There’s a yin and a yang to every situation. A downside and an upside. And right now, I believe there’s a chance to transform all the chaos and confusion of crisis into opportunity. 

Don’t panic. Plan for it.

For 10 years I had the chance to lead a Boy Scout troop on adventures in the mountains of Colorado, and in that time we climbed 14ers, camped in snow caves, cooked questionable dinners over campfire, and learned a lot about basic survival skills. We taught the basics: water, shelter, fire, food. And what I remember most is the first rule in any survival or first aid situation: “Don’t panic.”

When you panic, you almost always make bad decisions. James Bond never panics. Jason Bourne never panics. Captain America? No panic there. What do these larger-than-life characters do instead to keep their franchises going? They think strategically.

Strategic thinking identifies opportunities and comes up with a plan to capitalize on them, transforming crisis into a chance to grow, develop, and move forward. Strategic thinking stays a step or two ahead. Strategic thinking takes discipline and imagination. It’s work! But that’s where the magic happens.

Neutralize your fears.

What’s your upside to this pandemic sweeping the world? It’s hard to see sometimes when all we are confronted with is doom and gloom, but I’ve found if I look hard at what the benefits might be along with the drawbacks or fears, it puts my stress in balance and allows me to make better decisions. Sometimes I can even embrace the bad, because I know the outcome will be a great benefit. It will make me stronger, more patient, better at what I do, or closer to my team.

Find your opportunities.

What are the benefits and opportunities before you and your business right now, during this halt on business as usual? Maybe it’s:

• Learning how to do something better. Taking an e-course, reading up on ecomm strategy, or even just figuring out how your company operates when everyone’s working from home.
• Learning how to communicate better. Times like these call for efficiency and clarity.
• Marketing the product people need right now, or meeting a real need that’s newly come to light.
• Taking a step back and spending newfound bandwidth on R&D.
• Building something you’ve been waiting for a spare moment to create.
• Brainstorming and strategy not just for the week ahead, but with the long game in mind. Maybe you come out of this with a game plan for the next 2-5 years.
• Finding your inner Force For Good and leveraging your brand to make a positive impact in new, needed ways.

This is not about exploiting your customers when they are panicking. This is about making your business stronger so you can serve your customers better – whether they need you now more than ever or everything suddenly feels like it’s on hold.

Call us. We want to help you make it happen.

VOLTAGE HQ, like most storefronts, is quiet these days. Although if you’re walking through Louisville and peek in the windows you might see me working away (you might hear my music blasting first!). The team is all working from home, but we’re operating at full capacity and available for strategic thinking + content creation + custom dev solutions. Reach out if you want to make the most of this time but aren’t sure where to start.

Quarantined in Colorado,
– Eric