7: RISE

No one was prepared for this, no one expected this, and no one thought it would come home. Yet it did, and with the speed and ruthlessness one couldn’t imagine. Before anyone could understand what is happening, lives and livelihood both were destroyed for thousands. For me, being the nature of the industry, I work in, business dried up overnight and so our first reaction was to wait and watch, hoping that all will be fine in a week or so. Weeks turned into months and the situation didn’t improve, costs piled up, salaries had to be paid, commitments had to be fulfilled.

We had two options, shut shop and fire everyone, or adapt to the change and see an opportunity. Over a 100 staff had hope in their eyes everyday they used to see us. A hope that we shall not ask them to leave, a hope that they can support their families back home, another day. We made the choice, we had to survive, we had to rise from the situation. Our existing business model was made redundant due to the pandemic, so we developed services which will be in demand now and in the post pandemic world. Four months into the new offerings, we were able to retain all staff and infact hired a few more.

When we look back to this year, the memory we will have is the smile on the faces of our staff. As a friend said to me a few years back, ‘Make money and help people’. Not sure we will make money, but definitely we will do the latter, at all costs. Humans have thrived on this planet due to their one key skill – their ability to adapt and their ability to rise. Let us celebrate it.

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