How I Pivoted from COVID-19? How you can too!

How are you feeling? Really how are you feeling? What are you missing? Where are your thoughts? Are you getting tired and exhausted from everything going around us?

Probably like all of you, I feel as if a RESET button got pushed in every area of our lives.

When the news of the possibility of a deadly virus started reaching us in the US; I said it is far away, it will not get here – it is the same scenario we all say “It happens to other people but not to me”

Then it started being a reality in our lives, we started sheltering-in and life as we knew it stopped to exist and we were fundamentally shaken to the core partly or mostly from fear. Fear of getting sick, losing our life or the life of a loved one.

When it started to sink that all business deals stopped, another fear was added. The fear of loss of income, or going out of business

Unfortunately, all these fears materialized to some degree more to some than for others.

In the first few days, I lost clarity and insight, I was confused, pessimistic, waiting for the worst to happen especially that my husband and I, felt like we had the symptoms in late March (We tested negative).

I saw every single contract, commitment and gig till the end of the year get cancelled in the span of three days. Panic was the word and the mood.

I had, like most if not all of you, an unsettling feeling as we had no clue what is coming, information was confusing at best, with no solutions in the horizon.

Within ten days I realized that this is a long-term issue that will not go away anytime soon.

I panicked, I had insomnia, at times I felt my chest crushing into me. I felt paralyzed and just sad for days.

I started going into a rabbit hole of more sadness, stress, and helplessness.

Then, it started to sink in, we are living a “new normal” where abnormal is normal. Most of us, if not all of us started adopting the idea of working from home, for some of us it meant having children in the background or dogs and cats, children started schooling virtually, birthdays, graduations and even baby showers took place online as we all locked-in for survival.

After a couple of weeks, I started thinking “Oh My God” my nails are getting longer, my hair roots are starting to show, my fake lashes are falling one by one.

As soon as the feelings started bubbling to the surface I would admonish myself, shaming myself that “I was so selfish” to think that way, other people are getting sick or dying or losing the roof over their heads.

The more I thought that way the more I felt ashamed of myself to not even sharing these thoughts with my own husband.

And now almost 150 days, we are starting feeling “COVID fatigue”; we are tired of being locked up, tired of restrictions, tired of hearing bad news, tired of being alone. It has been too long with no relief in sight; that is why some are just acting up and resisting the guidelines which is never fine.

That does not mean that we just give up, the uncertainty that we are living through is bringing negativity and stress

Then, I started telling myself what I share with my clients “All feelings are valid”, no matter what emotions we are experiencing are valid.

Then it hit me, we are going to different degrees of “micro-losses”, as simple as the loss of personal communication with our hairdresser or nail person, the loss of sitting in a Starbucks exchanging pleasantries with the baristas, for me it was standing in a stage speaking, and feeling the eyes of the audience on me. I was suffering from isolation.

What I was feeling and many around me feeling are the different stages of grief. We need to acknowledge, embrace, and own what we are feeling and not sweep them under the rug where they could fester. I stopped shaming and guilting myself for what I was feeling.

I will share here, how I pivoted after going through the stages of denial, anger, frustration.

After like three weeks of desperation, I started trying to find any silver lining around the clouds, trying to look for the lesson we need to learn and I started voluntarily surrendering to the new normal and decided that I can either sink and let it beat me or swim to the surface

As I always tell my clients, life will always throw us curve balls – we have no control over that; but we have the control over how we react.

I started regrouping, meditating, doing breathing techniques, thinking what I can do to help others that might not be able to reciprocate.

Immediately:

-      I stopped all the online selling efforts

-      I stopped all promo materials and promo social media posts

-      I started asking my clients and followers on social media- what they needed help with

-      I started thinking what I can initiate that will support others while supporting my long-term goals

After asking questions, I took the decision to start online webinars with a lot of information needed at this point.

I knew that as human beings we flourish when we serve and help others that is what compelled me to start doing that, I also wanted to create a safe space for people that needed psychological safety to share how they feel, and a cooperative tribe was born.

After #COVID19 hit, everyone around had jumped to Zoom to communicate personally and professionally. I offered a FREE webinar on how to use Zoom, I even offered it in my ‘NEXT DOOR” neighborhood space.

Then I started offering webinars on Marketing during COVID-19, Remote teams, Leadership during COVID-19, Mindset of a Leader I even invited two psychologists on my webinars to help people with stress and anxiety and one webinar was about mindfulness, I also presented webinars on positive thinking and manifestation.

I took these ZOOM recording, edited them leaving out any personal comments and questions and uploaded them to my "YOUTUBE" channel, then used the MP3 of the same recording and uploaded it to my "Podcast". This way increasing my online presence and SEO.

In summary, I offered online challenges, one to two free webinars a week. My clients at SBDC quadrupled since small business owners needed help.

After few weeks, some of government contacts contacted me to do virtual training, which was great.

Then, I started having requests to do paid webinars from different organizations, and I started having inquiries and signups for private coaching clients.

I have witnessed, not only one or two businesses being born out of necessity, but I witnessed more than a dozen businesses not only start but thrive. Some new startups or business owners lost their jobs and started a new business that they either saw a need for, or an idea that they always wanted to do, and they are making money, good money.

I know it sounds cheesy to say When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. But it is true, from the bottom of my heart I believe that out of every breakdown there is a breakthrough, out of every mess there is message.

Look for something that you always wanted to learn or do and start, cling more to your loved ones and make them know that you love them as nothing is ever guaranteed in life. Do what you can to support and help those that might not even be in a place to reciprocate your help.

At the end of every long and dark night; the sun always come out.

Yes we have no clue how long the virus will create havoc, we have no idea when life will go back to normal as we know it, if ever; we have no idea when people are going back to their offices; we do not know when we will be able to go on a plane, cruise or train or even stay in a hotel without worrying if we do; we do not know when we will be able to feel safe again.

We can control only what we can control, obviously we cannot control the virus, but we can control how we act, feel, and think.

It is not being Pollyannaish but being realistic as we are going to be in this for a long time, we need not only survive but thrive and it is possible.

My business is as busy as ever, revenues are flowing in, and I am helping more people that I could ever imagine.

It is our choice to pivot and thrive, it is not easy, and it does not happen overnight. It needs a mindset shift and faith as well as perseverance. The best part is that YOU CAN DO IT

#Weareinthistogether #alonetogether #personalleadership

Share what you are doing to pivot and thrive!

Stay Safe

___________________________________________________________

My name is Sahar Andrade, I help organizations increase their employee engagement by investing in Diversity/Inclusion practices as well as through Leadership Development.

I also help successful Individuals that are stuck to reinvent their lives with courage, release their fears, get clarity on their purpose and pursue their dreams.

My teachings, my unique education and experience combined with singular approach to realizing change, form a proven system for long lasting positive transformation. My methodology is based on human psychology, N.L.P. practices and research to break down issues, reverse engineer them, and deconstruct personal myths, while developing personal leadership skills development. It is a simple step by step program, modules, exercises, one on one and group coaching.

I am the author of “49 things about Entrepreneurship: That experts do not want you to know” on Amazon.

This is my TED TALK : Overcoming Negative Thoughts

I am the founder of “Sahar Consulting, LLC” and “Reinvent Yourself to Greatness”