I’ve always been one to write more so with my heart than my head (I leave that to my published peers to speak on our methodologies or the newest tech). So, when our marketing manager asked that I change things up a bit and write a blog, I figured, why not share something based on just pure emotion, research aside.
Being in business development for most of my career, my passion for selling has always lied in my belief in the unique and innovative solutions we have for our clients’ research questions, but my joy has always been driven from connecting with people. Grabbing coffee, a lunch, meeting on site, a dinner, conferences, etc.– meaningful moments of connecting with people on a deeper level than just business. Forming true relationships and friendships. I invited clients to my wedding, actually had one read my bloodwork when I was pregnant and put the gender in an envelope that I could bring to a baker! We have shared big moments of life and made the everyday humdrum a bit more fun.
Then, welcome the biggest disruption that we will likely ever see in our lifetimes, the global pandemic. How quickly life changed and has remained as such for 14 long, dreadful months. (I often think back in disbelief that we made it to the Quirks conference in NYC the week before the world shut down. (& came out unscathed!) It was the last conference I would attend in over a year now.) While I think we all adapted during the first few months to the new norm, I know that I am now left hungry and yearning to connect again in those real authentic ways. To grab that coffee or lunch with an old friend and talk about life.
Zoom, you have certainly helped, but I am so over you! We are so often reminded that you are not the real thing… the tireless ‘oh sorry, no you go’ when two people are speaking at once, not being able to toggle your video on because your 3-year-old is racing around on his scooter shirtless speeding like Luigi in Mario Cart, or the awkward transition to the next conversation in a moment of silence where we all stare at each other like deer in headlights. Stick a fork in me because I am done! I want the 5-D experience… seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and even tasting (the food that is!).
I hope this summer breathes new life into our souls. I respect that many organizations’ main priority has been to keep their people safe, which often meant no outsiders or non-internal meetings in-person, but I do look forward to that lunch at Ricky Thai’s talking about how much our kids have grown in the past year, that coffee on Main Street discussing where the next big vacation will be, or that conference where I will see everyone in one location again. And of course, all wrapped in with discussing brand and product research 😊
Hope to see you all soon!
