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On St. Patrick’s Day 2020 (March 17, 2020 to be exact), we hosted our last in-person Chamber meeting in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a Women’s Business Network Luncheon and around 18 people attended (when nearly 50 had RSVP’d originally).
We never could have imagined at that time, in that moment, that we would not gather in person for an event of any kind until the following October as only because we inaugurated our new office space in downtown Coral Gables.
We wouldn’t host a Good Morning Coral Gables in-person until the following July.
And we would not gather as a full Chamber until our Annual Conference in November 2021, nearly 15 months later.
Now, as we acknowledge the inauspicious two-year anniversary of a world-wide shut-down this week, it is important to take stock and reflect on what has occurred.
We know that many of you are doing this for both your businesses and your personal lives. We know it has not been easy. In fact, most days over the past 728 have been nothing short of heartbreaking.
The loss of life, the loss of livelihoods, and the loss of everything we ever knew has taken an enormous toll on the American psyche and our economy.
In the span of one year, nearly 10 million Americans lost their jobs due to COVID. Most have returned to work, but as you may imagine, not every position will return as the workforce has contracted significantly, and possibly for good.
We always feared automation would change the world of work. It turns out it was a microscopic virus (.125 microns) that changed literally everything.
In the Chamber world, where we come together regularly as a natural course of business, we stopped doing what we do best: networking, schmoozing, shaking hands, kissing on the cheek (Miami style), close-talking, exchanging business cards, and gathering in large numbers.
All of those were a big “no no” in the world of COVID-19 and our beloved Dr. Fauci. Social distancing, mask wearing, fist bumping (if absolutely necessary), going virtual and working from home were the ultimate antidote and order of the day.
Some of us have even gotten out of practice over the past two years, allowing our social awkwardness to get the better of us at the now re-emerging social occasions and networking events. I have seen it; I have lived it!
But worry not, business building and networking are like riding a bike. It comes right back to you – even for the biggest introvert. And your Chamber is ready to help you flex your networking muscle once again.
We are here to reenergize and retool your natural ability to connect – and then remind you to follow-up, follow-through, and then close the sale. It is a skill as fundamental as shaking hands, an ability as innate as breathing.
Two years is a long time to be away. In the business world, two years is an eternity. In the networking world, it is a lifetime. But, what’s great about your Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce is that we are the best in the business when it comes to reigniting that flame.
We are here to rekindle…strike the match…fan the spark. We are here to help you reconnect. We are here – and have been all along.
So, let’s update, rebrand and reprint those business cards, throw in a splash of color for good eye-catching, memorable detail, firm up that handshake (or fist bump), and get up off that mat (you know the one you bought to go with those yoga pants you wore all last year to every Zoom meeting).
Two-year anniversaries usually suggest the gift of something made of cotton. While most therapeutic and antiseptic, we have had just about enough of that theme. So, may we suggest something sturdier and more memorable?
You. That’s right. Let’s start the process with just you. Remember, you are the gift that we have missed the most.
Mark, you always know what to say and you are doing a wonderful job. Thank you for everything !!!