A big hello from Portland, Oregon. I want to talk about something totally different this week.
I’ve been going through a lot of changes lately on both the business and the personal levels. Well, all of us are going through a lot of changes. Heck, our country is going through massive change to try to co-exist with COVID-19 safely, and even on how to reform our policing structure after recent protests.
All of us are stressed in our own way.
If you have a job and your company is doing well, your managers are asking you to take on more. If you have a job and your company is not doing well, your managers are asking you to do more with less. Of course, if you don’t have a job, you are working hard online and offline to find a job. If you are working for yourself like me, you are hustling, even more, to get additional businesses, because we just don’t know what else is going to happen next and how that will impact our cash flow.
And I am only talking about the professional front that we all have to deal with, I haven’t even touched on the stuff that we have to deal with in our personal lives! Many of us have children and ageing parents that we care for while working full-time at home. On top of it, everywhere we go, there are new rules and new processes that we need to follow.
I went to see my dentist. You know what? It was not an easy walk-in anymore.
I waited in my car until my appointment. Then, they took my temperature, I needed to wash my hands and clean my mouth with mouthwash for 60 seconds. My hygienist wore a full-on face shield, in addition to an N95 mask, to welcome me. I couldn’t even see Barbara’s smile. There is a new safety procedure for everything we do now. Everything that is familiar is eerily unfamiliar.
When things are tough, most of us want to hold on to something familiar to help us cope. Ever since the beginning of March, there has been no familiar daily routine (I’m speaking for myself now) that I can hold on to except possibly the routine of getting up in the morning and going to sleep at night. Sounds sad, doesn’t it.
Most of my listeners, I call you my B2B marketing peeps. You guys tend to be on the quiet side, incredibly professional and all about get-things-done. I’ve rarely heard any B2B marketers complain (except me! I complain A LOT!). Even when headcount and budgets were tight, you guys tend to tough it out and do what we can with what we have. I love B2B marketers.
Now, I am coping. You are, too! We are all coping.
When you are stressed or frustrated with the situation, always remember that you are not alone. Don’t get fooled by all the perfect FB or Instagram photos. Privately, they are also doing the best they can to cope mentally and physically.
But there is one thing I am completely tired of. I am tired of virtual happy hours, virtual dinners, virtual workout, and non-stop virtual meetings. I am tired of the pizza commercials showing various family members eating pizza together on Zoom – and happy! You know they’re not. I actually prefer just eating my pizza and watching Netflix. Am I venting?
This is episode 134, but it’s the first episode I’ve ever recorded in which I am not addressing a marketing topic. I hope you are OK with that.
At this point, I am longing for the day when I can meet my friends; that we can casually sit next to me, we can hug each other freely, and talk trash without masks. I am sure that day will come. While we are impatiently waiting for that day to arrive, unleash your stress and frustration and let it out. You’ll feel better and I’ll feel better for you.
Again, thank you for listening to my podcast. Podcasting is one-way communication. But I’d love to carry a conversation with you, online of course. You can do that by joining my FB community: “Build Your Marketing Skills to Get Ahead.” And when you join, you can get a free Tall Starbucks on me. I added a gift card with a barcode that you can use.
Again, love to hear from you. Meanwhile, stay healthy and be safe.
Take care.
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What can Pam Didner do for you?
Being in the corporate world for 20+ years and having held various positions from accounting and supply chain management, and marketing to sales enablement, she knows how corporations work. She can make you and your team a rock star by identifying areas to shine and do better. She does that through private coaching, keynote speaking, workshop training, and hands-on consulting. Contact her or find her on LinkedIn and Twitter. A quick note: Check out her new 90-Day Revenue Reboot, if you are struggling with marketing.
