Back On Track 2021

It is finally 2021!  We will be into our second day back at work of this seemed-like-it-would-never-get-here new year by the time you read this. As I sit here sipping my first cup of coffee and reflecting, I realize there are days in all our lives that we will never forget where we were or what exactly happened. That day this last year was March 17. After an incredibly busy January and February, I was taking a breath in Beavercreek, Colorado when the whole world shut down. What I remember from that week is the slow trickle of texts, then more emails and calls…increasing anxiety and bewilderment about what was happening with the virus from my team, colleagues, and clients. When I called an emergency meeting, the Steople team came together, discussed a strategy, and executed our plan of action.

Our Rallying Cry during that time was “Support Our Stakeholders Through the Pandemic – Whatever It Takes”. I would conservatively say we touched over 5,000 lives in the ensuing 9 months working our hearts out to deliver on that promise. We gave away services, we checked in relentlessly, we improved processes behind the scenes, we consulted with the intent of ensuring the viability of our client’s businesses, we adapted to needs, we created new content, we bent over backward to make sure our clients were supported, we doubled down on our marketing and branding efforts, we dug deep with the clients we had, we donated money to the Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, and New York City food banks, we focused on profitability, and we supported one another as a team during times of sickness and times of loss.  In the end, we didn’t lose a client relationship and we grew 28% in a year in which many people would have said a leadership development company might have to close the doors and give up.

But it wasn’t just about us.  We also saw how you continued to take the best care of the people you are charged with leading. We acknowledge the long hours, the almost impossible decisions, and the sacrifices that you made. Job well done getting through 2020!  We encourage you to keep the faith… this year has promised to be better. We hope and pray for a year filled with a renewed sense of purpose, innovative ideas, a fresh perspective on challenges, and leadership that will live beyond you. People will remember how you led through these adverse conditions and in the end look back with appreciation for how you persisted.  Let’s all agree that in this new year, we will dig in, get back on track, be a Boss, make a difference, and kick the sh#$*& out of 2021!

We. Stand. With. You.