Flying Forward: a Year of Reflections at Qnary

It’s officially been one year since COVID-19 emerged in the United States, turning all of our worlds upside down. It’s also been one of the most challenging years both personally and professionally that we have all gone through. 

 When the pandemic hit, I really didn’t know what expect. As I mentioned in my previous blog, I had never been exposed to a recession, and the idea of a global health pandemic was just a plot for a sci-fi movie, not a feasible real-life scenario.

At Qnary, we kept telling ourselves that this would be a marathon, but we did not imagine that one year later we would still be running in the race. It has been hard, but also rewarding, and we have all learned and grown so much from it.

Since I’ve had a year to reflect on my role, the company, and the world I thought it would be a good time to highlight some of the key management principals that led Qnary to have a successful 2020.

• People, people and people: I honestly can’t imagine Qnary not only surviving, but also growing without our team. We knew we had a very smart and talented team, but our entire flock showed a level of resilience and commitment that helped us survive when things were going south at the beginning of the pandemic. They showed great agility when the business’ growth catapulted over the summer as the economy started to recover. Throughout the entire year, Qnary birds never gave up, and they always delivered consistent performance week in and week out.
•  Culture is king: I am fascinated by the power that a strong company culture can have to keep a team highly engaged in such uncertain and challenging circumstances. The morale of the team was consistently high, and as we scaled the team during the second half of the year, the ability to welcome new members and make them feel a part of the Qnary nest has been exceptional.
• Know when to push and pull: This one is probably the hardest to articulate and the one I probably failed at the most, even though I tried. It is very hard for everyone to be at 100% every day, especially during a pandemic. People are anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed by our new reality. Knowing when to leave breathing room, give people space, and let them take a day off while also trying to deliver consistent quality to our clients and grow the business is really hard. It requires a level of understanding and mutual trust that is hard to achieve. At Qnary, we tried to put mental health as a big principle and wanted to make sure everyone would feel safe.
• Continue to innovate: We didn’t let the pandemic stop our desire to grow our business. While we took a hit early on, we kept pushing ourselves. Some of our ideas failed, but others really helped take Qnary to the next level.
• Practice genuine empathy: We are all in this together. Being empathetic is critical and has been key for us. It has allowed us to build stronger relationships with our clients, vendors, investors, and most importantly, the Qnary team.

I really don’t know how the rest of 2021 will unfold, but I am very hopeful for a brighter, fruitful year. I know that if we continue to capitalize on these five practices, the business will continue to outperform our expectations, and Qnary will fly higher than it’s ever flown before.