in our PJs. Today is Good Friday, but good news has been hard to come by during this crisis. However, last week I saw a couple of videos created by actor and all-around cool human John Krasinski where he shared Some Good News. That gave me an idea, so I thought I’d share Some Good News with you…from friends, colleagues, clients, and partners.
M+M President Molly Whitfield’s daughter Claire celebrated her 5th birthday on Wednesday and I serenaded her with the most over-the-top happy birthday tune ever witnessed via video. I was greeted with stunned silence. People looked like they were laughing, but everyone was on mute, so I couldn’t really tell.
In addition to making hand sanitizer and distributing it to local hospitals, our client A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Fredericksburg is now able to offer its award-winning products (bourbon, gin, vodka, and more) for delivery. Bourbon delivered right to my door? The Good News is that drinking alone is now socially acceptable.
On Tuesday morning, the Midlothian Rotary Club met for the first time in more than a month with 33 members attending through Zoom. There were a lot of happy dollars contributed and we launched a mask-making project. Fellow Rotary Club member, Mark Jones and his talented wife Kim, started making masks for first responders and non-medical staffers at area hospitals and senior centers. So far, we’ve raised $560 on the GoFundMe page I set up. And I was able to deliver 30 sturdy, homemade masks to Lucy Corr yesterday.
Many of our clients have been adapting to the new business environment and we’re thrilled to help them during this unprecedented time.
- Dale Carnegie Training will be hosting virtual training sessions.
- Huntington Learning Center started online tutoring programs last week.
- Vera’s Fine Jewelers is not letting COVID-19 get in the way of love and is offering online video appointments for those in the market for an engagement ring.
- The Brandermill Church has been broadcasting its Sunday Services on their newly-minted YouTube channel.
- One of the biggest fundraisers each year for HCB2 is their Boxer Brief 5K. While other non-profit organizations are canceling their events, HCB2 is encouraging participants to pick up their t-shirts and donation forms curbside and will send people running in 1,000 different directions on June 6th.
- Our clients at Sycamore Vet remain open and have been taking care of hundreds of furry family members. They’ve also been crushing it on social media and they will have a new website soon…we’ve been working hard on that.
- The fine folks at Camp Hanover have been holding virtual office hours for anyone who needs “a moment of camp.” Check out this video where they feed the chickens.
- And finally, Lucy Corr staffers have been busy taking care of people, but they are also going the extra mile to make sure that their residents stay socially connected even with the campus being on lockdown. Staffers have utilized technology to create FaceTime videos and video conferencing to connect family members who can’t physically be there in person right now.
We understand the current situation is difficult for you and difficult for anybody in business right now, but I’ve been absolutely inspired by the creativity and opportunity created by this crisis. Earlier today, we held our third free online webinar for small businesses via Facebook Live and we will continue to share strategies and tactics to help companies survive and ultimately thrive. Click here to register for next Friday’s free webinar.
And my last piece of advice is to be extremely careful telling people what your favorite Netflix show is, especially if you work with people who have a little extra time on their hands and have mad Photoshop skills.
“Always trying new things is always more fun, and it can be scary, but it’s always more fun in the end.”
— John Krasinski