These past two weeks have felt like a year. I have to keep reminding myself what day it is—they’re all blurring together. I’m currently typing this in my studio apartment in Minneapolis, Minn., as I’ve been working from home for roughly two weeks.
During times like this, it’s really easy to focus on the negative. I’ll admit it—I’ve done it more than once. I hate being stuck in my apartment. I miss my friends and family. I’m worried about my friends and family. I want to go out to eat. I want to look forward to all the trips I have planned this summer. There are many things I want but I realize how fortunate that I have everything that I need. Rather than focusing on what I’m missing out on, I’m trying to look at all of the positives that have come out of this situation.
That’s easy for me to say. I don’t have a small business to run and the small business that I am a part of is able to run remotely. I don’t have kids depending on me. I can’t even begin to imagine how difficult that must be, but I have seen so many examples of people rising to the occasion and making it work.
My company, 10 Missions Media, has allowed us the capacity to work from home, which is amazing. Last week, the leadership team pulled together to put a plan in place so everyone would have the resources that we need to work from home, keeping us and others around us safe. Our team continues to check in with one another, not only about work but just to see how everyone is coping, which makes me grateful for the culture that we have.
The automotive repair industry has been a huge source of inspiration to me, as well. During this chaotic time, the amount of shop owners and vendors that have reached out to us to provide resources for our readers has been amazing to see. I’m lucky to be a part of an industry that really cares about one another—competition or not.
Here are just a few examples of pieces of advice we’ve gotten from shop owners:
- https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/9700-creative-marketing
- https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/9703-grow-overcoming-the-coronavirus-pandemic
- https://www.ratchetandwrench.com/articles/9667-planning-and-responding-to-the-covid-19
So, I just wanted to say thank you for those out there that are doing everything that they can do to help out others, whether it’s fellow team members, your customers or your industry as a whole. Even though it’s a dark and scary time, there’s much to be proud of.
