our ideas

A few months back, I sat anxious and nervous in my office on a sunny spring afternoon, the lights were off, and I couldn’t help but continue to tap my pen on my desk while I pondered a decision I really didn’t want to make. It was a Friday that I will never forget. The Friday I had to tell my staff that even though we had work, we weren’t getting any new leads or writing new proposals. I was concerned about the next few payrolls. My staff are like my family. It broke my heart and ignited a fear inside me that I didn’t even know was there.

But, we made it through the scary months, and here we are in August. Honestly, it worried me, and I felt like we may come out of this an entirely different company. Like many others in the country at the time, we didn’t know what to expect. My staff came back full-time mid-May, and to my relief, things were not much different. I had to decide right there to be the worried leader or be the leader that everyone needed. So I put my fear aside and went with it.

My team made it pretty easy for me. We decided to take the time we had to focus on Michigan Creative. To do the things we do for numerous other companies but hadn’t made the time to do for ourselves. We solidified who we are, what is it like to work with us, and worked on all of our processes. We set up daily check-ins with the entire team where we talk about what we’re working on for the day and the most important part is that we either lift each other up with kind words or we share something good that is going on in our lives. It’s our half an hour every day where our team is able to come together and share in each other’s lives.

So, with all the scary numbers, schools opening or closing, no sports or large events, it can be easy to forget to see what good has come. And, even if we have to wear masks for longer than anticipated and social distance, even more, we can do that. As a father of four, I am no stranger to how fast time flies.

Try to find the good.

1. Even though some of us are remote, we are closer than ever. We talk every day as a team, and we all have to find one good thing in our life that day. One of the days, we have sales meetings, we do a motivational activity where we have each person give a shout out to another. I love it.
2. My amazing office in REO Town is half empty. While I miss my staff, the four of us who come in every day to get out of the house get to enjoy the quiet working environment.
3. We are laser-focused on sales. It is an everyday occurrence. All of us ask each other what is the one thing I can do to help grow MC.
4. We have the finest group of humans on the planet at MC. Not only are they the best creatives around, but they are also hard-working, kind, funny, and resilient.
5. While the country may seem dark, not perfect, and a total mess, we will get through this, we always do. Together, we can do anything. I truly believe that.
6. We have all spent more time with our families than ever before. Eventually everyone will go back to school, work with one day no longer be remote, and we will long for the time of working in our shorts, and taking a break to get ice cream or go swimming with the kids in the middle of the day. So, use the time you have now.
7. We truly live in the best state in the nation. I was swimming in the clear blue waters of Lake Michigan last week. We went on dunes that had no end, and sat by fires in 68-degree weather. We ate food from local hard-working people, shopped at local stores, and got corn from a stand on the side of the road. Sure, we had masks on some of the time, but we were not distracted by them. We were too busy being happy that we got to be in Michigan.

If you’re not sure there is good in the world or hope that this will one day end, look around you. Take gratitude in life and know that it won’t be like this forever. And, while we’re waiting for this all to end,  work on being the change you want to see in our new world, and anything is possible.

-B