Let me start first by saying THANK YOU to all of you. And I also want to thank all the great people that now are performing a valuable service to their local community.
Together we will make it through this event. It is an event that will pass! At the moment we are all in the midst of the storm.
All of my revenue streams have been put on temporary hold. And as an independent consultant, there is no immediate safety net, I can take advantage of.
I have been numb, in despair, frustrated, depressed, upset, and it all seemed a bit surreal. Just most people I went through all kinds of emotions. At times I dealt with one or two of these emotions. But this unprecedented event has been something none of us has ever experienced before.
All emotions have bombarded me like many others now. It did impact my creativity and innovation. I also have obligations that I am required to stay on top of, and I have to be able to put food on the table.
What kept me going
Last year I made several decisions that I ended up paying for towards the end of the year. This caused me to take a deep look at my processes. And I discovered I had got myself into a deep rabbit hole.
As a result of this, I started taking some time to look myself in the mirror. And I wanted to be brutally honest with myself.
During this process, I read a lot of literature to learn more about the different human states, and how I could effectively deal with the state I found myself in. One book I read said I should start by doing simple daily gratitude.
I started with very simple gratitude exercises. And then I took it to another level when I decided to share my morning gratitude on LinkedIn every day. It took a while before it started to make sense to me.
But when the COVID-19 hit here in the U.S. I already created a habit of doing daily gratitude. And this exercise is what kept me going through this period.
Start your daily gratitude exercise.
What can you do?
As indicated all my income streams have been put on temporary hold. Now I will be as honest and transparent as I possibly can be. I don’t know how reality will look like when this event has passed, and YES it will pass!
What I know for sure is that I have to rewrite all my current blueprints.
At the moment we all are in the midst of the storm. But I will to the best of my abilities have two different perspectives;
- Damage control
- What’s next
One of the things I am discovering is that like many others I was not prepared for this unprecedented event. And I found that all the solutions I been able to come up with were all band-aid solutions.
So, I knew I need to make a shift that will allow me to take more proactive steps toward hospitality prepping. What are the items I am required to have in my prepping kit;
- Mask
- Hand gloves
- Sanitizers
- Wipes
- Medical kit
- Map
- Communication app
Be proactive and start work on your hotels prepping kits to provide guests.
I discovered a lot of different hotel organizations now was offering free webinars and training. So, I started to find new ways to improve my skills to prepare myself for what’s next.
And I also wanted to learn something new, so I been working on learning the American Sign Language.
Also, daily I visit LinkedIn to watch Live Webinars with hospitality industry experts. Everyone is now helping each other. In this time, we are not competitors, we are a family taking care of each other.
I recommend following Glenn Haussman, Anthony Melchiorri, and Rupesh Patel. Following them will keep you in the loop on some of the efforts that hoteliers are working on getting through this together.
LinkedIn also has a special report section with updates about the coronavirus. In this section, there is a thread about who’s hiring now.
So, this inspired me to check my local area to see what brand that needed help now. Most jobs available are either part-time or seasonal. But I applied for jobs at the local grocery stores. And I was in for an interview at the local Kroger here.
The key now is that you have to be flexible and be willing to do whatever it takes to help each other out. And to me, I see this as a new unique opportunity to share my spirit to serve with the local community. Plus, it will add a new unique set of values that I had not thought about in this stage of my life.
Think outside the box, be flexible, don’t be afraid of doing something you never have done before. I know customer service and learning customer service via retail during an unprecedented event will help me come back stronger when this passes.
We are in this together!
I need to let you all know that we are in on this together. If you need to vent, talk, cry, or just have some to talk with then I am here listening. Since I am working part-time at the local Kroger, I will to the best of my ability to work it out around my schedule.
But you can reach me here:
Email: hotelblogger@aremorch.com
Also, join us at our Facebook Group – Hotel Social Media Community
We will get through this unprecedented event together! #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
For any specific information on COVID-19, I recommend go to CDC, WHO, AHLA, AAHOA, and HSMAI. Also, follow information from your local authorities.
NOTE
Since all my income streams are on temporarily holds, I have made a shift where my blog is now a hobby. I will do my best to maintain it during this event, so be patient with me.
Stay home stay safe! If you have to go out for essentials say THANK YOU to those that now show a unique spirit to serve, and helps us all get through this. #hotelstrong #hospitalitystrong
About Are Morch
Hi, I am Are Morch. Your Hotel Marketing Coach and Customer Experience Expert that specializes in creating effective digital customer experience offer for hotels while growing and scale customer acquisition and revenue.
